Mists of Memory: Chapter 5

Later that night, Grissom and Jess are sitting at a bar in the shadier side of town. She has her hair pulled back in a hair band and is wearing a flowing top and skirt. Grissom recognizes the outfit as being similar to the one in the crime scene photo of her cousin Angie--the first known female victim. The two are sitting side by side looking at each other and not knowing what to say. In the background, Sophia and Nick are dancing, as are Warrick and another police woman.

“Why that outfit,” Grissom finally asks.

“I’m hoping to trigger something,” replies Jess.

“How many more bars are we going to tonight,” asks Grissom wearily.

“It’s after eleven now, if it’s going to happen it will have to be soon,” she states.

She hears Jim Brass’ voice in the earpiece that she is wearing stating that a man fitting the description of Tom Davis has been spotted in the southeast corner of the park. She looks at Grissom with fearful anticipation and says, “This may be it.” Grissom gives her a look of despair as he follows her out the door. He grabs her and pleads, “Don’t do this.” She tries to break away. “Let go” she cries, playing her part in the setup. She breaks free, and starts to run putting some distance between her and Grissom. She passes between some trees, and is suddenly grabbed from behind.

She struggles to get free, but he has her by the throat. Just then, she hears a voice yelling, “Stop this is the police, let her go.” Her attacker turns around, keeping Jess in front of him so that she is standing between him and Jim Brass with a knife at her throat. Brass’ gun is drawn and pointed at them. Grissom approaches from the side with his gun drawn.

“Stop both of you now or she’s dead.” Shouts Tom Davis angrily.

“You’re planning to kill her anyway,” replies Brass.

“Maybe I’ll make a last minute confession,” retorts Tom.

“So you can brag about how you’ve gotten away with killing for so many years,” asks Grissom sarcastically.

“There is a lot more I could tell about,” he replies.

“What is that supposed to mean,” Brass asks.

Tom levels his gaze at Grissom. “She was wonderful as a child, wasn’t she?”

“I wouldn’t know.” Grissom responds.

“Really, you don’t know what you’re missing.” Jess shifts slightly, causing the knife to cut into the outer layers of her skin. She grimaces, but is unable to move, yet even in her terror, her mind races to think of a way out. Brass and Grissom both look disgusted; hearing Tom bragging about abusing his daughter disturbs them. “When she was taken away I needed to find pleasure somewhere else,” Tom continues.

“So you turned to killing,” Brass spits vehemently.

“Not at first,” he says. “Imagine how I felt when I saw her out partying and enjoying herself with other men. I watched until I couldn’t take it anymore.”

Grissom interrupts Davis’ reverie, “So you stopped it with a knife. The only problem was you got the wrong girl and realized you liked the killing more than the sex.”

Tom starts to grin maliciously, and Grissom can see the fear in Jess’ eyes. She grabs hold of Tom’s arm just as the targeting laser of a sniper rifle zeros in on Tom Davis’ head. Grissom and Brass move forward as the bullet explodes into Tom’s skull. Both Jess and Tom fall to the ground covered in blood. Jess jumps up and starts to scream hysterically, “No, no, no,” over and over. Grissom grabs hold of her and puts his hands on either side of her face. He looks into her eyes and says, “It’s over, you’re free.” She stares at him and starts to cry. He wraps his arms around her, pulls her against his chest, and backs away from the scene.

There is an ambulance waiting at the edge of the park, and he walks her over to it slowly so that she can be checked out. Meanwhile, Brass and the other investigators take care of the scene. Jim Brass sighs deeply; he feels a mix of satisfaction and sadness that it took so long to catch this killer.

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Later the next day, Grissom is in his office reviewing the reports on the gunshot killing when Jess walks in. “I hear that they found the car Tom Davis was using,” she says to him.

“Yes, and there is evidence that he had a gun but we couldn’t find it. There was gun shot residue on his hands,” he shrugs.

“So we can’t be sure he killed Jillian,” she states.

“No but it’s likely that he did,” Grissom replies. “How bad are your injuries?” He asks, noticing the bruises and cut on her neck.

“They’re not that bad, and the cut is only superficial,” she says uncomfortably. “I’ll need your report as soon as possible,” she informs him.

He looks at her a moment evaluating her. “What’s bothering you,” he asks. She looks uncomfortable, but doesn’t answer, so he asks her a question that has been on his mind. “The locator chip wasn’t for us to find you, was it?”

“No,” she replies after a few moments. “I wanted him to find me, and I figured that he would find out about the chip and try to locate me that way.”

“What else is wrong?”

She lets out a deep breath. “There had to be people protecting him all these years, and I figured they would continue to help him, at least until they could get rid of me or take him out.”

“You believe that’s what they did,” he asks.

“Yes,” she replies softly. “I think the CIA executed him to protect themselves. Someone had to have known or at least suspected what he was doing.”

“You wanted to get them too,” Grissom asks sympathetically. She nods in affirmation. They look at each other, both knowing you can’t always get all the bad guys.

“What are you going to do next,” he asks.

“Finish this case, and then give away my grandfathers estate.” Grissom looks at her questioningly. “I don’t want anything to do with either of them. After that, I don’t know.” They look at each other neither sure what to do next.

Finally, Grissom breaks the silence. “What’s your number?”

She gives him a half smile and walks toward his desk. “Do you have a pen?” Grissom hands her a pen, and then she says, “Hold out your arm.” He cocks his head at her questioningly, but complies. She proceeds to write her phone number on his inner arm. He looks at his arm, and then up at her and smiles.

“Call me,” she says, and then Jessica leaves.

Grissom watches her as she goes, knowing that the slate has been cleaned. That the story of their lives hasn’t ended with the closing of a chapter, but has caused the beginning of a new story. The ghosts of their pasts would go away, and the unspoken memories wouldn’t hurt anymore. Grissom smiles; whatever happens next, whether they would remain friends or become more again is unknown, all he knows is that there are possibilities.

The End

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I don't know whether or not I'm satisfied with the end, but it is better than where it would have ended before. Thank you to Donnac and Csifreak04 for your reviews of the last chapter. And thanks to everyone who read this story.