CSI:LV Fic: Optimum Potential - Ch.8/20
Title: Optimum Potential
Chapter: 8/20
Author: caffeinified
Fandom: CSI: Las Vegas
Characters/Pairing: Gil Grissom, Team
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own CSI. It's just for fun.
Summary: Casefile: Mira O’Hara. Warning for adult themes in case details.
Previous Chapters: 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| 6| 7
There was barely a moment for Gil to breathe, to calm down or to get his bearings. The meeting with John Ghetti had him on edge and he tried never to go into the interrogation part of an investigation on edge. Although everything about the exterior seemed to project a calm and collected demeanor, on the inside he was the exact opposite. Against his better judgment, he pressed forward if just for the simple fact that he couldn’t suddenly excuse himself. The second half of this interrogation was just as important as the first if not more important.
Across the hallway from John Ghetti’s office was the office of his partner in the law firm, Kent Thomason. They had just left a flustered and somewhat disheartened Mr. Ghetti to speak with the other man. Jim had barely lifted his hand to knock on the door when it opened sans knock and Ghetti’s partner, Kent Thomason stood on the other side.
“Gentlemen, you have this entire office in a buzz. Come in.” Kent stepped aside to allow everyone entrance to his office. He shut the door behind them and walked towards his desk. “Now I know that John has an unpaid parking ticket but I brought it to his attention last week and he promised to pay it as soon as possible.”
“You think we’re here because of an unpaid parking ticket?” Jim asked, one eyebrow arching skeptically.
“No, no I don’t. That was a joke. Sorry, bad timing I guess.” Kent moved to his desk to sit back on the front of it with his hands shoved in his pockets. “How can I help you?”
“Mr. Thomason, I’m Detective Jim Brass LVPD and this is Gil Grissom with the Crime Lab. We have a few questions about your partner, Mr. Ghetti.” Jim explained.
“Crime Lab? What, did someone die?”
The callousness of the question rubbed Gil the wrong way. He was already strung out and he was quickly becoming more so. “A little girl is dead, yes. Mira O’Hara.”
The lawyer instantly seemed to sober up, suddenly very attentive. “Wait. John’s daughter? She’s in the Hamptons with her mother.”
Reaching into the manila folder he carried, Gil withdrew the same photograph he had displayed for Mr. Ghetti and held it up. He didn’t really need words to get his point across, so he remained silent. Jim, on the other hand, got his normal jab of words in. “Guess what, not in the Hamptons.”
Kent studied the photograph for a long moment and then shook his head. He drew a deep breath and looked thoroughly bothered by the picture. “This can’t be. You told John?”
“We told Mr. Ghetti. And he confessed that his wife, Michelle left with Mira three years ago.” Gil explained. “Did you ever meet Michelle?”
“Oh yeah… on several occasions. I guessed that I hadn’t seen her in awhile because she had been busy. John always has an excuse for where they are or why she and Mira can’t come to holiday parties or any function, really. I never imagined that they…” Kent paused, pressing his lips together before he shook his head. “Well I can’t say that without it being a lie.”
“What do you mean? Can’t say what?” Jim asked.
“Well… John’s a stickler for perfection. He likes order. He likes to be in control and Michelle was always giving him problems with that. She was kind of a free spirit. They clashed a lot, both publicly and in private.” Kent’s eyes narrowed. “Is Michelle dead too?”
“We have no way to confirm that.” Gil answered. “How did you know that they clashed? What did you see?”
“Look, John’s my friend. He has been for years. He never meant to hurt anyone.” Kent protested, crossing his arms over his chest.
Jim sighed. “Answer the question, Mr. Thomason.”
Still somewhat hesitant, Kent seemed to cringe almost around the words. “He hit her a few times. Sometimes you could see the bruises and sometimes you couldn’t. They were never good for each other but… you know, it’s like the whole moth to the flame thing. I guess Michelle finally decided that she needed out. And something happened to Mira.”
“A lot of something’s happened to Mira.” Gil corrected. “The autopsy showed she had been abused for years. Do you think Michelle was capable of that? Or John?”
Kent paused, almost stunned before he looked down to the floor. “Michelle would never have hurt Mira.” And then realizing that he had just incriminated his friend, he pushed away from the desk to open the door. “And I think we’re done here.”
“We may need to speak again, Mr. Thomason so stick close to Vegas.” Jim reached into his pocket and handed Kent a card. “And if you feel like talking about it more, if you remember anything… give me a call.”
**
Everyone present in both interrogations knew that something didn’t sit right with both Kent Thomason or John Ghetti. So far there was no evidence that could put either man in the hot seat at the police station. “I think they’re both hiding something.”
“Nah, you think?” Jim countered sarcastically. “I think you’re right. I also think we need in the Ghetti home. We need a reason to get that bastard in here.”
“If he beat his wife statistics say that his relationship with the child wasn’t peaceful either.” Gil shrugged, pouring himself some coffee in the break room back at the lab.
“Spousal abuse turned child abuse?”
Gil poured a styrophoam cup of coffee for Jim also. “Elliott Larson said that anger always comes from frustrated expectations. Maybe the controlling father became tired of that that he couldn’t control.”
Chapter: 8/20
Author: caffeinified
Fandom: CSI: Las Vegas
Characters/Pairing: Gil Grissom, Team
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own CSI. It's just for fun.
Summary: Casefile: Mira O’Hara. Warning for adult themes in case details.
Previous Chapters: 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| 6| 7
There was barely a moment for Gil to breathe, to calm down or to get his bearings. The meeting with John Ghetti had him on edge and he tried never to go into the interrogation part of an investigation on edge. Although everything about the exterior seemed to project a calm and collected demeanor, on the inside he was the exact opposite. Against his better judgment, he pressed forward if just for the simple fact that he couldn’t suddenly excuse himself. The second half of this interrogation was just as important as the first if not more important.
Across the hallway from John Ghetti’s office was the office of his partner in the law firm, Kent Thomason. They had just left a flustered and somewhat disheartened Mr. Ghetti to speak with the other man. Jim had barely lifted his hand to knock on the door when it opened sans knock and Ghetti’s partner, Kent Thomason stood on the other side.
“Gentlemen, you have this entire office in a buzz. Come in.” Kent stepped aside to allow everyone entrance to his office. He shut the door behind them and walked towards his desk. “Now I know that John has an unpaid parking ticket but I brought it to his attention last week and he promised to pay it as soon as possible.”
“You think we’re here because of an unpaid parking ticket?” Jim asked, one eyebrow arching skeptically.
“No, no I don’t. That was a joke. Sorry, bad timing I guess.” Kent moved to his desk to sit back on the front of it with his hands shoved in his pockets. “How can I help you?”
“Mr. Thomason, I’m Detective Jim Brass LVPD and this is Gil Grissom with the Crime Lab. We have a few questions about your partner, Mr. Ghetti.” Jim explained.
“Crime Lab? What, did someone die?”
The callousness of the question rubbed Gil the wrong way. He was already strung out and he was quickly becoming more so. “A little girl is dead, yes. Mira O’Hara.”
The lawyer instantly seemed to sober up, suddenly very attentive. “Wait. John’s daughter? She’s in the Hamptons with her mother.”
Reaching into the manila folder he carried, Gil withdrew the same photograph he had displayed for Mr. Ghetti and held it up. He didn’t really need words to get his point across, so he remained silent. Jim, on the other hand, got his normal jab of words in. “Guess what, not in the Hamptons.”
Kent studied the photograph for a long moment and then shook his head. He drew a deep breath and looked thoroughly bothered by the picture. “This can’t be. You told John?”
“We told Mr. Ghetti. And he confessed that his wife, Michelle left with Mira three years ago.” Gil explained. “Did you ever meet Michelle?”
“Oh yeah… on several occasions. I guessed that I hadn’t seen her in awhile because she had been busy. John always has an excuse for where they are or why she and Mira can’t come to holiday parties or any function, really. I never imagined that they…” Kent paused, pressing his lips together before he shook his head. “Well I can’t say that without it being a lie.”
“What do you mean? Can’t say what?” Jim asked.
“Well… John’s a stickler for perfection. He likes order. He likes to be in control and Michelle was always giving him problems with that. She was kind of a free spirit. They clashed a lot, both publicly and in private.” Kent’s eyes narrowed. “Is Michelle dead too?”
“We have no way to confirm that.” Gil answered. “How did you know that they clashed? What did you see?”
“Look, John’s my friend. He has been for years. He never meant to hurt anyone.” Kent protested, crossing his arms over his chest.
Jim sighed. “Answer the question, Mr. Thomason.”
Still somewhat hesitant, Kent seemed to cringe almost around the words. “He hit her a few times. Sometimes you could see the bruises and sometimes you couldn’t. They were never good for each other but… you know, it’s like the whole moth to the flame thing. I guess Michelle finally decided that she needed out. And something happened to Mira.”
“A lot of something’s happened to Mira.” Gil corrected. “The autopsy showed she had been abused for years. Do you think Michelle was capable of that? Or John?”
Kent paused, almost stunned before he looked down to the floor. “Michelle would never have hurt Mira.” And then realizing that he had just incriminated his friend, he pushed away from the desk to open the door. “And I think we’re done here.”
“We may need to speak again, Mr. Thomason so stick close to Vegas.” Jim reached into his pocket and handed Kent a card. “And if you feel like talking about it more, if you remember anything… give me a call.”
**
Everyone present in both interrogations knew that something didn’t sit right with both Kent Thomason or John Ghetti. So far there was no evidence that could put either man in the hot seat at the police station. “I think they’re both hiding something.”
“Nah, you think?” Jim countered sarcastically. “I think you’re right. I also think we need in the Ghetti home. We need a reason to get that bastard in here.”
“If he beat his wife statistics say that his relationship with the child wasn’t peaceful either.” Gil shrugged, pouring himself some coffee in the break room back at the lab.
“Spousal abuse turned child abuse?”
Gil poured a styrophoam cup of coffee for Jim also. “Elliott Larson said that anger always comes from frustrated expectations. Maybe the controlling father became tired of that that he couldn’t control.”