DISCLAIMER: These characters and situations do not belong to me in any way, shape, or form. I have borrowed them as part of my sanity maintenance.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: written as a present for halfbloodme's birthday to her request… a fic from your OT3 series, please.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
Follow the Evidence
By Debbie
This just took the damn cake; it was all very well cozying up to Ecklie so she could gain access to his e-mails, but this, this was hell.
Catherine stormed into the lab where Sara was quietly sifting through piles of photographic evidence.
"Have you seen this?"
Sara jumped as a piece of paper was thrust under her nose and a fist landed squarely in her no longer neat pile of evidence.
"Our Sofia is playing around, with Wendy no less."
"Don't be silly, Cat."
"Don't you Cat me; read the piece of paper.
Sara did so. It was an e-mail from Ecklie to Brass, informing Jim that his detective, Sofia Curtis, may soon be under investigation from the powers that be. It appeared she'd been swapping confidential DNA evidence through indiscrete pillow talk. Ecklie was taking his evidence to the top.
"Fucking Wendy," Catherine gave a wry chuckle as she added, "Literally."
"Catherine, calm down; okay?"
Sara's voice was surprisingly gentle, and Catherine looked her in the eye with disbelief. "How can you be so calm about this?"
"Sit down and think. Sofia is not cheating on us. I know when Sofia's playing around… " she raised her eyebrow in a knowing smirk and continued after the beat, "… and she isn't."
Catherine allowed Sara's words to sink in, a smile starting to grow.
Sara indicated the air between the two of them. "I think it's obvious that Sofia is more than satisfied with her lot, don't you?"
She watched Catherine nod her agreement. "Anyway, when was this little tryst supposed to have happened?"
Catherine glanced down at the printed email. "Um, the night of July 20th."
"Well, there you go; we know she didn't do it."
"We do?"
Sara crossed the room and tilted Catherine's chin upwards; when their eyes met she whispered, "Don't tell me you've already forgotten that night, Pussycat."
Catherine's heart lurched, and a shiver ran up her spine at the intonation in Sara's voice. The last time she'd heard that sound – visions of sweaty limbs intertwined and the memory of two tastes and smells, so different and yet so familiar, assaulted her senses – was…
"… Our anniversary."
Sara smiled, glanced over her shoulder, and quickly bent forward to share a kiss.
"Damn, Sara, I'm sorry. How could I forget that night?" Catherine sighed. "But you know me and the green mist. I was so pissed off, all I could see was Sofia and Wendy, and…"
"Yeah, yeah, let's not worry about that. So… you're the expert on putting Ecklie in his place, what do we do now?"
Catherine grinned.
Conrad Ecklie looked over his table and glared at the woman sitting awkwardly across from him.
"So, Sidle, to what do I owe this dubious pleasure?"
Sara was not looking forward to this conversation, but Catherine had insisted she be the first to broach Ecklie. She had to lull him into a false sense of security before Cath blindsided him with her part. At least, that was the theory.
"Um, I have reason to believe you're trying to cast aspersions on my girlfriend."
"Your girlfriend?" Ecklie stood and leaned over the table. "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about but tell me more about this girlfriend of yours."
Sara's skin crawled at the leer lying just under the surface of Ecklie's false professionalism, but she carried on as she'd been primed.
"Detective Curtis is my partner; we've been living together for two years now and not once have you had cause to even notice, never mind be able to accuse us of anything underhanded, so, when you accuse her of sleeping with one of my colleagues, I…"
Ecklie gloated. "How can you be sure she's not?"
Sara's muttered, "Oh, I know she's sleeping with one of my colleagues, but you, you fat bastard, know nothing," almost drowned out Ecklie's hate filled words.
"I wouldn't blame her if she had found someone else. You're not the prettiest brunette in this place, you know, and with your history, I'm sure the detective could find someone…"
"Don't say it, Ecklie." Sara remained calm, as she'd been directed, although every nerve end in her body was crying out to punch him silly. She handed over her credit card bill for the use of the suite at The Bellagio on the night in question. "Here, a receipt that says Sofia was with me on the night you claim she was with Wendy."
The vein on Conrad's head bulged, and he welcomed the interruption as a gentle knock alerted him to a visitor.
Catherine popped her head around the door and said, "Sorry, am I interrupting anything?"
"No, no, please come in, Catherine; I think you may be interested in what your colleague here has to say."
Catherine came in the room and took the seat next to Sara, letting her hand caress Sara's knee in comfort as she sat down.
Her voice was smarmy as she led Ecklie on. "So, Conrad, what's our Sara been up to this time?"
"Your colleague, Gil's loose cannon of a CSI here, has been shacking up with none other than Detective Curtis for the last two years. I guess we now know how our evidence has been leaked to the police."
"Oh Conrad, how clever of you, does that mean Wendy Simms is off the hook?"
Seeing his nod, she glanced to Sara and winked before slamming a piece of paper down on his desk.
"So, you won't need this from me?"
He read the paper, a look of puzzlement crossing his face as he looked back towards Catherine.
"I don't get this?"
"I was with Detective Curtis on the night you claim she was talking over the pillow with Wendy Simms and, I don't know what Sara here has been telling you, but I resent the fact you're insinuating my girlfriend is cheating on me."
Her voice was controlled anger as she stood to glare down at him.
"In fact, if I hear one more word about any of this, I will personally make sure you're hung out to dry by the department, discrimination is a big no no, but I'm sure you're already aware of that."
Ecklie's vein pulsed harder and harder, and his colour turned a deep red. Flustered, he jabbed his finger towards Sara. "But, she said, Sofia was her girlfriend; she said…" An idea hit him, it was obvious Sofia was playing all his team and maybe, with a bit of persuasion, he could get Catherine to help him finally get rid of the hated Sidle.
"Catherine, I think you'll find that Curtis and Sidle have been playing you for a fool." He pushed the receipt Sara had just given him across the table to an intrigued Catherine.
She read the paper and laughed out loud
"I don't think you've quite got the picture, Conrad. Sara's bill is for the room; my bill is for the evening's meal." She pointed to the papers. "Look, a suite big enough for three, and, oh look, what have we here, three main courses, three desserts, I wonder where this evidence leads…
Before she could finish her sentence, the detective in question burst into Ecklie's office, her face like thunder. Sofia's anger was directed straight at Ecklie. "What the hell are you doing, sending e-mails to Captain Brass telling absolute fucking lies."
Suddenly, Sofia caught sight of her lovers, holding hands in full view of Ecklie.
"Oh!"
Ecklie was almost catatonic at the sequence of events occurring in his office. Not knowing where to look next, his gaze was caught by a glint of light in the corner of his eye. He turned to see that Sara and Catherine were twirling matching gold rings shaped like continuous, three-sided knots. He glanced back to Sofia's hand, poised as if to punch his lights out. If his eyes didn't deceive him, she wore the same ring on her finger.
He watched as the three women shared a knowing grin and, with all colour drained from his face, he flopped back, defeated.
The End