CHAPTER 6
Excitement warred with the anxiety of losing Brown. They had a suspect in the Gribbs shooting. Sara wheeled into the parking lot of the Three Aces Motel, easily spotting Catherine in the sea of brown uniforms. Radioing her location to Dispatch, she hopped out of the SUV and trotted over to the other CSI.
“Catherine?” Her voice was carefully level. Sara didn’t want to be suddenly disappointed if this didn’t pan out.
The blinding smile that greeted her, however, put paid to that fear. “We got him.” Catherine stretched, looking tired beneath the jubilation.
“We got the suspect,” Sara cautioned. “Do we have enough evidence to tie him to the scene?” She crossed her arms over her chest. “The Sheriff’s going to want a slam dunk on this one.”
Coming down a little at Sara’s tone, Catherine leaned against a cruiser. “It’s the suspect’s pager I found at the scene.” She ran a hand through her hair, biting back a yawn. Now that the case was coming to a close, it was hard to forget she’d been on the clock nearly eighteen hours. “He’s got scratches on his face, probably from Holly. We took a DNA sample. A trip to the morgue –“ she broke off, eyes closed in sudden horror at that thought. She’d have to process Holly for more evidence.
“You want me to take a look?” Sara offered quietly. She wanted to help. Catherine looked at the end of her rope, and the brunette knew it was going to be difficult to treat a former colleague like any other victim.
Catherine let out a slow breath. “Maybe,” she hedged, voice rough. It rankled, letting an outsider process Holly’s body. Still, this might work in her favor. They needed to talk about the case and Warrick. “How about you drive us to the morgue? I came with a deputy and need a ride.”
Tilting her head, Sara examined the other woman closely. Fine lines bracketed Catherine’s mouth and bruises marred the skin under her eyes. “Sure.” She spun on her heels, wondering just what the coming trip would bring. Catherine had a reason for requesting her company, Sara was sure of it. And she didn’t think it had anything to do with the blonde needing help gathering evidence.
They climbed into the Tahoe in silence, Catherine watching as Sara once again started up the large vehicle and merged with the constant Vegas traffic. She waited until the younger woman completed her radio call to Dispatch before beginning to probe. “Did you find Warrick?”
“Yeah. Just like you said, he was at the Silverton.” Sara flicked a glance at Catherine. “He looked a little rough,” she added, voice carefully casual. Maybe Catherine would help fill in some of the gaps.
“Wouldn’t you?” Catherine laughed disbelievingly. “He’d just been suspended, told he might be responsible for Holly getting shot. Would you go home, take a shower, and climb into bed?”
Sara nodded tightly. “No. I wouldn’t be in a casino counting cards and stacking over eight thousand dollars worth of chips on the table, either.” She took a deep breath, noticing her fingers were clenched so tightly around the wheel her knuckles were white. “Look, he as much as admitted to being a runner when I talked to him, but he ran out before I could get anything else.”
“Oh, ‘Rick,” Catherine muttered. Her shoulders slumped. It all added up now. The judge, the blank warrant on no evidence, Warrick leaving the scene. Feeling sick, Catherine confronted her only choice. “I know who it was,” she choked out.
“You what?” Sara was so surprised, she jerked the wheel to the right. Horns blared all around them, unhappy with the sudden lane change. “Fuck.” Hands shaking from the near miss and the unveiled information, Sara refocused on the road. “Who is it, and how do you know? Is there proof?” She struggled not to shout the questions, as it hit home again just how bad things could get if Brown wasn’t headed for the Sheriff’s office.
Raising an eyebrow at a rattled Sara, Catherine started her explanation. “I went through the cell phone records Brass pulled for you.” She bared her teeth in a fake smile when Sara looked her way. “You want to get into an argument over stealing your case, or should I let you in on what I found?”
“A lot of nothing, at first.” Catherine rubbed her eyes. She didn’t want to turn on Warrick. There had to be a reason for everything, but the young woman next to her wasn’t going to look beyond the surface unless she could convince her. “I started a time line with the calls. The only unexplained one came from Judge Cohen.”
“Wait,” Sara interrupted, confused. “CSIs take calls from judges all the time. Evidence, court dates, warrants.”
Catherine tapped her fingers on the dash. “Exactly. I double checked with Brass. Judge Cohen issued a warrant on another case Warrick was working.” She bit her lip then forged ahead. “There were some irregularities with the warrant. If you think ‘Rick’s running, maybe Cohen was his client.”
Sara let out a soundless whistle. “Damn.” They sat at a red light in silence. “Catherine, gambling’s obviously legal here.” She turned her head, meeting the shadowed blue eyes. “We can’t touch Judge Cohen. But Brown? He’s gone.” The light changed, and she drove the vehicle forward. “Maybe the Sheriff will just fire him, but he could still face charges.”
“There has to be a way, Sara.” Catherine wasn’t ready to give up. “I talked with Grissom about the case. The one the Judge issued the warrant on.” She pursed her lips, leg bouncing as she considered the facts. “He didn’t say much, but apparently there wasn’t enough evidence for the warrant. Brass was the graves supervisor then, and he refused to apply for the warrant. He told Warrick to wait.”
“You think the bet was a payoff?” Looking intrigued, Sara smiled crookedly. “It still isn’t enough to charge him, but if we got him on tape admitting the deal, the Ethics Committee might step in.”
Catherine chuckled. “You know, you might not be as bad as I thought.”
“Gee, thanks,” Sara responded wryly. They shared a smile before Sara got back to business. “Are you hoping Brown can cut a deal if he agrees to roll on the Judge?”
“It’s worth a shot, Sara.” She leaned her head back against the headrest. “He’s a good kid, and a hell of a CSI.” Catherine fought the need for sleep, though a huge yawn broke out. “Sorry,” she muttered, then continued, “We’ve all done favors to grease the wheels. Warrick just got caught up in something none of us ever expected.”
Sara held her peace, still unsure about the scenario. “We’re almost at the morgue. Let’s go in, get the evidence to put Holly’s killer away, and then take another look at the evidence. Brown’s supposed to meet me at the Sheriff’s office. All three of us, maybe Grissom, too, can sit down and figure this out.”
“OK,” Catherine agreed reluctantly. Although glad Sara hadn’t dug in her heels and insisted on pressing forward on the investigation, she needed to know the brunette CSI would back her play. “Whatever we do, though, it needs to be fast. With a suspect in custody, the Sheriff is going to push this to the end. He’ll want complete closure.”
Sara turned off the Tahoe, and removed the keys from the ignition. “We’ll drop the evidence at the lab and go talk to Brown.” Avoiding Catherine’s eyes, she commented, “Or you could call him up and see if he’s willing to meet us at the lab.”
Catherine’s hands balled into fists on her thighs. “Let me
guess…you pushed too hard, and Warrick shut down,” she snapped. “Damn it. Did
they not teach you how to conduct an interrogation in
“He kept trying to shift responsibility.” Sara continued to stare straight out the windshield. Frustrated and a little embarrassed at her poor handling of the scene with Brown, her voice rose. “Whatever the reason, he placed that bet. Brown broke the rules. We both know that. I’m trying to help, Catherine. I am. Don’t make me regret that.”
***
The words rang in Catherine’s ears as she climbed out of the SUV. Slamming the door with a little more force than necessary, she waited for Sara to join her. “Point taken.” Her voice was low, tight. “You could finish your report, burn Warrick, and walk away. No muss, no fuss.” She met Sara’s eyes. “I’ll call and set up the meet just as soon as we finish here.”
“Good enough.” Sara stuffed her hands in her pockets, shoulders hunched.
The trip inside the morgue was quiet, but there was less tension between them. Grissom waited for them near the cooler, head bowed. “Hey,” Sara said quietly. “Why don’t I just stay here?” She touched Catherine’s shoulder gently. “Holly was one of your team. I’d just be in the way.”
Blinking back sudden tears, Catherine nodded jerkily. “Thanks,” she whispered huskily. Continuing down the hallway alone, she tightened her grip on the evidence kit in her right hand, and fought to get her emotions under control. As she got closer, Grissom pushed away from the wall, standing upright. “You didn’t have to come.” Catherine spoke in a soft voice, almost afraid to break the atmosphere in the building.
“I know.” He smiled slightly. “I wanted to.” His bloodshot eyes glanced over Catherine’s shoulder to Sara, leaning against the wall at the far end of the hall. “Is she coming?”
“No. In fact, I think she’s giving us space to handle this on our own.” Sitting the kit down for a minute, Catherine hugged her arms around herself. “She’s good, Gil. Maybe too good, at least for Warrick’s sake.” She saw Grissom stiffen. “I need to process the evidence, get it back to the lab. Then we all need to talk.” Catherine cleared her throat. “I was going to call and ask Warrick to meet us at the lab, but,” she smiled wryly, “there isn’t much left in the tank. Can you do it?”
Grissom nodded, playing with the sunglasses in his hands. “How bad is it?’
“Bad.” She met his eyes, trying to convey the hope she still held “Not unsalvageable, maybe.”
“I’ll take care of it.” Watching her carefully, he glanced at the door to the autopsy cooler. “Want me to do this?”
Catherine shook her head minutely. “No. I need to do it. I owe Holly that much, Gil.”
Eyes warming with sympathy, Grissom said, “I’ll be right here if you need me.”
It was time. Catherine knew she had to go inside. Swallowing against the tightness in her throat, she reached out a shaking hand and pushed into the cooler. The bright lights bounced off the steel tables and equipment, but to Catherine, the room was done in shades of black and grey. Numbly scanning the name cards on the various drawers, she finally located the one labeled Gribbs, Holly. She stood for a moment with her eyes closed. When she felt focused and calm enough to continue, Catherine opened the draw with purposeful movements and yanked on the sliding table.
With a clicking sound, the table came out, revealing a bagged form. Ignoring the bile rising in her throat, Catherine narrowed her focus further, concentrating on each task. Unzipping the bag with gloved hands, she reached behind her into the evidence kit. The sealed wooden scraper was familiar, comforting. Opening it, Catherine turned back to the body. Her eyes locked onto the cold, lifeless face of the young rookie CSI. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. Seconds passed in silence as Catherine dragged the wooden tool under each of Holly’s nails in turn before sealing it in a paper sheath for processing.
Catherine closed her kit and returned Holly to the darkness of the refrigerated drawer. Sweat beaded her forehead by the time she exited the room. Grissom raised an eyebrow, but didn’t comment on her wan appearance. Instead, he held out a hand and took her arm, escorting her down the hallway. Sara nodded to them both, sweater pulled close around her.
“Are we ready for the lab?” she asked hesitantly, eyes darting between Catherine and Grissom.
Catherine nodded, but Grissom elaborated. “We have the evidence, and Warrick is on his way there. It’s time to put this one to bed.”
CHAPTER 7
Catherine glanced at Gil as they rode toward the lab. “Did you know?”
“Know what?” He avoided her eyes, staring out the windshield.
Smiling wryly, Catherine elaborated. “About Warrick and the gambling.” She noted his hands tighten on the steering wheel. He’d known. Disbelief and anger warred. “My God, Gil. At least tell me you didn’t figure it out until after Holly died.”
“Catherine-“ Grissom’s quiet voice started.
“Don’t, Gil. Don’t give me the ‘we’re all about the evidence’ speech.’” Catherine’s voice rose, filling the SUV. “We lost one of our own, and Warrick may end up charged over this. If you knew when he went out with Holly, you’re just as responsible.”
Her words appeared to have some impact. Catherine watched Grissom frown, shoulders slumping forward slightly. “I suspected he was gambling, but he’s never done anything on the clock that I could find.”
“Oh, God, Gil. How long have you suspected what he’s been doing?” Catherine wanted to close her eyes and forget this conversation. The whole situation kept getting more complicated and horrific.
Grissom met her eyes briefly. “Not long. When the first warrant came through, there were enough irregularities to start an investigation. I was going to Brass at the end of shift.”
Catherine rubbed her hands over her face. They’d all had a hand in Holly’s death. Her head pounded. If only Gil had done something sooner. If only she herself hadn’t talked Holly into completing her first case. If only Warrick hadn’t left the scene to place a bet. “What do we do now?” she asked, voice pleading for a way to fix everything.
“I don’t know.” Gil sounded lost, tired.
“We need something before we get to the lab.” Catherine forced herself to straighten. “You’re new bloodhound isn’t going to let us sweep this under the rug. Although,” hope flared for an instant, “she may be willing to look at other options.”
Grissom crushed her hope. “Sara’s a scientist, Cath. She’s not going to be swayed by emotions. Her report will be a clear, concise retelling of facts.”
“Then we need to find a way to make the facts work for us,” Catherine said, voice determined.
***
The hum of the fluorescent lights sounded like an airplane engine in the small lab. Sara watched the other three people in the room with a mixture of amusement and irritation. Brown had been waiting when she’d returned from the morgue.
“So, are we going to sit here like this all night?” she tried. Pulling her sweater tighter across her chest against the still blasting air conditioning, Sara forged ahead. “My report is almost ready to go.”
Catherine looked up at her from her position by the door. “No.” Green eyes looked to Grissom, narrowing in apparent anger when he didn’t say anything. “Let’s talk options.”
“There are no options, Cath.” Brown joined the conversation. Under the glare of the light, his dark skin looked paler than Sara remembered from the casino. “I appreciate you trying to help and all, but don’t get yourself into trouble on my account.”
“’Rick-“ Catherine began.
“No, let him talk.” Sara stood abruptly, stalking around the table in the middle of the room. “Are you finally ready to tell us what really happened, Mr. Brown?” She grabbed the phone records Catherine had been working on earlier and waved them at him. “Judge Cohen called you after the investigation on the Gribbs shooting started. Is he your client? Is that why you left a rookie CSI alone at a scene?” She was in his personal space, demanding a response.
He rose, towering over Sara. “Yeah, he was. Does that help my cause?” Brown’s voice was rough and he shoved his hands into his pockets. “Why are we here? Just call Brass and get a deputy down here to arrest me.”
Catherine looked ready to jump in, so Sara held up a hand and glared fiercely, warning her to stay out of the conversation. Not backing down an inch, she continued to press Brown. She wasn’t going out on a limb with her recommendation to the Sheriff without some cooperation from the CSI in front of her. “I can do that. In fact, I should be doing it right now. Your teammates, though, think you’re worth saving. Make a decision. Keep shutting the investigation down, or start talking. I’ve got enough evidence to bury you. Give me a reason to forget someone died on your watch. Convince me to help you out.”
“What do you want to know?” Brown took a step back and leaned against the table.
Sara considered the question. “For now, just the highlights leading up to you leaving the scene. Eventually, though, you’re going to have to tell me everything.” She relaxed a little, rotating her shoulders to relieve some of the strain. A quick scan of the room showed Catherine and Grissom were focused on the conversation.
Looking at the floor, he nodded. “Alright. I went to the Judge for a warrant on the Toenail Case. Brass had turned me down; said we didn’t have enough evidence. I disagreed. Judge Cohen and I go way back. We met at a blackjack table right after I started working here.”
“Is this the first time he’s asked you to place a bet for him in exchange for a warrant?” Catherine asked. Sara resisted the urge to tell the older woman to leave. Brown was giving them the information. She didn’t want him getting defensive and shutting down again.
“Yeah.” Brown admitted. Looking sheepish, he muttered, “It’s not the first time I’ve taken his money, though.”
“We’ll talk about that in a minute.” Sara stared Catherine down, waiting until the blonde flounced back in her chair. “After you went for the warrant, what happened?”
“He gave me the warrant and I agreed to put five thousand dollars on the Packers game.” He rubbed his face with a hand. “Brass got pissed about the warrant and pulled me off the case. Told me to shadow Holly.”
Sara sank down into the chair Brown had abandoned. “That doesn’t make sense.” Hunching her shoulders, she ran the facts over in her mind. “Unless the policy here is a lot different, training a new CSI goes to the senior member of the crew.” Sara ran a hand through her hair, eyes watching for a reaction.
Brown leaned forward, elbows on knees. “It was my hundredth case,” he said simply.
“You wanna explain that?” Sara tucked her hair behind her ear.
“Solving your hundredth case is an automatic promotion to CSI level three.” Grissom met Sara’s eyes. “Warrick lost sight of the most important thing – the evidence – because he wanted to beat Nick to the finish line. They were both on the verge of promotion.”
Sara sat back, staring at the two men in turn. “This just keeps getting worse. Grissom, you do realize that my report has to indicate yours and Brass’ culpability, too?”
Grissom nodded. “It’s one of the reasons I asked you to do the investigation. Anyone from the team would have tried to gloss over the facts or cover things up.” He smiled slightly. “Now that we all know just how bad it looks, what are we going to do about it?”
“You know my thoughts on the matter, Gil.” Catherine leaned forward, elbows on knees.
“You wanna clue the rest of us in?” Sara asked sarcastically. “I don’t feel like guessing, and I bet Mr. Brown feels the same.”
“Wrong.” Brown shook his head. “I’m ready to take responsibility for this. Whatever happened with Brass and Grissom, it was me who left Holly at that scene. I don’t want to waste a lot of time trying to get out of this or get anyone else to take the fall.”
The room fell silent. Jumping from the chair, Sara started to pace. “I’m the last person to suggest you shift the blame, Mr. Brown.”
“Warrick.” He smiled when Sara looked at him. “Mr. Brown is for court. Call me Warrick.”
“Um, right. Warrick, there’s more at stake now than just you. If I file this report, and I don’t offer any ways to resolve the issues, you’re out of a job.” Sara folded her arms, watching him. “More than that, you’ll probably face criminal charges. Grissom and Captain Brass are out, too. There are so many broken rules and policy shortcuts here, no one is coming out clean. The only way to salvage anybody’s career is to go to the Sheriff with a plan.”
Catherine stood up and stretched. “We have to go after the judge,” she said forcefully. Her eyes swept the room, daring anyone to contradict her.
“No way.” Warrick took the dare, shaking his head. “I’ve got nothing on him. I can’t prove he asked me to do anything.”
“Maybe not yet,” Sara offered quietly. “I don’t think we’ve heard the whole story, though. In the casino, you were a man with a mission. Something happened with the bet. Did the judge lose?”
Rubbing a hand across his face, Warrick grimaced. “Not exactly.”
Three sets of eyes stared at him until he continued.
“Grissom called to say they’d nailed the guy on the Toenail Case while I was at the window making the bet. I got a little distracted.” He smiled slightly. “I put the money on the wrong team. Five thousand on the ‘Niners instead of the ‘Pack to win.”
“Whoa!” Catherine’s eyes were wide. “That’s a lot of money to lose.”
“Ten g’s,” Warrick agreed. “Cohen grabbed me in the parking lot right after I got suspended. Told me I had a day to get him his money. That’s why I was at the Silverton this afternoon.”
For the first time since beginning the investigation, Sara felt confident in the outcome. “That works in our favor.” She smiled crookedly at the other three. “You’ve got the money. We wire you up for when you meet with the Judge. If you can get him to admit to arranging the warrant for the bet, the Sheriff can go to the Ethics Committee.”
“Bad for the Judge. How does it help me and Griss, though?” Warrick wanted to know.
“That’s up to the Sheriff. I’m thinking a letter of reprimand, maybe even a reset of the case clock.” When Warrick frowned, Sara rephrased her comment. “No promotion to CSI Three. Grissom and Captain Brass are harder. They’ve got supervisory status. The weight of command makes it harder to shift responsibility.”
Grissom took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “I’m a little fish in all this. The Sheriff may give me a letter of reprimand, but he won’t do anything more drastic right now. He’s got no one to replace me. Jim’s already been punished. He was demoted and returned to homicide. If we can get the judge on tape, I think I can convince the Sheriff to let it go at that.”
CHAPTER 8
Sara rolled her neck, rubbing at the tight muscles. “OK, Grissom. You think we should do the deed, and then present it to the Sheriff?” She watched as the older man tap the earpiece of his glasses against his lips. “Grissom?” Sara was too impatient to wait for a response.
“Yes.” He avoided meeting her eyes. Although his voice was firm, Sara didn’t believe he was sure it was the right decision.
“What if the bust goes bad?” Catherine asked from her position near the door. Sara watched the other woman run a slender hand through her hair. “Gil?” The smooth voice carried a note of irritation when her supervisor didn’t answer.
“What do you want me to say, Cath?” Grissom snapped, finally glancing up from his study of the floor. “We’re under the microscope on this one. If we take Sara’s report and recommendations to the Sheriff, he’s going to fire Warrick, at the very least. It will look better on the evening news.”
“Then do that,” Warrick said explosively. “I know what I did was wrong, Grissom. Getting the rest of you in trouble isn’t right.” He crossed well-muscled arms over his chest, glaring down at Grissom. “File the report. I’ll take the fall. You can work on bringing down the judge another day.”
Sara watched the byplay between the team members and considered the options. Her career wasn’t on the line, no matter what her report said. She was here on a leave of absence to do a favor for Grissom. The Sheriff might contact her boss with comments about her report. He might not. Should she push for one outcome over another? It was obvious which outcome Catherine favored. Grissom was a harder read. She thought he might be behind a rescue operation.
“Warrick, if we go ahead with the sting, what are your plans for after – assuming we can bring the judge down?” Sara regarded Warrick, needing to see his reaction. If he wasn’t willing to offer some plan to change his behavior, there was no reason to go out on a limb for him. She’d file her report and deal with Catherine’s anger.
“What do you mean?” He frowned. Sara stared into his green eyes, noting his confusion.
“I mean, Catherine and Grissom obviously want to help you keep your job. What do they get in return?” She stuffed her hands back in the pockets of her sweater, feeling her way.
Catherine jumped into the conversation, verbal guns blazing. “We don’t want anything, Warrick.” She took a couple of steps in Sara’s direction. “I don’t know how they do things where you’re from, but here, we look out for each other.”
Clenching her jaw, Sara ignored the challenge. Turning away from the blonde, she kept her focus on Warrick. Her decision depended on his answer to her previous question, not on her gut-level need to prove herself to Catherine Willows. “Warrick?”
“You looking for something in particular?” He pushed away from the table. “I mean, I won’t be making any bets on the clock from now on.”
“For me to do this, you need to give me more.” The quiet words seemed to echo in the small room. Sara stared at him, willing him to understand and take the final step.
No one moved, the hum of the overhead lights the only sound.
Finally, Warrick nodded at Sara. “I’ll go through the department, get set up for counseling.” Pausing, he looked at Grissom and Catherine. “I appreciate you guys standing up for me. I won’t let you down again. The gambling – all of it – stops here, I promise.”
From the corner of her eye, Sara saw Catherine’s eyes widen at the news. Grissom sat back in his chair with a relieved sigh. It was enough. Sara relaxed, a smile creeping out. “Alright, then.” She turned to Grissom. “This is your lab, Griss. What’s our first step?”
“To be honest, I don’t know.” Grissom put his glasses back on. “You seem to have a plan in mind. What do you want to do?”
Rubbing her hands on her thighs, Sara frowned. “It’s pretty late. Warrick, can you call the judge? Set up a meet for the morning?”
“Sure. If you want to move sooner, though, I’m sure he’ll go for a meeting tonight,” Warrick answered. “He’s anxious to get his money back.”
Catherine walked over, standing with her shoulder pressed against Warrick’s. “The faster we move, the better. I imagine the Sheriff’s going to be pushing really hard to close this investigation now that we have Holly’s killer in custody.” Tucking her hair behind her ear, she glanced at Sara. “We have to bring Jim in on this. He’s got the wire for the meeting, and he might know a judge who’ll give us a warrant without tipping off Cohen.”
“Good call.” Sara nodded to the other woman. “Why don’t you call Captain Brass? The two of us can meet with him and get the equipment. Grissom, you and Warrick set up the thing with the Judge.” She rocked on her heels, feeling more awake as adrenaline rushed through her. “Try and give us at least a couple of hours to get things set up on our end.”
***
Catherine strode out of the small lab, the click of her heels echoing in the empty hallway. As she walked, she listened to Brass on her cell phone.
“Cath, are you crazy? You want to go after Judge Cohen?” She walked into the break room and signaled for Sara to follow her. “He’s one of the most respected judges we have.”
“Look, Jim. Are you in or out?” Catherine asked impatiently. If he wasn’t on board, they’d have to come up with a new plan. Her former supervisor didn’t answer right away. Hurrying down the hall with Sara trailing behind, Catherine tried again. “Look, Jim, it’s the only way to keep Warrick on the team. Sara and I are on the way to the Sheriff’s Office. We’ll be there in less than thirty.”
A sigh sounded in her ear. “Alright. I’ll have the equipment ready.”
“And the warrant?” she pushed, glancing at Sara and waving her free hand in frustration.
“I’ll see what I can do.” Brass’ voice was rough with exhaustion. “I still have a few markers I can call in. Maybe they’ll be enough to convince a judge to authorize the wire.”
Smiling triumphantly, Catherine flashed Sara a thumbs up sign. The tall brunette grinned back. “Thank you, Jim.” Catherine sobered a little as she talked to the homicide detective. “I know we’re all taking a risk. Warrick’s worth it.”
“I hope you’re right, Cath. I’ll see you in a few.” Brass hung up, Catherine closed her phone before dropping it into her purse.
“He’s working on the warrant now, Sara.” Catherine pushed open the front door to the Crime Lab and held it until the younger women exited. “You have a plan in case we can’t get the authorization?”
She bit back a laugh at the wide-eyed look she received. “Me?” Sara asked, voice almost squeaking on the word. “When did I become the mastermind behind this?”
Catherine waited until they had pulled out of the lot to answer. “Grissom told us you were some kind of wunderkind.” A slight exaggeration, but Catherine thought a little flattery might smooth the way. “You’ve managed to pull all the pieces together and give us a chance to keep the situation from spiraling out of control.”
A slight blush made Sara’s freckles stand out. “You’re the one who found the connection to Cohen in the phone records.”
“I did.” Catherine nodded, slowing to let a group of tourists cross the Strip in front of the Tahoe. “I don’t think I would have even been looking there if I hadn’t been so pissed about you poking around in our case.”
She noticed Sara staring at her.
“What? It’s true.” She met Sara’s shocked brown eyes. “Grissom may be an unemotional pain in the ass sometimes, but he isn’t usually wrong.” Catherine smiled wryly. “We were too close to Holly’s case. If I’d been left in charge of investigating Warrick, I might have overlooked the facts because I wanted him to be clean.”
The interior of the SUV grew quiet. Catherine thought back over the investigation. She’d always prided herself on her investigative skills. She hadn’t covered herself in glory since Holly’s death. If Sara hadn’t pushed for answers, Catherine knew she would have accepted his surface explanation for his disappearance.
“You OK?” Sara’s hand on her thigh jerked her out of her thoughts.
“Getting there,” Catherine replied honestly. “It’s going to take some time to get over missing the facts on this one.” She pulled the Tahoe into the lot in front of the Sheriff’s Office and turned off the engine. “Probably going to be a lot of that going around. We all lost sight of the evidence this time.”
Sara opened her door, and the dim glow of the interior light showed her slight smile. “Catherine, let it go. We’ve got the evidence, and Warrick might be off the hook. Focus on getting what we need on the judge. You can’t change what happened to Holly. We can only change what happens now.”
A bark of laughter tore from Catherine’s throat. “Save that piece of drivel for someone else.” She glared at the other woman. “I screwed up. I know that. Don’t brush it off like I just forgot to put the lid back on the toothpaste.”
“Hey, all I’m saying-“ Sara began.
“Give it a rest.” Catherine stalked toward the building, furious at the younger woman for not understanding how angry she was at herself for ignoring the evidence. Once inside, she headed for Brass’ new office, bypassing the reception desk. Knocking sharply on the doorframe, Catherine peered at the top of Brass’ head. “You got the warrant?”
He glanced up. “Hello, Catherine. It’s so nice to see you.
And Ms. Sidle, welcome to
Crossing her arms over her chest, Catherine smiled reluctantly. “Sorry, Jim. You know how I get when things start to come together.”
“I do.” Brass smiled crookedly and stood up. “The warrant is on its way. Judge Henderson is having it couriered over.” Brass’ smile turned hard. “He thought it might be safer that way. We’re all putting ourselves on the line for this.”
“You’re preaching to the choir, Jim.” Catherine moved into the office and sank into one of the chairs. She saw Sara hesitate in the doorway. “Have a seat, Sara. We can’t do anything until the paperwork gets here.”
CHAPTER 9
“Will you stop that?” Catherine snapped. Her head pounded with a mixture of exhaustion and irritation. Sara’s leg finally stopped moving, and the SUV quit rocking in response.
Sara sounded subdued when she replied, “Sorry. Didn’t mean to…” She broke off. “I’m just a little nervous, you know? This whole thing was basically my idea.”
Realizing there was a lot going on in Sara’s head, Catherine took a deep breath. Just because she was tired and strung out on her own fears didn’t mean she had to beat up on Sara. “Not as confident as you pretended, huh?”
“You finally caught on?” There was wry amusement in Sara’s tone, and a smile flitted across her face. “Grissom must have forgotten to tell your crew I’m more at home behind the microscope than under it.”
“Grissom’s not one for giving out information.” Catherine frowned and sat forward in the driver’s seat. “Hold that thought,” she continued. Her breathing quickened. “We’ve got company.” A silver Mercedes was wheeling through the deserted parking garage.
Sara flicked on the recording equipment on the console between them. “We’re rolling, Catherine.” As she spoke, Catherine could hear rustling through the equipment.
“Alright, ladies. Show time.” Warrick’s whisper was tight. They were all wound up over the coming sting.
Fingers tapping restlessly against the steering wheel, Catherine held her breath, waiting. Their unmarked SUV sat at the entrance to the garage. They couldn’t see Warrick and the judge. They could only listen in. Even with the volume up, it was hard to make out the voices. “Fuck. The concrete’s interfering with the signal.” Panicking, she reached for the door handle.
“Whoa!” Sara lunged across the car and gripped Catherine’s shoulder. “What are you doing?” she cried out.
“Did you miss the part where the equipment isn’t working right?” Catherine shouted back. Warrick was dangling himself in front of the judge right now, and they weren’t going to get anything on tape.
Sara looked disgusted. “Jesus, Catherine, calm down. It’s working fine. Warrick must have shifted or something. The static’s gone now.”
Sure enough, Catherine heard voices clearly over the wire tap.
“Here’s your money, Judge,” Warrick snapped. Catherine strained, wanting the silence to end. “It’s all there.” Cohen must have been counting the cash.
“Ten thousand dollars,” she heard an unfamiliar voice say. “That was almost a very costly mistake you made.”
Perched stiffly in the driver’s seat, Catherine willed Warrick to follow the plan. They had to get the judge to admit to signing the warrant in exchange for the bet.
Warrick’s voice exploded from the equipment; Catherine flinched at the anger and pain evident in his reply. “Mistake? A girl died on my watch. It’s more than just a mistake.”
“Deal and move on, Warrick.”
At the judge’s indifferent comment, Sara muttered a disbelieving, “Bastard.”
Catherine nodded in agreement, but waved a hand, wanting to hear the conversation.
“So, I should just pretend it never happened.” Warrick must have moved again, rustling sounded in the speakers. “We’re through. Have a nice night, Judge.”
Catherine’s eyes widened. What the hell was Warrick thinking? They didn’t have enough. Actually, they had nothing.
She breathed a sigh of relief, slumping in her seat, when the judge called out, “You don’t leave until I tell you to leave. We’re not finished yet.”
“Excuse me?” Catherine smirked. Warrick was pissed.
“Come on, ‘Rick. You can do it,” she mumbled, noting Sara was hunched closer, listening to the confrontation.
“We’ve got more business to do.” The judge sounded far too self-satisfied. Catherine flicked a glance at Sara. The other investigator frowned in confusion, and raised an inquiring eyebrow. Shrugging her lack of knowledge, Catherine tuned back in for Warrick’s response.
“I’m done doing business with you, Judge. The price is too high.” Rustling, then a dull thud.
“Hey, you watch it, Mister.” Was that fear in the judge’s voice? Catherine hoped so. “You came to me, remember? You offered the tip on the game in exchange for the warrant.”
“Gotcha!” Catherine grinned in relief.
The grin disappeared when Sara waved a hand, hissing out, “Shhh!” She pointed to the recording equipment.
What had she missed? Heart pounding, Catherine picked up the judge’s voice again. “…you’re dirty now. Just like me. We’re in bed together whether you like it or not.”
He paused, and Catherine thought she heard Warrick breathing heavily into the mike. There was no response from her teammate, though.
The judge filled the silence. “You can’t turn me in without exposing yourself. From here on out, I own you.”
“No one owns me!” Warrick’s voice was rough, angry.
“I do, buddy. You’re going to be my personal eyes and ears in the lab.” The judge’s voice got louder. He wasn’t yelling. Catherine figured one or the other of the two men had changed position. “I’ve owe some people a few favors. When the time’s right, I’ll give you a call.”
This was more than a simple bet. Catherine froze in place, willing the judge to cross the line. If they got him on more than just the betting, maybe he’d actually end up on the other side of the bench. Please, please, she chanted in an internal mantra.
“You wanna explain that?” Warrick asked.
Good boy, Catherine mentally told him. He needed to get the judge to talk, give specifics on what he wanted.
“Judges aren’t appointed on a whim,” Cohen nearly mumbled. “There are some families who’ve made sure I stayed on the bench. I might need you to take care of some evidence for me once in a while.”
“Yes!” Sara pumped a fist in the air and held out a hand for a high five.
Grinning, Catherine complied before flicking open her cell phone. “Time to call in Brass and the deputies,” she said in satisfaction.
***
Sara leaned against the doorframe and watched the night shift crew congratulate Warrick. Thanks to the judge’s admission, the Sheriff had agreed to accept Sara’s recommendation and keep Warrick around (sans promotion). The judge was sitting in a jail cell awaiting arraignment. Sipping at her coffee, Sara grimaced at the cold, bitter brew. It must be time to leave. She smiled wryly. No one would even notice if she slipped away.
The walk down the hall didn’t take long. She gathered up her few personal items – and jumped at the voice behind her.
“You didn’t come in and join the party,” Catherine stated quietly. “We don’t bite. Well, Greg might,” she said with a laugh.
Sara shrugged, hefting her shoulder bag. “Your crew, your party.” She was stunned Catherine had even given her a thought. “I’d just be in the way.”
“It was your plan that got us Warrick back.” Catherine shook her head. “How are you not part of the team?’
“Well, for one, I don’t really work here. Remember?” Sara snapped. What the hell was Catherine’s deal? From the beginning, she’d been the one reminding everyone – including Sara – that she didn’t belong here. “And, two…” she trailed off, then continued awkwardly, “There is no number two.”
Catherine chuckled and moved into the lab. “Ah, got carried away, didn’t you?”
“Something like that.” Sara crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for the ridicule.
It didn’t come. “Look, it’s been a hell of a couple of days. None of us can stay long, but we’d like for you to at least have breakfast with us before we all scatter and go our separate ways for the day.” Catherine’s blue eyes pleaded silently for a yes.
Sara tried to resist. She wasn’t much for groups and joining.
“Please?” the blonde asked, and Sara wavered as Catherine peered up through her lashes.
Laughing reluctantly, Sara didn’t answer directly. She walked toward the door, brushing past the other woman. “You work on that look, don’t you?”
“Hell, no. I don’t have to.” Catherine walked next to Sara down the hall. “My daughter uses it all the time. I figured, if it works on me, it’s probably good on anybody.” Before Sara had a chance to reply, they reached the break room. “Hey, guys, I found her. Get this – she was in the lab.”
“I told you, Catherine. Sara’s like me,” Grissom announced.
For some reason, Sara found herself resenting her mentor’s comment. A little more sharply than intended, she snapped, “I was cleaning up and getting ready to leave. I’m done here.”
Grissom looked confused. “Didn’t you take thirty days’ leave?”
Catherine thrust a cup of coffee into Sara’s hand. “Ignore him, Sara. Come party with the ‘in crowd.’ If you let him, Grissom will talk shop all morning.”
Warmed by the inclusion, Sara smiled fully. “I’ll be right there.” When Catherine raised a single eyebrow in obvious disbelief, she protested, “Really. I promise.”
“OK. I warned you, though. Hours from now, when he’s going on and on about some bug, you’ll remember I tried to help out.” Catherine wandered back toward the rest of the crew.
Sara glanced at Grissom. “I did take a full month. You know
that.” She took a deep breath, still irked at him. “Unless you have something
else for me to do, I’m on the next flight back to
“Well, I’m an investigator short,” Grissom replied. “I thought you’d stay here and work graves with us.”
CHAPTER 10
“That’s one hell of an assumption, Grissom.” Sara stared at the
older man in disbelief. “Were you going to ask me? Or just call my boss back in
Grissom frowned, looking confused at her irritated questions. “Well, don’t you want to stay?”
Sara exploded. “That’s not the point!” The quiet hum of voices across the room stopped. Avoiding a glance over her shoulder at the other members of Grissom’s team, she kept her eyes locked on Grissom. “You called me out here to do a favor. To be an objective investigator. At no time was there a job offer.”
“I just made one, Sara.” The quiet, sensible tone had Sara’s teeth grinding. “Do you want to call your boss in the morning? Or, I can do it.”
***
Catherine knew there was trouble at Sara’s shout. “Back in a minute,” she murmured to Nick. He nodded, giving her a small smile. Although the conversation had resumed after Sara’s outburst, they’d all been watching the byplay across the room.
Striding back to Sara, Catherine dropped a hand on her shoulder. “Everything OK?” She smiled at Grissom. Under her hand, Sara’s muscles tensed. She gripped harder, willing the younger woman to stay in control. “We’re about to head to the diner. You joining us?” Catherine ignored her supervisor. The question was directed at Sara.
“Yeah. Yeah, I’m ready to go.” Sara’s voice was tight, and Catherine bit back a grin. Grissom had a gift for irritating people.
“I’ll drive.” Catherine moved away, waiting for Sara to grab her things. “Is that all you have?” One bag and a sweater?
The narrow shoulders shrugged. “I travel light.” Sara smiled, draping the green garment over her arm. “Besides, I wasn’t planning on the case breaking so quickly. Most of my stuff’s back at the hotel.”
As they walked through the now-busy hallways, Catherine asked, “Grissom put you up? Where?” She knew the budget for the department was tight. It was probably some roach motel off-strip.
“Some extended stay place off
“The heat? The
unending traffic?” The alarm on the
“Well, I was referring to the heat and the bright sunlight.” Sara glanced over. “Now that you mention it, though…Grissom is an issue.” Buckling her seat belt, she shook her head. “What is his problem?”
Catherine put on her own sunglasses and checked the mirrors before backing out of the parking spot. “Hard to say. Especially since I don’t know what he’s done this time. Long-term exposure to our fearless leader, though, suggests high levels of intelligence paired with zero personal skills.” Giving in to her curiosity, she asked, “What did he do to push your buttons this morning.”
“Offered me a job.” Sara’s quiet voice barely penetrated the external sounds of morning traffic on the Strip.
A quick look showed Sara’s head resting against the passenger window, her eyes closed. “From the tension I saw between you and Gil in the break room, I’m guessing that wasn’t part of the original plan?” The brunette head shook slightly. “Ah. Let me guess,” Catherine intoned wryly, “he didn’t ask. He simply assumed you’d be staying.”
“Bingo.” Sara peered at Catherine. “I can’t believe him. He
calls up out of nowhere, asks me to take a leave of absence to look into the Gribbs case. There was never anything else. Do the
investigation, file my report, go back to
Catherine brought her full attention to the road for a minute, passing a car full of gaping tourists. Pulling back into the correct lane, Catherine frowned. She might have been anti-Sara in the beginning, but the younger woman had earned her stripes. “Did you turn Gil down?” she asked, hoping the answer was no.
“Not yet,” Sara said. “Part of me wants to string him along, first.” She chuckled. “I know, not nice.”
“No chance you’d actually take the job?” Catherine pushed. They were down an investigator. Before her death, Holly had been an uncertain choice for the position at best. Maybe what the team really needed was a CSI unafraid to challenge their complacency.
Freckled shoulders rose and fell. “I’m up for promotion at home. I’d be low man on the totem if I transferred.” Sara unbuckled her seatbelt, moving so her back rested against the passenger-side door. “Besides, I’m not sure I want to work where I’m so clearly the enemy.”
Flinching, Catherine raised her right hand as if warding off a blow. “Ouch!”
“Am I wrong?” Sara’s voice was relentless.
“Yes…well, now.” Clearing her throat, Catherine shrugged sheepishly. “I freely admit to my earlier failings, though, and I humbly apologize.” A glance in the rearview mirror showed the rest of the crew a few vehicles back. Wanting to make her plea privately, Catherine gripped the steering wheel. When they stopped at a red light, she met Sara’s eyes. “Stay, Sara.”
***
Sara stared in shock at Catherine. A thousand questions zinged through her mind. The only one she managed to choke out, however, was, “Huh?”
A smile twitched Catherine’s lips, and Sara felt a blush crawl up her cheeks. “I said, stay.” She glanced at Sara. “Look, I know we got off on the wrong foot. My bad. I’m a territorial bitch.”
Sara nodded automatically in agreement. Oh, yeah. That was the truth.
“However,” Catherine continued, “I try to offset that by being big enough to admit when I’ve made a mistake in judgment. You’re a hell of an investigator, and you handled Warrick and the case better than any of us could.”
That wasn’t true. Not entirely. Sara started to disagree, “Catherine, you-“
“I would have found the information on the judge – if I’d been looking for it.” Blonde hair waved as Catherine shook her head. “It never crossed my mind to look at Warrick as a suspect. The evidence would still be sitting there if you hadn’t pushed.”
Sara wasn’t sure how to handle the praise. Shifting
uncomfortably in the seat, she shrugged self consciously. “Thanks.” Silence
filled the cab for a minute. “I’m still not sure I’m ready for such a big
change. I mean, Grissom sprang this on me. We haven’t even talked about salary
or anything.” For the first time, though, moving to
“Tell Gil you’ll give it a try until the end of your leave,”
Catherine suggested. “That way, you haven’t burned your bridges in
Rolling her eyes, Sara fought an answering grin. “That’s not fair to the team or to the Sheriff. I can’t ask Grissom – no matter how much he irritates me – to hold off hiring another CSI just so I can play house.”
“Then you’ll have to make up your mind, I guess.” Catherine’s words might have been insulting if it weren’t for the teasing smile the blonde wore. “Anything I can do to help with the decision?”
***
“What?” Sara’s voice was loud inside the
“You OK?” Catherine glanced over again. Sara looked shocked, eyes wide. “Hey, take it easy! I wasn’t planning on kidnap and torture, just a little friendly encouragement.” She winked, trying to regain the lighter mood from earlier. “I thought maybe I could offer some help with Grissom and get you a better spot on the pay scale.”
Sara slumped, mumbling, “Oh. OK.” She didn’t explain her over the top reaction, and Catherine wondered just what she’d said to set the younger woman off. “Maybe I’ll take you up on that. I’d like to hear what Grissom has to say about the details.”
“It’s easy enough to arrange.” Wheeling into the crowded parking lot, Catherine considered their options. “We could do it back at the lab, in Gil’s office. Or here, with Warrick and Nick as witnesses.”
“I’m not sure I want to talk money with the whole team around.” Sara had recovered a little. Her voice was clear and firm. She had her arms crossed, hands rubbing over the pale skin of her forearms.
Considering that, Catherine had to nod. It wasn’t the norm. In fact, it broke at least three departmental regulations she could think of off the top of her head. “What if we just lay the groundwork here? Say…you stay only if he matches or beats what you currently make? Only the two of you would know what number that is. You’d still have the rest of us as backup, though, in case Gil pulls one of his Clueless Scientist acts.”
Sara chuckled. “Is that the one where he frowns, and his eyebrows go in different directions?”
“Yeah.” Catherine turned off the ignition. “It usually pops up the second anyone asks him a question he doesn’t want to answer.” Hand on the door handle, Catherine pressed, “Yes or no, Sara? I need to give the guys a heads up if you want to corner Grissom this morning.”
She had just enough time to depress the handle before Sara responded, “Let’s do it. We’ll see just what Grissom’s willing to do to get me to take this job.”