Decomps aren't all bad.
Kudos to my faithful beta team, Joan and Lori
�We�ve got a trick roll in Henderson and a decomp out on route 40. Catherine, you take the trick roll. Sara, take Greg on the decomp. Warrick, you finish up the domestic case.�
Warrick and Catherine looked at the other two CSI�s with sympathy as they quickly exited the break room before Grissom could change his mind. Even a trick roll was better than a decomp in the desert in July.
Sara gave Grissom a pleading look as she and Greg left the break room. He ignored her as he headed for his office. It was her own fault, she knew; she had insisted that she didn�t want special treatment from him because they were together now. Secretly, though, she wouldn�t have minded on this particular occasion.
The drive out to the scene took about twenty minutes. Greg babbled on about an article he had read in Forensics Quarterly. Sara had read the article as well, but Greg insisted on recounting every detail. Sara smiled, remembering her enthusiasm when she first became interested in Forensics.
Ahead, the lights of the police vehicles could be seen flashing like a beacon in the dark night. Greg pulled off the road alongside those vehicles. Detective Vartan approached the car.
�Victim was found in a metal drum. Couple of kids came across it searching for a little privacy to �do what hormone induced kids do. The smell made them think that maybe they should call us. We took off the lid to confirm, then called you guys. Haven�t done anything since.�
The coroner�s van was already there, and Sara scanned the area in search of David. She caught sight of him beside the large metal drum, waiting patiently for their arrival.
�Not much for us to do at this point with the body. It�s in no condition to be removed from the drum here. We�ll need to take it back for removal and analysis. Just waiting for you to take your pictures.�
Taking a quick look inside the drum and nodding their agreement, Greg and Sara got to work. Sara first took samples of what appeared to be blood on the outside rim of the drum, while Greg took shots of the drum from every angle. In no time, they had cleared David to remove the drum to the coroner�s lab. Then they began combing the area intently for any additional evidence. The foot traffic was significant. It would be impossible to find any footprints to cast from here.
About fifty yards out, Greg found tire tracks. He took pictures and measurements. Sara collected several rusted casings from a shotgun, which she suspected had nothing to do with this particular case. Other trash was also found and collected. Nothing looked hopeful.
After the area had been thoroughly documented, the pair headed back to the lab. The drive back seemed much shorter than the drive out had been. Greg suggested several theories of what may have happened, though little actual evidence supported any of them.
When they got back to the lab, they went directly to the morgue to see how far David had gotten processing the body. Since her initial encounter with a badly decomposed body, Sara generally was able to tolerate the smell. Not always, though, but tonight, she was lucky.
David was moving the body onto the exam table when Sara and Greg arrived. Much of the body had turned to liquid. Greg sighed heavily.
�I guess you�ll expect me to search this for evidence.� He didn�t turn to Sara as he spoke, but continued to look at the remains.
�We�re in this together, Greggo,� Sara declared, clapping him on the shoulder. She remembered what it was like to get stuck with the nasty jobs when you were the �new guy�, although Greg was not really considered that anymore. He had been on the job long enough to relinquish that label. He didn�t need the experience of doing this job alone. As much as the job disgusted her, she respected Greg enough to pitch in and help as the partner she was.
Several items were discovered that, with any luck, could be the evidence to break the case. A parking ticket from a garage on Freemont Street was in the victim�s shirt pocket. The ticket was degraded, but with a little work and luck, they might be able to get enough information to narrow down the time frame that the ticket had been issued. It would help in establishing a timeline.
An appointment book was also found in the inside pocket of the victim�s jacket. Surprisingly, in spite of the condition of the body, the pages of the book were relatively intact. The name indicated that the victim was Sam Uehl.
The last entry was on June 19, an appointment with Ed Cooper. David confirmed that the condition of the body could have placed approximate time of death near that date. In the address section of the book, Ed Cooper was listed.
Sara called Vartan and shared the information they had found. Formulating a plan, they arranged to meet and go to the victim�s house. Later, they would go to the garage and inquire about any abandoned vehicles. Once they had examined any additional evidence they found, they would check out Ed Cooper.
Sara had arranged for enough time to shower before meeting with Vartan. She knew from experience that it would not remove the odor. But it would have to do until shift was over and she could get some lemons, which were the only thing that eliminated the order of body decomposition.
Vartan was waiting when Sara and Greg arrived at Sam Uehl�s apartment. There was no evidence that the crime had occurred at the victim�s residence. With little effort, they found ledgers indicating that Ed Cooper owed Sam a lot of money. There were several notes along the pages indicating that Cooper had been contacted and agreed to pay on progressively later dates.
There was also a message on the answering machine from the parking garage. A car considered abandoned in the garage was his, according to a DMV search. If the car was not claimed and the extended parking fee paid by June 24th, it would be towed to the Harlan Street impound lot. A quick phone call to the manager of the garage confirmed that the vehicle, which had been parked on June 19th, had been towed to the impound lot on the evening of the 24th. Vartan headed over to make arrangements to have the car towed to the lab. As he was leaving, Sara�s phone rang. It was Wendy.
�I�m running more extensive tests on the blood samples you took from that drum. But I thought you might want to know, the initial tests indicate different blood types. There were two donors.�
The excitement was evident in Sara�s voice. �We have biological evidence of the murderer! Let me know when you get those results. We may have a suspect to compare them to.�
Sara and Greg stopped and picked up some sandwiches before heading back to the garage to examine the car. They felt like they were very close to solving this case. Over their meal, they discussed asking Grissom to approve the overtime so they could continue working until the case was solved.
�I think you should ask him,� said Greg. �He likes you better.�
Sara tried to suppress a smile. �He�s known me a lot longer. And he doesn�t intimidate me like he does you.�
�He used to intimidate you, too,� claimed Greg. Sara looked disbelievingly at Greg. �It�s only been in the last several months that your attitude has changed.� Greg thought a moment. �Actually, both of your attitudes have changed. You�re more at ease with him and his attitude toward you is more�playful, maybe?�
Sara looked askance. �Greg, you�re imagining things.� As hard as Grissom and Sara had tried to keep their personal relationship private, was it becoming evident at work?
Upon their return to the lab, Sara sought Grissom to request the overtime. He was in his office.
�Hey, Gris, Greg and I are very close to breaking this case. Can we work through and try to finish it?�
Grissom had looked up from his paperwork upon her entrance and was pondering the question. After looking for any stray ears that might hear, he said gently, �You know I don�t like it when you wear yourself out on a case. It�s not good for your health. But if you feel that you are that close and really want to, you can have the overtime.�
Sara turned to exit. �Oh, and Sara?� She turned back to him. �I have some lemons at my place. Come over when you�re done and I�ll help you with the smell.�
Sara sniffed herself, then smiled broadly and nodded.
As she headed to the garage to find Greg, Sara realized that she needed to wipe the smile from her face. It was no wonder that Greg had noticed a difference in her. She had never been happier.
Greg had already started processing the car. Although the murderer had attempted to clean it up, blood was obvious on the front seat when Greg applied the luminol. David had been unable to definitively determine cause of death due to the condition of the body. A knife to the throat had been the working theory since no gunshots had been heard in the garage the day the car was parked. This was very tentative since there had been no evidence that the murder had even taken place in the garage. The discovery of the blood helped back up their theory.
It was time to visit Ed Cooper. Sara made the call to Vartan, who was not happy about being called so close to the end of shift. He agreed to meet them at Cooper�s apartment after he made arrangements for the warrant.
Sara and Greg headed over to the address they had found in Sam Uehl�s address book. As they waited, Greg looked around the parking lot for a truck that might be on the list of those that used the tires whose tread was found at the crime scene. He found one and compared the tread with that of the crime scene treads and found a match.
Vartan arrived waving the warrant. �I�ve never obtained a warrant so quickly. Seems Mr. Cooper is currently a guest in the Cook County jail. He was arrested for battery against a man he owed money to. When the guy approached him about repayment, he said he was going to do the same thing to him that he had done to the last guy who threatened to sue him. Then he pulled a knife on him and took a few swipes.�
The apartment was a mess. It took several hours to process. But a knife that was the likely murder weapon was found, as well as evidence that could link Ed Cooper to numerous other crimes. It was going to take a while to sort through it all.
As they were packing up to leave, Greg�s phone rang.
�Sanders,� he chirped authoritatively.
�Greg, where are you?� came Grissom�s voice over the phone.
�We�re at the home of our most likely suspect. We�re pretty sure we�ve found the murder weapon, as well as what looks like evidence from at least three robberies and an extortion plan. There�s a lot of stuff to haul out of here.�
�And process when you get back to the lab. I think this is going to take longer than you and Sara originally anticipated. Do you have enough to arrest the suspect?�
�I�d say yes. But it�s not a big issue at the moment. The suspect is already in custody for assault. He�s not going anywhere.�
�Good. You and Sara take the evidence back to the lab and lock it up. You can log it in tomorrow. You�ve already got several hours of overtime. With the suspect off the streets, there�s no need to overwork yourselves more and possibly make a mistake. Get some rest and tackle the evidence processing tomorrow.�
Greg conveyed Grissom�s directives. Vartan tried not to be too excited, but failed. The last of the evidence loaded, the two CSIs and detective departed in different directions. After a short drive back to the lab and with the evidence safely locked away, Greg and Sara were also on their way home � Greg to his, and Sara to Grissom�s.
Sara unlocked the door with the key that Grissom had given her shortly after they had become intimate. As she entered, Grissom looked up from the entomology magazine he was reading. He took off his glasses and smiled at Sara as she kicked off her shoes.
�Looks like you could use a good shower. Smells like it, too.�
�Thanks to you.�
�Hey, no special treatment. That was the agreement.�
�We could have overlooked it today. Didn�t I hear something about lemons earlier?�
Grissom lay down the magazine and stood, walking toward her. �Yes, you did. I put them out on the counter to get to room temperature. Not quite as cold that way. Why don�t you go get in the shower and I�ll cut them up. I�ll bring them in when I�m done.�
She nodded and he kissed her on the nose as he headed to the kitchen.
As Sara stripped off her clothes in the bathroom, she heard Grissom call out, �Put your clothes in the bag I�ve got on the sink. We�ll put them in the wash later.� Sara turned around and found the plastic bag on the sink. She put her clothes in the bag and then turned on the shower, tempering the water.
Stepping in, she allowed the warm water to wash over her body, easing much of the tension she had felt since being assigned the case. She took the bottle of her favorite shampoo that Grissom kept for her and generously applied some to her hair. Lathering thoroughly, she heard the bathroom door open through the suds in her ears. Moving her head under the stream of water, she didn�t hear the shower door open as Grissom joined her. She was surprised to feel his hands in her hair, facilitating the removal of the shampoo. They hadn�t showered together since their second night together.
Sara luxuriated in the feel of Grissom�s fingers working their way through the wet strands of hair, carefully rinsing water through the tresses. When he was satisfied that the soap was out, he picked up the body buff and applied body wash to it. He began scrubbing her back, starting with small circles on her left shoulder and making increasingly larger ones. The circles moved lower until she was well sudsed from her shoulders to her buttocks. He turned her so her back faced the stream of water and moved her into it.
Sara watched Grissom�s face as he diligently removed all the suds. He was as intent as if he were processing a crime scene. Sara was becoming amazingly relaxed, watching the face of the man she loved tend to her body.
Finished with her back, Grissom again lathered the body puff and began working on the left shoulder from the front. He duplicated the circle motions, gradually moving toward her breasts. As the puff brushed against her nipples, Sara�s sense of relaxation changed dramatically. She was becoming quite aroused.
Apparently and quite noticeably, the same thing was happening to Grissom. But he continued to lather her stomach and sides as if he was completely unaffected. His motions moved lower, the puff now diligently cleansing the area between Sara�s legs.
Sara sighed as the friction of the puff stimulated her. Just as she began thinking she could enjoy this for considerably longer, Grissom continued downward, thoroughly lathering her legs with additional body wash he had applied with his hands. The bobbing appendage that peeked from between Grissom�s bent legs as he scrubbed was being ignored by him as if it didn�t exist. Sara, on the other hand, was very much aware of its existence.
Standing erect, Grissom again moved Sara under the shower head and brushed away the suds as the water cascaded down her body. Still concentrating as if performing a difficult task, Grissom opened the shower door and picked up the bag of cut lemons. He hung the strings of the bag over the soap dish and extracted two halves. Standing behind her and holding one in each hand above Sara�s head, he began squeezing the juice into her hair. When the rinds were empty, he took out two more and repeated the process. Throwing the rinds into the corner of the shower, he again took his hands and worked the juice through Sara�s hair, careful to get every strand.
Grissom stood close to Sara�s back as he worked his fingers through her hair. She should have relaxed after a few minutes of the wonderful scalp massage. And she probably would have if it wasn�t for the erection poking her in the back. Grissom put his nose into Sara�s hair and breathed deeply. Satisfied that her hair was now odor free, he reached for two more lemon halves.
Pushing Sara away from him, Grissom took the lemons in each hand and began rubbing them over her back. The circle technique was re-employed and Sara, eyes closed, was again relaxing under his ministrations. When her entire back and buttocks had been rubbed with the actual lemons, Grissom then squeezed the juice over her back and massaged it into her skin.
Grissom took additional lemons, squeezed the juice into his hands and worked it into Sara�s legs. Grissom was careful to make sure he covered every inch of skin, even lifting each foot and working the juice between her toes. Sara felt extremely pampered.
Standing, Grissom pulled Sara into the shower stream, which was not as warm as it had been. He rinsed off her back and legs, then turned her again so her back was against his chest. She noted the erection was still with them. Grissom reached for more lemons, and, reaching around her body, began rubbing them along her shoulders and chest. The smooth lemons were not as stimulating as the body puff had been. But the steady rhythm of his motion was achieving the same result. That, and the painfully hard reminder prodding into her back.
Grissom squeezed the juice from the lemons and began massaging it into Sara�s skin. He worked from the shoulders down, lingering a little longer this time on her breasts. She was enjoying the pampering. But Sara wasn�t too sure how long she could keep from jumping him.
Grissom leaned forward, putting both of them into the stream of increasingly cool water. After ensuring that both of them were rinsed off, he turned off the water. Opening the door, he reached out and grabbed the bottle of baby oil he had earlier placed near the sink.
�That much lemon juice adds a great deal of acid to your pH levels. Rubbing the oil into your skin while it�s still wet helps restore the proper balance,� Grissom said as he poured a small amount into his hand.
�That�s why you have baby oil around here,� smiled Sara.
�No, that�s why I used to keep it in my cabinet. Recently, I�ve discovered other uses for it as well,� he said with a lecherous grin.
Beginning with her shoulders, Grissom began gently massaging the oil into Sara�s skin. He worked down her back, careful to get the curves and crevices of her buttocks. He applied more oil to his palms and began working along the back of her legs, then around to the front.
�We don�t want to do your feet. Oil on feet is a safety hazard. I learned that the hard way the first time.�
Grissom put more oil in his hands, generously this time, and moved close behind Sara, his chest to her back. Reaching around her, he placed his hands at her shoulders and began stroking downward, spreading the oil over her breasts and abdomen. His palms messaged the oil into her abdomen, then upward into her breasts. His fingers cupped around each breast and he began kneading, moving inward toward the nipples, the fingers stroking with mastery. Sara couldn�t contain the moans of pleasure.
When she thought she could stand no more, Grissom�s hands moved lower as his right knee edged between Sara�s legs and forced them apart. His hands spread the oil from her abdomen into her labia, causing her to gasp with pleasure. After ample massaging, when he was assured that the area was well lubricated, Grissom took his right thumb and forefinger and began stroking Sara�s clitoris. Almost immediately, she climaxed with a long, sustained moan of ecstasy. Her legs began to give way and Grissom caught her with difficulty. The oil over both of their bodies had made them very slippery.
The oil also made it easy for Sara to turn in Grissom�s arms and wrap hers around him. As her composure returned and her legs became steadier, she began to rub her hands over his back and sides. As she stroked, she became aware of a difference.
�Grissom, have you lost weight?�
�Actually, I have.�
�On purpose?�
After a pause, Grissom replied, �Yes.�
Sara pulled away and looked at Grissom. �Please tell me you did it to improve your health and not because you thought you needed to for me.�
�Both, actually.� Sara looked at Grissom with skepticism. �Do you remember the night we found out Brass was going to be okay and I started talking about how I wanted to die?� Sara nodded. �I know it upset you to talk about my death. I realized then how much you loved me. And how much I love you. I�ve wasted so much time that we could have been together, Sara. I need to make up for it by being with you as long as I can. The best way to do that is to get myself more fit, be as healthy as I can. Because the healthier I am, the longer I can have with you. So I joined a gym and started going when you go to do your workout.�
Sara had never loved Grissom more than she did at that moment. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. He responded enthusiastically, his tongue dancing with hers. Sara slid her arms from his neck and reached around to his buttocks, pulling him hard against her. His erection was pressed uncomfortably against her stomach.
Sara took both hands and placed them on Grissom�s chest, pushing him into the shower wall. Her right hand reached down and began stroking his erection. He kissed her hard and began moaning into her mouth as her stroking increased. When she took her left hand and cupped his balls, he pulled back and grabbed both of her hands.
�I want to be in you,� he said definitively.
�Oh, yes,� she said as they both stumbled out of the shower door and headed for the bedroom. Sara scrambled onto the bed as Grissom pulled open the drawer on the dressing table, fumbling for a condom. Sara grabbed it from him and ripped open the package with her mouth. She hastily took it out of the package and rolled the condom onto his penis. Lying back on the bed, she spread her legs.
Grissom�s grin was instantaneous. He crawled between Sara�s legs and, taking his penis in hand, began to slowly penetrate. Grissom was painfully aware of his size and always took care in entering Sara, moving slowly to allow her to adjust to the volume. The process was expedited today by the oil he so generously had applied earlier.
Grissom began slow, steady strokes, short at first, but soon deep and with increased intensity. Sara was surprised that she was close to climaxing again so soon after her first orgasm. There had been no real foreplay to prepare her. Grissom was now pounding into her and his expression, experience had shown her, indicated he was about to climax. The last frantic thrusts and exclamation to God confirmed her foresight. She was so close.
Grissom opened his eyes. Recognizing the dilemma, he began moving again. But his energy was spent and his movements much less vigorous. Aware of his limitations, Grissom changed tactics. Continuing his slower thrusts, he moved his hand between them and began fondling Sara�s clitoris. In moments, Sara screamed out with pleasure.
Immediately, Grissom collapsed on top of Sara, his arms exhausted. Supporting himself with one arm, he laboriously lifted his hips up while holding gingerly onto the edge of the condom. His erection was spent. He rolled over.
�Guess I need to work out more,� he panted.
�I think you are amazing, Dr. Grissom,� Sara purred. �Not too many men can bring their women to orgasm twice in one day.�
�Well, if you weren�t so insatiable�� Grissom teased.
�It�s true. I can�t get enough of you. And I hope I never do.�
�By the way, since you are so good at getting rid of the odor, let me go ahead and volunteer now for the next decomp.�
Grissom smiled. �I�ll remember that.�