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"...and I said, you know damn well that Britney's are real."
Sara shook her head and rolled her eyes at Nick. "All that setup for that? Here I thought that story had a point."
Catherine followed the exchange with amusement as Warrick walked into the breakroom. He offered a greeting to his co-workers as he grabbed a soda from the small refrigerator. He joined the others at the table as Nick and Sara continued their argument.
"That story had merit." Nick stated with mock seriousness.
"I bet you say that about your work, too." Sara grinned broadly.
"Tell me that's not the best you could come up with."
At that moment a figure in the doorway caught the team's attention.
"Hey, Brass." Warrick greeted him.
"Hey, guys." Brass entered the room, his gaze resting on each person before resting on Sara, who smiled. "I was just coming in here with your assignments."
"Isn't that Grissom's job?" Catherine asked, curiosity piqued.
"Don't tell me he actually called in sick," Nick interjected.
"No, he'll join up with you in a minute. He's in a meeting. He asked me to take care of this, so I'll get right to it." He pushed a file across the table. "Catherine and Nick, we have a 419 just off the strip. Kid on a bike found a DB--two gunshot wounds to the chest. No ID, no wallet or jewelry. Looks like a robbery. No approximation on time of death yet. Vic looks like he's been there a few days, though. There's a possible link to another homicide, but you'll find that all in the report."
Moving on, he looked to Warrick. "You get a jewelry store robbery gone bad. Two vics, one dead and one in the hospital. Store owner was shot after he triggered the alarm. The suspect also got off one round at a customer before fleeing on foot. We have two witness reports and a pretty detailed description. You should probably talk to the second victim, a Robert Matheson, from Sioux Falls, Iowa. He's been upgraded to stable condition. All the info you need is in the file. Grissom may or may not join up with you later." Brass paused, directing his attention to the confused brunette staring at him from across the table.
"Where's my case?" Sara asked, noting there were no more files. "Am I working with Grissom?"
Brass glanced to the side briefly before answering. "In a manner of speaking," he answered, not wanting to draw the others' attention. "Why don't you come with me and we'll meet up with him." He watched as the rest of the unit exited the room. Nick looked back and smiled at Sara as he left. She gave him a distracted wave in return.
"Yeah. Let's go." Something in Brass' demeanor seemed off to her, but she pushed that feeling aside and chalked it up to her infamiliarity to his supervisial technique. She led the way, throwing her water bottle in the trash next to the door. "Is Grissom in his office?"
Brass nodded as he followed her the short distance to their destination. As they reached the office door Sara started to turn the knob.
"I'd knock."
A fleeting look of both irritation and confusion crossed Sara's features. She did as advised, however. After a few seconds the door opened. Instead of Grissom, she found Sheriff Brian Mobley staring back at her.
"Ms. Sidle, please come in." He stepped back, allowing her and Brass to enter.
As Sara's eyes accustomed to the dimmer light of the office, her look of confusion became mild alarm. She first spotted Ecklie sitting in a chair across from Grissom's. Instead of being seated himself, Grissom stood rigidly in the corner, his gaze focused on her. She offered him a hesitant smile that he acknowledged with a barely perceptible upturn of his lips. Mobley crossed the room and sat behind Grissom's desk before speaking again. "Have a seat." He gestured toward the unoccupied chair next to Ecklie.
Sara darted her eyes at Grissom. His attention was on the floor, his body language tense and his eyes dark. "I'll stand, thank you. What is this about?"
Mobley's face remained neutral. "Conrad Ecklie filed the inquiry, so I'll let him aprise you of the situation."
"Inquiry? I don't understand." Sara wasn't liking where this was going.
Ecklie looked at the sheriff before directing his attention to Sara. "Do you remember the 419 you worked six weeks ago? A case involving a Stephen Hendrich. He was suspecting of killing a female vic off of Barclay?"
Sara looked from Grissom to Brass. Finding no help there, she replied, "I remember."
"Do you also remember the circumstances around that case?"
Sara paused in recollection. "It was a stranger killing. Hendrich stabbed a female on vacation outside her off-strip motel. Six times, as I recall." Her eyes hardened briefly, then she continued. "DNA placed the suspect at the scene. He had an alibi, but that was weak. Last I heard he was awaiting trial."
"Did you testify in his hearing?" Ecklie asked, referring to his notes.
"Yes, chain of custody; it was open and shut. Can I ask what's going on?" Sara asked, the knot in her stomach growing.
Ecklie shuffled through the pile of papers on desk. "About a week ago Sheriff Mobley received a tip from someone within the department. they cited some...impropriety...with the evidence in relation to that case. The caller went on to say that they saw you introduce evidence post-collection."
Sara flinched, as though struck. "Are you saying I'm being accused of planting evidence? I can't believe this. I would never..." Her eyes raced wildly around the room until they landed on Grissom, where they stayed as she continued "Who told you this? What kind of evidence do you have that supports this allegation?"
Grissom's eyes shifted from Sara's to Ecklie, as if reiterating Sara's question.
Mobley spoke for the first time since he had turned it over to Ecklie. "Under the terms of departmental policy we're not required to disclose the complaintant unless this goes beyond an in-house investigation. I believe he can summarize what supports the complaint, however."
The room was silent as Ecklie reached for the folder in front of the sheriff, the only noise coming from the hum of the flourescents over Grissom's tarantula habitat. She fixated her gaze on the tank as one of the smaller spiders tried to climb the glass surface only to slide to the gravel below. The silence was broken as Ecklie found the report he was looking for.
"I'm going to read directly from my notes. This is taken both from our own report and the statement filed by the witness." He paused until Sara acknowledged her comprehension with a short nod, her hands clenched at her sides. "I'll try to break this down point-by-point."
"Go ahead."
"You were working the night of February 27th. According to our documents it was for the case we just referenced." He slipped a copy of the report from his folder and handed it to Sara, who took it as though it was made of glass. "You reported in just after six PM, almost two hours before shift."
"That's not unusual. I'm always here early. You can ask Grissom..." She looked over at him, hoping that he would back her up. He nodded almost absently.
"He's already made his statement. As I said, you reported in early for shift. Your work has been validated by both your supervisor and our own records."
"Then why am I here?"
"We have reason to believe that the Hendrich investigation was compromised by the alteration of DNA evidence after an early inconclusive result. We also have enough evidence to warrant a further investigation into your actions involving that case." Ecklie's voice held a tinge of self-righteousness.
Sara shifted from one foot to another, her arms wrapped in front of her now. "Evidence of what?" She asked, her voice cracking on the last syllable.
Mobley cleared his throat and answered for Ecklie. "This isn't the inquiry, Sidle. The details of the findings will be relayed to you at that meeting. I'm here to inform you of two things. One: a complaint has been filed against you. We have an eyewitness report and computer log-in records that we feel makes you a credible aspect of our internal investigation."
"And two?" Sara looked disconcerted.
"Two: pending this investigation you will be relieved of your duties. The department is suspending you with pay until the date of the inquiry; Upon that date we will either reinstate you or take further disciplinary action."
Sara stepped backwards a foot, the color drained from her face. "So, that's it? I leave?" The adrenaline coursing through her was making her ears ring.
Brass spoke up from his vantage point behind her. "We'll need to take your ID and your gun." He said, sounding legitimately rueful.
Her eyes caught Grissom's once again. She saw his anger, but knew it wasn't directed at her. What she didn't know, however, is why she felt so alone in the now suffocating office. Grissom hadn't said a word. What more did he know?
"Sara?" She barely heard Brass as she reached under her jacket, her hands shaking as she removed her gun in its holster at the small of her back. She then unclipped her ID from the waist of her pants. She straightened her shoulders and walked to the desk, giving both Ecklie and Mobley a direct look as she set the gun and badge down hard on its wood surface. Without looking back she strode out of the office, leaving the door ajar behind her.
Grissom watched her go, his face tense. "Jesus, wasn't there a better way to handle that? That one one of the most one-sided 'meetings' I've ever seen. She was at a complete disadvantage."
"I didn't see you jumping in as her advocate." Ecklie challenged back.
"You tied my hands!" Grissom said, his voice rising as he continued "I know little more than she does. You come to me with these allegations about one of my CSIs, one that I trust implicitly. I brought her here because of her exemplary work history. Now she's being accused of evidence tampering and I would no sooner believe that of her than I would of myself."
"The evidence never lies." Grissom narrowed his eyes as he heard his own words being used against him.
"But Sara doesn't either."
He threw both men an intense look as he walked quickly out the door, slamming it behind him. He walked briskly down the hall and through the double doors leading to the parking lot. He made it outdoors just in time to see Sara's black Explorer pull onto the street with a squeal of the tires. Frustrated, he turned and re-entered the building. He'd talk to Sara later. Right now he had to save her career.
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