“Alright, how did you manage that?” Nick asked as Catherine and Taylor returned to the others.
Taylor shrugged, “I listened to Geoff.” She frowned. “Actually, Geoff has only managed to say two words – it’s Holly with the mouth on her, but he shows-”
“You mean there is more than one ghost?” Greg asked excitedly.
Taylor nodded, “Normally, I’m helped by my dead friend, Maddy, and an ex-CSI called Aiden. But, as I was informed this evening, they are pretty much stuck with helping me in New York, and I have another ghost here. Holly Gribbs or something?”
“Gribbs?” Warrick asked sharply. All the CSIs gave her a strange look. “Holly Gribbs?” Taylor nodded, wondering if it was possible that they knew her. “That is not a funny trick,” Warrick snapped, before storming out of the room.
“Did I miss something?” Flack asked. “Who is Holly Gribbs?”
Catherine shot Taylor a glare before dashing out of the room after Warrick.
“Holly was a CSI who used to work here about six years ago,” Sara explained. “She was killed on the job.” After dropping that bomb, she stalked out of the room.
Taylor sat down, sinking into one of the now vacated chairs, feeling extremely uncomfortable, even though she knew it wasn’t her fault. It was Grissom who sat down next to her, though. “I’m going to ask you something, and I want a truthful answer.” Taylor nodded, still feeling pretty miserable. “Have you done any research into this Crime Lab?”
“No,” Taylor told him, shaking her head furiously. “I’m not a cop, I’m not a criminalist, I’m not here for a story, I don’t handle dead bodies well, I can’t stand the sight of blood, and put me in anything resembling a hostage situation and I panic. I haven’t come here to try to upset people and I’m really sorry about that. I admit I probably should have realised that Holly was close to you, but I honestly didn’t know.”
As Grissom stared at her, Taylor came to a startling conclusion that he, Mac, and even Horatio, had this unnerving ability to seemingly read people’s souls. Perhaps it was a requirement for the job. “I believe you.”
Taylor stared at him in a stunned silence. “Seriously?” she asked, finally. “I mean, seriously?”
“I believe that your appearance here isn’t malicious, but if you’re asking me if I believe you can see ghosts, I’m afraid there hasn’t been enough evidence for that, yet. That being said, I think it might be for the best if you go home now.”
“But, you don’t understand. The ghost will keep coming to me until the case has been solved,” Taylor insisted.
“Miss Turner, it seems you don’t understand. I put the well-being of my lab before solving a case. The evidence will prevail, regardless of whether or not we have outside help from a psychic.”
“I’m not a psychic,” Taylor muttered as she watched Grissom leave.
From across the room, Flack got to his feet. “Maybe we should leave, Taylor.”
“I would love to, Don,” Taylor sighed. “But, there’s a child missing and I’m not going to be able to live myself if that child dies, especially if there is something I could have done.”
“Let me talk to Grissom,” Greg piped up. “Maybe I can get him to let you hang around the lab or something.”
“Greggo, you’ve been a CSI for all of five minutes,” Nick told him. “Grissom won’t agree.”
“Well, what do you suggest then?”
Nick looked over at Taylor. “You really think you can help?”
Taylor nodded. “Yes,” she told him firmly.
“I’ll go talk to Grissom,” he told them, causing Greg’s jaw to hit the floor, before leaving the room.
“I don’t believe it,” Greg muttered.
“Neither do I,” Flack told him.
“I should have gotten a job here. Making you guys believe in ghosts is a damn sight easier than it was to convince these guys in New York,” Taylor told Greg, still slightly perplexed at what had just occurred.
Taylor shrugged, “I listened to Geoff.” She frowned. “Actually, Geoff has only managed to say two words – it’s Holly with the mouth on her, but he shows-”
“You mean there is more than one ghost?” Greg asked excitedly.
Taylor nodded, “Normally, I’m helped by my dead friend, Maddy, and an ex-CSI called Aiden. But, as I was informed this evening, they are pretty much stuck with helping me in New York, and I have another ghost here. Holly Gribbs or something?”
“Gribbs?” Warrick asked sharply. All the CSIs gave her a strange look. “Holly Gribbs?” Taylor nodded, wondering if it was possible that they knew her. “That is not a funny trick,” Warrick snapped, before storming out of the room.
“Did I miss something?” Flack asked. “Who is Holly Gribbs?”
Catherine shot Taylor a glare before dashing out of the room after Warrick.
“Holly was a CSI who used to work here about six years ago,” Sara explained. “She was killed on the job.” After dropping that bomb, she stalked out of the room.
Taylor sat down, sinking into one of the now vacated chairs, feeling extremely uncomfortable, even though she knew it wasn’t her fault. It was Grissom who sat down next to her, though. “I’m going to ask you something, and I want a truthful answer.” Taylor nodded, still feeling pretty miserable. “Have you done any research into this Crime Lab?”
“No,” Taylor told him, shaking her head furiously. “I’m not a cop, I’m not a criminalist, I’m not here for a story, I don’t handle dead bodies well, I can’t stand the sight of blood, and put me in anything resembling a hostage situation and I panic. I haven’t come here to try to upset people and I’m really sorry about that. I admit I probably should have realised that Holly was close to you, but I honestly didn’t know.”
As Grissom stared at her, Taylor came to a startling conclusion that he, Mac, and even Horatio, had this unnerving ability to seemingly read people’s souls. Perhaps it was a requirement for the job. “I believe you.”
Taylor stared at him in a stunned silence. “Seriously?” she asked, finally. “I mean, seriously?”
“I believe that your appearance here isn’t malicious, but if you’re asking me if I believe you can see ghosts, I’m afraid there hasn’t been enough evidence for that, yet. That being said, I think it might be for the best if you go home now.”
“But, you don’t understand. The ghost will keep coming to me until the case has been solved,” Taylor insisted.
“Miss Turner, it seems you don’t understand. I put the well-being of my lab before solving a case. The evidence will prevail, regardless of whether or not we have outside help from a psychic.”
“I’m not a psychic,” Taylor muttered as she watched Grissom leave.
From across the room, Flack got to his feet. “Maybe we should leave, Taylor.”
“I would love to, Don,” Taylor sighed. “But, there’s a child missing and I’m not going to be able to live myself if that child dies, especially if there is something I could have done.”
“Let me talk to Grissom,” Greg piped up. “Maybe I can get him to let you hang around the lab or something.”
“Greggo, you’ve been a CSI for all of five minutes,” Nick told him. “Grissom won’t agree.”
“Well, what do you suggest then?”
Nick looked over at Taylor. “You really think you can help?”
Taylor nodded. “Yes,” she told him firmly.
“I’ll go talk to Grissom,” he told them, causing Greg’s jaw to hit the floor, before leaving the room.
“I don’t believe it,” Greg muttered.
“Neither do I,” Flack told him.
“I should have gotten a job here. Making you guys believe in ghosts is a damn sight easier than it was to convince these guys in New York,” Taylor told Greg, still slightly perplexed at what had just occurred.
* * *
It took a while, but Nick somehow managed to convince Grissom that Taylor could assist on the case. After spending the better part of an hour filling out paperwork – for insurance purposes, according to Nick – Taylor was in the back of a truck with Greg and Nick heading to Castenelli Heights, whilst Flack had been conscripted by Sofia to run checks on the Castenelli family.
“Why did you talk to Grissom?” Taylor leant forward into the front of the truck to ask Nick. “I mean, you don’t believe me, do you?”
From the driver’s seat, Nick glanced at her in the rear view mirror, “No, but if there is even the smallest chance that you can help find this kid, even if it’s only by forming part of a search party, then it’s better than nothing.”
“I can help,” Taylor told him firmly, meeting his gaze head on.
“Have the ghosts given us any more information to go on?” Greg asked, as he turned around in his seat.
“Whoa, that is weird,” Taylor muttered.
“What?”
“I’ve known you a couple of hours and you believe me. And I haven’t had to wait for a ghost to tell me something that only you would understand.” Greg shrugged. “Sorry. No. Nothing new. But I’m hoping that when we get to Leon’s his brother might appear and give us something useful to go on.”
“Can I ask a question?” asked Nick.
Taylor nodded. “Sure.”
“If these ghosts come to you to help them solve their deaths, then why aren’t you doing our job?”
“My stomach doesn’t cope well with dead bodies. Besides, I know very little about science and I enjoy my job too much. I only intend on helping while they come to see me. If this is the last ghost I ever see, it won’t be the saddest day of my life, let me assure you.”
“But you could do so much good,” objected Greg.
Taylor shook her head, staring out of the window as Vegas flew past them. “You guys don’t just solve murders. You solve a multitude of cases. I’d only be any use on a small percentage of cases, and the rest would probably never get solved. As it is, I help to solve the cases that I can. And that’s enough.”
“I suppose you have a point,” Greg agreed.
“Right,” said Nick as they finally pulled up outside a house. “If you come in there-”
“I wear gloves, stand where you tell me and don’t touch anything,” Taylor finished for him. Nick turned around in his seat and glared sharply at her. Taylor shrugged, “It’s not my first crime scene and that has been drilled into my head."
“Why did you talk to Grissom?” Taylor leant forward into the front of the truck to ask Nick. “I mean, you don’t believe me, do you?”
From the driver’s seat, Nick glanced at her in the rear view mirror, “No, but if there is even the smallest chance that you can help find this kid, even if it’s only by forming part of a search party, then it’s better than nothing.”
“I can help,” Taylor told him firmly, meeting his gaze head on.
“Have the ghosts given us any more information to go on?” Greg asked, as he turned around in his seat.
“Whoa, that is weird,” Taylor muttered.
“What?”
“I’ve known you a couple of hours and you believe me. And I haven’t had to wait for a ghost to tell me something that only you would understand.” Greg shrugged. “Sorry. No. Nothing new. But I’m hoping that when we get to Leon’s his brother might appear and give us something useful to go on.”
“Can I ask a question?” asked Nick.
Taylor nodded. “Sure.”
“If these ghosts come to you to help them solve their deaths, then why aren’t you doing our job?”
“My stomach doesn’t cope well with dead bodies. Besides, I know very little about science and I enjoy my job too much. I only intend on helping while they come to see me. If this is the last ghost I ever see, it won’t be the saddest day of my life, let me assure you.”
“But you could do so much good,” objected Greg.
Taylor shook her head, staring out of the window as Vegas flew past them. “You guys don’t just solve murders. You solve a multitude of cases. I’d only be any use on a small percentage of cases, and the rest would probably never get solved. As it is, I help to solve the cases that I can. And that’s enough.”
“I suppose you have a point,” Greg agreed.
“Right,” said Nick as they finally pulled up outside a house. “If you come in there-”
“I wear gloves, stand where you tell me and don’t touch anything,” Taylor finished for him. Nick turned around in his seat and glared sharply at her. Taylor shrugged, “It’s not my first crime scene and that has been drilled into my head."
* * *
The house was a one up, one down, four bedroom affair, with a large swimming pool in the back yard. Inside, the three of them headed straight for Tristan’s bedroom. “Right,” said Nick, glancing around. “According to Leon, Tristan was taken from his bedroom, sometime between when he was put to bed at eight and ten p.m. when Leon received the call that his son was missing.”
“I’ll take Tristan’s bedroom,” Greg declared, setting his kit down.
“I’ll start downstairs and see if I can establish a point of entry,” Nick agreed, heading straight back down the stairs.
“Well, I’ll stand around and look pretty until Geoff’s ghost appears,” Taylor muttered, more to herself than to the CSIs. She didn’t have to wait long for the temperature to drop and the two ghosts to appear.
“Save him,” Geoff told her as he pointed out of a window.
Taylor glanced out of it, before heading down the stairs and out into the front yard where Geoff had been pointing. In the dim light provided by a street lamp, Geoff and Holly appeared again.
“Save him,” Geoff repeated, pointing to a spot just by where Nick had parked the crime lab truck.
Taylor wandered over to the spot, crouching down to see a tire mark. She looked up at Geoff. “Tire treads?”
Geoff nodded, “Save him.”
Taylor nodded and had started back in the direction of the house, when she stopped and turned, a thought entered her mind. “Holly, I have a question,” Taylor frowned, looking over at the ghost. “If you’re the Las Vegas ghost liaison… or whatever, who were you working with, because no one on this shift seems aware that you are even here?”
“Sally Mitchell.”
“And she is?” Taylor asked.
“Actually, she’s on maternity leave at the moment.”
Taylor frowned. “But she’s a CSI?
Holly nodded. “From the day shift.”
“So there are others like me?” Holly nodded again. “Any chance I could meet her?”
“She flew back to Hawaii to be with her parents, so no.”
“Oh,” Taylor sighed before turning and continuing back in to the house. “Nick,” she called, spotting the CSI by the bottom of the stairs. “I think I have something.”
“I’ll take Tristan’s bedroom,” Greg declared, setting his kit down.
“I’ll start downstairs and see if I can establish a point of entry,” Nick agreed, heading straight back down the stairs.
“Well, I’ll stand around and look pretty until Geoff’s ghost appears,” Taylor muttered, more to herself than to the CSIs. She didn’t have to wait long for the temperature to drop and the two ghosts to appear.
“Save him,” Geoff told her as he pointed out of a window.
Taylor glanced out of it, before heading down the stairs and out into the front yard where Geoff had been pointing. In the dim light provided by a street lamp, Geoff and Holly appeared again.
“Save him,” Geoff repeated, pointing to a spot just by where Nick had parked the crime lab truck.
Taylor wandered over to the spot, crouching down to see a tire mark. She looked up at Geoff. “Tire treads?”
Geoff nodded, “Save him.”
Taylor nodded and had started back in the direction of the house, when she stopped and turned, a thought entered her mind. “Holly, I have a question,” Taylor frowned, looking over at the ghost. “If you’re the Las Vegas ghost liaison… or whatever, who were you working with, because no one on this shift seems aware that you are even here?”
“Sally Mitchell.”
“And she is?” Taylor asked.
“Actually, she’s on maternity leave at the moment.”
Taylor frowned. “But she’s a CSI?
Holly nodded. “From the day shift.”
“So there are others like me?” Holly nodded again. “Any chance I could meet her?”
“She flew back to Hawaii to be with her parents, so no.”
“Oh,” Taylor sighed before turning and continuing back in to the house. “Nick,” she called, spotting the CSI by the bottom of the stairs. “I think I have something.”
Originally posted 16/03/2007