Title: Meeting Alberto
Author: IrishDachsie
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Not mine.
A/N: An Improv challenge
from the week of
Meeting Alberto
“I wouldn’t go there if I were you.” Sara stated quietly as she walked by the
young man.
Greg glanced at Sara as she left the room. With a nervous sigh, he looked back at his
supervisor standing directly in front of him.
Grissom’s eyes had darkened in frustration and
anger. He stared silently at Greg,
mentally counting until his blood pressure began to return to normal. His chest heaved as he took a deep breath.
“As I stated before, Greg, go through this
evidence…and find something useful for us to follow up on.” He pushed past the CSI-in-training and stormed
out of the layout room.
Greg exhaled slowly as his eyes found the
battered box on the table. “A fifteen
year old case, investigation led by Grissom…and he wants me to find
something ‘useful’ in this box?”
“I told you not to go there, Greg.”
Startled, he jumped and spun around to find
Sara leaning against the doorframe with a soft smile on her face. Greg ran a trembling hand through his hair as
he willed his heart rate to slow.
“Damn, Sara!
Just give me a coronary next time.”
Sara’s smile grew minutely as she walked to the
table and gently ran her hand along the top of the box. “This is very important to him…”
“I got that in the death glare he gave
me.” Greg leaned against the table. “Why is it so important to him?”
Sara tilted her head slightly as her fingers
tapped on the lid of the box. “You
haven’t looked inside yet, have you?”
Greg shook his head as Sara lifted off the lid
and placed it on the table. “There’s
always one case that affects you more than any other. This one case changed Griss.” She pulled out a picture from the box and
handed it to greg. “Meet Alberto Morales.”
Greg took the picture and looked down into the
smiling eyes of a young Hispanic boy. As
he studied the photo, Sara began emptying the box and placing the items on the
table.
“Alberto was six years old when he was murdered
by his mother’s live-in boyfriend.
Miguel Montegna was arrested and convicted
within a year of Alberto’s death. Gil
has never discussed the details of the case with me, but I do remember him calling
me nearly every night during the investigation.
He was a completely different person when it was over.”
“And now this Montegna
is requesting another trial?”
Sara nodded sadly. “Now he’s saying that it was his brother who
tied Alberto down and tortured him to death.”
“It took him fifteen years to come up with
that?”
Sara shrugged her shoulders as she walked to
the door. “Jesus went to prison on an
unrelated charge three months after Alberto died…he was released last week.”
“So basically I’m looking for something that
will keep Miguel in prison or completely clear Jesus?”
“Grissom is one hundred percent sure that
Miguel is guilty. This isn’t about
clearing Jesus. This is about keeping a
monster in his cage until his death sentence is carried out.”
“But…this was Grissom’s case. Shouldn’t he be the one doing this?”
“He has done all he can do. He just needs you to confirm his findings.”
Greg looked at her, clearly confused. “Why me? I’d figure he’d ask you.”
Sara glanced down the hall in the direction of
Grissom’s office. “I volunteered, but he
thought it would be too risky to the case.”
Greg nodded as he sat down in the chair. “Wife playing with the evidence to make sure
hubby’s findings stick?”
Sara offered Greg a smirk. “Something like
that. Gil has confidence in you,
Greg. He wouldn’t trust this case to
just anyone.” Seeing her husband step
out of his office and head towards the break room, she glanced back at
Greg. “Do your best. And if you need any help or
clarification—call him. He’ll help you.”
She left the room to catch up with
Grissom. Greg called out a quick
“thanks”. He felt more at ease as he
heard her “you’re welcome”.
With that, he sat back and smiled.