Part three of "A New Perspective"

[rabidfan.livejournal.com]

Rating: PG-13, for suggestive talk and language
Summary:  A vacation out of Vegas doesn't mean an escape from murder

Wipe Out

 

The sheriff looked from one happy grin to the other.  “Just what has you two so happy?  All we have is proof that our victim wasn’t all sweetness and innocence.”  In fact, the young woman had a long and colorful criminal career.  The faxed report that Sara had sent included several male accomplices.  Maybe they’d be able to track them down.

 

“Did you talk to the boy we first interviewed on the beach?” Nick asked.  It was fairly obvious that they hadn’t, but he’d already riled the sheriff once; he didn’t want to anger him again.  “He was the only one that could remember seeing our girl in connection with a man.”  The sheriff and deputy both looked a little sheepish.  “We need to show him these pictures, see if anyone stands out.”

 

“We did try to talk to him,” Deputy Martin said.  “He’s fifteen, and speaks that surfer-speak.  Makes me nuts.”  Both older men shook their heads.  Kids.  “We didn’t get anything useful out of him, but go ahead and try him.  He talked to you before.”

 

“Honestly, he talked to Greg.” Nick gave Greg a wink. “I didn’t understand a word he said!  Greg had to interpret for me.”  It made him smile now, with the end of the case tantalizingly  close.  It hadn’t seemed too funny just two days ago.

 

Chris agreed to talk to Greg and Nick, but not the sheriff.  “He is all big forehead, dude.  Too long around him and I’ll be talking to the seals.”  Greg smiled, and made arrangements to meet him near the restaurant that had become a home away from home for the two.

 

“Talk to the seals?”  Nick should have been taking notes all along.  Maybe he’d be closer to figuring the ‘language’ out.

 

“Vomiting, Nick.  Blowing chunks.  Hurling.  Yakking.  Turning your toes inside out.  Praying to the porcelain god.”  Nick put his hand over Greg’s smiling mouth.  “I get it, G.  I get it.”  Nick had to smile too.  Sometimes Greg was just fun.  It didn’t matter what they were doing.  He was fun.

 

“I suppose ‘Big Forehead’ means something too?”  Nick wasn’t sure he needed to know, but it made Greg smile again.  All good.

 

“Chris thinks the sheriff and deputy are intimidating.  I suppose authority figures were to me when I was fifteen, too.”  Nick had to touch; he had to.  He reached out, smoothing his fingers over Greg’s jaw.  “You’re still fifteen, you Kak.  You’ll never grow up.”

 

“Kak? Nick!  You’ve been holding out on me!  You’ve learned a swear word!”  Greg was very impressed.  If only they didn’t have the appointment with Chris, he wanted to show Nick just how impressed he was.

 

They arrived at the restaurant only a little late, only a little out of breath.  Chris was there, smiling at them in a way that told them he was fully aware of what they had been up to.  “Chris, thanks for meeting us,” Nick greeted the boy.  He couldn’t stop the red flush he knew was spreading across his cheeks.  It had been worth it, but damn.

 

“We’d appreciate it if you’d look at some pictures for us.  See if any of them look like Decoy from the other day.”  Greg was smirking, not a blush in sight.  He pulled out the small stack of photos of the victims’ known accomplices.  “Just flip through these, take your time.  If any look familiar, hold them out.  Okay?”

 

Chris nodded, bending to his task.  He carefully thumbed through each photo, showing the task the kind of seriousness it deserved.  With a disappointed shake of his head, he flipped to the last one.  This one he studied for a long moment.  He looked up at Greg, smiling.  “I’m pretty sure this guy was there.  This is Decoy!”  He was justifiably pleased with himself.

 

“You’re sure?” Nick had to ask.  “Absolutely positive?  Remember, you may have to testify to it in court.”

 

“Stay casual, dude.”  Chris was still smiling.  “It’s definitely him.  Do I get to get out of school if this goes to court?”  Fifteen year olds live to find ways of getting out of school.

 

“Probably.”  Greg matched Chris’ grin.  “Cool.  Maximum real, Chris.  Way to go.”  Chris couldn’t help but be curious.  “So, the dead girl, did Decoy kill her?”  There wasn’t a lot they could share with their helpful young friend.  It wasn’t really fair, but the case wasn’t protected yet.

 

“We don’t have all the answers yet, Chris.”  Nick hated disappointing the boy.  He had helped them so much, and they couldn’t even give him the vicarious thrill of insider knowledge.  “By the time it all goes to court, we’ll have the answers.  We’ll make sure, when your part is done, that you understand what happened.  Cool?”  Nick could sprinkle the lingo in conversation, too.

 

“Cool.”  One more sweet smile.  “We done?” he asked.  “We’re done.  Just stay close.  Let the sheriff know if you have to leave town, okay?”  That toned the smile down a notch.  “Remember, you have the testimony needed to put away a killer.  That makes you pretty important.  You don’t have to be intimidated by the sheriff or anybody else.”  Nick put his hand out for a shake.  “Good man.”

 

Chris shook Greg’s hand as well, and turned to go.  He saw one of the hundreds of posters bearing the likeness of the sheriff’s rival and stopped in his tracks.  He pointed mutely at the poster, looking back to where Nick and Greg were watching him.

 

“What is it, Chris?” asked Greg.  “You okay?”  The boy looked shocked.  Frightened even.  The two CSI’s walked over to him, now concerned.  “Chris?”

 

“This is the guy.  It can’t be, but it is!”  His voice was shaking; his whole body was shaking.  It suddenly got a lot more real for the youngster, and he didn’t feel up to the challenges ahead.  In fact, he was pretty sure he really would be talking to the seals any second.

 

“What guy, Chris.”  Greg pulled one of the chairs over from the patio area of the restaurant.  He gently pushed Chris into it, crouching down to look into the boys face.

“What guy?  You can tell me.  We’ll protect you.”  He meant that.  He’d do what he had to do to make the boy feel safe again.

 

“The other Duck, man.”  Chris took a big gulp of air in, and looked better for it.  “This dude is the other buoy, the one that sat out with the first guy.  The one you showed me the picture of.”  He wasn’t so shaky now.  “Before you ask,” a pointed look in Nick’s direction, “I’m absolutely, 100% sure.”  He nodded firmly.  “I can testify to that, too.  But, I’m not sure I want to.” 

 

Nick smiled at their young witness.  “Don’t worry.  You’re not in danger.  Every thing is going to be fine.”  He gently patted Chris’ shoulder.  “Come back to the station with us, and give the sheriff a statement.”  Chris rolled his eyes.  “Do me a favor, though.”  Chris looked up, ready to give Nick what ever he asked for.  “Give it to him in English, okay?”

 

Chris was the model of cooperation for the sheriff.  So much so that he left a very favorable impression on the old man.  His hope for mankind restored, he sat down across from the man that had killed once, probably twice, to gain political office in a tiny, jerkwater town.  At least the kid turned out good.

 

Nick and Greg were content to sit against the far wall, leaving the interrogation to the sheriff and his deputy.  They could have the ‘collar’ as Bob Martin had called it.  They didn’t need it.  They had two days of vacation left, and Nick didn’t want to waste any of it filling out paperwork.

 

Surprisingly, the killer was willing to own up to all he had done.  As the girl had in several places before, she picked up a prominent man.  She was pretty, and it wasn’t hard to use her gifts to get her ‘mark’ interested in her.  Then, one of her accomplices would step in with photos and threats.  Money would be exchanged, and the con would move on to another town, another hapless victim. 

 

But here, in this town, she chose the wrong man.  A man willing enough to sleep with her, willing enough to kill to keep anyone from ever knowing about it.  He just wanted to make it all go away.  Maybe Buoy’s body would float up to shore somewhere over the next few days, maybe not. 

 

It had been his intent to drag the girl out past the surf line, too.  But the alert teen had changed that plan.  Instead, he’d just drifted away with the rest of the crowd when the police had arrived.  He had very nearly gotten away with murder.  So very nearly.

 

Once out on the pavement again, the two found themselves drifting yet again to ‘their’ restaurant.  They were given the same booth, by the same smiling waitress.  “I’m going to miss this place.”  Greg was wistful.  Their vacation would soon be over.  It was almost impossible to get time away together.  It would probably be a long time before they could do it again.

 

“Hey, we made the lab look good.  Ecklie will have to give us days off together next year.”  Nick laughed at Greg’s excited expression.  “Of course, we’re definitely not spending them surfing!” 

 

“Surfing is an art form, Nick.  You have to keep practicing or you’ll lose your skills.”  Greg’s sage look made Nick laugh again.  “Let’s just get something to eat, then I’ll show you my skills, okay?”  Now Greg was blushing, a rosy tint flooding over his nose, across his cheeks.  Nick leaned over, kissing the trail of pink.  Greg’s tremulous sigh was incentive enough to capture his lips in yet one more kiss.

 

Breaking apart, Nick smiled into Greg’s glazed eyes.  “You want to skip lunch, G?” 

 

Greg’s eager nod was all the confirmation Nick needed.  They would be heading back to Vegas in two days.  Nick intended to spend the rest of the time they had in a different kind of sport.  One who’s language he could understand loud and clear.

 

end

Comments

[animefanboy0110.livejournal.com]

:o I wonder what sport he is referring to? Baseball? ;) jk

[rabidfan.livejournal.com]

Well, someone will probably write about it in much more detail than I usually do...then we'll know for sure!

[boho-beata.livejournal.com]

Hehe, I loved this little mini-series. I can just imagine Nick trying to surf... I'm liking the image ;D

Good job :D

[rabidfan.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I'm glad you like it. I'm having fantasies about Nick in board shorts...nice.

[io-2.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I finished this very great mini-mystery story (I was so angrily that I couldn't read your fic at once but the uni dead beated me.). Hope next time the guys could spend their whole time untroubled ;-)
btw: I think of Nick and Greg washing the saltwater off one another *huge grin*.

[rabidfan.livejournal.com]

That sand does get *everywhere*!

All done with school, now?

[io-2.livejournal.com]

The "sand" creeps in every chrink *smirk*

school: the weekend will be full of "happy" learning, some evil tests will be coped.

[rabidfan.livejournal.com]

Sarcasm so doesn't flatter you!

[wojo62.livejournal.com]

I enjoyrf the last two chapters, would love to see Nick's other skills...I have a good imagination.

[rabidfan.livejournal.com]

I would, too! Thanks for reading.

[psyko-kittie.livejournal.com]

Wonderful! :)

[rabidfan.livejournal.com]

I'm delighted that you thought so! I had so much fun writing this one. All the surf jargon is of course years out of date...but for people like me who haven't been on a board in years, it may still make sense!