Ulterior motices or hidden agendas


Title: Cast Off
Chapter: Chapter Seven
Rating: R for casefile
Warnings: Disturbing casefile imagery.

Prologue Ch.1 Ch.2 Ch.3 Ch.4 Ch.5 Ch.6


“Alright.” Jim ended the call and then spoke to the two CSI’s in the vehicle with him. “J&J’s beauty salon. Joe and Judy Gray are the owners. Bet you can’t guess how they thought up the name for the place.”

Warrick smirked and nodded. “White people amuse the hell outta me… no offense.”

“That’s a fairly large generalization, Warrick.” Gil commented.

“I’m just saying, you wouldn’t see a sister naming her beauty salon J&J’s. It’s going to be something catchy like Twilight or Sparkle or… you get it.” Warrick shrugged. “I could need more coffee.”

“I vote for coffee after this stop.” Jim nodded. “Excellent plan, Warrick.”


Warrick pulled the Tahoe over to the side of the road a half a block from the salon. “Close as we’re gonna get.”

“You know, you could use those newfangled flashy lights on top of your vehicle and get closer, make people pull around.” Jim offered but then lifted a hand, conceding as he got out of the vehicle. “Just trying to help.”

“We’re CSI’s not cops. Those are for emergencies.” Gil reminded him.

“Yeah. There are a lot of things in the plus column of being on the force instead of back at CSI.” Jim commented.

Warrick laughed lightly. “A lot in the negative too… the polyester.”

“You see me wearing polyester?” Jim shook his head. “But hey, don’t have to convince me. I’m on your side.” They walked into the salon, the normal obtrusive aromas overwhelming as expected. Jim showed his badge to the front receptionist. “Detective Jim Brass, LVPD. We need to speak to the owners.”

“Oh they’re not in yet for another ten minutes or so.” The girl tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear.

Jim nodded. “We’ll wait.”

“May I ask your name?” Gil stepped forward.

“Cindy.”

Gil nodded, retrieving the photos from the inside pocket of his coat. He held out the photo of Waverly. “Does she look familiar to you?”

“Oh yeah.” Cindy nodded. “That’s Waverly. She comes in here a lot.”

“How about this one?” He displayed another photo.

Cindy studied it a moment and then nodded. “She’s been in here a few times. Uhhh… I can’t recall a name.”

“How long have you worked here, Cindy?” Jim asked.

“About three years.”

Gil held up another photo. “And this one?”

“That’s Candice. You know she disappeared? Was all over the news.” Cindy leaned forward as she spoke as if she were confiding the juiciest of gossip. “She was training with the US Olympic team but her family is from here. Always came in to see us when she was here.” Her eyes lit up as the door to the salon opened. “Oh, look who’s here.”

“Hey, look Warrick! Joe and Judy Gray are here.” Jim commented almost too enthusiastically.

Warrick turned to see the African American couple and his nose wrinkled. “Oh, come on… J&J’s?”

“I don’t get it.” Judy commented. “Cindy, who are these people?”

Jim answered for her. “Jim Brass, LVPD. CSI Grissom and CSI Brown. We’d like to talk to you about a few of your customers. Would you like to do this up here or in private somewhere?”

“Nothing to hide, nothing to hide… go ahead officer.” Joe spoke up, one hand resting lightly at Judy’s arm.

“These are all customers of yours?” Gil asked, sifting through the photographs as Warrick listed the names.

“Waverly Simms, Candice Upton, Joy Rogers, Beth Yeager, Kara Hopkins, and Michelle Hodges. They come here to enjoy your uh… services?” Warrick asked.

Joe nodded. “They’re all regular customers normally, yes. Some of them we haven’t seen in awhile. What’s this about?”

“They’re all deceased, Mr. Gray.” Brass, with his normal lack for sensitivity, spat out.

“Oh my god…” Judy formed the sign of the cross over her chest.

Gil tilted his head curiously. “Are you Catholic, Ms. Gray?”

Judy nodded and looked worriedly around the salon. “My brother and I were raised Catholic.”

“Brother.” Gil looked to Joe, back to Judy and then to Brass.

Jim shrugged. “They didn’t tell me.” He excused.

“Do you think someone is preying on our customers? Oh god, should we close down?” Judy asked, obviously starting to panic.

Joe shook his head, his arm going around his sisters’ shoulders. “These gentlemen wouldn’t ask us to close our doors. Don’t be crazy and just calm down.”

“Ms. Gray, which parish do you attend?” Gil asked.

“Saint Anthony’s. We’ve been members there since we moved to Vegas.”

Gil nodded slightly, glancing back to Warrick. “With Father Paul.”

Warrick met Gil’s gaze before asking. “How long have you been living in Vegas?”

“Six years.” Joe answered. “Why all the questions? Are we suspects?”

“Just asking about an active investigation, right now we have no suspects.” Jim clasped his hands in front of him. “Friendly conversation is all.”

“Mr. And Ms. Gray, would you mind giving us DNA samples and fingerprints?” Gil posed the question but then blanched at the response.

Joe shook his head. “I think we need to see some papers or speak with a lawyer. I know how you people work.”

**

“He knows how we people work.” Brass said once they were back in the Tahoe. “You know, if he’s so worried about us people, maybe he should be more forthcoming with evidence that would clear him instead of being a pain.”

Gil shook his head. “Unless he’s guilty. Something doesn’t feel right.”

“You’re thinking something’s going on between the beauty salon and the church?” Warrick asked curiously. “Cause I got the same bad feeling.”

“Hey, you guys went to church and didn’t invite me?” Jim asked. “I’m heart broken.”

“Father Paul seemed nice enough…” Warrick shrugged, eyes narrowing in thought. “I don’t know… coffee and then the lab?”

“Sounds good.” Jim agreed.

“We learn in this business that people aren’t always what they seem.” Gil commented. “And sometimes the most soft spoken and likable people are the best liars.”

“So maybe Father Paul was being so helpful because he’s hiding something.” Warrick nodded his understanding.

“Shame.” Jim muttered under his breath.

Gil nodded just slightly and looked out of the window as Warrick drove. “And maybe the Gray’s are being so unhelpful because they’re hiding something also.”

Jim lifted an eyebrow. “Everybody’s hiding something.”

“Everybody has an ulterior motive in their actions. It’s up to us to dig through the layers until we find out what that is. Who’s hiding what? Who’s covering for who?” Gil spoke evenly, his voice a smooth current of his own train of thought.

“Who’s a sister and who’s not…” Jim chided Warrick.

Warrick smirked lightly. “Hey now.”

Gil lifted a corner of his lips. “And who killed six women?”


Gil Grissom
CSI: Las Vegas
1,118 Words

OOC: So, I’m trying something new. This will be an ongoing case with Gil. I am going to attempt to write it to its completion. The prompts from the communities that I write for will help guide the case along different paths. I think it will be fun. Please keep up with the previous parts with this so that it makes sense. Thanks!