28th May 2006 - LVPD Crime Lab Break Room - 11.02pm

Sara had just finished pouring herself a cup of coffee when Grissom strode in, his face sombre. A hush stole across the break room as the CSIs noted the expression; when Grissom looked like that, it was never good.

“Sorry guys, but it looks like doubles for all of us tonight.” Grissom glanced back down at the assignment slips in his hands. “We’ve got a lot of crime scene to cover.”

Warrick looked around the room, noticing they were one person short. “Hey, wasn’t Cath supposed to be back from that conference tonight?”

Grissom nodded. “She was, but her flight from Chicago was delayed, so she missed her connection in Denver, and she’s stuck there until the next flight back, which doesn’t get in until 4am. It’s unfortunate timing, but she’ll be back tomorrow night.”

Grissom held out the first slip for Nick to take. “Nick, Sara, you have a missing persons out in Henderson. Young woman didn’t come home from work. Detective O’Riley is waiting for you.” As Nick and Sara began to gather their possessions to head out, Grissom turned to the remaining CSIs. “The rest of us have a multiple out on Sunset. Casino owner and his family found dead round the dining table, dinner left uneaten on it.”

“Damn.” Warrick muttered under his breath. “How many?” Grissom sighed.

“Five.”

Greg looked worried. “Five? We really are gonna be stretched if there’s only three of us on this.”

Grissom tilted his head slightly in acknowledgement. “I spoke to Ecklie. He said he’d try to get us some help from one of the other shifts. I’m not holding out too much hope though.”

Greg shook his head. “This really couldn’t have happened at a worse time could it? We’re short handed, and homicide have been in chaos with Brass in the hospital.”

“Well, I got a memo saying they’ve finally assigned someone as acting captain, so with a little luck that situation may have improved.” Grissom noticed Warrick looked mildly surprised. “What?”

“You actually read a memo?”

Grissom responded to that with a dry look. “Her name is Leighanne Andrews, and she’s a lieutenant from days. Rumour has it she doesn’t like to be kept waiting so we should head out.”

********************************************

North Las Vegas - 11.33pm

Greg looked in awe at the huge house they stood before. “That’s it,” he declared. “I’m in the wrong job.” He glanced at the older man beside him. “Grissom, I quit.”

Grissom replied flatly. “That’s fine Greg, but not tonight.” He paused for a beat. “We’re already short staffed.”

Grissom looked around as Greg exaggerated a sigh. Blue lights flashed all around. The front lawn was full of people. Everyone from noisy neighbours to homicide detectives; the latter busily trying to keep the reporters behind the crime scene tape. It was always the same when a personality was killed, no matter how minor their claim to fame. In Vegas it didn’t get any better than a casino owner.

“Gil Grissom?”

Grissom turned to face the woman who’d spoken. “Yes?”

“Hi, I’m Erin Donahue. This is Kim Allen. Ecklie sent us,” the redhead told him.

“You’re from days?” Grissom was amazed. One days volunteer to pull an extra shift on graveyard was rare, and here were two!

“That’s right,” Erin nodded.

“Thanks for coming,” Grissom said.

“No problem,” Erin smiled slightly.

“It’s ‘bout time y’all got here,” a slim brunette drawled as she approached them.

“Detective Andrews?” Grissom guessed.

“Y’all can just call me Leighanne. You must be Grissom. Jim’s told me a lot ‘bout you. Says you’re the best in the biz,” Leighanne told him.

“I’m sure that’s an exaggeration,” Grissom said.

“We’ll see.”

“I never thought I’d see the day they’d put a woman in charge of Homicide,” Greg piped up.

“You must be Sanders,” Leighanne said, throwing Greg a dirty look. “Jim told me all ‘bout you too.” She didn’t look amused, as she turned and headed towards the house.

“Oh yeah, she so wants me,” Greg muttered to Warrick as they followed her.

“I seriously doubt that,” Warrick shock his head, as he watched Leighanne walk away. She was extremely pretty for a homicide detective; she was also a lot more feminine than most women in the department. Warrick couldn’t help but be attracted to her, despite himself.

Dragging his mind back to the crime scene they were about to process, Warrick followed the others as they made their way into the large Victorian style mansion. They all stopped inside the large foyer, which Warrick noted could easily contain his whole apartment.

“Brace you’selves,” Leighanne drawled.

“That bad?” Erin asked with some trepidation.

“Think of the worst case we ever worked together.” Leighanne told her, pausing as Erin pondered for an instant. “Now multiply it by one hundred, and you won’t even get close to this.”

“Do we have IDs for everyone?” Grissom asked her.

Leighanne flipped open her notebook and looked down. “Arthur Chamberlain, his wife Louise. Arthur’s children, Ashleigh and Thomas. There’s also Ashleigh’s husband Nathan Marcus.”

“Who found them?” Greg asked.

“Friend of the family,” Leighanne answered, looking down at her notes again. “She says she arrived at around ten; Arthur had called her yesterday, asking her to come over for a small party. Friend arrived and found the door wide open. She searched the house for them and found them in the dining room. Screamed and ran next door to the neighbours where she called the police. Officer Metcalf arrived at half ten, he took one look at the bodies and called me. I arrived with Vartann and Sofia around fifteen minutes later, and we called you guys down here.”

“Anything else we need to know?” Kim finally spoke.

“No, Al and David are in there just now. They’re waiting for you.”

Steeling themselves, the group entered the Chamberlain dining room. Blood pools were spreading on the floor, and the walls were pocked with bullet holes. David was crouched over a body on the floor, while Doc Robbins inspected another at the table. Both looked up as Leighanne entered with the CSIs.

“Hey,” David began, a sombre expression on his face as he pulled a thermometer from the body he was examining. “Ninety-three degrees. T.O.D’s about three and a half hours ago.” As he spoke, the CSIs spread around the room, familiarising themselves with the scene.

“That’d make it around eight,” Grissom noted, looking at his watch. “That would fit with them eating dinner I guess.”

Greg nodded thoughtfully. “It looks like they knew their killer,” he proposed.

“What makes you say that?” Warrick asked.

“Well, there are six plates of food on the table, but only five bodies,” Greg said matter-of-factly, pointing to an empty chair at the food laden table.

“I don’t think so,” Al inserted, shaking his head. “If the killer was at the table these shots would be close range and they’re not. I’d say the shooter probably stood about where Detective Andrews is.”

“Someone else was in this room then. Possible witness maybe?” Kim glanced at Grissom enquiringly.

He nodded. “Or an accomplice.”

Erin, who had been examining some bullet holes in the wall, suddenly looked up. “Did you hear that?”

“Hear what? I didn’t hear anything,” Greg said, looking at Erin as if she were nuts.

“I could have sworn I heard something,” she muttered, moving towards the table. “Excuse me Doc.”

Doc Robbins moved aside as Erin knelt in front of the table. Reaching out she grabbed the table cloth and slowly pulled it up.

“We need an ambulance!”

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Chapters: 1  2