Fic: Battlefield (8/11)
Title: Battlefield
Chapter: 8/11
Author: Jedi Princess Clarrisani
Beta: Stalker of Shadows
Additional Helpers:
galuxkittyand
puppytraining
Fandom: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Pairing(s): Nick/Greg, Grissom/Sara, Warrick/Tina, wishful Catherine/Warrick
Rating: NC-17
Total Word Count: 25, 184
Tag: The storm’s been brewing for some time now.
Summary: With a serial killer on the loose and Greg’s job on the line, Nick finds himself caught up on several battlefields - professional, personal, external and internal…
Disclaimer: Do not own. If I did, you would have found several shots of Nick and Greg in the background creeping out of the supply room after their long bouts of absence…
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“Awwww.”
Nick jerked awake, eyes darting open to find Warrick standing over them, a half grin/half smirk on his lips. Warrick laughed, green eyes sparkling as he winked. “You guys are so cute.”
Nick felt Greg move against him, a pillow disappearing from behind his head. Nick laughed as Greg launched the cushion at their friend, Warrick not fast enough to avoid catching it full in the face. Greg muttered to himself before burying his head into Nick’s shoulder, Nick reaching up to playfully ruffle Greg’s hair, earning himself a jab in the side.
Nick looked up at Warrick, smiling. “Told you he wasn’t an early riser.”
“By our standards.” Warrick laughed at Greg’s muffled “fuck you”. “Almost time for work.”
Nick untangled his arm from around his boyfriend, glancing at the time. “Should have our test results this shift.”
“Depends.” Greg pushed himself up on one elbow. “How much was Hodges kissing your arse yesterday?”
Nick frowned. “A lot. Why?”
“We’ll have our results before we walk in the door. He’s probably waiting in the carpark for you.”
Warrick laughed. “Wouldn’t put it passed him.” He looked at Greg. “How you feeling, Greggo?”
“Better.” Greg eased himself up, allowing Nick to sit. “You put the coffee on?”
“You house, your coffee. Figured I’d just let you do it.”
Nick laughed as Greg threw a second cushion at the taller, Warrick blocking this one. Nick and Greg eased themselves up, the three falling into a ‘morning’ routine. Greg made a start on ‘breakfast’, while Nick and Warrick headed out to their SUVs for a change in clothes.
As they ate they discussed Warrick’s situation, both Greg and Nick offering to help Warrick grab anything he needed from his place. Warrick told them of his plans to sell his place - something he’d been thinking of since before his marriage, and now he really wanted to as a way of distancing himself further from his marriage life.
Greg hitched a ride to work with Nick, Warrick only taking his own car in case something came up. They entered the lab together, attracting some looks from the other personnel. As predicted, Hodges ducked out of his lab as they approached.
“Handkerchiefs and tea towels all proved positive to traces of chloroform,” he said. “And the piece of fibre you found,” he turned his attention fully on Nick. “Cotton, most likely from women’s clothing. In particular, a blouse or dress.”
“Thank you, Hodges.” Nick took the sheet from him. “Appreciate it.”
“You need anything else, just drop it in. Your case has top priority.”
Warrick glanced at Nick as Hodges moved away. “He definitely has a thing for you, bro.”
“He’s just kissing arse.” Nick shook his head, flashing a smile at Greg. “I’m taken, anyway.”
They stopped by Wendy next to again find their results waiting and to be told that their case was top priority. And again, evidence of a woman.
“DNA on the handkerchiefs and tea towel were each of your vics, excluding Georgalas. And there was a second donor. Same person touched all the items.” She handed Greg the sheet. “XX. Unknown.”
“Thanks Wendy.” Greg looked up. “Jacqui give you the car keys?”
“She did. Results should be back any moment.”
They moved on to Jacqui, the older woman pointing an accusing finger at Greg as they entered her lab. “You have been avoiding me.”
Greg made a ‘Who? Me?’ face. “No I’m not.”
“You’ve been avoiding me all week. You, Archie and Bobby.” Jacqui crossed her arms over her chest, eyeing him. “You’ve charted my cycle into the schedule on your phone, haven’t you.”
“I wouldn’t do that.”
“Oh yes you would.” Jacqui picked up a manila folder, holding onto it and glaring at him. “I’m not giving you your results until you own up.”
Greg rolled his eyes. “Fine. I have.”
“And…”
Greg glared at her. “I gave Archie, Bobby and David H a copy.”
Jacqui smacked him hard on the side of the head with the folder before handing it to Warrick, turning her back on where Greg was rubbing his injury. “Two prints on the keys. One came back unknown. The other came back Geoffrey Carpenter.”
Nick looked up sharply from where he was leaning over Warrick’s shoulder. “Carpenter?”
“You heard me.” Jacqui tapped the computer screen. “I checked his history. No prior convictions, but he’s on the database after he was arrested in ’89 on suspicion of drug possession. He was cleared, though.”
“Any relation to Toni Carpenter?” Warrick asked.
Jacqui nodded. “Geoffrey is Toni’s father. It’s all in the file.”
“Thanks Jacqui.” Nick moved back toward the door, gesturing for Greg and Warrick to follow. He smiled as he saw Wendy heading their way. “Got the results?”
“Same unknown female, and a Geoffrey Carpenter.”
“Father both places,” Warrick said softly.
“Family affair?” Greg said, still holding his head and shooting a glare back at the print lab. “Unknown female might be the mother.”
“Possible,” Warrick admitted.
“We need to go over all the evidence,” Nick said, nodding his thanks to Wendy as he headed in the direction of the break room. “Need to track down the car, too.”
“Maybe Brass can help,” Greg said, gesturing ahead. “Looks like he’s waiting for us.”
Brass turned to face them as they entered the break room, the captain blowing on his coffee to cool it before taking a sip. His eyes never left them as they dropped their results on the table, Brass dropping into a seat.
“Have anything?”
Nick glanced at him. “Evidence to say Geoffrey Carpenter might be involved. And an unknown female, possibly his wife.”
“Marnie.” He shrugged at their questioning looks. “Did a background check on the family.”
“The background check include what vehicles they drive?” Warrick asked.
“I checked to see if any of them own the BMW to go with our keys, if that’s what you mean.” Brass put down his coffee, retrieving some papers from his inside jacket pocket, dropping one onto the table. “Geoffrey and Marnie own a silver 2005 5 Series BMW. Sold it two days ago to a used car dealer. We’re having it brought it.”
Warrick glanced at Greg. “Guess I know what we’re doing this shift.”
Greg smiled.
“Any word on the Carpenters’, Jim?” Nick asked.
“Nothing. Have the whole PD out looking for them, though.” Brass scowled. “Not to mention the Mayor on my arse. Three days until the event and he wants it sorted by then.”
Nick saw Greg frown thoughtfully and turned toward him. “What’s up, G?”
“The unknown female sample.” Greg nodded back toward the evidence locker. “When we searched the Carpenter’s house I grabbed some hair brushes.”
“Good move.” Warrick grinned, leaning back. “We’ll get Wendy to compare DNA from Marnie’s brush to the unknown female.”
Brass set down some more papers. “Phone records from the last three weeks, and a list of all their real estate.”
Nick frowned. “You check the real estate?”
“No one home. Including at the small house at Lake Mead.”
Nick looked up sharply. “Boat house?”
Brass nodded. “Still waiting for the warrant.”
“Now there’s a lead.” Warrick looked at Brass and raised an eyebrow. “How long until you can get a warrant?”
Brass sighed. “Boat house is in Marnie’s name.”
“Need her DNA,” Greg said. “Tie her to the scene…”
“…get our warrant,” Nick finished.
“Considering the Mayor’s involved, I’m surprised it’s so hard,” Greg said.
“Welcome to politics.” Brass shook his head. “Marnie Carpenter used to be Marnie Keats. Her old man was up there with Sam Braun.”
Nick frowned. “The Carpenter’s don’t have that much money.”
“Father didn’t approve of the marriage. Cut them off.” Brass leaned back in his seat, sipping from his coffee. “Not enough to stop red tape, mind you. Need to have solid evidence that Marnie is connected to go within 100 feet of the boat house.”
“Great.” Nick sighed, rubbing his eyes. “So we’ve got to hope the DNA does match.”
“In the meantime, you can search the car.” Brass glanced at his watch. “Should be here soon.”
* * * *
When the team had been split up with Greg on Graveyard and Nick and Warrick on swing, Greg had primarily become Sara’s apprentice. And, out of the whole team, Sara loved processing cars the most - something she had taught Greg to do well. It was without question, then, that once Greg delivered the hair brushes to Wendy, he was put in charge of processing the BMW.
Nick had set himself in the seat by the work bench so he could keep one eye on the search and the other on the records Brass had given them, Nick glancing up from time to time as Greg and Warrick worked the car. Nick frowned as he highlighted another call, tapping the other end of the pen against his teeth.
“Toni definitely called each of our vics before they were murdered. And all the calls came from his house, not his cell.”
“Keeps the family in the equation,” Warrick said, using a cotton swab and phenolphthalein to test the carpeting. “Negative for blood.”
“Could be the vics were killed at Lake Mead,” Greg suggested. “Car’s clean. I think the detailer got to it before we did.”
“Wouldn’t put it passed them to have had it detailed before they left it at the dealers.” Nick sighed, setting down his pen. “It’s going to come down to the DNA.”
“If we get nothing, we’re screwed.” Warrick sighed, straightening and pulling off his gloves. “What I want to know is why they sold the car.”
“Or better yet: where are they.” Greg narrowed his eyes. “This close to the big race, they should be around.”
“You can guarantee they’ll be at the race.” Warrick moved to lean over Nick, looking down at the call records. “No possible new vics?”
“Nope. No calls after Marsden.”
“Could be they’re calling from somewhere else,” Greg pointed out.
“That’s very possible.” Nick frowned, glancing at the BMW. “Another question is where they got the car.”
“Maybe daddy dearest didn’t cut the daughter off after all,” Greg suggested.
“Nick.” They looked up to find Grissom standing in the doorway, the man beckoning with one finger. “I want to see you in my office.”
Warrick frowned as their supervisor vanished into the corridor. “What’d you do?”
“Nothing that I’m aware of.” Nick frowned, confused over the summons as he set his things down. “Finish searching the car. Be back in a minute.”
TBC...
So... anyone want to take a guess who the murderer is yet? Feel free to start tossing theories around.