Disclaimer: For years I’ve written these disclaimers. They own the characters I’m only borrowing them for my pleasure.
Subtext: Yup. Actually main text. Although this story isn’t about Catherine and Sara. It’s about Catherine and a new character Victoria.
I’m not really sure where I’m going with this story, so sit back and enjoy. Feedback is always welcome at: Herbard@yahoo.com
Chapter 2:
********************
After my wonderful breakfast spent with one very beautiful Catherine Willows I went to bed and for the first time in a long time fell into a relaxed sleep. I woke up feeling refreshed and ready to face my shift.
As I entered the CSI building I was met by the receptionist. I smiled and nodded, doubting very much the girl even knew my name. I clocked in and headed down to my office ready for whatever the night had in store. Before I opened the door to my office I could smell them. Once opened, there sitting on my desk were a dozen red roses. Smiling to myself, I knew before pulling out the card who they were from. Sure enough the card read: Thank for you for the shoulder and breakfast. Catherine.
I felt like smiling as I held the small card to my cheek. I couldn’t remember the last time someone had sent me roses. What a lady! A tap at my door brought me out of my reverie. I lifted my head up and my eyes came to rest on the prettiest blue eyes I had ever seen.
‘You got them, good.’
‘I don’t know what to say, thank you.’
‘I should be thanking you, yesterday was one of the worst days I’ve had here, and you helped me through it with a smile and a shoulder.’
‘Glad I could be there for you.’
‘What I want to know, is why you’ve been hiding down here for so long, and I never knew you were here?’
I shrugged my shoulders not quite knowing what to say. ‘Somebody has to stay behind and do the research.’
‘Staying behind is one thing, but staying hidden is another.’
‘I like my solitude, keeps me out of trouble,’ I joked.
‘You’ve got a friend lady whether you like it or not.’ With that Catherine squeezed my shoulder, turned around and headed out. The rest of the night I think I floated. I felt so alive, so happy for the first time in a long time.
About an hour into my shift there was a knock at the door, I was expecting it to be Nick Stokes. He was due to come by and pick up my findings on an Internet site I had been researching. I was shocked when I saw Sara Sidle standing in the doorway.
‘Miss Sidle, are you lost?’
‘Nope. Grapevine has it, you’re the go to lady for Internet information or a shoulder to lean on.’
One crying woman on my couch last shift and my life was changing. At that point I wasn’t sure if it was for the better, I only knew it was changing. Sara plunked herself down on my couch, kicked off her shoes and proceeded to ask me endless questions about my job. Seems like I had been the little known office secret for the past 5 years I had worked at CSI. I never would have taken Sara Sidle as the chatty type. But then again, what did I know about the people I worked with? Nothing, a big, fat, nothing.
After a few minutes Sara looked up at me and smiled. ‘So how come you’ve been such a well hidden secret?’
‘Nick Stokes uses my services.’
‘I bet he does,’ Sara laughed,
I couldn’t help but laugh too. The thought of me with Nick Stokes was too funny. ‘He’s definitely not my type,’ I responded.
Sara smiled, ‘And just who is your type?’
‘For me to know and you to find out,’ I winked.
‘I have to get back upstairs, but I’ll find out, Nice to meet you Vic.’
Sara was gone, and at that point I had no idea what had just transpired. I wanted my quiet world back. Little did I know the quiet life I had made for myself down in the bowels of CSI was about to get a lot more confusing and a lot less quiet! And why was everyone suddenly calling me Vic?
The rest of my shift went quietly. I didn’t have any more visitors. Although more than once I found myself wishing Catherine would show up. I figured she was out on a call and didn’t have time. But then again, why would she? One breakfast and a dozen roses didn’t mean we were best friends.
I clocked out and was headed towards my car when I heard the familiar voice calling after me. ‘Hey Vic!’
‘Catherine, how are you?’
‘Sorry I didn’t get down last night to say hi, I was out straight all night.’
‘It’s okay, I wasn’t expecting you,’ I lied. In fact I had waited all night for the beautiful blonde. But I couldn’t exactly tell her that, or she’d run with her tail between her legs.
‘We’re all going out for breakfast, care to join us?’
I had never done well with crowds, and today wasn’t any different. ‘I’d love to, but I can’t, I have an appointment. Another time.’ I quickly got into my car and took off. I felt badly because I could see the hurt in Catherine’s eyes as I bolted. Just being around the CSI Agent was putting me on edge. I punched the steering wheel as I drove out of the parking lot. Why did she have to come into my domain and upset everything? I had been happy being downstairs by myself, quietly doing my research. And now because of her crying jag in my office, my life was upside down.
I went home and spent the next hour sitting on the couch contemplating everything. Why was I so un-nerved when I was around Catherine? She had been nice since the minute I had found her on the couch. She had treated me to breakfast, and took the time to buy me roses. The only other time I had felt this way was when I had met Marcie. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I was attracted to Catherine Willows. Plain and simple.
‘She’s out of your league Ames.’ She might be out of my league but I was attracted to her. How could that be? I had only known her for one day. Who am I kidding; I had been watching her from afar for the past 5 years. She didn’t know it. I watched and studied her. But until now I just thought it was fascination with a fellow CSI Agent. Let’s face it; in our line of work there aren’t that many women. I was only fooling myself. I now realized I had spent the last 5 years watching Catherine Willows because I was attracted to her.
I finally made myself settle down and get some sleep. Knowing I needed to be rested for my shift, I made myself sleep, even though it was fitful. Catherine had invaded my dreams, making it hard to sleep.
Once again I entered the CSI building ready for my shift. No sooner had I clocked in and was heading down the hallway than Gil Grissom stopped me. Now technically he was my boss, but sometimes I think he forgot I even worked for him.
‘Ames, can I see you a minute?’
‘Yes sir.’
He motioned for me to enter his office. I had only been in the office one other time. ‘I need you to go out on a call that just came in.’
‘What?’ I gulped.
‘Are you deaf? I need you to go out on a call that just came in.’
‘Sir, I haven’t been out on a call in almost five years,’ I croaked.
‘Well then, no time like the present.’
‘But sir, I can’t go out on a call!’
‘And why not? Do you have a medical reason?’
I knew I wasn’t going to talk my way out this. It had been five years since I had gone out on a call. Five years and it seemed like yesterday. That was the day I had lost my Marcie.
I hadn’t been scheduled to work that night. But things had been busy so I had been called in to a grisly murder on the West side of town. When I arrived, I saw my lover’s car already sitting there. I knew she’d been in working the scene. I smiled as I thought of my partner. She had been everything I was looking for in a partner. Pretty, smart, and more important, honest or so I had thought. It was rare we ever worked a scene together, but the few times we did, I was always pleased. I quietly entered the house and never expected to see the love of my life, kissing one of the officers stationed inside the scene.
All I could do was stand there and watch as my Marcia was kissing someone else, someone else who happened to be a man. I must have made a sound because they both turned and looked at me.
‘Hi honey,’ Marcie said. ‘It’s not what it seems love.’
I knew in that instant it was what it seemed. My life as I knew it was turn upside down. I kicked Marcie out and when the job opened for an inside agent, I took it. No one was going to make me look stupid, not ever again. I didn’t need love; I had my job that was all I needed.
‘Well do you?’
‘I’m sorry sir, what did you say?’
Grissom sighed, ‘I asked if there was a medical reason you couldn’t go out on a call?’
‘No sir, there isn’t.’
‘Go see Catherine Willows for details.’
I felt my stomach lurch. Not only was I being sent out on a call, I was being sent to Catherine, the object of my desire.
I quietly got up and left Grissom’s office. Part of me wanted to run to the door and never look back. I didn’t think Grissom would appreciate my running away from work.
I found myself outside of Catherine’s office. Before I had a chance to knock she was standing in the doorway smiling at me.
‘I see you’ve spoken to Grissom.’
‘Yes,’ I said quietly.
‘Let me fill you on the way.’ Catherine grabbed her CSI jacket and before long we were headed out the door to the crime scene.
On our way there Catherine filled me in. Sara had called Catherine asking for my help. They had come upon a grizzly scene. Two victims, one male, one female. The male was found in the computer room. A computer room, according to Sara that was more advanced than anything CSI used. There were all kinds of programs running, and no one there had any idea what they all were.
Part of me was excited to be back in the thick of it. Another part was scared to death after 5 years of hiding in my office. We pulled up in front of a modest looking home. Years ago I had put away my official ID, never needing it. Luckily I had never bothered to take it out of my pocketbook. I fished it out, dusted the various crumbs and lint off of it, and clipped it onto my jeans. My official CSI jacket had long since been discarded. I doubted very much I still owned it. It was a warm night so I didn’t need the jacket.
Catherine led the way into the house. I followed close behind. The smell of death hit me when I entered the house. That was an odor one never forgot. Sara met us at the door, smiling when she saw me.
‘Hope you’re not squeamish,’ the young agent said.
‘I’ll be fine.’
Neither woman realized I had 20 years under my belt. I had started as a CSI agent in 1985. I had been 24 years old. Not too many women became CSI agents. Back then; there wasn’t the testing that is available today. So I guess you could say I had been a pioneer. All they knew was I was the lady who did the Internet research.
Actually I was enjoying watching Catherine. She was in her element. ‘Do we know who the victims are?’
‘The name is Delaney. Ralph, age 49, his wife, Allison 35. No children that we know of. Neighbors say they pretty much kept to themselves,’ Sara said.
‘Heard that one before,’ Catherine remarked.
‘Let me show you the computer room.’
Sara led the way down a long hallway. She stopped when we got to the end of the hallway. Lying in the doorway was Ralph Delaney. He had been strangled. At least that was my first thought, by the looks of the pieces of fiber on his neck.
‘Looks like he was strangled,’ I muttered. ‘Old rope too.’ The fibers were dark, indicating the rope was old and had probably been outside and had gotten wet once or twice in its time.
Catherine and Sara shot one another a glance. I imagine they were wondering how I knew he had been strangled, let alone how I knew the rope was old.
After my initial look at the victim, I stood and looked into the computer room. I had never seen so much equipment in a private home. This guy had four computers set up, and each computer was in the process of processing something. The something was what Sara couldn’t figure out.
Before I entered the room, I turned and looked at Sara. ‘Has the room been swept?’
‘No, we didn’t want to lose what’s on these machines.’
‘Catherine, do you have some boots in your kit?’
Catherine nodded, went to her kit and pulled out the paper boots. I carefully slid them on over my own sneakers before entering the room.
‘Hey Vic,’ Sara laughed. ‘Gloves.’
I was out of practice; I had forgotten to put on my gloves. I slid them on over my fingers. These were much easier to put on than the old latex gloves.
Finally I entered the room and went over to the first computer. It was processing something. I wasn’t sure what because the numbers and letters were processing at such a fast rate I couldn’t read it. Not wanting to lose any crucial evidence I motioned for Sara.
‘Sara, dust the pause button and lift the prints before I hit it. I want to pause the computer.’
‘It’s okay, you’re wearing gloves.’
‘That may be, but computer keys smear easily. Would hate for my glove to cover up something crucial.’
Sara frowned then looked at Catherine who nodded yes. She did as I asked on each of the four machines. I hit the pause button on each machine. When the computers halted, I was surprised at what I saw. It was a group of numbers and letters. Apparently it was a code. Just up my alley, I was the queen of breaking codes.
‘When these things stop downloading, let’s take them apart and bring them back to the office,’ I commanded. ‘I’ll be better able to work it under a controlled environment.’
I was starting to feel the thrill of being on a case. As I stood there waiting for the downloads to complete I realized how much I missed being out in the field.
Once the computers stopped downloading, Sara, Catherine and myself took them all apart and loaded them into Sara’s van. Catherine wanted a minute to talk to Sara so I waited in the car.
Catherine came back, and smiled at me as she entered the car. ‘You can’t fool me, Miss hide in the basement.’
‘What do you mean?’ I asked innocently.
‘You have field experience.’
‘How do you know?’
‘With the exception of the gloves, you asked for the boots, you were right on about the strangulation, even down to the rope. That comes from field experience.’
‘So I read a lot.’
‘You didn’t blink when you saw the Delaney’s. You’ve been around a crime scene or two. Your actions gave you away. What I want to know is why you gave it up?’
