Chapter 14
The next shift Gil and Sara were sitting in his office.
Catherine and Warrick came in. "Hey Sara," Catherine said," Something has been bugging me."
"What's that?" Sara asked. "You said that Jade was for your mother. I remember you telling me your mother was Laura?"
"It was Laura," Sara said. "Jade was her middle name also."
"Ha! Told you so," Warrick said, "You owe me."
Gil looked at Warrick, "You bet on anything don't you?"
"Yep," Warrick said laughing.
"What did you win?" Nick asked walking into the door. Warrick started to say something and Catherine just gave him a look. "Oh," Nick said, "That look says it all."
"Alright children," Gil said, "Let's get some work done." He handed out the assignments for the evening. Gil had put Sara with Nick, he wanted to keep her with him but he had to stay with Greg.
"Nick, I need a minute," Gil said. Everyone else left. "What's up boss?" Nick asked. "Keep an eye on her for me, please," Gil said.
"I wouldn't let anything happen to my little sis," Nick said smiling.
"I know she gets upset when I worry about her, but I can't help it, "Gil said.
"I would wonder what kind of husband you were if you didn't," Nick replied. "I'll take care of her." Gil thanked him.
"What was that all about?" Sara wanted to know.
"Griss and I am going to pick up a couple of hookers tonight. He just told me he wants three," Nick said.
Sara rolled her eyes, "All you would have had to do was say it was none of my business."
"Get in and drive," Nick said, laughing.
At their scene Nick was thrilled to see Sophia. He could not hold back the smile.
"You're really serious about her," Sara said.
"I'm going to ask her to marry me," Nick said. "Good for you," Sara said, "I am happy for you."
Sophia told them that there was a group of boys hanging out on the basketball court when three others came up and tried to chase them off. The first group would not budge so a fight broke out.
"The trio that started things took off," Sophia said, "All these are from the first set."
Nick and Sara walked onto the court. Three boys had been seriously hurt and were on their way to the hospital, one was dead and one more only had minor injuries. Sara went to the one boy, "I am Sara Grissom from the crime lab. Can you tell me anything about the boys that started this?"
"Yeah," the boy said, "They all be dead when I get my hands on them."
"You need to let the police handle this," Sara said. "The cops ain't goina do nothin bout those chickens," he said, "Me and my boys will. You can bet your sweet ass on that."
Sara decided she was not going to get anywhere with him so she just took fingernail scrapings and swabbed a blood area that did not appear to be his blood. Nick was talking to Dave about the one boy who did not make it when around the corner came a speeding van.
"Hit the deck," Nick yelled. He had seen a weapon sticking out the van window. As the van flew by shots were fired. Nick and Sophia jumped into her car and took off after them.
As Sara stood up she looked at Dave, "Let me guess, the missing trio?" David raised his head, Sara could tell he was scared.
"You ok?" Sara asked. "Yeah," Dave replied still a little shaky, "This is the first time I was ever shot at."
Sara smiled at him, "My first time I wet my self."
"I thought I was going to," Dave said.
"Sara, your knee is bleeding," Dave said.
"Nothing major," Sara said, "I must have skinned it when I hit the pavement."
Sophia and Nick came back, they got out of the car. "No luck," Nick said.
"I was able to broadcast a description of the van and a particle on the plate that's a start," Sophia said, "Anyone hurt?" "Dave is shaken up and I banged my knee but nothing to worry about," Sara said.
Nick went over to her, "You will need to get that looked at."
"Yeah, I guess so," Sara said.
He motioned for a paramedic. He cut her jeans so he could check out her knee.
"Darn," Sara said, "A waist of a new pair of jeans."
The paramedic cleaned and dressed her knee.
"They found the van," Sophia said after she had answered her phone. "It was abandoned in the school parking lot."
Sara and Nick loaded everything into the Danali and followed Sophia.
In the parking lot Nick and Sara processed the van. They lifted a lot of prints and some hair and bullet casings. Everything was taken back to the lab. Sara dropped everything where it belonged then made a stop in the ladies room.
Washing up she seen someone she did not know. "Hello," the lady said. "I am Helen Woods."
Sara remembered Gil talking about Ecklie's secretary, Helen, who had been on personal leave.
"Hi, I am Sara," she said.
"From San Francisco?" Helen asked.
"Yes," Sara said not sure how she knew.
"Well it is good to meet you, Mrs. Ecklie," Helen said.
Sara about fell over. "Mrs. Ecklie?" Sara said.
"Oh, I am sorry," she said, "Have you two not married yet?"
"Excuse me?" Sara said.
"Just before I left Mr. Ecklie told me there was a CSI from San Francisco, a new lady named Sara, and he was quite taken by her."
"Well I am Sara and I did come from San Francisco," she said, "But I'm married to Gil Grissom."
"Oh! I am so sorry," Helen said, "Maybe he meant a different Sara."
Sara walked into Gil's office, a confused look still on her face. "What is it?" Gil asked. Sara told him about her conversation with Helen.
"That explains a lot," Gil said.
"What?" she asked.
"A week before I went back to San Francisco Ecklie had been there for a supervisor's conference," Gil said.
"Oh yes, I remember," was Sara's reply. "My supervisor hosted it. I thought Conrad looked familiar."
"When I called and told him I wanted to bring you back Ecklie said 'yes' fast. My first day back I had told the crew about us. Ecklie was standing in the doorway. He had to have heard."
"Slow down," Sara said. "Are you trying to tell me that ..... "
"Ecklie has the hot's for you," Gil said chuckling. "May still for all I know," he added laughing by now.
"Son of a ....." Sara said.
"No potty mouth," Gil said laughing still.
"Breath one word of this to anyone," Sara said," and you are going to know what celibacy feels like."
"Yes my love," Gil said.