Science Department: Mid-Morning
Standing in the Forensics classroom of the Science Wing, Grissom looked down at the results from the tests he had run with a sinking feeling in his gut. This was certainly not what he had expected, either way.
He fumbled to take off his gloves and call Veronica, knowing that she would want the results right away, leaving her a message that he would be waiting in the lab. He sat down to type a more official report, the sound of the keyboard the only noise other than the occasional soft whirl of the equipment's fans.
Veronica got Dr. Grissom's message after ACJ and immediately headed to the lab.
"What did you find?" she asked.
"It's slightly more complicated that we anticipated," he said bluntly. "I did find Allie's DNA on the atheme, and I can prove through other evidence that it was used in her attack definitively. I also found blood that, after analyzing the splatter patterns, I am quite sure belongs to her attacker."
Grissom gave Veronica a funny look then, as if trying to figure out what to say.
"And?" Veronica prompted. "Did it match the sample I gave you from Bel?"
"In a manner of speaking," he hedged.
"The DNA I pulled from the atheme shares several markers in common with the blood sample you took from Bel. And it's female blood. Veronica, Bel didn't attack Allie. But someone he's closely related to did. His daughter, his sister, or his mother."
Veronica took a moment to process that. "Well, I'm pretty sure that Bel isn't old enough to have a daughter old enough to do something like that," she said. "Which leaves either sister or mother. I haven't researched his family tree, so I guess it could be either."
"I could tell you for certain, if I had a sample to compare these results to, or if he doesn't have a sister..." Grissom shifted, and grabbed a copy of the report that had finished printing.
"This is for you to bring to the station. My contact information is on it, but they'll recognize it as official, so you shouldn't have any problems." Grissom then also handed her a folder he had prepared with copies of the photographs and other documentation and charts.
"Thank you for this," Veronica said, taking the folder and stuffing it in her messenger bag. "I'm assuming you'll keep this to yourself for the time being?" she added.
"That would be a logical assumption. You're going to see him today, I presume?"
Veronica hesitated. "I'm going to take this to the sheriff," she said. "Hopefully this information coupled with the fact that I can provide him with an alibi for the time of the attack will convince her to release him."
"You can provide Bel with an alibi?"
There was much mental facepalming. "Yes," Veronica admitted with a sigh. "That's how I knew he was innocent."
Grissom looked at her for a long and silent moment.
"Veronica." He shook his head a little. "We don't have time for this conversation right now, but we will have it at a later date. Why didn't you report this at the time of his arrest? What exactly were you two doing at the time?"
"I can't tell you," Veronica said, studying the floor intently.
"Because you'd be embarrassed, or because you're engaged in activities that I'd be legally required to report?"
"Because it's a personal matter that I'm not comfortable sharing," she replied.
"Your friend was wrongfully accused of a vicious assault and you refuse to discuss your alibi because of a personal matter?" Grissom sighed. "You're going to have to come up with something better than that."
Grissom's tone would be patronizing if it wasn't so dark and serious. "Listen, walking around with this evidence, coupled with whatever else you have going on that I am unaware of, is unbelievably reckless, even for you. Someone from Bel's family, with those... abilities, wants him incarcerated for this. You need to be careful. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"
"First off, Bel and I aren't friends and no one would mistake us as such. You're the only person who knows, so I'm not worried." Yes, Veronica's tone was a little snappish, but dammit she was tired of people thinking she couldn't take care of herself. "Second, it wouldn't be the first time someone wanted me dead. I know what precautions to take. I'm not planning to be a victim again."
Veronica struck too familiar a chord in Grissom, and his face immediately was blanketed in a mask of indifference. "See that you do take those precautions. Did you need anything else?"
"No. hopefully this will be enough," she said, her tone apologetic. She liked Dr. Grissom and she felt bad about snapping at him. But between Angel last night and this, she had had enough. "I'll see you in class tomorrow."
He nodded. "I look forward to it," he said quietly, trying to give her a small sign of trust, even if he was extremely concerned for her wellbeing.
"And if you need anything else, Veronica, you know how to find me," he not so subtly added, alluding to the rest of her situation he was still in the dark about. "And for what it's worth... give Bel my apologies."
Veronica gave him a small smile. "I will," she said before turning to leave.
[ooc: pre-played via email. no ic interaction possible. ooc comments welcome. The fact that V & Gris met is okay for broadcast; the content of the convo, not so much.]
He fumbled to take off his gloves and call Veronica, knowing that she would want the results right away, leaving her a message that he would be waiting in the lab. He sat down to type a more official report, the sound of the keyboard the only noise other than the occasional soft whirl of the equipment's fans.
Veronica got Dr. Grissom's message after ACJ and immediately headed to the lab.
"What did you find?" she asked.
"It's slightly more complicated that we anticipated," he said bluntly. "I did find Allie's DNA on the atheme, and I can prove through other evidence that it was used in her attack definitively. I also found blood that, after analyzing the splatter patterns, I am quite sure belongs to her attacker."
Grissom gave Veronica a funny look then, as if trying to figure out what to say.
"And?" Veronica prompted. "Did it match the sample I gave you from Bel?"
"In a manner of speaking," he hedged.
"The DNA I pulled from the atheme shares several markers in common with the blood sample you took from Bel. And it's female blood. Veronica, Bel didn't attack Allie. But someone he's closely related to did. His daughter, his sister, or his mother."
Veronica took a moment to process that. "Well, I'm pretty sure that Bel isn't old enough to have a daughter old enough to do something like that," she said. "Which leaves either sister or mother. I haven't researched his family tree, so I guess it could be either."
"I could tell you for certain, if I had a sample to compare these results to, or if he doesn't have a sister..." Grissom shifted, and grabbed a copy of the report that had finished printing.
"This is for you to bring to the station. My contact information is on it, but they'll recognize it as official, so you shouldn't have any problems." Grissom then also handed her a folder he had prepared with copies of the photographs and other documentation and charts.
"Thank you for this," Veronica said, taking the folder and stuffing it in her messenger bag. "I'm assuming you'll keep this to yourself for the time being?" she added.
"That would be a logical assumption. You're going to see him today, I presume?"
Veronica hesitated. "I'm going to take this to the sheriff," she said. "Hopefully this information coupled with the fact that I can provide him with an alibi for the time of the attack will convince her to release him."
"You can provide Bel with an alibi?"
There was much mental facepalming. "Yes," Veronica admitted with a sigh. "That's how I knew he was innocent."
Grissom looked at her for a long and silent moment.
"Veronica." He shook his head a little. "We don't have time for this conversation right now, but we will have it at a later date. Why didn't you report this at the time of his arrest? What exactly were you two doing at the time?"
"I can't tell you," Veronica said, studying the floor intently.
"Because you'd be embarrassed, or because you're engaged in activities that I'd be legally required to report?"
"Because it's a personal matter that I'm not comfortable sharing," she replied.
"Your friend was wrongfully accused of a vicious assault and you refuse to discuss your alibi because of a personal matter?" Grissom sighed. "You're going to have to come up with something better than that."
Grissom's tone would be patronizing if it wasn't so dark and serious. "Listen, walking around with this evidence, coupled with whatever else you have going on that I am unaware of, is unbelievably reckless, even for you. Someone from Bel's family, with those... abilities, wants him incarcerated for this. You need to be careful. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"
"First off, Bel and I aren't friends and no one would mistake us as such. You're the only person who knows, so I'm not worried." Yes, Veronica's tone was a little snappish, but dammit she was tired of people thinking she couldn't take care of herself. "Second, it wouldn't be the first time someone wanted me dead. I know what precautions to take. I'm not planning to be a victim again."
Veronica struck too familiar a chord in Grissom, and his face immediately was blanketed in a mask of indifference. "See that you do take those precautions. Did you need anything else?"
"No. hopefully this will be enough," she said, her tone apologetic. She liked Dr. Grissom and she felt bad about snapping at him. But between Angel last night and this, she had had enough. "I'll see you in class tomorrow."
He nodded. "I look forward to it," he said quietly, trying to give her a small sign of trust, even if he was extremely concerned for her wellbeing.
"And if you need anything else, Veronica, you know how to find me," he not so subtly added, alluding to the rest of her situation he was still in the dark about. "And for what it's worth... give Bel my apologies."
Veronica gave him a small smile. "I will," she said before turning to leave.
[ooc: pre-played via email. no ic interaction possible. ooc comments welcome. The fact that V & Gris met is okay for broadcast; the content of the convo, not so much.]