Chapter 29

Once Sofia was out of sight, Sara returned her attention back on the case, she couldn't help but wonder about the pictures but before going back to them she headed towards the computer guys to hear if they had come up with anything, but they were still working on it.

Walking by the break room Sara stopped to get coffee before turning her attention back to the pictures, but she still wasn't getting anywhere no matter how much she looked at them.

When Brian and Leo came in the next morning they found Sara in the layout room, half looking at pictures half dozing off.

"Morning, guess you didn't go home," Leo said, looking across the table at Sara.

Sara tilted her head from side to side rubbing her neck, "nope, I can't let go of these pictures I just know there is something I'm suppose to see."

Brian scowled at her, "Sara, don't go blind on it, maybe there is something and maybe it's just dead bodies."

Sara stood up, "yeah maybe, but I know for sure that I need coffee!"

"Why don't we go into the break room and get some coffee and find out what to do today?" Leo suggested.

Brian and Sara nodded, as they walk out of the door they ran into Sofia.

"Morning Sofia" Brian called out from the doorway, "we're heading for coffee want to join us?"

"Sure," Sofia replied, exchanging an intense stare with Sara without saying anything.

"So, do we have an agenda for today?" Brian inquired.

"Is all three women identified?"

Leo shook his head, "no, not the last one but the first two is, why?"

"We need to find out what their common denominator is! Could you and Sofia go talk to their families and friends? We need to know where he picks them up,"

They both nodded. Fixing Brian with a steady look, she continued.

"Brian, do you want to sit behind the computer and see if you can find out who the third victim is? Or you can try compartmentalization dates and Cities and see if you can find a pattern."

"I'll go for cities and dates," Brian replied.

Sara yawned, "Okay, then I'll try to find out who the third victim is."

Later that day, Sara had come up with two possible names to their third Vic. After visiting the two families she finally had a name on the woman, she also had a theory that the fourth woman very possible could be the next victim.

Back at the lab, Sara found Leo and Sofia had returned as well and Brian had examined all the printouts. Leo and Sofia had found out that both women had been using the same fitness studio as Sara's Vic, so now they knew where he found his victim.

Brian informed that the same type of killings had happened in six different Cities; Vegas, Reno, Sacramento, Frisco, Fresno and LA. Twice a year, namely July/August and January/February he would be in one of the cities. The computer guys had been able to track him back to the mid-nineties.

"I have two gaps, one here in Frisco and three years later in Vegas, and I have no idea why," Brian said reluctantly.

"And no one was killed in these gaps?" Leo asked, a puzzled look on his face.

"Yes there was, he simply just went on to the next City on his round, from Sacramento to Fresno and from LA to Reno."

Sara was looking at the pattern Brian had written up on the board, "he's in the same City every third year, why hasn't any of the Cities noticed it?"

"He's pretty smart, it's all big Cities and he never works in the same police district twice."

Sofia was also looking at the board and what she saw in the pattern she didn't like one bit, she sighed heavily.

Leo looked at her, "what are you thinking, Sofia?"

"When he skipped Frisco Sara was still working here and when he skipped Vegas she was working there." Sofia gave her a measured look, "I think you perhaps scared him by getting so close."

The others exchanged a series of looks and shrugs. "If that's why, he either thinks you're still in Vegas, or he keeps an eye on you, and knows that you don't work as a CSI anymore" Brian said, casting a worried look at Sara.

Sara let out a sigh and leaned against the table. Running both hands over her face and through her hair, she took in a deep breath before standing upright, "I don't know, I think we have way too many maybes."

Leo grunted in agreement, "yeah, and I think we all need to go home."

"Yeah.., and Sara, that means you too, you have been here for over thirty hours," he gazed at Sofia, "Curtis get her out of here" Brian commanded softly.

Sofia chuckled, "I'll try."

They guys left, Sofia looked at Sara, "ready to go?"

Sara bit her tongue to suppress the response she wanted to make, "no not really, but something tells me that you goner scold at me until I leave."

Sofia got up and winked at her, "come on, I'll give you a massage."

Sara rose and took a last look around the room, "okay, let's go."

Nothing much happened over the next days, every sample the lab techs had been working on so far had come back futile.

Sara had been in contact with Grissom, he had been quite surprised hearing that she was working as a CSI again, but he had promised to get Greg and Wendy to reexamine the old samples and then get back to her, as soon as they had any news.

Once again Sara was back at the photographs, trying to find a pattern. She was sure a lot of the answers to their questions were hidden in them.

The other three had also given it a try but hadn't come up with anything either. Brian couldn't help but worry a bit that Sara maybe was looking for something that simply just wasn't there, but wisely he kept his mouth shut.

Sofia had once again managed to drag Sara home with her, and they had been asleep for about two hours before Sara woke up again, a bit confused at first but slowly a smile started spreading over her face.

She crawled out of bed, got dressed, wrote a short note to Sofia, and went back to the lab; she walked into the layout room and took one last look at the pictures before taking them down from the wall.

She went down to the photocopier and took a couple of copies of each picture; she found a scissors and went back to the layout room.

She had been wondering about the way each woman had been tied up, and the way they had been laying almost like they were posing, she took one picture of each woman and cut her out.

Afterwards she hung the master copies back up on the wall and then she started working with the women. Dawn was approaching when Sara leaned back in the chair stretching her body with a satisfying smile on her face.

Brian and Leo arrived at the same time; they found her sitting outside with coffee and a smoke.

"Morning, don't tell me that you hasn't been home yet," Leo said.

"Morning, I'd been home I just came back early."

"Morning, when did you leave and what does the note mean?" Sofia asked just arriving.

"That means that I finally found what I was looking for in the pictures" Sara replied with a smile.

"You have? Want to show us?" Brian asked.

"Sure, let's go back to the layout room."

They all sat down except for Sara; she placed a hold set of cutout women on the table and looked at the three others, "anyone up for a puzzle?"

They scattered the photos out and started looking at them, Leo soon looked up. "I think it would be easier if you just tell us."

Sara raised an eyebrow, "already giving up?"

All nodded and seemed equally bewildered.

"Okay one of the things that had me wondering was the positions the women was lying in, and the fact that all of them was tied up differently" Sara pointed out eagerly.

She started hanging the women up on the wall, some she put together others she placed alone, "every year it's the same, sixteen women in sixteen different positions," she finished and stepped aside looking at all three of them.

Brian gasped, "Shit, he has been mocking us from the start!"

Sofia tilted her head and read out loud, "…stop me if you can… damn, he has been using the bodies to write a message!"

Sara nodded, "yeah, but that's not all, there's also the course they are facing. I didn't notice it in the beginning, since several of the pictures is taken at night time."

Sara walked over to a big satellite picture with all six Cities on, she took a new set of women and started placing them where they were found, and in the angle they had been found.

"As you can see, they are all facing the same thing" she added.

"Yeah, but what is it they are facing?" Leo conceded.

Closing her eyes resignedly, Sara leaned back against the wall, "I'm not sure I got the computer to calculate what would be the center from all six Cities." She took a pen and made a circle in the middle of the photo, "but…" she shook her head, "I don't know if that means anything."

For awhile they just looked at the enlarged picture, Sofia suddenly started chuckling, making the others looking at her.

"So, how is anyone's Spanish?"

"None existing" they informed her.

"Well, I didn't spend every summer vacation as a child in Spain for nothing, that little town there?" She pointed at the photo, "Conejo," she looked at them, "that means rabbit!"

Leo and Brian's mouth just felt open, Sara looked at her in disbelieve.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes I am," Sofia smiled, "but look it up if you don't believe me."

It took a little while for all the new knowledge to sink in, Sara finally got up.

"I think we need to pay Conejo a visit. I'll inform Kane about this development while you guys go home and pack for a sleepover. Leo, just come over to our place when you're done, no need for all of us to drive back here."

It was late afternoon before they arrived in Conejo; they were all in need of a toilet and something to drink, so they pulled over by the local diner.

Sara had brought two drawings of their suspect, one as he looked then Sara had met him, and one the computer had made, showing how he probably would be looking today.

While Sara was ordering drinks she showed the young woman the drawings asking if the woman maybe had see the man before, she thought so but wasn't sure.

Sara went over to the table and sat down with the others. After a few minutes the young woman came over to them, she told them to go speak with old Mrs. Lewis at the local library, the rumor would that she had been working there as long as the town had existed, and knew everyone who had ever live here. Sara thanked her.

They all ordered some food, and after eating they got up and went over to the library, a very old woman look up from behind the counter when they walk in. Sara went over and presented herself, asking if Mrs. Lewis had time to talk to them.

Sofia had been so considerate that she had brought coffee for everyone; they all sat down on one of the reading tables.

Sara smiled to the old woman and introduced everyone, "thank you for set aside some time to speak with us."

"You're welcome dear," Mrs. Lewis smiled, "I always like to meet new people."

Sara superficially told her they were searching for someone who might still or earlier had lived there without telling about the case. And now they hoped that Mrs. Lewis might be able to recognize the man on the picture. It didn't take much more than five second before the old woman looked up and smiled.

"Sure, that's Bill Carter, he stills lives here, but his out of town for the moment and won't be back for at least a month, he usually leaves for two months at the time" she stated, giving them a pointed stare.

Brian leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. "He goes on vacation at the same time every year?"

Mrs. Lewis nodded," yes, always July and august," she narrowed her eyes, "actually it's twice a year, he always goes in January and February too, I have never understood how he can afford it."

"Perhaps he's a seasonal worker?" Leo said, giving her a friendly smile.

"Maybe, he has never talked about where he goes or what he does, but I seriously doubt it, I don't think he would be content with that kind of work for a very long time, he's a very intelligent man" Mrs. Lewis explained, giving them a brief, measured look.

"He wasn't very old before everyone notice that he was a very smart boy" she continued, "at the age of fifteen he scored 178 in an IQ test. A lot of universities also notice him, but he obviously did or said something wrong at the interviews he went to, ´cause only a small handful of the universities offered him a scholarship" Mrs. Lewis admitted as she leaned back.

The old lady thought for a moment before speaking again, "he ended up going to UCLA but after only six month he came back, why? I don't know, I don't think anyone does, he has never spoken about it."

"So, he never got an education?" Sofia asked.

"Oh yes he did, I think he has two or three degrees, he just took them by correspondence course, he actually used a lot of time here at the library."

"Do you know what he studied?" Brian asked.

Mrs. Lewis shook her head slowly, "no not really, but he once asked for a book that could teach him how to tie knots, which surprised me, I don't know what class you need that for."

"Do you still have that book?" Sara asked.

"Sure, he's the only one who ever borrowed it, and he read it here, never took it with him."

"Do you think I could borrow it until tomorrow? I like to rock climbing so I wouldn't mind learning about some new knots" Sara asked after a moment's consideration.

"Of course dear, we can't have you falling down."

She told them were the book was. Brian went down to collect it; Leo collected the used coffee cups to get the woman's fingerprints just in case they found more than one set of prints on the book.

Sofia wrote down Mr. Carters address. Sara thanked Mrs. Lewis for talking to them before walking outside to answer her phone.

She picked up on the fifth ring, "Sidle."

"Hey Sara, its Greg, so, you're back in the field?"

"Hey Greg, yeah, just for a brief moment, so, any luck?"

"Maybe, we found a print from one finger, but unless you have something to compare it too we can't use it to much, his not in any database" he announced.

"We might have, but I won't know until we get back to the lab. Greg, hang on a minute…" Sara glanced at the others who had come out. "Sofia and Leo do you mind driving by the sheriff's office and see what he knows about Bill?"

"Sure," Leo replied, "what about you and Brian?"

"We'll try to see if we can find a motel and get some rooms, we shouldn't be hard to find, I don't think there's more than one in this town" Sara said, giving her trademark grin, with a hint of mischief.

They nodded, "Okay, later."

Sara nodded back and turned back to the phone call, "okay Greg, I'm back, anything else?"

"No, he seems to know what his doing."

"Well, it's better than nothing thanks for your help. Greg, are you in the lab?"

"Yes why?"

"I need to talk to Grissom, is he in yet?"

Greg chuckled, "yeah, like he ever goes home, I get him for you, talk to you later."

"Sure later, say hey to the others."

Grissom got on the phone, and Sara told what they knew so far.

"Griss, are you still in contact with the professor you knew at UCLA?"

"It happens" he confirmed. "Do you want me to call him and hear if he knows why your suspect didn't stay?"

"Yes. Not that I know if it means anything."

"Nice to hear that you haven't forgotten your skills," Grissom chuckled, "I'll see what I can come up with, and get back to you."

"Okay thanks, talk to you later."

"Sure, take care Sara" Grissom said, hanging up the phone.

Later that night all four of them were gathered in one of the rooms putting together the pieces of information they had learned through the day.

"I found three sets of prints on the book" Brian told. "One set that was only on the outside which probably belongs to whoever sent the book to the library. The second set belongs to Mrs. Lewis. The third set was on almost every page, so if Mrs. Lewis remembers right that Mr. Carter is the only one ever using the book they should belong to him."

"I drove by Mr. Carter's house. As expected the garbage can was empty but the road down to Mr. Carter's house is a gravel road but its public, so I took some pictures and made a mold." Sara said, pausing as she brought her cup of coffee to her lips.

"Before we split up I was talking to Greg, they have managed to find a print on one of the knots, so we have something to compare Brian's prints with. So, any luck convincing the sheriff to give us a search warrants?" Sara chuckled.

Sofia looked at her and stuck out her tongue.

"Nope, but on the other hand we didn't ask" Leo replied with a grin. "The sheriff is about as old as Mrs. Lewis and has worked here just as long, so he knows Mr. Carter and his parents.

"Bill's dad John Carter wasn't a very nice man, the sheriff had locked him up a dozen of times because he lost his temper. Not only at home, but at work or where else he were, but he could also be the most charming man" Sofia stated, shaking her head.

"When Bill was about thirteen his father disappeared under very mysteriously circumstances. He left work at noon to get lunch and was never seen or heard from again, but at 4am his truck was standing in their driveway. All tracks ended up cold, and nobody could find an explanation of how the car could emerge all by itself" Leo pointed out.

Sofia continued, "Mrs. Carter never remarried so Bill soon became "the man" of the house, which suited him just fine; it gave him freedom to do whatever he wanted. Like Mrs. Lewis the sheriff didn't know why Bill had come back from school, but he had always considered Bill to be quite a mommy's boy, so he thought he just had gotten homesick.

"Oh, and he told that for a couple of years up to the time then Mr. Carter disappeared, a lot of animals was found tortured and killed, but that it stopped after he disappeared. Almost everyone in town thought he was the one who had been responsible but it was never proven" Leo said quietly, giving his head a slight shake.

"I'll put my money on Bill; he probably practiced on animals before going after his dad. If it had been Mr. Carter it would have been going on for more than just two years" Brian ventured half-heartedly.

Sara pondered aloud as she leaned her head back and stared at the ceiling. "Well, I'm not a profiler or a psychologist, but from what you're telling, I think it's fair to say that Mr. Carter had some severe psychopathic tendencies, and general science is reasonable unanimous that it is hereditary." She looked at the others, "and I think we can all agree on, whoever is do this is a one hundred percent psychopath!"

Since there wasn't more they could do in Conejo, they went back to Frisco the next morning. Brian started working on the prints.

Leo and Sofia went back to their department to check in, they brought the pictures and mold Sara had made, so they could compare them to the ones they already had.

Sara went to talk to Kane, letting him know what they had found out so far. It was the beginning of the evening before they met up again.

Brian had come up with a match between the print Greg had found and one of the sets from the book. Leo and Sofia had compared the tire tracks and they were a match too. Leo had even found the little mark one of the tires was making, so now they knew their suspect was driving a pickup truck.

Sara had talked to one of the computer guys and asked him to dig up all he could about Bill Carter, but he wasn't done yet.

"So what now?" Sofia asked with a fleeting smile, "I think we can agree on that Bill Carter is our main suspect?"

"Every squad car if informed about his car and plate and are looking out for him, we have a plain car placed outside the studio watching out for him, so, I don't know what else to do," Leo wondered.

"Keep the car but I don't think he shows up, he's too smart to make the same mistake twice, hopefully the computer guy comes up with something we can use" Sara stated evenly.

"I don't know about you guys? But I'm ready to go home, I didn't get much sleep last night, that motel really had some crappy beds," Brian said.

"Okay, let's called it a night" Sara finally offered.

The next day Grissom called back.

"Hey Sara, I talked to my friend in LA, and it sounds like your suspect could be the right guy."

"Hey Griss, yeah, we think the same, so why did he leave?"

"There are two stories about that: One that he was in a relationship with a young woman who ended up getting murdered, and he wasn't able to get over it, and therefore choose to leave. The other one says that she dumped him and he couldn't handle it. He got very unpleasant almost to a point where people called it harassment. When she turned up dead it started a rumor that he had killed her, so shortly afterwards he just disappeared."

"But it was never proven?"

"No, it's still an opened case, nothing linked him to the murder, but his girlfriend was a red-haired overweight girl, she was gagged and raped before her throat was cut, sounds familiar?"

"Oh yeah, well thanks Griss, I'll let you know how it goes."

"You're welcome Sara, talk to you soon."

Afterwards Sara went by the computer tech to hear what he had come up with; he had finally found a distribution company who rented out storerooms, they had confirmed that Bill Carter for the last twelve years had rented a room in one of their warehouses.

Sara went talking to Kane; she wanted to take a look at the room making sure that he didn't have a woman in there. But she also knew that they couldn't remove anything from there, because if Mr. Carter got suspicious that they were on to him, he would disappear and probably never be heard from again.

Kane agreed that they only should take pictures, and he would make sure that a car was placed close to the warehouse to keep an eye on it. Sara gathered the team and gave them the latest news; they got ready and went out to take a look at the warehouse.

The warehouse manager had been informed that they were on their way; he would be meeting them with a key to the room.

Leo circled around the parking lot when they arrived looking for Bills pickup truck, but it wasn't there so they parked and went inside. The manager unlocked the door and left, Leo and Sofia withdrew their guns before opening the door, they went inside one by one but only to find the room empty.

"Okay, no one touches anything," Sara said, in an admonitory tone of voice. "Brian, start taking pictures. Leo, keep an eye on the outside in case he shows up. Sofia, keep an eye on the hallway we don't want any surprises."

Sara took out her own camera and started taking pictures, five minutes later they were out of there. After viewing the pictures it was quite obviously that the women hadn't been killed there, it looked like he was using the room to live in.

Brian spoke up with a lot of frustration in his voice, "where the hell does he kill them?"

Sara withdrew her shoulders, "don't know yet," she looked at them all of them looked tired. "Why don't you guys take the rest of the day off?"

Leo was about to protest, but Sara silent him before he had a chance, "can any of you remember the last time you had a day off?"

Well, they could they just didn't wanted to admit how long it had been, Brian gazed at her, "what about you, do you remember what your home looks like?"

Sara shrugged, "unless Sofia has redecorated I should think so" she mused rhetorically, "but I just have a few things I want to check up on, and I'll be out of here as well."

Tbc…