DISCLAIMER: Not mine. Though I wouldn't mind.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I tried. The muse was fairly cooperative, hence this. Enjoy!
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.

The Tears That Never Came
By Wingsfan

 

Chapter 11

"Rise and shine," a soft voice whispered to her. Catherine smiled when the voice registered.

"Good morning, or afternoon," she pulled her human wake-up call down for a kiss.

"Hold those thoughts," Sara said as she hovered above the blonde. "You have to pick Lindsey up from school soon, remember?"

Catherine didn't bother to stifle her groan. As much as she hated it, she knew Sara was right. They didn't have enough time and if she did follow through, she would be late to pick up her daughter.

As though reading her thoughts, Sara offered a truce. "We have all the time in the world, Catherine. You're not running away from me that easily."

"If only…" Catherine sighed, letting the sentence unfinished.

"Didn't we talk about this before?" Sara asked Catherine.

"We did," the blonde nodded.

"So you should know what my thoughts are about it."

"I know," Catherine said quietly. "God, you'd think that after all these years I'd be able to sort myself out."

"Hey, I'm not going anywhere," the brunette assured her.

"A part of me knows that but… I've never felt this way before. I've never felt this… lost in a relationship and I'm just trying to find my way around here."

"Remember what you said to me yesterday?" At Catherine's shake of her head, Sara continued. "You said that when you've decided on something, you go all the way."

"That I did," the blonde smiled at the memory.

"Catherine, I'm scared too. I can't tell you how many times within the last 48 hours I've thought about walking away but I'm still here," Sara smiled a little to ease the tension in the air. "If you want someone like me, the least I could do is be there for you too."

"You will do that for me?" Catherine didn't bother to hide her surprise.

"Of course I will. What, you think I'm the rock 'em and sock 'em kind of person?"

"I just meant that…" When she saw the smirk on Sara's face, the blonde pouted.

"Grown woman don't pout, Catherine," Sara teased her lover.

"Yeah well bite me," Catherine threw a weak glare at her.

"Later, my dear," the brunette promised Catherine.

"I'll hold you to that, CSI Sidle," Catherine got off the bed then and turned around to beckon her lover. "Well come on then, we don't want to be late."

"We?" Sara blinked in confusion.

"Yeah, we, Sara. You and me," the blonde said as she leaned in for a quick kiss. "Come on, let's get going."

"Uh Cath?" Sara tried her best to keep the uncertainty out of her voice.

"Hhhmm?" Catherine replied as she tucked in her shirt.

"I'm not so sure if it's such a good idea for me to show up with you at Lindsey's school," Sara confessed.

"Why not? She knows we work together. She met you before."

"It's… it's not the same."

"Why isn't it the same?" Catherine's brows wrinkled in confusion.

"Because."

Sara's one-worded answer confused Catherine even more. "Because?"

"Because we weren't together then," the younger woman shrugged.

A soft laugh caught Sara's attention, drawing her focus away from their conversation. "What is so funny?"

"We sure are something," Catherine looped her arms around Sara's waist and pulled the woman closer. "Sara, let's go or we'll be late."

"Ok," she said shakily. When they were in the car and on their way to the school, Sara spoke up. "You still haven't told me why you laughed earlier."

Catherine turned to look at her lover then, trying to gauge her reaction but could find none. "You're nervous about spending time with my daughter."

"A little," Sara told the blonde. "I'm not sure if it's such a good idea for Lindsey to be near me."

"What are you talking about?" Catherine kept her voice down as she parked the car near the school's entrance.

"Injuries follow me everywhere, or have you not notice that lately?" Catherine's chuckle annoyed her slightly. "What? You know it's true."

"Sara," Catherine placed a hand on Sara's forearm to get her full attention as they stood next to the car. "Those were accidents; I wouldn't worry about them if I were you. Besides, I have utmost confidence in you."

Before Sara could reply, a shrieking ball of energy hurled toward them. She couldn't help but smile at the sight in front of her. Mother and daughter locked in an embrace, she watched as the young Willows pulled away and headed for her.

"Sara!"

The brunette winced slightly, both at the animated hug and the girl's high-pitched greeting. "Hi Lindsey."

"Mom, I'm hungry," the girl announced when they all had climbed into the car.

"I'll fix a snack for you when we get home, ok?" Catherine replied her daughter. She was more concerned about the woman sitting next to her. Sara had barely said much ever since they left her apartment.

"Sara, do you like peanut butter?"

"Sure," Sara replied when she realized Lindsey had asked her a question.

"Do you like it chunky or smooth? I like it chunky because I like the crunchy bits but then after eating I would have to go brush my teeth because sometimes they get stuck," the girl informed her.

"I like mine smooth."

"Mom likes hers smooth too," Lindsey grinned. "Must be an adult thing."

Sara chuckled at the young Willows' comment, grateful for the moment of distraction. "I don't know about that, Lindsey."

"Lindsey," Catherine warned her daughter.

"Mom, it's not nice to disturb other people's conversation," the girl told her mother before turning to Sara. "Do you prefer milk or juice when you eat your peanut butter sandwich, Sara? I always have mine with chocolate milk because Mom said milk is good for me and I like chocolate."

"They sure are, Lindsey. They are rich in calcium and they help make your bones strong," Sara smirked when she saw the reflexive eye roll from Lindsey. "To answer your question, I prefer orange juice."

"Cool!" Lindsey claimed before she went on a tangent about her school day with Catherine.

Chapter 12

"Mom, I want orange juice," the young Willows announced to her mother as she supervised the sandwich making process as soon as they got home.

"Orange juice?" Catherine asked Lindsey.

"Yeah, Mom. Orange juice," the girl nodded her head as though having made her decision.

"Ok." Catherine turned around to face her lover then, bemused by the smirk on Sara's face. She shot a weak glare at the brunette, earning herself a gap-toothed grin. "You want anything, Sara?"

Whipped cream on you, Sara thought to herself. "Water's fine."

Placing the sandwich on the table, Catherine sat down next to Lindsey and watched her daughter eat. She chanced a glance at Sara then, her feet bumping with Sara's ankle. The contact earned her a questioning look from Sara, and she made no move to hide her grin.

"Sara, are you sick?"

"Huh?" The brunette was caught off guard by the little girl's question.

"You look a little… red. Mom says when I'm sick I turn red," Lindsey said in between bits of her peanut butter sandwich.

"You turn red? Do you turn blue too?" Sara couldn't help but tease the girl.

"Mom…" Lindsey whined.

Laughing, Catherine pushed back a stray strand of hair from Lindsey's face. "Sara's just teasing you, baby. But I have to agree, you do look a little off color, Sara."

"I'm fine. Didn't get enough sleep last night," Sara kept her gaze fixed on Catherine.

"Sara, if you ask Mom nicely, maybe she will let you use her bed for a nap." Lindsey beamed, happy to have thought of such a great idea.

Both women, shocked by the little girl's words, traded nervous glances. Knowing the other woman would not take action, Catherine turned to face her daughter.

"Lindsey, I'm sure Sara would prefer her own bed," Catherine smiled.

"But she hasn't asked you yet," the younger Willows complained. "Sara, if Mom won't share her bed with you, I'll share my bed with you."

Touched by the sincerity behind those words, Sara let out a smile. "That's very nice of you, Lindsey. I'll think about it, ok?"

"Ok."

Sensing the need for a distraction, Catherine stood up from her seat. "Why don't you go start on your homework, Linds? I'll come check on them in a little while, ok?"

"Sure, Mom." The pout was not lost on both women.

"Tell you what, after you're done with your work, we'll go for some ice cream. How's that sound?" Sara offered.

"Yes! Thank you, Sara!" Lindsey jumped in joy.

Before Catherine could say otherwise, the little girl had collected her bag and went to her room.

"You're whipped," the blonde told her lover.

"By which Willows?" Sara shot back with a wink.

"Both," Catherine matched Sara's grin with one of her own.

Seeing the blush on Sara's face, Catherine took a chance. Nudging the other woman to turn around with her knee, Catherine slid onto Sara's lap effortlessly and snaked her fingers in Sara's hair.

"I never did thank you for last night," Catherine purred.

"I'm here now," Sara countered, her tone challenging the other woman.

Catherine pulled her closer, peppering her with kisses. Slowly she inched her hands underneath Sara's shirt, wiggling her fingers to tickle the woman in the process. Heated kisses marred soft skin while insistent fingers tugging away at layers of clothing.

Momentarily distracted by wandering fingers, Sara stilled Catherine's movements. Catching the other woman's train of thought, Catherine moved off Sara's lap and guided her toward the living room.

"Maybe we shouldn't," Sara nervously muttered.

"Why?" The blonde pushed Sara against the back of the couch, raining kisses on every inch of exposed skin that she could find.

"Lindsey," Sara replied.

A gentle bite on her neck made Sara groan inwardly, her body arching toward Catherine. Her hands trapped, Sara tilted her head to a side to regard the woman above her.

"Catherine," the brunette moaned.

"Less talk, more action," Catherine moved to straddle Sara's hips. "Plus, you're wearing too many clothes."

"Mom, I'm done with my homework!" An excited voice came from within the house.

"Shit," Catherine cursed as she jumped off Sara. "I'll be right there, Linds."

Seeing the apologetic look on Catherine's face, Sara shook her head to wave it off. "Later."

Both women stood up then, Sara helping Catherine to straighten her clothes. Stealing a quick kiss from the brunette, Catherine hurried to tend to her daughter.

"So much for that," Sara mumbled to herself as she waited for the other woman to return.

"Sara, we can go to the ice cream place now!" Lindsey announced happily as she bounced into the living room.

"Really? You've finished all your work, then?" Sara shifted a little when the young Willows sat down next to her.

"Yeah, and Mom says we can have ice cream because I've been good and I did all my homework without making a mistake," Lindsey grinned, proud to report her accomplishments.

"Wow, no mistakes, huh? That's definitely a call for special treats," Sara winked at the little girl.

"Can we go now, please?" The puppy dog eyes were in full force now for effect.

"Hold that thought," Sara told the two women as her cell phone started ringing. "Sidle."

"Sara, it's Grissom."

Her body went rigid at the sound of the man's voice. She stepped into the kitchen for some privacy, aware that Catherine was watching her every move. "What can I do for you, Grissom?"

"Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah, thanks for asking," the politeness between the two of them irked her. Once again the man had taken the easy way out of addressing their non-relationship.

The silence was deafening, the unspoken words driving the message home. Yet, both of them tempted fate from time to time, knowing the relationship would bear no fruit.

"I guess that's it. Take care and I'll see you at work tonight," Grissom hung up before saying goodbye, leaving a very confused brunette on the other end of the line.

Chapter 13

When Sara walked back into the living room, both mother and daughter were nowhere to be found. Following the sounds of chatter from above, she climbed up the stairs and was met halfway by Catherine.

"Everything ok?"

"Yeah, I had the princess pack her things. What about you? Is everything ok?" Catherine didn't want Sara to think that she was eavesdropping on the phone call on purpose.

"Weirdest conversation I've had with Grissom to date, that's for sure," Sara replied. "So what's the plan?"

"I got a call from Brass about the same time Gil called you," Catherine shrugged. "We're meeting early so I need to drop Lindsey at her aunt's earlier."

"Oh."

"Sorry," Catherine whispered to the brunette. "If it's any consolation, I was looking forward to it too."

Sara took a step closer to Catherine, drawing her into a loose hug. "There's always tomorrow."

Tilting her head up, Catherine gently bit a spot on Sara's neck, leaving a mark. She smirked when she heard the sharp intake of breath. As the situation had dawned on her, Catherine couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Oh so you think this is funny?" Sara feigned hurt in her voice.

"Yes, very much," Catherine shot back. "Come on, Sara. We're making out like a bunch of teenagers on the stairs of my house with my daughter not 10 feet away from us. We were disturbed by not only a phone call from Grissom but Brass as well earlier. How can you not find it funny?"

"Well when you put it that way," Sara tightened her arms around Catherine's waist. "Wait a minute, there's still at least two hours before you have to go in. Why are you dropping Lindsey off early?"

"I thought we could have a few hours to ourselves," Catherine said quickly.

"Oh? Why's that?" Sara didn't bother to hide her smirk.

"Because I'm having a hard time keeping my hands to myself whenever you're around," Catherine mumbled.

"What's that, Catherine? I didn't catch the whole sentence," the brunette continued to tease her lover.

"Do you really want me to repeat myself?" Catherine glared at Sara.

"Let's see. I can be mean and say yes or I can be nice and tell you your daughter's standing right behind you."

"What?" Catherine broke the embrace and turned around so quickly that she had failed to notice the frown on Sara's forehead. She knelt down to survey her daughter's appearance. "Ready? Let's go then."

Annoyed at Catherine's reaction, Sara decided it would be wise if she did not mention anything in front of the little girl. As the three of them descended the stairs, a pang of sadness hit her like a ton of bricks.

"Hey guys, I think I'm going to take a rain check on the ice cream," Sara announced.

"But Sara, Mom said you're coming with us," Lindsey whined. "Mom, ask Sara to stay."

"Lindsey," Sara began. "I've been called into work by my boss. We'll go get ice cream some other day, ok?"

The blatant lie was a graceful way for Sara's exit and Catherine knew it. "Lindsey, you know work is important."

"But Mom, Sara promised that once I finish my homework we could go get some ice cream," the little girl crossed her arms and pouted as she sat down on the couch.

"I'm sorry, Lindsey," the younger CSI said quietly.

Knowing she had to diffuse the tension in the air, Catherine sat down next to her daughter. "Linds, I'll personally drag Sara home with me once she's done with work, ok?"

"But Mom…" Lindsey pleaded but she knew it was to no avail. "Ok."

"Now shall we go? Sara, I'll take you to your apartment after I drop Lindsey off," Catherine told the two as she stood up from her seat.

"Ok." Seeing the look Catherine threw at her, Sara knew she had no choice but to comply.

The trio marched to the car after that without trading a word more. Conversation was flowing freely between mother and daughter but Sara stayed out.

When the car pulled up in front of a modest two-story, Lindsey mumbled a goodbye to Sara before hurrying toward her aunt. Catherine waved the duo goodbye before driving off.

"Sara?" Catherine saw the sadness in Sara's eyes and she knew she was the one to put it there.

"Yeah?" came the quiet reply.

When the car came to a stop at a red light, Catherine turned to regard her lover. Whatever she wanted to say died on her tongue when she saw the other woman.

"You were about to say something?" Sara frowned slightly when she realized Catherine made no effort to continue the conversation.

"You're angry," Catherine said as she steeled herself for the brewing argument.

Sighing, Sara peeled her gaze away from the traffic around them to look at the blonde. "I'm not."

"Sara."

"Not angry," Sara repeated. "Just a little disappointed."

"I'm sorry," Catherine's reply came automatically.

"So am I."

After a prolonged silence, Catherine decided to try to talk to Sara again. "What now?"

"You send me home, go do whatever you have to do and we'll see each other at work later," Sara answered offhandedly.

"What about us?"

"I don't know," Sara replied.

"I don't want to lose you," Catherine said quietly after another bout of silence.

But there was no reply from Sara, Catherine realized. The brunette was too engrossed in her own thoughts to realize she had failed to reply.

"Sara?" Catherine took a chance and reached over for Sara's hand. The contact surprised Sara, and Catherine felt a slight resistance as she entwined their fingers.

"Maybe we're going too fast," the brunette began. "Maybe we need to take things one day at a time instead of chasing the runaway train."

"So what should we do now?" This is uncharted territory, Catherine realized.

"Sleep on it, I guess," Sara shrugged. "I'm not exactly sure either. Harvard never had a class on troubleshooting for gay relationships."

"With the kind of price they charge for tuition and they don't have a class like that? That school is overrated," Catherine joked to lighten the mood.

Chuckling, Sara squeezed the hand in hers and brought them up to plant a kiss on the knuckles. "We'll figure it out together."

"Never expected otherwise," Catherine winked at her lover.

Chapter 14

When the car pulled up in front of Sara's apartment building, she reluctantly let go of Catherine's hand. "See you later?"

"You bet," Catherine smiled.

As she got out of the car, Sara realized that the car still was there. What surprised her more was Catherine standing next to her.

"What are you doing?" Sara did not bother to hide her surprise when she felt a hand slipped into hers.

"Can't a girl walk her girlfriend up to her apartment?" Catherine smirked.

"Well," Sara pretended to ponder on the question, though the smile on her face gave her away.

"Come on, I'm not going to stand here and wait for your answer," the blonde pulled Sara toward the building.

"Hey, Catherine, where's the fire?" Sara teased her as she unlocked the door to her apartment.

"Here," Catherine said as she pinned Sara against the wall and kissed her long and hard. Her whimpering moan was stifled by the kiss when she felt Sara's hands on her shoulders.

"Cath," Sara broke the kiss, groaning when the blonde started undressing her. "Stop."

"Too late, babe," Catherine reached for Sara's top, pouting when the other woman stepped away. "Hey!"

"Work, remember?" Sara tried to ignore what her hormones were telling her.

"Work can wait, I can't," Catherine took a step closer to Sara.

"Catherine," Sara's tone told Catherine she was in no position to argue.

"I swear to God, some day I will have you all to myself," Catherine relaxed her hold and turned to rest against the wall.

"What, five hours not enough for you?" Sara teased.

"No. I want the whole day, without any interruptions or wayward phone calls from co-workers."

"Sure you can keep up?"

"With the right kind of motivation," Catherine unconsciously licked her lips as she regarded her lover. "And you're definitely worth the exhaustion the day after."

"You better go," Sara half-pushed Catherine out of the door.

"Why?" Catherine feigned ignorance.

"Because I'm not sure I want to let you leave," Sara stated the obvious.

"There's always tomorrow," Catherine echoed Sara's earlier words. "Or one of the labs, the locker room, my office, the garage or the car."

"That's a long list."

"That's just the start of the list," Catherine placed a solid kiss on Sara's lips before she bade the woman goodbye.

As she sped toward the lab, Catherine tried to suppress the guilt that had been eating away since their snafu on the stairs. They have yet to address the issue of Lindsey and her sister not knowing about their relationship.

She knew she had to deal with it soon but she wished it wasn't this soon. Before she could give the issue further thought, Catherine spotted Brass at the parking lot. Pushing away distracting thoughts, she waved to the veteran detective.

"Hey Jim," Catherine acknowledged the man.

"Catherine, just the person I wanted to see," Brass smiled.

"That can never be good, coming from a man," the blonde joked.

"Ouch, spare the old man, will you?" Brass feigned hurt. "I want to talk to you about the Desmond case."

"Sure. What about it?"

"I've got Big Brother Desmond sobered up and sitting in the interrogation room now. Anything stand out on your end?"

"Nothing so far. He's just our run of the mill sex offender turned upstanding citizen who just happens to be accused of double homicide and attempted murder," Catherine answered dryly.

"What about the others?"

"Zip, except that the bride to be has a very expensive wedding gown from the bridal shop where Mandy is working," the blonde recalled seeing the receipt from the pile of evidence brought back from the crime scene.

"Wait, did you say bridal shop?" Brass frowned.

"Yeah," Catherine said slowly.

"Desmond was locked up for rape. Two counts of assault and one count of rape, all connected by the bridal shop."

"Holy shit," the blonde cursed under her breath. "He escalated."

"And this time, his brother got in the way," Brass mumbled. "Listen, you want in on the interrogation?"

"Nah, I'm sure you and Warrick can handle it. Although, I do have a few questions for Mandy so I'll give Conroy a call," Catherine jumped with the new information.

"You do that," the detective nodded as he walked away. "Call me if there's anything."

"Will do, Jim," Catherine waved him goodbye as she dialed the other detective's number. "Conroy, it's Willows."

"Yes, Catherine?"

"Listen, you think you can get Mandy down here in an hour? I've got a few questions for her."

"I'll see what I can do," Conroy replied.

"See you in an hour," Catherine told the detective before hanging up.

The more she examined the suspect's background, the more confused she was. Jet Desmond had no reason to kill whatsoever. He had a steady job, a peaceful life, a decent girlfriend and supportive family.

Engrossed in the pages in front of her, Catherine almost missed a call. "Willows."

"Catherine, Conroy here. I tracked down Mandy but she insisted on having Sara there as well," Conroy tried to hide the annoyance in her voice.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

Catherine could hear the hesitance in Conroy's voice. She knew they were walking a fine line by having Sara so close to the victim but she also knew they had no choice.

"I'll see if I can get hold of Sara. See you then," Catherine hung up.

Cradling the phone in her hand again, the blonde knew she had to choose. Giving her options much thought, she put down the phone and left her office. Her quickened steps mirrored the flurry of activity taking place in her mind at that moment. The chief of it was the thought of a certain brunette.

"Grissom, you got a minute?" she knocked lightly on the open door. "We need to talk."

Chapter 15

"About a case?" Grissom took off his glasses and cleaned the lenses before putting them on again.

"The Desmond case, to be specific."

"What about it?" He watched her as she tried to formulate her thoughts.

"Should Sara be this close to the case? Can she be this close?" Catherine shot a barrage of questions at him.

"By this case, you're talking about Mandy."

"Yeah, I mean, Sara is a witness in the case and Mandy's the victim," Catherine replied.

"Would we still have this conversation if Mandy was the suspect?" Grissom asked pointedly. "Would Sara's presence be thought of as coercing a confession out of a suspect then?"

"Gil, stop playing devil's advocate," the blonde said.

"I see no conflict of interest; not unless we identify her as a suspect. Until then, we should be safe."

"Ok."

"Is there a specific reason as to why you asked?" Grissom gently prodded.

"Something Brass said about the suspect got my attention. We knew he had a record, but we didn't know there was a connection," Catherine told her supervisor.

"A connection?"

"He was convicted on two counts of assault and one count of rape. All the victims were customers of a bridal shop."

"And you have more questions for Mandy because she works in a bridal shop," the man supplied.

"Exactly. The coincidence is just too fishy."

"Keep me updated," Grissom dismissed her, focusing his attention on the paperwork in front of him.

Walking toward the break room, Catherine grabbed a cup of hot coffee before she headed back to her office. She let out a sigh as she sat down on her chair and picked up the phone to call Sara.

"Hey, it's me."

"Miss me much?" Sara teased her girlfriend.

"Apparently, I'm not the only one that is missing you," Catherine barely kept her jealousy in check. "We're interviewing Mandy in half an hour and she has requested for your presence."

"Oh."

"Yeah," Catherine didn't bother to hide her dislike for the woman in her voice.

"I'll be there in 20," Sara offered.

"Thanks, Sara."

"Always a pleasure to hear your voice," the brunette playfully said.

"Sara Sidle a romantic, God help us if there's anything you're not good at," Catherine smirked. She knew the younger CSI would be blushing.

"Someone once told me, that with the right kind of motivation, they'd be able to keep up," Sara began. "So I guess I have the right kind of motivation when I'm with you."

Just as soon as those words registered, Catherine froze. "Listen, I need to go. Talk to you when you get in?"

Taken aback by the sudden change of mood, Sara had no choice but to follow the other woman's lead. "Ok, see you then."

Unsure what had caused Catherine's change in demeanor, Sara pushed away all fleeting thoughts and prepared for work.


"Hey Warrick," Brass nodded as the tall CSI made his way into the observation room. "So get this, Big Brother Desmond says he didn't kill anyone and claimed that he was framed by the PD."

"Another one of those 'them cops are out to get me,' huh?" Warrick chuckled.

"To a T," Brass gruffed in response.

"Has he been Mirandized yet?"

"Yeah, right after he sobered up and realized he was sharing a cell with Fluffy the Big Bear," the detective said. "We've got him on parole violation but not on murder."

"So let's shove the evidence down his throat and see whether he chokes on it," Warrick squinted as he opened the door to the interrogation room. "Jet Desmond?"

"Who's asking?"

"I'm Detective Jim Brass and this is Warrick Brown with the crime lab," Brass kept the sarcasm out of his voice.

"You here to frame me too?" The man sitting across from Warrick shot him a glare. "Figures, they'd get someone else to do their dirty work."

"You talk big for someone who smacks women around," the CSI delivered the calculated bait calmly.

"I'm not into that shit anymore. I cleaned up," Desmond replied, his posture ramrod straight and his expression challenging the duo.

"Yeah?" At Brass' nod, Warrick spread out the photos from the crime scene on the table. "See those? Those photos told us otherwise."

For the first time, Desmond broke eye contact and looked away. When he returned his gaze to Brass, something became evident to the detective. "You aint putting those shit on me."

"How very eloquent of you," Brass sneered.

"It aint a sin to be less educated," Desmond said loudly. "I already told you, I did nothing. Now I know my rights. I want my lawyer or I'll sue your ass for every single doughnut you've ever touched."

"Very well then. We've already got enough evidence against you to ask for the needle and believe me when I say, I'll be there to watch you die when the day comes," Brass stood in front of Desmond and said coolly.

"You're not getting off this easy. You're all nothing but a bunch of corrupted assholes!" Desmond shouted as a uniformed officer cuffed him and led him away.

"What was that all about?" Warrick asked nonchalantly as they left the interrogation room.

"You know, strange as it may sound, I think I believe him," Brass sighed. "A hunch, if you may."

"Want to share this hunch of yours?"

"His body language. More specifically, when we showed him the photos," Brass explained. "I don't think he's our murderer."

"Evidence says otherwise," Warrick countered. "In fact, all the evidence are against him."

"And you don't think that's suspicious?"

"Maybe it was Desmond way of daring the police to catch him. As though to say, 'you cops are no good.' Remember, he has a grudge against law enforcement," Warrick replied.

"Maybe," Brass frowned as he contemplated on the possibilities.

The two men parted ways, but the thought lingered in their minds long after. As Warrick passed by the break room when he arrived back at the lab, he spotted Catherine.

"Hey."

Catherine spun around so quickly she almost spilled her coffee. "Warrick, you scared me back there."

"Sorry. How's your interview with Mandy?"

"I'm still waiting for Mandy and Sara to show up," Catherine grimaced when the hot liquid hit her tongue.

"Ok. Call me if you need anything," he waved her goodbye. The shift was almost over and he needed sleep badly.

"Thanks, 'Rick."

Part 16

Return to C.S.I. Fiction

Return to Main Page