MS Chapter 3

In the Glades, Eric was in his wetsuit and guiding the tow truck to pulling the car out of the Glades. Horatio and Frank pulled up.

"Eric, you found it?" Horatio watched the car being pulled out.

"Yeah H, I followed the tracks down to here. It's just a couple of miles from the scene. About ten feet back that way, the car seemed to have stopped then carried on until you get to this clearing here. The car seems to have driven past then reversed back and turned towards this opening. There are foot prints here in the dirt so the driver must have got out and dumped the car here and bolted."

As the car was finally pulled from the Glades and all three men looked through the car windows to be met by yet another victim.
Horatio walked away as he dialled on his phone, "Alexx, we got another one, about a couple of miles up from the original site."
After Horatio hung up, he walked over to Eric.

"Can you pop the trunk please Eric?"

Eric did as he was told. The trunk opened and inside was three big sports bags full of different electrical goods.

"H, if these are stolen goods, then all of this could have been a deal gone wrong."
Horatio agreed, "process what you can until Alexx gets here for the vic." He looked at the female lying in the back seat of the car. She looked very familiar. Horatio turned to Frank.

"Doesn't she look a lot like the first female vic?"

Frank took a closer look, "she does, possibly sisters?"

"Possibly," he put his shades on and looked at the footprints on the floor. They were leading back to the original crime scene. He followed them in his hummer and sure enough, they led to the original crime scene. When he looked for anymore, they seemed to be compromised by the vehicles from earlier. What was the killer up to? Was he trying to find his way back to Miami? If so, then it was a long walk. He carried on slowly down the road. He found where the footprints carried after the original crime scene. After a couple of miles, the footprints turned into the grass where the grass had been disturbed. He stopped and walked through the grass and came to a clearing. He found a male slumped against a tree. Horatio rushed over to see if he was still alive. The man was still breathing, just. He pulled out his phone and called for rescue.

When an ambulance arrived, the man was rushed to hospital. Frank approached Horatio.

"Do you think he's our guy?"

"I'm hoping so. At this moment in time, he's our number one suspect. I'll get Boa Vista to question him when he's been seen to at the hospital. Where's Eric?"

"He's gone back to the lab with the car. Why?"

"I need to have words with him."

Frank didn't want to ask why so he kept his mouth shut.
"I'll see what I can find out on the car's registration."

"I have a feeling it will be stolen so that would be an idea."

"I'll get right on it." Frank climbed into his car and drove off.
Horatio put his shades back on and followed suit.

Back at the lab, Ryan arrived to be greeted by Calleigh.

"So what's up? You said it was urgent."

"Yeah, one of your old cases has come up in our investigation."
As they both walked towards lock-up, Calleigh explained the situation.

"Well I can assure you Calleigh, I haven't had any reason to back into that case. As far as I was concerned, it's a closed case."

"Not anymore. Horatio wants us to go over all of the evidence in that box."
Ryan put his gloves on and pulled down the box of evidence. He noticed that there was a small tear in the lid.

"That wasn't there when I last had it out."
Calleigh looked at it.

"Someone must have been in a rush to take it off or put it back on. I'll print the lid and you check to see what's missing."

Calleigh took the lid to her lab and worked on it whilst Ryan checked the contents.
After a while, Ryan went to find Calleigh to tell her his findings.

"Calleigh, the only thing that is missing is the Kimber. Even the box that the gun was in is missing. What did you find?"

"Well, there are two lots of prints on the lid. One is yours, which I'd expect but the other is running now."
They both waited patiently to see who they belonged to.

In the garage, Eric was processing the car. Horatio walked in to have his chat with him.

"Eric."

"H, I'm just processing now but the water has compromised a lot of the evidence."

"That's not what I wanted to talk to you about. Eric, is everything okay?"

Eric looked up at Horatio, "yeah, why?"

Horatio knew better, something wasn't right, "well since I've been back from England, you're constantly late and you are very distant. I hope you weren't late whilst you were in charge of the lab, that doesn't look good to everyone else."

"Sorry H, got a lot going on at the moment, my past is catching up with me. Nothing I can't handle."

Horatio looked concerned for his former brother-in-law, "if you want to talk you know where I am."

Eric nodded, "I know, thanks. Just for the record, I was on time whilst you were away."

"That's good to hear."

"If I find anything I'll let you know."

Horatio left Eric to it and went to the morgue to see what Alexx had for him on the latest victim.

The computer beeped at Calleigh and Ryan. A profile came up on screen. It was not what they were expecting.

Calleigh looked shocked, "this can't be right; it's got to be a mistake."

Ryan looked worried, "this is going to get complicated. Stetler will have a field day with this. Horatio's not going to like it. Are you going to tell him or am I?"

"You're right there, I can't believe it's one our own. And we will both tell him. It might sound better if we both are there."