"That's it. Gently drag the brush across the surface. Now, blow away the excess powder."
"I did it!"
"You did what?" Catherine stood in the doorway of what once was her kitchen looking at an excited blonde haired little girl and her dark haired babysitter. Both were wearing latex gloves covered with different colors, which matched the colors on her countertops.
Lindsey smiled brightly responding to her mom's question, "I got fingerprints to show up, Mommy!"
Catherine walked over to inspect the fingerprints. Sara looked down slightly embarrassed to be found printing her co-worker's kitchen. Acknowledging CatherineÕs return she said, "Hey, Cath."
Catherine shook her head in disbelief at the condition her kitchen was in. Someone was going to be doing some cleaning duty and that someone had dark hair.
Catherine looked at the fingerprints that her daughter dusted. A few had too much powder applied and brush strokes could be seen in others. But most were done perfectly. Some of the prints had been lifted with tape or with lift hangers and left next to the faded prints. Catherine looked at her daughter, "These are beautiful, Linds."
Lindsey smiled and turned to Sara. "See, I told you she wouldn't be mad."
Sara smiled weakly at Lindsey's excitement. Although Catherine had warmed up to her, Sara wasn't sure that she would be forgiven for essentially trashing the older woman's kitchen; even if it was Lindsey's idea.
"I'm not mad," Catherine confirmed. "But, there is a rule that needs to be followed."
"Mommy!"
"Tell Sara the rule, kiddo." Catherine's tone of voice belied the seriousness of her words. She could never stay angry with her daughter for long. From what she could tell, it was Lindsey's idea to fingerprint something; Sara probably went along with the idea because she didn't have any idea how to distract her single-minded daughter. She was grateful that they didn't do inked prints.
"'Who ever messes up the kitchen has to clean it,'" Lindsey recited to Sara, disheartened that she had to clean up all the fingerprint powder.
Sara groaned inwardly. The one thing she liked about being a CSI was she didn't have to clean up the scene. But since this wasn't a crime scene she would have to help out the little girl. "Rules are rules, Lindsey. I'll help out."
"Cool!" Lindsey went to the cupboard where the cleaning supplies were kept and asked seriously, "What'll clean the powder up best, Sara?"
Catherine started to leave as the two "culprits" began cleaning off the counters when Grissom's voice registered in her ears. "What on earth happened here?"
"You remember when I said that I was afraid I was making my daughter weird?" He nodded his head slowly. "I'm not the only one who is responsible. Sara was teaching her how to lift latent prints off a kitchen counter." Grissom chuckled and she hit him on the shoulder. She picked up some dishrags and handed him one. "Here. If we're going to make the movie, we'd better help them."