FF: Phantasm: Part 4
Disclaimer: See prologue.
Part IIII: - Delicate.
I'm woke up by soft kisses to my lips, I stir, to see Sara smiling at me. I sleepily smile at her, "Hey."
Sara smiles, "Afternoon beautiful." She whispers as a greeting. She settles next to me, "You OK?"
I snuggle up to her, "Better now."
Sara laughs then kisses me softly. "Good." She smiles, "Grissom called, he and Warrick found a suspect in your case, and Nick tells me that there's a suspect in mine."
I groan, "You really did have to bring up work didn't you?" I ask pouting.
"That's what I do babe." She teases me, "Looks like we're PD bound." She comments softly.
"Well, after something to eat and a quick cuddle." I tell her, "No sooner."
That gets me a smile, "As you wish Catherine." She tells me, "I'm down with that." She adds.
"Good."
***
Sara accompanies me to PD, she's meeting Nick at PD. We've got a suspect in holding, just waiting for a CSI to interview him, and lucky me I drew the short straw. We're walking down the corridor.
Then it happens.
"Debbie!"
I put myself in front of Sara. Then out of nowhere. A fist is in my face, and all Hell breaks loose.
I see Sara slam the guy into the wall, "You piece of shit." She hisses, "You've just dug yourself into more shit."
I put my hand on her shoulder, "Sara, let them deal with him."
She turns to me. Something about her eyes makes me pause. She calls to the officers, "Take him to the cells for a while. He's just added assault of a law enforcement officer to his list."
I watch them as they hustle him out. He's not bad looking. But something about him makes my skin crawl. I don't get that feeling often but this one does. Sara leads me into the nearest interrogation room. I don't know how she managed to get me here. And there's a kit as well.
Sara gets my attention, "Catherine, I'm going to swab you OK?" She asks me.
I look at her, then she moves a swab over my cheek where the blow hit. She frowns, as she tucks it back in the container, "I'll run this over to Greg and tell him to process it ASAP."
I catch her arm. "Sara?"
She stops, then turns back to me. I kiss her softly. She takes a few seconds to kiss me back. I kiss her softly, but she's not having that, she kisses me with more pressure. I gently pull away, put my hands on her shoulders, holding her back as she tries to lean in for another kiss, "Go. I'm going to fry that bastard's ass."
Sara looks worried, "Catherine -"
"Don't worry, just give me something to nail that bastard's balls to the nearest wall." I tell her softly.
Sara smiles, then nods, "Yes ma'am."
Brass wanders up to me, "Are you OK Catherine?"
I wave off his concern, "What's his deal?"
"That is our main suspect Richard Ingles." Brass tells me, "Grissom and Warrick brought him earlier, DNA hit. They also found his 'cutting kit'. Turns out this guy's a private reconstructive genius."
"No sign of the body parts?" I ask.
"None."
I smirk, "Well we've got some fun to be had then." I reply.
***
"What's the deal?" The lawyer asks me as me and Brass walk in. "My client was forcible arrested, he was also -."
"Your client is a suspect in a murder case, he also decided that he would assault a member of law enforcement." Brass tells. I hold a file in front of me, including the new DNA evidence that Sara gathered for me.
The lawyer shuts up. I sit down then turn my attention to Richard. "Do you know a Debbie Marlin?" I ask.
"I do." He replies. "We're old friends. Ex lovers actually."
"Do you know a Michael Clarke?" I ask. Brass is quiet.
"Debbie's boyfriend." He says, "I've seen her with him. She told me about him."
"Would you have tried to get between her and Michael Clarke?" I ask.
That gets me a look, "No." Richard says, "Michael was good for Debbie." He notes almost paternally. "He was better than the others. They just used her."
"Used her how?" I ask.
He gives me a look. Then waves his hand. "They got what they wanted then left her." He says, "Michael didn't, he was good for her."
I look at him, "Good? So you're the font of all knowledge then?" I cut him off before can object, "You're just as bad as them."
"I am not." Richard leans towards me. "You can't touch what I had with Debbie."
"Really?" I ask.
"You think that I got what I wanted and then left. We met when I was working at a reconstructive surgery."
I look at him, then sit back, "Of course. She was just some hard working nurse. And you were a dashing plastic surgeon." I look at him, "Bet it pissed you off when you found that you were just a notch on her bed post and believe you me there was a lot of them."
I see Richard's jaw tense, "They killed Debbie, I love her."
"How can you love a phantasm?" I ask him, "I mean Debbie played you. Like she played all the rest." I tell him.
"No!"
I look at him. "Did she show you her tattoo?" I ask him, "Bet you couldn't wait to jump her bones."
Richard shakes his head, "No. We were...more than that." He looks at me, "We were more."
"More than what? Bed partners?" I ask.
Richard runs his fingers through his hair, "We were engaged." He says, "But she left me." He says.
"So what you tracked her down to Vegas?" I look at him, "Bet it pissed you off to see her like that."
"That wasn't Debbie." He straightens.
I laugh, then lean closer, "You just admitted it. It wasn't her. You let her go. And she ran. She left you. Now you're sitting here. Like some little boy lost." I pause. "You were just as bad as they were. You're throwing a fit. You lost her."
Richard slams his fists on the table, "No! You don't know a thing. You're just some..." He looks at me, "Cop." He spits the word out.
"I'm a CSI, there's a difference. But I know human nature." I reply, "It ate you inside out."
Richard slumps back. "I mean, you let her go. And you regretted it. And you wanted to do everything in your power to get her back. You tried to find her. But you found someone else. Not the woman you loved. So you stew in your own juices watching and waiting for your big chance to come to her rescue, but you're too late."
"They just used her." Richard shakes his head.
"And you didn't?" I ask him, "You think you're better than they were." I tell him, "You were just as bad. May be even worse. She loved you didn't she?"
Richard nodded, "I jilted her."
"That makes you as bad as them. You were so egoistical, that you thought that you'd get her in the end. It didn't work out like. You found that she was the belle of the ball, and there was no way in hell that you were getting anywhere near her. But when she was gone, your twisted sense of honour asserted itself. You wanted revenge for her. It wasn't about Debbie. This was your own revenge, your own jealousy."
"He...killed her." Richard whispers, "And you didn't do a damn thing!"
"Who?" I play dumb.
"Vincent Lurie!" Richard bursts out. "He said he killed her."
"We never found Debbie's killer." I reply. "So how do you know?"
"That's enough." The lawyer finally decides to make his presence known but it's too late. Richard's on a roll and he's not going to stop.
"He told me. Trying to save his worthless life. He killed them both. Slit Debbie's throat from behind like the coward he was. Then posed her, he killed Michael, cut him into pieces so no one would know. He was going to pin it all on him!"
Brass smiles, "Richard Ingles you are under arrest for the murders of Vincent Lurie, Howard Tripton, Henry Nichols and Xavier Klose."
"I didn't do -"
"Oh yes you did." I open the folder in front of me. I push the pieces of paper towards him. "Thanks the swing you took at me. Free DNA."
"I loved her!" Richard begins to sob. I get up to leave. "You and her! She's so like her... you would do what I have done if it was her. You would!"
That makes me stop. Something inside me snaps. Comparing me to him.... I close my eyes for a second. The white hot rage makes me grit my teeth and my eyes snap open. "Really?"
The bastard doesn't now when to stop, "I bet you would do the same if you watched her walk away with someone. Knowing that you're the best for her. And no one else is good enough for her."
I ball my fists, and count up to 10 to get my head sorted out. I take a deep breath and then fire out, "The crime you committed was out of shame, anger and guilt." I keep my eyes focused on the door. "You are ashamed of yourself because you let her go. You're angry that you let go, you're guilty as well. You watched her thinking that she was your prize. Watching other people claim her as a prize. She rejected you. Like the way she probably rejected Lurie." I sigh softly, "And she paid with her life. You're just like him. Immature and selfish, seeking to control something you couldn't. At one time Debbie might of been in love with you or cared for you, like at one time she might of loved or cared for Lurie. But she had found someone else to care for now, he paid for her mistake as well. Blinded by your rage, your anger, your shame and your guilt. You're just as bad as them. You killed Debbie as much as they did." I turn around, "And now you'll just have to live with it." I say. "I'm not like you. I would never let the woman I loved go because of my own ego." I turn around looking into his eyes, "That's the difference between me and you. I love my partner, I would do anything for her. She's my world. Not some part that looks good on my arm. I don't use her as something to boost my ego, I care for her." I move close to his face, "So never assume because you have done something, that I would. As you said about not touching what you had with Debbie, vice versa, you can't begin to understand what I have with her. Never assume." I get out of his face, and stalk out the room.
I calmly walk past the room, then someone pulls me to the side. I dimly recognise this as the little room next to the interrogation room, but I know who's arms I'm in. Sara. Her scent is surrounding me.
"I've got you." She whispers, "I'm here."
I look at her, "I-"
"Hush." She tells me softly, "The guy baited you." Sara adds, "Don't worry."
I look at her, then she sighs, "About earlier I -."
"No." I tell her. "It's OK." I tell her, rubbing her back, "I remember how you were when that guy hit me with that games console?" I kiss her again. Nervy, hyper and guilty.
Sara smiles, then I kiss her again. "C'mon, let's go." I murmur.
Sara nods, she follows me out. No one says a word. I think the threat of us wall mounting their testicles always works. No one hates us enough to talk to the head of the Lab about our relationship, we're mostly discreet around most people especially the crawling bastard that goes by the name of Conrad Eckile.
Sara's words snap me out of my thoughts I only get to hear the end. "....You both did that." I hear her say as we walk.
I turn around then tug on her hand, Sara looks up at me. Then I pull her close, and kiss her. Words won't be enough.
I don't care I'm kissing her in the middle of the corridor of PD. She doesn't care either. I pull away. "That's the difference." I tell her. "I would do anything for you."
I walk away. But I see the goofy happy smile on her face as she follows me.
***
End Of Part 4
Part IIII: - Delicate.
I'm woke up by soft kisses to my lips, I stir, to see Sara smiling at me. I sleepily smile at her, "Hey."
Sara smiles, "Afternoon beautiful." She whispers as a greeting. She settles next to me, "You OK?"
I snuggle up to her, "Better now."
Sara laughs then kisses me softly. "Good." She smiles, "Grissom called, he and Warrick found a suspect in your case, and Nick tells me that there's a suspect in mine."
I groan, "You really did have to bring up work didn't you?" I ask pouting.
"That's what I do babe." She teases me, "Looks like we're PD bound." She comments softly.
"Well, after something to eat and a quick cuddle." I tell her, "No sooner."
That gets me a smile, "As you wish Catherine." She tells me, "I'm down with that." She adds.
"Good."
***
Sara accompanies me to PD, she's meeting Nick at PD. We've got a suspect in holding, just waiting for a CSI to interview him, and lucky me I drew the short straw. We're walking down the corridor.
Then it happens.
"Debbie!"
I put myself in front of Sara. Then out of nowhere. A fist is in my face, and all Hell breaks loose.
I see Sara slam the guy into the wall, "You piece of shit." She hisses, "You've just dug yourself into more shit."
I put my hand on her shoulder, "Sara, let them deal with him."
She turns to me. Something about her eyes makes me pause. She calls to the officers, "Take him to the cells for a while. He's just added assault of a law enforcement officer to his list."
I watch them as they hustle him out. He's not bad looking. But something about him makes my skin crawl. I don't get that feeling often but this one does. Sara leads me into the nearest interrogation room. I don't know how she managed to get me here. And there's a kit as well.
Sara gets my attention, "Catherine, I'm going to swab you OK?" She asks me.
I look at her, then she moves a swab over my cheek where the blow hit. She frowns, as she tucks it back in the container, "I'll run this over to Greg and tell him to process it ASAP."
I catch her arm. "Sara?"
She stops, then turns back to me. I kiss her softly. She takes a few seconds to kiss me back. I kiss her softly, but she's not having that, she kisses me with more pressure. I gently pull away, put my hands on her shoulders, holding her back as she tries to lean in for another kiss, "Go. I'm going to fry that bastard's ass."
Sara looks worried, "Catherine -"
"Don't worry, just give me something to nail that bastard's balls to the nearest wall." I tell her softly.
Sara smiles, then nods, "Yes ma'am."
Brass wanders up to me, "Are you OK Catherine?"
I wave off his concern, "What's his deal?"
"That is our main suspect Richard Ingles." Brass tells me, "Grissom and Warrick brought him earlier, DNA hit. They also found his 'cutting kit'. Turns out this guy's a private reconstructive genius."
"No sign of the body parts?" I ask.
"None."
I smirk, "Well we've got some fun to be had then." I reply.
***
"What's the deal?" The lawyer asks me as me and Brass walk in. "My client was forcible arrested, he was also -."
"Your client is a suspect in a murder case, he also decided that he would assault a member of law enforcement." Brass tells. I hold a file in front of me, including the new DNA evidence that Sara gathered for me.
The lawyer shuts up. I sit down then turn my attention to Richard. "Do you know a Debbie Marlin?" I ask.
"I do." He replies. "We're old friends. Ex lovers actually."
"Do you know a Michael Clarke?" I ask. Brass is quiet.
"Debbie's boyfriend." He says, "I've seen her with him. She told me about him."
"Would you have tried to get between her and Michael Clarke?" I ask.
That gets me a look, "No." Richard says, "Michael was good for Debbie." He notes almost paternally. "He was better than the others. They just used her."
"Used her how?" I ask.
He gives me a look. Then waves his hand. "They got what they wanted then left her." He says, "Michael didn't, he was good for her."
I look at him, "Good? So you're the font of all knowledge then?" I cut him off before can object, "You're just as bad as them."
"I am not." Richard leans towards me. "You can't touch what I had with Debbie."
"Really?" I ask.
"You think that I got what I wanted and then left. We met when I was working at a reconstructive surgery."
I look at him, then sit back, "Of course. She was just some hard working nurse. And you were a dashing plastic surgeon." I look at him, "Bet it pissed you off when you found that you were just a notch on her bed post and believe you me there was a lot of them."
I see Richard's jaw tense, "They killed Debbie, I love her."
"How can you love a phantasm?" I ask him, "I mean Debbie played you. Like she played all the rest." I tell him.
"No!"
I look at him. "Did she show you her tattoo?" I ask him, "Bet you couldn't wait to jump her bones."
Richard shakes his head, "No. We were...more than that." He looks at me, "We were more."
"More than what? Bed partners?" I ask.
Richard runs his fingers through his hair, "We were engaged." He says, "But she left me." He says.
"So what you tracked her down to Vegas?" I look at him, "Bet it pissed you off to see her like that."
"That wasn't Debbie." He straightens.
I laugh, then lean closer, "You just admitted it. It wasn't her. You let her go. And she ran. She left you. Now you're sitting here. Like some little boy lost." I pause. "You were just as bad as they were. You're throwing a fit. You lost her."
Richard slams his fists on the table, "No! You don't know a thing. You're just some..." He looks at me, "Cop." He spits the word out.
"I'm a CSI, there's a difference. But I know human nature." I reply, "It ate you inside out."
Richard slumps back. "I mean, you let her go. And you regretted it. And you wanted to do everything in your power to get her back. You tried to find her. But you found someone else. Not the woman you loved. So you stew in your own juices watching and waiting for your big chance to come to her rescue, but you're too late."
"They just used her." Richard shakes his head.
"And you didn't?" I ask him, "You think you're better than they were." I tell him, "You were just as bad. May be even worse. She loved you didn't she?"
Richard nodded, "I jilted her."
"That makes you as bad as them. You were so egoistical, that you thought that you'd get her in the end. It didn't work out like. You found that she was the belle of the ball, and there was no way in hell that you were getting anywhere near her. But when she was gone, your twisted sense of honour asserted itself. You wanted revenge for her. It wasn't about Debbie. This was your own revenge, your own jealousy."
"He...killed her." Richard whispers, "And you didn't do a damn thing!"
"Who?" I play dumb.
"Vincent Lurie!" Richard bursts out. "He said he killed her."
"We never found Debbie's killer." I reply. "So how do you know?"
"That's enough." The lawyer finally decides to make his presence known but it's too late. Richard's on a roll and he's not going to stop.
"He told me. Trying to save his worthless life. He killed them both. Slit Debbie's throat from behind like the coward he was. Then posed her, he killed Michael, cut him into pieces so no one would know. He was going to pin it all on him!"
Brass smiles, "Richard Ingles you are under arrest for the murders of Vincent Lurie, Howard Tripton, Henry Nichols and Xavier Klose."
"I didn't do -"
"Oh yes you did." I open the folder in front of me. I push the pieces of paper towards him. "Thanks the swing you took at me. Free DNA."
"I loved her!" Richard begins to sob. I get up to leave. "You and her! She's so like her... you would do what I have done if it was her. You would!"
That makes me stop. Something inside me snaps. Comparing me to him.... I close my eyes for a second. The white hot rage makes me grit my teeth and my eyes snap open. "Really?"
The bastard doesn't now when to stop, "I bet you would do the same if you watched her walk away with someone. Knowing that you're the best for her. And no one else is good enough for her."
I ball my fists, and count up to 10 to get my head sorted out. I take a deep breath and then fire out, "The crime you committed was out of shame, anger and guilt." I keep my eyes focused on the door. "You are ashamed of yourself because you let her go. You're angry that you let go, you're guilty as well. You watched her thinking that she was your prize. Watching other people claim her as a prize. She rejected you. Like the way she probably rejected Lurie." I sigh softly, "And she paid with her life. You're just like him. Immature and selfish, seeking to control something you couldn't. At one time Debbie might of been in love with you or cared for you, like at one time she might of loved or cared for Lurie. But she had found someone else to care for now, he paid for her mistake as well. Blinded by your rage, your anger, your shame and your guilt. You're just as bad as them. You killed Debbie as much as they did." I turn around, "And now you'll just have to live with it." I say. "I'm not like you. I would never let the woman I loved go because of my own ego." I turn around looking into his eyes, "That's the difference between me and you. I love my partner, I would do anything for her. She's my world. Not some part that looks good on my arm. I don't use her as something to boost my ego, I care for her." I move close to his face, "So never assume because you have done something, that I would. As you said about not touching what you had with Debbie, vice versa, you can't begin to understand what I have with her. Never assume." I get out of his face, and stalk out the room.
I calmly walk past the room, then someone pulls me to the side. I dimly recognise this as the little room next to the interrogation room, but I know who's arms I'm in. Sara. Her scent is surrounding me.
"I've got you." She whispers, "I'm here."
I look at her, "I-"
"Hush." She tells me softly, "The guy baited you." Sara adds, "Don't worry."
I look at her, then she sighs, "About earlier I -."
"No." I tell her. "It's OK." I tell her, rubbing her back, "I remember how you were when that guy hit me with that games console?" I kiss her again. Nervy, hyper and guilty.
Sara smiles, then I kiss her again. "C'mon, let's go." I murmur.
Sara nods, she follows me out. No one says a word. I think the threat of us wall mounting their testicles always works. No one hates us enough to talk to the head of the Lab about our relationship, we're mostly discreet around most people especially the crawling bastard that goes by the name of Conrad Eckile.
Sara's words snap me out of my thoughts I only get to hear the end. "....You both did that." I hear her say as we walk.
I turn around then tug on her hand, Sara looks up at me. Then I pull her close, and kiss her. Words won't be enough.
I don't care I'm kissing her in the middle of the corridor of PD. She doesn't care either. I pull away. "That's the difference." I tell her. "I would do anything for you."
I walk away. But I see the goofy happy smile on her face as she follows me.
***
End Of Part 4