Disclaimer: I don't own CSI:NY.
Series: None.
Spoilers: Stealing Home; Heroes.
Note: The 'he' at the beginning of this is no one in particular, but I was thinking of Adam, given that the poor boy is always putting his foot in his mouth.
Another note: For some reason, I can't reply to reviews at the moment, which means I have to reply via PM, which is fine, but I always forget which ones I've replied to and which ones I haven't. So, just to clarify, if you review and I don't reply, I'm not ignoring you and I'm still eternally grateful XD
Chapter Twenty Five - Stealing Home
"He did not say that!" Don laughed.
"He did – I nearly died." Jess held onto his arm to keep from falling – even though the memory was old (for her) it had still brought about another bout of hysterical laughter. "Everyone just stared at him; I swear he didn't realise for like an hour. When he did …"
Don probably would have laughed harder, but the smile suddenly died from his face and he held up a hand. "You hear that?"
The two had been out for dinner, on a rare public date, and had decided, since the weather was nice, to go for a walk in Central Park, instead of driving straight home. Despite her laughter, Jess was seriously considering shooting whoever invented heels, because her feet were killing her.
Don's soft question, however, knocked all thoughts of laughter and pain from her mind. "Sounds like someone screaming." She murmured. "Over there."
Don pulled his weapon from his holster, which was tucked under his jacket. "Got your piece?"
"Always." Jess fished it out of her purse. "Come on."
They didn't have to venture very far to find a man crouched over something at the base of a large tree.
Something alive, which was struggling and screaming under his hands.
"Hey!" Don yelled. "NYPD, don't move!"
The man ran and Don took off after him. Jess hurried to the girl's side. She looked to be in her early twenties, at most, blonde hair and streaked make-up.
Most interesting of all, though, was the girl's clothes.
She was dressed as a mermaid.
"We all thought we were going crazy." Lindsay's voice floated into her mind. "She wasn't a real mermaid though; she was a singer, just come from a little girl's birthday party." A sigh. "He didn't even know her, Jess. She was just there. There was no rape, there was no robbery. He murdered that girl because he could."
"Hi." Jess whispered. "I'm Detective Angell, NYPD. Are you alright?"
"I think so." The girl responded, her voice slightly hoarse.
Jess rooted in her bag and pulled out her cell-phone and her penlight, dialling 911 as she shone the light over the girl just to check on her.
"911, what is your emergency?"
"This is Detective Angell, I need a bus to Central Park, west side, near the docks, as well as a squad car. Victim is alive and conscious."
"Right away, Detective."
"I'm okay." The girl insisted weakly.
Jess winced as the penlight picked out red mark's on the victim's neck. "What's your name?"
"Sarah." She answered softly. "Sarah Butler."
"I know that accent." Jess commented. "Montana, right?"
Sarah nodded.
"I've got a friend from Montana." Jess continued, searching in her purse again. "Is there anyone I can call?"
Sarah shook her head. "No, I live alone and I don't really know anyone. I just moved to New York to become a singer."
"Is that why you're dressed as a mermaid?" Jess asked, knowing the answer.
"Yes, I performed at a little girl's party." Sarah explained, as sirens became apparent. "It was on her father's boat and my bag fell overboard with my change of clothes."
"Did you know that man?" Jess asked, pulling out a chocolate bar. "I knew there was on in there. Here." She offered her a square. "It's a bit soft, but you look like you could do with a sugar boost."
"Thanks." Sarah accepted with a smile. "No, I've never seen him before. He just grabbed me." Her voice began to shake and Jess grabbed her hand.
"Evening, Detective." A voice called.
Jess glanced up to see Hawkes cycling towards them. "Evening, Doc. You moonlighting?"
"Only on the odd day." Hawkes answered. "Night out?"
Jess grinned. "Sort of. Don's chasing the guy. This is Sarah. Sarah, this is Sheldon Hawkes, former doctor and current CSI."
"Hi Sarah." Hawkes smiled at her. "Let's see." He tilted her head to the side slightly, gently probing the marks. "Well, you're gonna have a bad bruise there in a couple days, but nothing too serious. I want to take your blood pressure before you go anywhere though."
"Where's that patrol car?" Jess asked.
"On their way." Hawkes answered, wrapping the cuff around Sarah's arm.
"Sarah, if Detective Flack and I take you home, do you feel comfortable on your own?" Jess asked gently.
Sarah bit her lip. "Not really." She admitted in a soft voice. "But I don't have anywhere else to go."
Jess stood up and moved out of earshot, dialling a familiar number.
"Monroe."
"Hey, Lindsay, are you busy?" Jess asked. "Don and I just interrupted a murder?"
"You need someone to process?"
"No, Hawkes is here."Jess assured her. "It's the victim. Sarah's alone in the city, no family, no friends yet, and I don't want to take her to an empty apartment, after a complete stranger tried to strangle her for no reason."
"I've got room." Lindsay said immediately. "She can stay with me."
"Thanks, Linds." Jess hung up and returned to Sarah's side, just as Flack appeared with a cuffed suspect.
Immediately, Sarah began to shake, and Jess wrapped an arm around her. "Just to clarify, Sarah, do you recognise this man?"
Sarah nodded. "That's the man who tried to kill me."
"Good enough for me." Don announced, as the uniformed officers arrived. "Get him outta my sight."
The patrol officers happily dragged him away and Don helped Sarah to her feet. "Need her for anything, Doc?"
"No, Lindsay can photograph and take Trace when you get there." Hawkes answered.
"How'd you know?" Jess asked with a smile.
Hawkes shrugged. "Lucky guess. I'll process the scene here and get everything over to the lab."
"You can have any personal items back when they've been processed." Jess told Sarah gently. "We just need a case that's not solely based on your word and our accounts."
Sarah nodded. "I watch CSI, Detective, I get it."
"Well, everything takes a lot longer than it does on TV." Hawkes smiled. "But they're right on everything else."
Don and Jess bid Hawkes goodbye and led Sarah back to the car, falling into easy – if not somewhat forced – banter.
"I'm telling you, Don, I'm never wearing these shoes again." Jess stated.
"If they're that uncomfortable, why wear them in the first place?" Don asked in bewilderment.
"It's a girl thing." Jess shrugged. "Tu dois souffrir pour être belle."
"And in English?" Don sighed.
"You have to suffer to be beautiful." Jess translated.
Don rolled her eyes. "But you are beautiful, Jess, even when you're not suffering."
"Honey, it's your job to say that." Jess sighed with exaggerated exasperation. "Men."
Sarah gave an unwilling giggle and Jess smiled at her. "I tell you, I love him, but he drives me crazy sometimes."
"Mom always said that's the definition of a healthy relationship." Sarah commented.
"Sounds like your mom knows what she's talking about." Jess said, shooting a grin at Don over her head. "Listen, we're gonna drop you off with Lindsay Monroe, she's one of our CSIs, says she's happy for you to stay with her."
"Thanks." Sarah whispered. "But I don't want to be a burden …"
"Trust me, no one's ever a burden when it comes to Lindsay." Don assured her, shrugging out of his jacket and wrapping it around her shoulders. "You look freezing."
"It's shock." Sarah smiled. "But thank you."
It didn't take them long to get to Lindsay's apartment building and Don waited in the car while Jess took Sarah upstairs.
Lindsay answered the door immediately with a warm smile.
"Lindsay, this is Sarah; Sarah, Lindsay." Jess ran a hand through her hair. "She hasn't been processed, Linds."
"What does that mean exactly?" Sarah asked, slightly nervously.
Lindsay gave her a comforting smile. "It means I photograph your bruises, scrape under your nails and take your fingerprints to eliminate your prints from any others we might find at the scene. He didn't …"
"No." Sarah shook her head, hearing the unspoken question. She brushed a strand of hair from her face and Jess caught sight of calluses on her hands.
"How did you do that?"
Lindsay smiled knowingly. "Raw-hide braiding." She held out her own hands, showing the same scars. "Weaving together untanned strips of leather to make reins for horses, or lassos to herd cattle. The friction of the leather cuts you up pretty good."
Jess raised an eyebrow, slightly impressed.
"You think Danny calls me 'Montana' because I'm a 49-ers fan?" Lindsay asked with a grin.
"No, he calls you that because he's got a crush on you." Jess sniggered. "I'll see you in the morning, ladies."
Lindsay nodded, turning to Sarah. "Come on. Let's find you some other clothes."
Sarah handed Don's jacket to Jess. "Thank you, Detective."
Jess waved it off. "Just doing our job." She left Lindsay's apartment and jogged down to the car.
"Alright?" Don asked, as she got in.
"Me or Sarah?" Jess shot back.
Don shrugged. "Either. Both."
"Sarah's shaken, but she'll be fine." Jess frowned. "Unlike the last time."
"He didn't have any money on him." Don commented. "So robbery wasn't the motive."
"There wasn't a motive." Jess's scowl darkened. "He saw her. He could take her. He did."
"God, I hate violent men." Don shook his head in disgust. "What about you?"
Jess smiled. "Don, Sarah died last time. We saved her this time. I'm feeling pretty damn good about myself."
Don chuckled. "You're glowing, you know that."
"I know." Jess stretched. "You want the rest of that story now?"
"Oh yes." Don answered. "But not while I'm driving."
Jess thought back to his reaction the first time. "No, that's probably a good idea."
"Are you sure she didn't do it?" Mac asked.
Jess nodded. "Positive, Mac. She might be the second wife, but she was first in everything else. First – legal – wife got jealous. Check across the street; kick-back grazed her hand."
"Thanks." Mac disappeared into the lab and Jess wandered over Lindsay and Danny's shared office, where Lindsay was on the phone.
Aside from the murder of a man who had two wives – who knew about each other, amazingly – it was a very quiet day and she had time to kill.
"Yeah, that sounds great." Lindsay was saying. "Oh, that's fantastic! Yeah, you'll have to tell me all about it. Okay, I'll see you then. Bye."
"Who was that?" Jess asked, when she'd hung up.
"Sarah." Lindsay answered. "She's got an audition on Broadway. Apparently one of the moms at the birthday party works for a production company. We're meeting for drinks tonight."
Jess smiled. "I'm glad I called you."
"Me too." Lindsay agreed fervently. "I mean, you and Stella and Aiden are great and I love you all to bits, but … it's nice to have someone that knows where I'm coming from, not just where I'm going."
"You two planning on keeping in touch then?" Jess asked.
Lindsay nodded. "Definitely. It scares me, you know, knowing that I nearly met her on an autopsy slab. She's just so full of life."
"Everyone is." Jess squeezed her hand. "Look forward, Linds. She's okay."
"Mac's pissed." Don warned a few weeks later as she reached the morgue door.
"Not surprised." Jess responded. "I heard you've got a dead Marine."
Don nodded. "You hear anything?"
Jess pulled a face. "Ask me later, Don, I'm a little distracted right now. Have you seen Aiden?"
Don frowned. "It's her day off. Why, you need to talk to her?"
"No. No, not really." Jess smiled weakly. May 25th. It was today … She kept her thoughts to herself, however. "It's nothing, Don. I'm fine." She slipped past him into Autopsy, something she usually avoided, but she needed to keep her mind busy today.
But still she couldn't stop hearing it. One little snippet of that long, drawn-out, way too detailed conversation on her anniversary that insisted on replaying in her head, over and over again.
"You know what the worst part was, Angell? I fuckin' asked him! In Autopsy! For the first time in my damn life, I asked if she suffered. And you know what he said?"
"What?" Jess asked reluctantly, trying to pry Danny's hand off her arm.
"Oh God, yes. She was my best friend, Angell! I coulda lived forever without knowing that!"
Jess frowned and pushed the thought out of her mind. You've changed things. She's fine. She's at home. Safe.
There were two bodies out on the table today. One was Don's dead Marine, still dressed in dress whites, and she felt a surge of anger, momentarily distracted, at the many medals on his chest.
The man's a damn hero and he gets treated like this?
Her eyes met Mac's briefly and she shook her head, part in apology, part in commiseration.
The other body was hers, the burnt shell of a woman dragged from a car.
Danny let out a low whistle from behind her. "Damn." His eyes were fixed on her victim. "Did she suffer?"
"For the first time in my damn life …"
Jess froze, her heart stopping as the sights and sounds – and even the smells – of the morgue faded into the background.
Sid gave a sad smile. "Oh God, yes."
AN: *Ducks* Don't kill me! I know that line about the 49ers was Sid's originally, but I wanted to keep it in XD
Review please!