Author's notes: Sorry, it was a terrible time for my ambition to decide to take a vacation. I think that I had used up my entire creativity reservoir and it just needed time to recharge. Any way, here is the next chapter. Another will be coming soon.
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Warrick sat back and digested what Greg had just told him. "Two victims that are related to each other and two different crime scenes. So, is there a connection or is it just coincidence?"
"That is the 64,000 dollar questions isn't it."
"Have you talked with Nick about his vic?"
Greg nodded, "Yes, but they don't know much at this point. They still don't know the girl's name. I think they are hoping that we can fill in that hole for them."
"Well, lets go run down the employees from the restaurant and see if they can identify them." Warrick walked over to the sink and dumped his remaining coffee down the drain. Rinsing out the cup, he turned it upside down in the rack on the counter. "I'll grab a photo of our vic, you go run down an autopsy photo of the girl."
"I'll met you in the parking lot. I'll drive."
"Think again Greggo." Warrick smiled and headed down the hall to retrieve the photo.
"Why does everyone think I'm a bad driver?" Greg's tone was slightly whiney.
"It's not we think you're a bad driver. We know you're a bad driver."
"One little accident and everyone is a critic." He groused.
"You backed into a squad car and pushed it into Ecklie's personal vehicle." Warrick had to bite back a laugh, thinking about the day supervisor's rage.
"He was doubled parked. Not my fault."
"Keep telling yourself that." Warrick opened the door to the lab and walked in. "I'll drive."
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Don felt beaten. The lack of sleep and the stress of this case were wearing on him heavily. He had just spent several hours with Captain Brass and Gil Grissom and continual butting of heads had been the icing on the cake. Grissom wasn't the problem, if anything he had tried to play mediator. Brass was ready to pull Colby in and throw away the key.
Currently the damning evidence, other than the fact Colby had been covered in blood and a dead woman beside him, thought Don, was the GHB in Colby's blood. Brass was sure that the combination of alcohol, drugs and stress had caused Colby to kill the young lady. He did contend that perhaps it was some kind of flashback and that Colby "didn't" remember, but he was still guilty.
Taking a sip from the cup of coffee he had picked up on his way back to the hotel, Don reflected on the events. He knew that Colby couldn't have done something so cold blooded. However the events of the last year and the near death of his younger agent were the type of experiences that could cause posttraumatic stress.
"Hell no." The sound of his own voice breaking out of his thoughts surprised him. "No," he thought. "Colby wouldn't hurt someone like that."
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They had left the hotel with copies of the security tapes and information on Jeff Primmer, the bartender from the night before. Catherine had decided that she would take the tapes and start the tedious task of looking through them for something useful. This left Nick and David to run down the address the hotel had on file for the bartender.
After dropping Catherine off at the lab the two men headed for the apartment of Primmer. Pulling into a slightly shabby apartment complex they pulled into a spot by the front of the building.
Stepping out of the Denali Nick felt for his gun. The events of the last several years had caused him to be more cautious and the weight of the gun was reassuring. "Remember, you are just along as an observer. Anything happens I expect you to get yourself out of the way."
"I know the drill." David told Nick what he expected to hear. If anything happened David knew damn well that he would do whatever it was going to take to get Primmer. Yes, he would definitely have Colby's back this time.
The two men made their way to the third floor apartment, the open stairways and terraces of the building were littered with empty wrappers and miscellaneous trash. The design of the building was such that the only way in and out of the apartments was through the front doors.
"Looks like it's housekeeping's day off." David remark dryly.
"I guess bartending doesn't bring in the big bucks." Nick stepped over a moldy banana lying on the tread of the stairs. "I don't know how someone could live like this. I'd be outsides sweeping everyday."
"OCD much?" teasing lightly David followed the CSI up the final flight of stairs.
Nick laughed, "Yeah. I guess it goes along with my scientific mind, I want everything orderly."
Reaching the door to apartment 321, Nick and David took up positions on either side of the door. Next to the door was a large picture window with its drapes drawn tightly. Nick knocked on the door and waited for a minute. When no one came to the door, Nick pounded harder.
"No one's home." Nick looked at the man beside him. "I'll call for a warrant."
"How long will that take?"
Nick glanced at his watch. "Hour or so. Most judges have called it a day by now."
Shaking his head at the delay David didn't like the idea of waiting. "Did you hear something?"
"Huh?"
"Shhh, I think I hear someone inside. He could be hurt."
Catching on, Nick hesitated for a moment. The likelihood was that the apartment would be empty, but if they did go in without a warrant and found something there was the concern that it would be thrown out of court. "Let's check with the manager. I'd rather have him let us in than break down the door."
"Let's hurry. I'd hate for Primmer to be injured and need our help." David's tone was slightly sarcastic.
Less than ten minutes later the building manager opened the door to the apartment and Nick and David entered. A quick scan of the small living room did not turn up the suspect. Nick moved down the hallway to check out the rest of the apartment.
"You're sure you fellas heard something? This guy has been a pretty quiet renter. Rent is on time and never causes any problems." The manager spoke with David.
"We thought we heard someone cry out for help." David put on his most sincere expression.
"David," a call came from the rear of the apartment. "Come here."
Leaving the manager David joined Nick. "What did you find?"
"Primmer's body."
"What! You sure?"
"Looks like the photo we got from the hotel. DNA or prints will tell us for sure. Looks like a suicide." Nick jerked a thumb towards the manager. "Tell him to wait around; we'll want to talk to him. I'll call the P.D."
"I'm going to check in with Don, and then I'll start talking to our friend out there." David pulled out his cell phone.
"All right." Nick pulled out his own phone and called dispatch. After finishing the call he placed another to Grissom. "Hey, I followed up a led on the Granger case. Found our possible suspect dead, looks like he ate a bullet. Can you send Catherine out to help me process the scene?"
David had stepped onto the balcony and waited for Don to answer. Filling in his boss with the most recent turn of events, David listened to the frustration that mirrored his own.
"It seems a little too ironic that a person of interest suddenly kills themselves." Don's voice was tight.
"I agree. Stokes and his partner are going to process the scene so I'll know something as soon as they do. How is Charlie doing?"
"I'm getting ready to call him."
"Tell him to hurry. Our leads seem to be evaporating." David hung up and walked back into the apartment and started talking to the manager.
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Charlie had spoken with Amita for a solid twenty minutes. The call had ended with Charlie heading down the front desk to print off some information that Amita had emailed him. Colby had been sleeping peacefully and Charlie was sure that he would return before the agent would awaken.
He was heading back upstairs when his cell phone rang. Seeing Don's number Charlie set the small printer down and opened the phone. "Hey Don."
"Charlie. Tell me you have something for us."
"We've got a list of names that might have some connection. I think I mentioned to you earlier that the amounts of computer contacts that come into the FBI on any given day are huge."
"I know. I also have something else to toss into the mix. The victim is related to another dead body they found last night. This one had been tortured."
"Do you have the names yet?"
"No, but Brass thought they might by later tonight. Some of his people are trying to find someone to identify them. How's Colby doing?"
"Better, he's still sleeping. He had a nightmare earlier." Charlie decided to skip the part about Colby attacking him.
"I'm on my way back and when I get there I need to talk with him."
"How soon until you're back?"
"Not sure how long the Strip traffic will take, but I'm hoping within 20 minutes."
"I'll see you then." Charlie hung up the phone and stepped into the first elevator heading up. Had he been a minute slower he would have seen an elevator open up and Colby exiting it.