Author: Ann

Email: darandkerry@yahoo.com

Pairing: Catherine/Sara

Rating: R
Disclaimer: I have no affiliation whatsoever with this wonderful show

Summary: Response to a Threshin challenge involving three bars and no drunken confessions and/or truth or dare games. Catherine is the one with the attraction while Sara doesn't even realize there's something between them as women have never been on her radar. One of the guys doesn't take the relationship well, and finally, an active case must take place throughout the story.

Part 1

Damn it, I wish Grissom would make up his mind. First he tells me I have to take the next three nights off due to my excessive overtime, and now he's paging me to come to the lab. I had finally decided to go on an overnight camping trip and was almost to my Jeep when my pager went off. Hell, I didn't even realize I had clipped it to my jeans. Old habits die hard I guess.

In the lab's parking lot, I pull into the space next to Catherine's vehicle and immediately realize something big must have happened. Catherine had taken off the entire week to spend time with Lindsey during her spring break from school. I can just imagine what kind of mood she's going to be in.

Stepping into the break room, I find our entire team assembled around the table. Grissom nods his head in acknowledgement of my appearance and says "Okay, we're all here so let's get down to business." Catherine shoots him a glare but remains silent. I cautiously take the seat next to her hoping I don't incur her wrath.

Grissom pulls out some photos and hesitates before placing them on the table. He makes eye contact with each of us and says "Ladies and gentlemen, these photos are not to be discussed outside the confines of our immediate team. They are very damaging to some key officials in our fair city. I will explain their significance after you have had the opportunity to look them over."

He hands the photos to his immediate left and right. Greg and Nick take the photos and carefully examine them before passing them to the side. No one has said a word about the contents of the photos so I will have to wait my turn. I do notice the clinching of the jaw of each team member as the photo is studied.

Catherine reacts immediately when she receives the first of the photos. "Gil, this is the mayor. How the hell did he allow himself to be photographed in this position?" I slowly lean toward Catherine to sneak a peak at the photo in question.

Oh my god! He is tied to the hood of a car stark naked. Well, except for the blindfold and gag. I look closer to note another item attached to his body. It seems to be a yellow bow like the ones you peel off the little strip of paper and stick on presents. Only this one is located on the head of his penis. I take the photo and turn it around several times trying to figure out how the bow is staying in place.

While I'm busy studying the photo, Grissom finally answers Catherine's question. "He doesn't remember anything. The last thing the mayor remembers is going to the Pussycat Dolls Lounge over on S. Las Vegas Boulevard. The next thing he knows, it's morning and he's strapped to the hood of his car in a very compromising position. He waited another hour or so before his wife found him."

Warrick astutely asks "Why are we being called in to investigate? It sounds to me like he got himself involved with some unscrupulous person who wanted to embarrass him. Plus what the hell was he doing there and is there any evidence that a crime has been committed? If so, why aren't we out processing the scene?"

Five heads turn to Grissom awaiting his explanation. He reaches into his file and pulls out more photos which are basically the same pose with two different people. My eyes widen when I realize one of them is the sheriff and there's that yellow bow again. I still can't figure out what is keeping it from falling off. That little bit of sticky stuff on the end wouldn't be enough to keep it in place.

Grissom takes a seat and sighs before saying "Okay, here's the problem. Someone has successfully drugged the major, the city manager, and the sheriff before somehow managing to get them back to their respective homes. Problem is this didn't take place at the same location. There are three different bars involved, The Pussycat Dolls Lounge, The Rumjungle Nightclub, and The Voodoo Lounge. Now, I'm not exactly sure what the trio was doing at these places since they are supposedly happily married men, but all three tell the same tale."

Curious, I ask "When did these events happen?" Grissom looks at his notes before answering "The sheriff's photo was taken last week, the mayor the week before, and the city manager last month."

Catherine explodes out of her seat almost knocking me over in the process. "What? How come we're just hearing about this now?" Grissom motions Catherine to sit back down and waits patiently while she does so. I become a little confused when she pulls her chair almost on top of mine.

As I turn to ask her to move her chair over some, Ecklie comes bounding into the room. Catherine immediately turns her attention to him by asking "Conrad, you've called Sara and me away from our vacation to work a case where no crime other than poor judgment has been committed. What's going on?"

Ecklie actually shows a look of remorse before replying "I apologize for interrupting your vacation, Catherine, but this case could possibly open a huge can of worms. Each of these officials also received a note stating more photos would follow. As of yet, no other photos have surfaced, but in all likelihood, an attempt to blackmail these individuals is soon to follow."

Running his hand over his balding head, Eclkie nervously continues. "The sheriff came to me three days ago to explain his predicament and to ask me to personally take on his case. He didn't inform any members of the police department obviously because of the embarrassing photos as well as the possibility a disgruntled police officer could be involved. At the time, we were unaware the mayor and city manager also had been 'violated' in a similar manner. I guess the mayor became nervous waiting for the other photos to appear because he went to the sheriff yesterday to ask for his assistance. The sheriff discretely spoke to other city officials asking if anything unusual had happened to them. The city manager finally admitted to also being a victim."

This case is getting more and more convoluted as Ecklie slowly unveils the specifics. I think it's going to take quite some time for him to reveal the details of the case. I decide I probably should sit back and make myself comfortable since there will evidently be no camping trip in my immediate future.

Catherine has come to the same conclusion as she stands and pushes her chair toward Ecklie saying "Why don't you take my chair while you fill us in on the rest of the story? Scoot over Sara and let me share."

Shocked, I turn to protest as Catherine proceeds to sit in my lap.

Part 2

I quickly shift to the side and allow Catherine to sit on her 'half' of the chair. She finally gets settled staying as close to me as possible without still being perched in my lap. What the hell is she doing? I don't understand why we have to share. There are plenty of chairs in the room across the hall that Ecklie could use. And why me, why not Warrick?

Ecklie's voice garners my attention as I push Catherine's strange behavior to the background and once more hone in on the conversation. "The mayor is afraid someone may be targeting specific members of the city government for the purpose of blackmail. A person could control the city if he had enough city officials in his pocket. The mayor has made a list of other officials who are at risk of becoming the next victim."

Grissom asks to see the list and questions exactly how the mayor determined who would make the list. Ecklie hem-haws around before saying "Um, well, since the initial victims tend to occasionally stray from their marriage vows, the mayor only chose the city officials who er, . . . I guess you would say um, . . . fit the profile." I mentally add 'you mean other lying cheating bastards.'

Ecklie is prevented from continuing when the sheriff walks into the room or I guess tiptoes would be a better description as he only acknowledges Ecklie. It's almost as if he believes if he ignores us then we won't notice he's in the room.

Without a word, the sheriff hands Ecklie a folder and immediately turns to leave. Grissom pops the bubble of his illusion when he asks a question forcing the sheriff to stop his retreat. "Sheriff, why was my team chosen to investigate this situation?

Visibly cringing, the sheriff looks toward Grissom and replies "You're going to make me say it, aren't you Gil." Smiling slightly, Grissom answers "Why, yes I am."

The sheriff sighs and says "I don't trust certain members of the day shift. Even though we have had our differences on occasion, I trust you Gil. I know your team is the best and each and everyone of them are above reproach." He turns his attention to the rest of us and adds "None of you have any political aspirations and pretty much seem to care less about politics. In short, I trust you to get the job done with discretion." He pauses before continuing "Now, can I take my leave so you can get back to the job at hand?" A very pleased Grissom nods his head yes as the sheriff practically runs from the room.

Ecklie who has been extremely quiet during the sheriff's little speech lets out a low whistle as he peruses the new file. He hands it over to Grissom who merely raises an eyebrow before passing it around to the team. Each of the guys reacts in exactly the same manner with huge eyes and mouths agape.

When the folder is finally handed over to me, I lay it on the table in front of Catherine and me so that we can look at the file together. I am once again bewildered when Catherine leans into my space. I scoot the file toward her in an attempt to shift her back to her side of the chair. She merely pushes the file to its original position as she leans even further into my body saying "Holy shit, it's Carrie Templeton, the chief judge of the municipal court system."

I glance down at the photo in question to find a female posed in the same position as the three previous male victims. I frown as I see three yellow bows strategically placed on her privates, two on each breast and one at her pelvic region. I study the photo more closely looking for anything different. I am still at a loss as to how those damn bows are staying on.

I shiver as Catherine whispers in my ear "She's in pretty good shape for a woman in her late forties, don't you agree? Her breasts are still firm and get a load of those abs." Embarrassed, I merely nod my head and excuse myself to get some coffee needing to put some distance between me and Catherine. I don't know what is up with her today.

Returning, I stand between Greg and Warrick as Grissom and Ecklie try to make some sense out of this new information. They check her personal history and are perplexed with her single status. Unfaithfulness was the one glaring attribute the three men had in common. So how does Judge Templeton fit into the picture?

We all listen to the two discuss the discrepancy at length. Catherine finally has heard enough and blurts out "Where have you guys been for the last few years?" Ecklie and Grissom stop their conversation and turn their attention to Catherine. Grissom motions for her to continue.

Catherine shakes her head and adds "Carrie Templeton is openly gay. She's been in a relationship for the past seven years, and the two of them actually appeared together in a few of her campaign ads." Ecklie begins to nod his head and says "Yes, I remember that now. Good catch, Catherine."

Gay? That woman is gay? I've been in her courtroom numerous times and had no idea. Of course, I'm not exactly sure what signs I should be looking for. Hell, for that matter, Catherine could be gay and I'd never know. I almost laugh aloud at my last thought. The way Catherine dresses and flaunts her sexuality; there's no way she's gay. She is every man's fantasy. It's nothing but men for her.

Grissom hands us each a copy of Ecklie's notes. I thumb through noting how detailed and organized the report seems to be. I guess Ecklie's not quite the incompetent asshole I thought him to be. Well, at least not the incompetent aspect.

Reading through the meticulous writing, I finally find the answer to my question about how the bows were attached to the victims and can I just say 'ouch.' Each bow was super glued to the body parts of the victims and had to be removed by a doctor. Good thing each of these individuals had their own private physician. I don't think an ER room would be the ideal place to try to explain their dilemma.

I glance around the room at my colleagues and am able to pinpoint the exact moment each one of them reads the bit about the super glue. The guys cross their legs and move their hand to their lap while Catherine folds her arms across her chest. I quickly mimic her action as I think about Judge Templeton's ordeal.

Damn. My nipples ache just thinking about the pain she must have endured. I find myself also mirroring the guys' actions as I discretely brush my hand against my lower extremity when I think of losing pubic hair as well. I close my eyes and visibly shudder as my overactive imagination takes center stage.

When I open my eyes, I am looking directly at Catherine. She raises her eyebrow and gives me one of those sexy smiles usually reserved for the male population. I glance over my shoulder to see if she is directing it at someone behind me. Finding no one there, I turn my attention back to Catherine who has returned to her reading. Great, with all this talk about Judge Templeton being gay, now I'm imagining things. Shaking my head, I once again focus on Ecklie's report.

Part 3

Each victim's doctor also ran a blood screen and found Rohypnol mixed with some unknown drug which explains the loss of memory. The perp must have slipped something into the victim's drink and waited for the mixture to take effect.

All hope of finding any credible evidence is dashed when I read the part where the victims disposed of the ropes, gag, and blindfold. The only thing we have to go on is the doctor's report and the blood screen. I can understand the mayor and city manager being careless, but the sheriff should have known better. I guess people will take desperate measures to get rid of incriminating evidence.

Placing the report to the side, I pick up the mayor's list of potential victims. There are four city officials on the list, the fire chief, the city attorney, and two council members. Interesting, three men and one woman make up the list matching the exact ratio of the four already um. . . . what? . . . I guess assaulted would be an adequate term.

I check the background of the city attorney, Carol Davis. Recently divorced, she remarried six months ago. Hm, the new husband is a prominent bank official. I guess there must be trouble in paradise if she is straying this early in the marriage.

Reading through all the bios I find it a bit amusing all eight targeted victims frequent the same three bars. I wonder if it's written somewhere in their oath of office that if they cheat on their spouse, these are the preferred places to go. Maybe they get a discount or something.

Grissom and Ecklie begin to devise a plan to try to protect the remaining four officials while continuing our investigation of the current case. Greg, who has been quiet for the entire meeting, timidly asks "Why can't we just tell these four people what is going on? Maybe they will stay away from the bars and avoid being targeted."

Obviously frustrated, Ecklie glares at Greg for just a moment before he slowly relaxes his expression and says "I wish we could, Greg, but the mayor doesn't trust anyone at this point. I mentioned the same thing to him, and he was adamant about keeping it from other city officials and of course, the police department. That just leaves me and this team; however, I was able to talk both the mayor and the sheriff into bringing Brass and Sofia into the investigation if we find a viable suspect."

Grissom and Ecklie decide to assign each person on the list to a pair of us. Ecklie will work solo and will be responsible for Fire Chief Branson. Greg and Nick will shadow City Councilman Sparks and Warrick and Grissom will take City Councilman Jones. I guess that leaves Carol Davis to Catherine and me.

Ecklie has arranged for the night and day shifts to alternate working doubles which will free us up to follow our assigned elected official. We will work the 'other' case between the hours of noon and five p.m. This will allow us the morning hours for some sleep and the late hours to shadow our potential victim. I still think Grissom and Ecklie have lost their friggin' minds.

Don't they know we aren't trained police officers? What happens if we stumble across the suspect before Brass and Sofia can be called in? I'm not sacrificing myself for the sake of someone else's political image. I'll observe, but that's where I draw the line.

We are each given our assigned person's home and work address and the make, model, and license number of his/her car. Ecklie wants us to familiarize ourselves with both the home and work area. He suggests we scope things out tonight to get a head start on our assignment as he walks from the room.

Everyone grumbles a bit as they pair up and leave the break room together. Catherine and I are the only ones left and judging by the expression on her face, I'd say she is truly the unhappiest person I have ever seen in my life. I sit down and brace myself for the impending explosion.

I don't have to wait long as Catherine slaps both hands down on the table and shouts "Fuck, fuck, fuck. I can't believe I'm going to miss the rest of Lindsey's spring break. And damn it, my mother is not going to be very happy about this either."

Not exactly knowing what to say to the woman who makes a habit of taking my head off on a good day, I simply shrug my shoulders and give her a little smile. She takes a deep breath and loudly expels it before saying "I'm sorry, Sara. This was your vacation time too. I'm just so frustrated. I can't believe the timing of this case."

Surprised at how easily Catherine calmed down, I give her another smile hoping to get more positive results. She looks over at me and graces me with one of her beautiful smiles. I can't believe it, she smiled back. Hot damn, maybe I'm onto something. Wait a minute did I just describe Catherine as beautiful? No, no just her smile. Okay, that's all right then.

Fifteen minutes later, we are on our way to Mrs. Davis' home. I didn't even balk when Catherine asked to drive. In fact, I gladly acquiesced to her request. If she'll stay in this relatively pleasant mood, I'll agree to just about anything.

As we slowly approach the house, we notice a car backing out of the driveway. I check my notes to find the correct make and model of Carol Davis' car. Catherine decelerates allowing Mrs. Davis to back out in front of us. We keep our distance as we follow her down the street.

She pulls into the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino, the home of the Rumjungle Nightclub. Oh goody, it looks as if we are going to begin our detective duty a little earlier than planned.

Catherine and I enter the nightclub a few minutes behind Mrs. Davis. We move toward the bar area to try to relocate her. The lights are low and the different color strobes make it difficult to see. I scan the crowded area wondering how in the world we're going to find Carol Davis in the mass of humanity.

A couple of minutes later, Catherine takes my arm and pulls me toward the far right side of the club. As we approach an empty booth, she quickly grasps my hand and heads directly for it. Sitting on the left side of the booth, she doesn't let go of my hand forcing me to sit down beside her.

It takes a second for my eyes to adjust to the change in lighting. I just thought the bar area was dark. These booths are literally shrouded in darkness. I catch a clue as to why someone would choose to sit in this darkened area when I hear a distinct moan coming from the booth behind us. Judging from the tone, I'd say it was a woman who is most definitely not experiencing any pain.

Catherine leans closer and points toward the wall beside the last booth. Squinting, I am just able to make out the silhouette of Carol Davis. She is being kissed senseless by a tall man who proceeds to put his hands on her ass and pull her closer. I try to make out any features of the man, but all I can see is someone around six feet tall with long dark hair, dressed in leather from head to toe.

I turn to Catherine only to find her face inches from mine. I swallow and lean back a bit before whispering "Do you think that guy could be involved in the blackmail scheme?"

Catherine laughs and replies "That guy? Sara, she's a woman." Confused, I whisper, "I know she's a woman. I picked up on that when Ecklie assigned her to us."

Catherine shakes her head back and forth and continues to laugh. She finally regains her composure and says "No, Sara. The guy Carol Davis is practically having sex with against the wall over there is a woman. Carol Davis is either in the closet or bisexual."

My mouth drops open as I swing my head back in the direction of the far wall. I watch the two of them all but humping each other. When the 'guy' turns Carol against the wall, I am just able to make out two small protrusions on his chest. Well, I'll be damned. It is a woman.

Turning back toward Catherine, I whisper "I don't understand how someone can be attracted to both men and women. It seems to me you either like one or the other. I mean the sex can't possibly be the same."

Catherine moves closer and purrs in my ear "From personal experience, I can tell you it's not. Would you like for me to explain the differences?"

Part 4

My mind slowly processes Catherine's statement and question as well as her strange behavior toward me lately. From personal experience? That must mean . . . oh, my God . . . Catherine's bisexual and . . . I think . . . gulp . . . she has been . . . um, flirting with me . . . for the past . . . let's see, oh shit . . . month! How could I have been so dense?

Taking my silence as a yes to her earlier question, Catherine fully leans into my space and whispers "Where to begin? Let's see. Men are so easy. It doesn't take much to arouse them, and they tend to be into instant gratification. If you're lucky, they realize you need satisfaction too. Some have staying power and can hold on long enough to sate you, but most finish before you even get started. On some occasions, you will actually find one willing to go down on you, but to be quite honest, I prefer women. Even if you have a hot and heavy exchange initially, slow and easy usually follow. Women pay attention to each other. Women will do anything to ensure their partner achieves orgasm, and I much prefer the taste of a woman to a man."

I am beyond stunned and . . . danger, Will Robinson, danger! . . . Catherine has begun to move her hand up and down my thigh leaving no doubt of her intentions. As she moves it to the inside of my leg, I reach down and stop her progress. There must be something in the air causing Catherine to act this way. Besides, we're here on an assignment.

"Ca . . . Cat . . . Catherine, whoa, slow down." She ignores me, leans forward, and takes total possession of my mouth. I place my hands on her shoulders to push her away when she spears her tongue into my mouth.

God, what a kiss and oh my, she does taste good. Instead of pushing her away, I find myself sliding my arms around her and pulling her close. I can truthfully say I have never been kissed like this in my entire life. All other thoughts fly from my head as I savor this moment.

Several delicious minutes later, Catherine releases my mouth and leans back in the booth. We are both panting heavily and grinning like a couple of fools. It takes me a few more minutes to realize exactly what transpired as my idiotic grin quickly disappears.

Shit, I kissed Catherine. How could I have let this happen? I'm not gay; at least, I don't think I am, I mean I'm pretty sure I'm not. Then why did this kiss feel so right? I glance over at Catherine for my answers. Smiling, she reaches over and strokes my cheek. I find myself leaning into her touch despite my confusion.

Catherine continues caressing my face and says "Oh Sara, I have been waiting so long to be able to kiss you like that. I had just about given up hope you would realize the connection we have. I've been trying to get your attention for quite some time and had come to the conclusion you weren't interested."

Crap, what do I say to that? I don't think telling her I had no idea I was interested until now is such a good idea. In fact, I can't think of a single thing to say to reassure her, but I need to do something, but what? Oh, I know. I lean forward and kiss her except this time I initiate the tongue play. No questions for me anymore, I'm officially gay and loving it.

After taking turns plunging our tongues into each other's mouth, we finally break apart and just stare at each other. The strobe lights begin to pulsate casting more light into our area. Catherine glances over my shoulder and practically jumps from the booth.

"Shit, Sara, we lost Carol Davis. Grissom is going to kill us." I snap out of my lust filled haze and frantically look around the room. Where the hell could she have gone?

Catherine's cell phone begins to ring, and we both look down at her hip. It's got to be Grissom. We are going to be in so much trouble when he finds out we lost our 'woman.' How in the world are we going to explain the reason for our distraction?

Catherine quickly opens her phone. "Willows . . . really? . . . we'll be right there." She grabs my hand and pulls me toward the entrance of the club without saying another word.

The valet springs to get our vehicle when Catherine flashes her badge. She still has not spoken, but she hasn't let go of my hand either. The truck pulls up as we both get in. Catherine jumps behind the wheel, and we take off to points unknown, at least unknown to me.

When we get to the first light, Catherine reaches for my hand and says "Nick and Greg's guy, Sparks, had his drink spiked, and they were able to apprehend the culprit. Grissom wants us all back at headquarters immediately." She squeezes my hand and adds "We don't have to tell him we lost Carol Davis after all."

Smiling, the two of us walk into the lab and head directly for the break room. Only problem is we forgot we were holding hands. The guys look at us and grin, but Grissom stares at our joined hands and appears to be quite upset.

Catherine glares at him and increases her hold on my hand as we walk to the other side of the table. She pulls out a chair for each of us as we take our seats. Catherine purposely places our clasped hands on top of the table in pure defiance of Grissom's initial reaction.

Grissom clinches his jaw and throws the folder on the table. Without a word, he walks from the room.

Well, that went well. I glance at the guys who are shaking their heads, clearly disappointed in Grissom's actions. Catherine reaches out and begins to read the folder as if nothing happened.

I, on the other hand, am unsure of my emotions. I have been in a state of euphoria since Catherine very clearly expressed her feelings for me, and now I feel as if someone has let all the air out of my sails. Why can't I be more like Catherine and not let Grissom get to me?

No matter how hard I try to disregard his opinion, I can't help myself. I have always looked for his approval even though I am usually disappointed. In fact, I have to wrack my brain to recall the last time he actually complimented me. Unable to remember, I sigh and begin to read over the file with Catherine.

Catherine picks up on my unhappiness as she interlaces our fingers, lifts up our joined hands, and places a kiss on the back of mine. I glance up to find this gorgeous woman smiling at me. I suddenly realize I don't need Grissom's approval anymore.

Screw Grissom, I have Catherine.

Part 5

The blood screen on Councilman Sparks came back with the expected results. He ingested the same Rohypnol mixture as the other four. The suspect has been brought to one of our interview rooms instead of questioning her at police headquarters. I guess the rest of the department is still in the dark concerning the recent case which Greg has jokingly dubbed the yellow bow case. Of course, we all discretely make an attempt to cover our privates when he makes the reference.

Warrick, Catherine, and I walk into the viewing room and move toward the glass. Greg and Nick are with Brass and Sofia in the 'interrogation' room. They are taking the lead in the case since they were the ones to apprehend the suspect. Grissom is conspicuously absent.

A very nice looking blonde is sitting across from Brass and Nick while Sofia and Greg stand in the background. The suspect, Becky Watts, has waived her right to an attorney, but she apparently hasn't said anything up to this point. She casually leans back in her chair with her arms crossed and smirks while Brass recounts the details of the crimes she is accused of. She laughs aloud when Brass speaks of the yellow bows.

Becky suddenly loses her cocky expression as Sofia points out how much power Judge Carrie Templeton possesses in the city of Las Vegas. The color completely drains from her face when Sofia smiles and adds "The girls over at State Prison are just going to love you and your little yellow bows too." Becky immediately sits up and says "She's a judge? I swear I didn't know. Hell, I don't know any of those people. My boyfriend was paid to drug them and position them in a specified pose. My job was to photograph them."

Brass pushes a notebook and pen across the table, and Becky quickly grabs it and starts writing. Grissom steps into the viewing room and makes it a point to move as far from Catherine and me as possible. Catherine casually turns toward him and says "How nice of you to join us Gil, but you're a little late. The suspect is singing like a canary."

As we exit the viewing room, Catherine turns back to Grissom and adds "Oh, by the way, you can just get over your pissy mood right now. You know damn good and well you would have never made a play for Sara. You're jealous because I was brave enough to go after her. Now, get over it and be happy for the two of us."

Catherine takes my arm and guides me from the room leaving Grissom behind to consider her message. I'm just happy Catherine is the one I'm with. In fact, I don't think I truly ever wanted Grissom. He was merely a safe choice; I would have only been settling if I were with him. Grissom could never have made me as happy as Catherine can.

The team sans Grissom takes the information offered by Becky Watts and tries to find the instigator of this blackmailing scheme while Brass is on his way to arrest the boyfriend, Ben Connors. We have begun to look into Connors' financials and are hoping he can shed more light on the case.

I was hoping Connors would have some sort of tie with the victims but there doesn't seem to be a connection of any kind. Catherine has found some recent deposits that don't coincide with his usual monthly statements. All the deposits seem to have been made in cash so unless we can get Connors to talk, we're screwed.

Catherine and I have taken refuge in her office while we wait for Brass to bring Connors in. Neither of us wanted to take the risk of running into Grissom anytime soon. Besides, Catherine has a nice couch in her office and I have discovered a wonderful way to pass the time. Listening to a police scanner pales in comparison with making out with Catherine.

Warrick pages us to return to the viewing room as it seems Connors is ready to deal. He promises to give up the name of the person who hired him if he and Becky can spend their jail time at a minimum security unit. Judge Templeton agrees to the arrangement and promises to sign all the necessary papers if the information pans out.

This case suddenly becomes very personal when the identity of the blackmailer is revealed. The mastermind is none other than Jane Powell, Judge Templeton's first lover. It seems the two were partners for ten years before the judge left her for her current partner. I guess Jane took the old proverb "hell hath no fury like a lover scorned" to heart.

It doesn't take long for Sofia to find Jane and bring her in for questioning. Jane barely gets settled in the chair before she calmly outlines the entire plan. She had actually come to accept the judge's ending of their relationship, but when she accidentally ran into Carol Davis' ex-husband, the need for revenge surfaced.

Al Clayton, Carol's ex, told Jane all about the 'payoff' he received for keeping Carol's 'extra-curricular activities' secret. After several months, Jane began to plot a way to get back at Carrie for breaking her heart. She organized her version of the 'First Wives Club' to extract revenge at the key officials.

Jane was able to meet with the first wives of the mayor, the sheriff, the city manager, and the two councilmen. Together the six of them came up with the blackmail scheme. Each of them felt they were owed something more than alimony. Carol's ex was not involved in the scheme. He was merely the catalyst for Jane's anger and resentment.

Each first wife would describe the exact woman their ex would be interested in. Jane would then relay the information to Ben who in turn would inform Becky. Becky would provide the perfect bait to lure in the unsuspecting victim. Becky would somehow get the drugged victim to the rear entrance of the club where Ben was waiting to tie them up. Becky would drive the victim's car home and Ben would follow. The two would then set the stage for the photo. After all the exes had been photographed, the extortion would begin.

I can't believe the cars weren't fingerprinted. Of course, these particular victims probably had their car washed and detailed. As I contemplate the reasons for the oversight, I almost miss the most important aspect of the case, the yellow bows.

Jane explains the six of them not only wanted to scare their exes enough to pay off the blackmail money, but they also wanted them to experience some pain in the process. The superglue was the brainchild of the mayor's ex-wife. She thought it was appropriate to cause injury to the body part responsible for their divorce.

Greg asks if there is any significance to the color. Jane smiles and replies "Actually there are two. I wanted to use yellow in reference to the nineteenth century publication, 'The Yellow Book.' In general, the periodical was interpreted as a deliberate and dangerous assault upon respected codes of decency. Also, the sheriff's wife is a great fan of F. Scott Fitzgerald's 'The Great Gatsby.' Fitzgerald chose yellow to represent corruption. So as you can see, yellow is a most appropriate color."

Brass and Sofia meet with the sheriff to determine how to go about rounding up the ex-wives while the rest of the team decides to meet for a drink to celebrate the end of our unusual case. We run into Grissom on our way out, and he nods his head as he walks back toward his office. At least he is making some sort of effort.

After several hours of conversation, we finally decide to call it a night. Catherine has offered to drive me home, and I readily accept. When we arrive at my apartment, I ask if she would like to come up for some coffee. She smiles and turns off the ignition.

Wow, what a difference a day can make. I woke up straight, and I will go to bed gay. Very gay, in fact, as a naked Catherine slinks toward me.