Just What I Needed
Chapter 7
I don't own CSI but I do love to play with them! It's the sincerest form of flattery!
In order to be compliant with the tightening of the regulations around here, I would like to acknowledge that I do not now, nor have I ever owned The Cars. I do own A CAR, but not THE Cars. I acknowledge that the song "Just What I Needed" prompted the title and I acknowledge that no money is changing hands in reference to this story.
I also acknowledge that my muse is a fickle bitch. Please bare with me while I whip her into shape!
GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR
"Mr. Grissom?" Charlie's voice sounded concerned from the other end of the phone, "I may need to take you up on that offer to help!"
"Sure, Charlie," Gil answered, "What can we do?"
"Can you and Miss Sara come down to the office and I'll bring you up to speed?"
"Sure," he confirmed, "We will be there shortly."
He turned to his bed-mate who was still basking in the last few moments of heated action. She wasn't a big fan of the beard, but the whiskers tickled certain intimate places as only whiskers can do.
"Well dear," he began, "It looks like the Sheriff may indeed need our assistance."
"Oh darn," she smiled, trying to straighten her hair out with her fingers and failing miserably, "I guess this means we have to stay for another day or two."
"Darn," he agreed as he reached over and kissed her on the forehead.
They dressed quickly, jeans and a t-shirt for Grissom, jeans and a conservative blouse for Sara. She added her necklace as a finishing touch.
When they arrived at the station, they found Charlie and two deputies up to their ears in antiques.
"Looks like you are in over your head!" Sara said, approaching the mound of evidence and rolling up her sleeves.
"You got that right!" Charlie answered, relieved to see the cavalry coming over the hill.
"So point us in the right direction and we will dig in."
"Well, actually, I have a specific job for you two if you don't mind?" she answered.
"Sure, shoot."
"Can you take a look at the inventory and tell me if you see anything missing from what you saw? Anything blatant?" she asked.
"Well, that may be a problem because we spent most of our time in the back of the store." Grissom answered.
"That actually might work better because that's where we found the bodies." Charlie shook her head, "Go in to the next evidence room, down the hall two on the right, and you will find what we collected from the back room along with the stills that were snapped at the scene – anything behind the curtained off area of the store – and see if you notice anything amiss."
Grissom and Sara headed down to the next evidence room. It was a large room, but it was well-filled with the items they recalled having seen in the store.
"This is almost too easy," Sara said, "The jewelry. The ones that she said had not been cataloged or appraised yet."
Charlie entered the room just in time to hear Sara's thoughts on what was missing.
"What jewelry?" she asked.
Sara described the lot of jewelry, the various types of necklaces, earrings, pins, rings, that she had seen. She estimated that there had been 100 pieces and that none of them appeared to be costume.
She touched her necklace as she was relating the treasure trove they had seen.
"Was that necklace part of the loot?" Charlie asked.
"Yes," Sara replied, hesitantly, realizing her tell might cost her the necklace.
"Well," Charlie asked, "Do you mind if we check that one out and I'll make sure to get it back to you."
"Sure, no problem," Sara answered, "Here you go."
"Deputy Brandon's father is an antique collector, he should be able to take a look at this and get it back to you very quickly!"
Charlie left the room and went to find Brandon.
"Well," said Sara, "I hope that comes back to me!"
"It will," Grissom assured her, "I believe she's a person of her word."
With that, Sara and Grissom continued to rummage through the evidence and work through the pictures.
GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR
"One person, round trip to Las Vegas, open-ended return please," Tony told the woman behind the Delta Airlines ticket counter. He plunked down the $2000 along with his driver's license.
GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR
"What the hell do you mean my office burned down?" Stephanie said incredulously.
Her boyfriend Phil was beside her in the driver's seat of the car.
"A body?" she continued, "Yes, my assistant Giada would have been the only one there!"
The sudden realization that Giada, her assistant and her friend was gone made her feel sick.
"No, she doesn't have a record," Stephanie said, "No, she lives with her husband," She gave the caller the phone number to reach Giada's husband Bobby. "Please call me if there is any further news."
"What happened?" Phil asked.
"That was the police, they said my office burned down and they found a body in the reception area. How the hell did something like that happen?"
"Sounds like Damien to me," Phil said, referring to Tony by his nickname.
"No way," she answered, "Not even he would sink so low!"
"Yeah, he kinda would," Phil answered, shaking his head.
GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR
Within two hours, Brandon had reached his father Darryl and had him on the way in to the office to look at Sara's necklace.
Darryl had a jeweler's kit that looked a bit like a crime scene investigators kit. It had several tools, some liquids in bottles and a few other items that neither Sara nor Grissom recognized.
Without any hesitation, he announced that the prongs holding the stone had been pulled back recently. He gingerly pulled back the prongs again, catching the stone as it fell out of the setting.
Right under the stone sat a tiny microchip.
"Well," he said, "That's an interesting place to hide something!"
Charlie called down to Grissom and Sara. When they arrived back in her office, they were surprised to see Darryl with the necklace in two pieces.
"Look what was hiding in plain sight in your necklace," Charlie said to Sara.
"Wow."
"Now, the question is, how do you read one of these things?" Charlie asked no one in particular.
"We have a great technician in Vegas," Grissom offered, "If there is anything to be found, he will find it!"
"Let's get this to him then," Charlie said, "I'll get Deputy Larry to drive it down tonight. Can your tech be waiting for him?"
"Sure," Grissom said, "I'll call him right now." He pulled out his phone and began to dial Archie's number as he left the room.
"Um, Charlie," Sara said, pulling the Sheriff to the side, "One little favor?"
"Anything Miss Sara," Charlie answered.
"Well, we kind of haven't told anyone in Vegas that we are together."
"Oh, I see, well that's no problem, I haven't said anything to anyone about your being together, so I don't think you have anything to worry about."
"Thanks," Sara answered, "We will tell them eventually, its just that, well, the whole thing is fairly new and we just want to make sure its going to work before we bring everyone else in."
"I got your back."
Sara was hopeful that she was indeed a person of her word.
GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR
A/N Thanks for reading and reviewing… I hope you have enjoyed this installment!