A/N: I want to thank everyone for their kind reviews as well as for their patience. I have been appointed chapter president of my local speaking club, and I'm learning just how much responsibility there is to being in charge. I hope to get more back up more quickly.

Chapter 15—Reversal of Fortune

Tyler clicked the keyboard as several documents came to life on the monitor. "Here you go. Eric Miller's emails from the last two months."

Calleigh pointed to the screen. "Open this one. Something about a payment."

I didn't get this month's payment. Did you send it yet? Do I have to let them know? Don't tell me you can't wire it over, because you've never had a problem before.

"Where did that come from?"

Tyler typed again. A list of IP addresses popped up on the monitor. "It was sent from a terminal at the CafeComputer two weeks ago. It's a cybercafé here in Miami. Hang on a second." He typed again. "Says here it was billed to Melissa Matherson's credit card."

Calleigh nodded. "Here's another one. Sent from another terminal at the public library last week."

Hospital bill's due, Robert. There are some people who would love to know that you're in Miami now.

"Robert. As in Robert Creech? Wait a minute. This one's got some attachments." As Tyler clicked on the paper clip icon on the task bar, new documents popped up. "The Certificate of Name Change from Colorado."

"Hospital bill." She flipped through the brown case file. "That's gotta be this one that we found in Eric's red portfolio."

The woman put her hand on her belly again as she looked despondently at the table. "This isn't gonna take long, is it? I've gotta do the evening forecast."

Calleigh clutched the brown case file and gave her a firm look. "You're gonna be late, Miss Matherson. About five to ten years late. We scanned Eric Miller's emails." She produced two pieces of paper and laid them in front of the young meteorologist. "The library's surveillance tapes show you at the computer when this email was sent to Eric Miller's inbox. Then there's this one from the CafeComputer, tied to your credit card number." She looked at Melissa now. "Extortion and cyberstalking are felonies."

The woman shook nervously as she looked at the CSI with scared eyes. "You're joking, right?"

Calleigh never changed her expression. "Do I look like I'm laughing?"

Melissa dipped her head and began to cry as she searched for something to say.

"I think there's something you want to tell me."

Tears ran down her reddened face now. She tried to cover it with both hands. "I was protecting Eric! I swear!"

"How were you protecting him by threatening to go public with his identity?"

The woman gathered herself as she wiped her eyes with a Kleenex. "There's this guy…."

"What guy, Melissa?"

A fresh wave of tears came over the woman. "I tried to tell him, but he wouldn't believe me."

"Is somebody else involved?"

The woman nodded through her tears as she leaned her head on her hand. "I can't tell you."

"Melissa? You're a single mother. Your TV career is over. You're looking at two felony charges. Eric Miller can't help you now. I may be the only friend you have. It's time for you to start talking."

Melissa Matherson sniffed and took a deep breath. With wet, bloodshot eyes she looked out at the grayness. "When I first started working in Miami, I started getting these emails from some pervert. At first I thought they were fan emails, but then they started getting dirty. He talked about some of the things he'd like to do with me. Made me sick. Well, one of the guys in IT tracked him down for me. His name's Jerry Lynch. He's a mechanic. Two weeks ago he let me know he was gonna do something really special for me, whatever that means."

Calleigh was satisfied that the woman was telling the truth. "Why didn't you report him?"

Melissa didn't look at the CSI.

"This Jerry Lynch wasn't just a stalker, was he? Melissa, was he blackmailing you as well?"

She nodded sadly. "So is it okay to go now?"

Calleigh sniffed. "Extortion and cyberstalking, Melissa. Better make that one phone call to your boss and let him know you won't be at work today." She nodded at the uniformed officer at the doorway. "Take her."

Melissa began to cry again. "No! I swear! I swear!"

As the officer cuffed the sobbing meteorologist, Calleigh flipped open her cell phone.

"Eric? Calleigh. Check on Melissa Matherson's emails. Also we need to find out about a Jerry Lynch."

Horatio looked up at the screaming bright lights over him. His freshly-sutured and bandaged head wound still hurt. His ribcage ached. His blue eyes followed the IV line from his hand all the way up to the shriveling bag. He breathed to dispel the dizziness that still plagued him. Even though the doctor told him that he had no major head injuries, he would have an MRI, just to be sure.

Emmie was on the gurney right beside him in the small room. Slowly he turned his head toward her, studying the inflatable splint that the nurses had rolled over her leg earlier. Her right leg was now swollen and purple, held inside by a bubble and placed on top of two pillows. He could see pink lines on her skin where the medics had cut off her makeshift splint. Her hair had dried out, but it still stuck to her head and neck. Dead leaves clung to her neck and arms. She had fresh bruises and scratches on her arms and legs. She was breathing deeply, completely unaware of his presence.

"Emmie?"

The computer tech didn't respond.

Horatio knew it would be a long wait, so he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep again.

Horatio woke with a start when the police officer in him sensed something was wrong. Painfully he let his head roll to the right. Emmie appeared to be sleeping, breathing heavily as though having a nightmare

"Emmie? You awake?"

The computer tech tipped her head toward his voice and opened her eyes. "Oh, hi Sweetie. When did you get back?" Slowly she reached her arm out to him, stretching the IV line in her hand, enough to make the bag sway. "Kisses?"

Horatio tipped his head up at her. She smiled at him with a vacant stare. And she would never, ever, in her right mind call him "Sweetie." It sent a chill through him.

She continued to breathe heavily. "Honey? Please come here. I missed you."

Those vacant eyes. That labored breathing. Talking nonsense. He had seen this in officers and loved ones who were on the cusp of death.

He reached over and firmly put his finger on her wrist. She had a faint, rapid pulse. She tried to grasp his arm with her cold hand, but he pulled back.

"Emmie? What's my name?" he demanded in a low tone.

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"What's my name?" he demanded again.

She chuckled a little. "You're Dexter Qualls. My husband. Honey, what's going on?"

Horatio didn't wait for any other answer. Slowly he rose to his feet and motioned toward the desk nurse.

"Ma'am? I need some help in here!"

The woman recognized the urgency in his voice and raced toward the door as quickly as her size would allow. "What's happening?"

The computer tech breathed hard and looked at them with that vacant smile. The woman looked more closely as she held a firm finger on her neck. "Might be fatty embolisms."

"Or something worse."

The woman threw the privacy curtain so that she and Emmie disappeared from sight. "ER Room Four! Code Alpha! ER Room Four! Code Alpha!" Within seconds he could hear voices and footsteps, while under the curtain he could see wheels that could be a crashcart. The door then slammed. On the other side he could hear urgent voices again.

"Ma'am? Emmie? Can you hear me?"

"Dilated pupils."

"What happened?" he wanted to know.

The nurse looked at him matter-of-factly. "That's a bad break she has in her leg."

"Will she be okay?" he asked in his not-to-be-argued with tone.

The woman looked at him matter-of-factly. "They're tending to her now, Sir. Now come on, you need to lie down."

Horatio tried to hide his desperation. "Please don't let her die."

"We're gonna do the best we can."