Chapter 08, Hello, hello
WHEN SARA knocked on his door before entering his office, he knew instantly that something was wrong. She sat in one of the chairs in front of him with a file in her hands. She was having some difficulty in forming what she wanted to say. Which was very rare.
"We got the phone records, and look at it", she said, laying the papers in front of him. "The father called six times the same number on the date and around the time of Neave's death".
"It's not 911", Grissom murmured looking at the paper.
"No, it's not. It's his father's number", she told him.
Grissom looked at her. "His father's?"
Sara nodded in response.
"What about the step-mother's phone record?" Grissom asked.
Sara looked straight into his eyes before answering: "Nothing. The same thing goes to their home's phone. Nothing."
Grissom kept looking at the files before him dumbfounded.
"What about this number here? Two calls, twenty minutes apart"
"Jessica Harris, Neave's mother", Sara said.
"So, let's review what we have so far: they came back from a family trip, Neave is the first one to arrive at the apartment, carried by her father, that leaves her alone to help the rest of the family…"
"And then, they didn't notice her absence before hearing a noise and seeing a vulture. The kid's body wouldn't be heard from that far. Well, Ben Cornwell starts to look around and realize his daughter is not in the bedroom or at the house."
"According to the autopsies record, the testimony given by the doorman and by the first responders, when these phone calls happened—", Grissom said.
"She was already on the ground, dead. So, instead of calling the police, Ben chose to call his father several times. Which indicates… desperation?"
Grissom was about to respond, when Catherine came inside and took the seat next to Sara.
"So, I heard you guys are working on a hot case", the blonde said. "Let me tell you, these kinds of cases for those who are parents… It's even harder"
"That's really bothering me. If your step-daughter falls from the window, who would you call first?", Sara asked her.
"The police", Catherine answered as if it was the dumbest question ever.
"And the second call would be…?", Sara asked again.
"An ambulance. I don't like to imagine this kind of scenario, really", Catherine said.
"What about your mother?"
"My mother?! Well, at some point I would, of course, but first I'd call for help and to my step-daughter's family", Catherine answered, and Sara looked at him, which made Cath ask why.
"Neave's father called six times to his father, not once to the police, ambulance or any other professional help", Sara told her.
"Oh!", Cath exclaimed.
"Exactly."
At this moment, Brass approached them, without ceremony and looking pissed.
"Bad news, guys. Sara was right, that cameras on the hallway weren't working at all, that's why they were being so negligent with us. But, I brought the other surveillance cameras. Archie is working on them as we speak".
TBC