Chapter 3

Krisalyn stared at the crime scene photo's and reports from other states and cities. She sucked in a deep breath as she read through the pattern and realized what that meant. She glanced up and saw Nick leaning back in his chair, he had already read through everything. She glanced back down at the grisly scene of the murdered investigators from Idaho and closed her eyes as she realized that could easily become her.

Nick stared at Krisalyn whose bandaged head reminded him of what had happened at the prior crime scene. He watched as she set aside the items he had already reviewed and could already tell that she was struggling against the feelings that were building up inside of her. He turned towards the door when he heard someone open it and saw Grissom standing there with Sara. He could already tell he wasn't going to like what he had to say.

"You might as well come out with it." Nick said with a sigh. His mind was flashing back to the time he had been abducted from a crime scene and almost died in that coffin.

"There is no way to tell who is behind any of this. He changes tactics in each city so no profile actually fits. The only thing that stays the same are the victims, a female and male crime scene investigator in each city." Sara said biting her lower lip as she realized it could easily have been her in Krisalyn's place. "We aren't sure how they are chosen and we aren't sure how to tell which scenes are the ones he sets up for the investigators."

"So just keep us out of the field." Krisalyn suggested not wanting to end up like the dead female investigators before her.

"If we weren't already short handed I could do that. But we still have real crime scenes that I need you and Nick to work. I can't have two field investigators sitting behind desks." Grissom said shaking his head.

"Not even if their safety is at risk?" Krisalyn asked with wide eyes.

"You won't ever be allowed to be alone at a crime scene and we are going to switch both of you with day crew workers so you won't be allowed at crime scenes at night. Any scene that is far out there will be given to another investigator." Grissom told her reassuringly.

Krisalyn sat in her apartment some time later, staring at a set of crime scene photo's.
These were photos from a different crime scene that had nothing to do with her current situation. She gulped as she stared at the blood that was all over the floor and walls, at the gun that was lying inches away from the blood pool. She knew who was supposed to be lying there, she was. She put her hand on her chest and felt the scar from the bullet she had taken to the chest after she went back to a closed case scene, unsatisfied with her partners assessment and arrest. She had been right and the real suspect had shot her when she pulled her gun out of the holster when she heard some glass breaking behind her. She learned her lesson then and had never worked a crime scene solo, until Nick had left her at the scene.

She jumped when her phone started ringing and closed her eyes against the terror that had appeared out of nowhere. She had escaped her old job because of the angry stares from colleagues, everyone was afraid she was going to work their cases behind their backs and undermine them. She reached out and lifted the cordless extension off of it's base.

"Hello?" She answered the phone hesitantly.

"Hello is this Krisalyn?" Came an unsure voice over the line.

"Depends on who this is." Krisalyn said not recognizing the voice.

"Sharon Jacobs, I am a crime scene investigator up in New York City." The woman said with a sigh of relief.

"All right this is Krisalyn." Krisalyn said letting out her own silent sigh of relief.

"We need your help." Sharon said into the phone. "We heard that you're one of the best ballistics experts there is and we have a gun that needs to be put together but no one can figure out how to put all the pieces back together."

"I find that hard to believe but if someone can bring the weapon pieces out here I can put it back together. I just suffered a concussion not to long ago and I would prefer not to fly for a while." Krisalyn said making up an excuse. The truth was that New York was way to close to her old job and she knew if she went out that way she would have to visit her mother. That was one place she wasn't prepared to go back to just yet.

"I will personally bring the pieces down to your lab out there. Thank you so much." Sharon said before the call was disconnected.

Krisalyn frowned unsure of how she felt about this. The whole thing seemed rather strange and unlikely. No weapon could be in that bad of shape that a regular CSI wouldn't be able to put it back together. She picked up her phone list that Grissom had recently given her and dialed Grissom's office number. She may be new in town but she was pretty sure that Grissom was a work a holic.

"Grissom." Came the stiff reply.

"It's Krisalyn." She said hesitantly. He sounded like he was really tired or in the middle of something important she wasn't all that sure if she wanted to bother him with any of this.

"Hey is something wrong?" Grissom asked her with a worried tone.

"No. I just got a call from a CSI out in New York. She is going to be heading out here with some weapon pieces she wants me to work with. She said there is no one who can seem to put them back together." Krisalyn said hoping to get his honest reaction to this.

"Well that should keep you out of trouble but your on medical leave for the next few days." Grissom said with a frown.

"I know but this is time sensitive so do you think I could work in the lab?" Krisalyn asked wincing as she remembered she was on leave.

"All right just try not to let anyone higher than me see you or were in for some big lectures." Grissom said always a sucker for evidence that was time sensitive.

"Thanks." Krisalyn said as she hung up the phone.

He was grinning as he targeted the victim that would help make his new crime scene. He was trying to figure out how this one would be killed. He liked to try new things but if one of the olds ones suited her best than so be it. He saw the woman cross her arms as she watched her kids play in the front yard. He couldn't figure out why any parent let their kids play outside after dark but he laughed silently because it gave him the opportunity to slip into the house.

It was early in the morning, the sun wasn't even out yet when he made his move. He knew she was fast asleep and he grabbed the cloth with chloroform and put it over the woman's mouth. She woke with a start but it was to late and she was out cold. Now he had the victim for his scene and he would start on his Las Vegas investigators. These two would be the first to feel his new wrath at the newest problem that had surfaced in his criminal and evil mind.

Grissom studied the gruesome crime scene in front of him and already knew who would have to work it. From the experience of other cities, if anyone worked the set up crime scenes that had clues left at them from the killer than there would be a severe price to pay. A price that Grissom wasn't ready for anyone to pay at the moment. He paged Nick and Krisalyn, knowing she was at headquarters awaiting the arrival of the investigator from New York. He groaned as he realized that meant he was going to have to deal with the higher ups.

Nick looked at his pager and shook his head. He walked out of the lounge where he was looking over his incident report and towards the area where his gear was being stored. He had a feeling this was a scene he was going to regret working.

Krisalyn frowned as she looked at her pager. The only reason Grissom would page her to a crime scene was if it was the serial killer. She gulped and bit her bottom lip as she slowly climbed out of the chair in the ballistics lab she was sitting on. This was going to be a long day, that was something she already knew.