Stalker

Chapter Seven


“What do you have?” Greg asked as he entered Archie’s domain.

He was worried about Sara and he wanted answers to the stalker’s identity. He hoped the tapes Nick retrieved from her answering machine would get them in the right direction. The note had sent chills down his spine, his stomach clinched in dread. He wanted to catch the maniac as soon as possible.

“Not much,” Archie answered as Greg sat beside him.

“Anything you can give me is better than nothing,” Greg said.

Archie typed on the keyboard, bringing up a sound wave. It played and Greg raised an eyebrow. He barely heard anything and he strained his hearing as best he could.

“Can you enhance it?”

Archie nodded and typed some more. The sound wave appeared again and played; this time louder.

“It’s a clock,” Greg remarked. “Is he at home?”

“He’s not disguising his voice,” Archie mentioned.

“He wants Sara to know his voice,” Greg said, another chill running down his spine.

“I’ll try and see if I can find anything else.”

“Thanks.”

Greg left the room and went to find Sara. It wasn’t much, but news was news.

He found her in Grissom’s office, getting an update on what Brass might have learned. Greg stood in the doorway, watching and waiting. He saw from her posture and voice Sara didn’t like the news. He hoped she would take his news a lot better.

As if sensing him, Sara turned around. She looked surprised to see him. He offered her a slight smile. He didn’t want to upset her anymore than she already was.

“I might have some good news,” he said as he stepped into the room.

“I could use it. Spill.”

Greg cleared his throat, “The stalker might be calling from his home. Archie isolated a clock in the background. He’s attempting to isolate any other sounds now.”

“Anything else?” Grissom asked from behind his desk.

“He wants Sara to know his voice.”

“I don’t think I can forget it,” Sara said, a tremor in her voice.

Greg placed a hand on her shoulder. She smiled slightly at him and he returned it. It pained him to see her frightened like this. It only made him want to catch this stalker all the more.

He headed into the break room and sat on the sofa. He ran his hands through his hair in frustration. He leaned back against the couch and closed his eyes. He had hoped there would be more to go on, but there wasn’t. He felt useless and it frustrated him. There had to be something he could do.

“Sleeping in the break room again?”

Greg opened his eyes and saw Sara walk toward him. She smiled, causing him to relax. She was in a better mood at least.

“Just thinking,” he said as she sat beside him. “I wish there was more I could do.”

“You’re letting me stay at your place. That’s more than enough.”

“I’m letting you use my bed,” he added with a mischievous grin. “I’m sleeping on the couch, remember?”

“It’s nothing new for you, Greg,” she said, the smile now a grin.

He laughed, the note all but forgotten.


~*~


After shift, Greg took Sara to a cozy diner for breakfast. It was early in the morning, they had the place almost to themselves.

They sat in a booth as a waitress handed them some menus. The tension of the day left Sara as she allowed herself to relax.

She sighed softly as she leaned back against the seat. She looked at Greg as he scanned his menu. She was thankful for his help and wondered how she could repay him.

She must have stared for too long, for he glanced up at her, a smile on his face.

“What?” Sara asked, her face burning.

“If I knew you liked staring at me, I would have given you a picture for your birthday instead of a forensics book.”

Sara rolled her eyes and placed her menu closer to her face. Her face burned and she could only guess it was red. She heard his laugh and a flame of desire sparked inside her. She glanced over her menu and stared into his dark eyes.

Greg stopped laughing and looked at her. Something pulled at her and her body burned. The silence heightened the pull between them, growing stronger with each passing moment.

The waitress came, breaking the spell. They gave her their order and she left.

Sara turned her attention to her coffee, not wanting Greg to see the effect he had on her. It only made things worse, for the coffee reminded her of his eyes. She closed her eyes only to visualize him gazing at her.

She sighed, pushing her mug away.

“What’s wrong?” Greg asked, concerned.

Sara shook her head. She didn’t want to tell him she was attracted to him. She knew how he felt about her and she didn’t want to get his hopes up.

“The note,” she said instead. “He’s going to expect me to return home. Else, he’s going to hang around headquarters more.”

“Don’t let this stalker get to you,” Greg said, placing his hand over hers. Her body nearly burst into flame at the touch. She drew in a breath, but he didn’t hear it.

“I’m not going to let him scare you,” he continued. “You shouldn’t either.”

She looked at him and saw the determination in his eyes. She smiled and hoped he wasn’t getting in over his head. The last thing she wanted was him to get hurt for becoming involved.

“I just want him caught,” Sara whispered.

“I know,” he said giving her hand a squeeze.

Their food arrived then and Sara was grateful for the reprieve.

~*~

Outside, in a car across the street from the diner, a man stared at the building through his binoculars.

He didn’t like what he saw and he gritted his teeth together in anger.

What is she doing with him? I told her to stay away from him.

He narrowed his eyes as his grip on the binoculars tightened.

I’ll have to take matters into my own hands then, he sneered.