CSI Carter (under major editing)

One step closer

A woman comes to the door. She's tall with long brown hair and tattoos going up both arms. A young boy also runs to the door. He's about 3 years old. I break the silence and ask " hello I am Amber Carter and this Mac Taylor we are from the Las Vegas crime lab. I hesitate to continue my sentence then look down at the boy. The woman pushes the boy inside; she steps out and closes the door behind her.

I ask "are you Meagen Dull?" looking a little confused she answers " yes why ?"

I feel bad that I have to be the one to break the news to her. It's by far the worst part of the job "you were married to a Charlie foster correct ?" she looks back towards the front door "yes" and then asks " how long have you been separated ?" Megan looks down at the ground and as she crosses her arms looking past Mac and me "The divorce has been finalized for about 6 weeks now. Now I can ask what's this is about " Mac sighs " well Mrs. foster we are sorry to inform you that your ex-husband was murdered last night"

The look on her face is like seeing the light go out in someone's eyes. It's something you just get used to if you do this job long enough. I can tell she was still in love with him. Sometimes divorce is better for everyone including the child, thinking back to my own childhood. I wished my parents had gotten a divorce. She looks up at me and asks a question I wish some people wouldn't ask but she did. " what happened ?" Mac looks at me to answer " it appears that he was killed in an alley and we believe that he was targeted because of your recently divorced" Meagen reaches for the door frame as her knees start to give, mac catches her before she falls and helps her over the chair on the front porch. She's trying to be strong and keep it together cause once we leave she has to go inside and tell that little boy that dad's not coming home. Mac and I wait before asking any more questions, giving her a second to collect herself. Then Mac asks "do you know where your ex-husband was yesterday night between 8:30 pm and 10:00 pm." she looks around "I have no idea we really only talk about our son Toby" I look over at Mac and nods and says "ok thanks for your time we're sorry for your loss to be we will be in contact if we have any more questions."

She walks back inside the house, I know she is in pain and the feeling of having to tell her child that dad's not coming home. Mac and I head back out to the truck. As we started the drive back to the lab, I started to think about when I had gotten the call that my father had been struck and killed by a drunk driver. I was 18 getting ready to leave Vegas forever. Mom was ok, and my dad was but that changed. When I was walking from my high to my part-time job I got a class saying my father had been hit by a car and was brain dead on life support. They had tried to call my mother but did not pick up the phone as per usual. So that day I had to find and drag my mother out of some dive bar at 1 in the afternoon and then I had to choose to take my father off life support because my mother passed out drunk in the waiting room. Mac looked over at I guess he could tell that the notification had brought up a lot of memories. He ever so gently placed his over mine and squeezed it. I look over towards him breaking the silence "you know mac is despite all the abuse and neglect my mother done the one thing I don't think I will ever forgive her for is forcing me to choose to take my dad off life support that has to be the one to tell Allison.

Before Mac could say anything else my phone went off, it was a call from Nick, Mac put my phone on speaker so I could drive " hey Nick have something for me?" getting right to the point he says "Our killer made a mistake. There's a fingerprint on the handle of the knife." I ask "which one there's two," he answers, "the one we found in the dumpster at the end of the alley where the victim was found." I smile, "it's the knife she used to carve the broken heart in his palm." Nick answered " yes," I tell him "ok run it through vicap "

We pull into the lab parking garage. I park my truck, once inside. Mac goes to Russell's office and I go straight to the DNA lab. Nick is sitting there tapping his foot on the floor. I can tell it's starting to piss Hodges off. I look over at Nick who smiles so I know he is tapping his foot on purpose to annoy Hodges. Finally, Hodges looks over at me and nick the yells " would stop tapping your foot" Nick raises both his hand with his southern drawl " sorry man didn't know I was doin it" I just chuck. Then the machine beeps and Hodges finally hands us the results " no match in any database " he says with the slightest hint of sadness in his voice. "Ok thanks. Then it hits me " hey Hodges what if I could get you access to a nationwide search. " he thinks about what I said for a few seconds then answers " yes if I can get access it would probably help a lot" Hodges Shrugged her shoulders "probably"

Nick and I walk out of DNA, he asks him " how are you goin to get that anyways " "well I have an ex who works at the New York field office and he owes me a favour " he smiles and walks away. I call my ex jack. He always gives me what I want. I give Hodges the access code.

I sit down and he says to me " this is going to take a while" I nod as I walk out of the lab I tell him " let me know when you have something" I walk into the break room Macs getting a cup of coffee. I start to make mine when he says to me " you should go home and get some sleep you look like hell" I turn around while stirring my fourth cup of coffee " thanks for that I am fine I called Allison last night and I have a friend checking in on her every night, she shoots me a text every couple hours. Now I will go home when this psycho bitch is caught."

I'm going to look for a couch to crash on for a few hours. The one in the break room is being used so I walk into Russell's office. He's not there. I walk in and lie on the couch within minutes I fall asleep.

I am having a nightmare that is nothing new. I can feel myself tossing and turning as if I am trying to get away but I can't escape the nightmares that are always in my head. Whenever I close my eyes it's like there's a war going on in my head. Russell taps me on the shoulder. I nearly hit him on the jaw. He moves back just before I do, I look around to get my bearings " I am sorry I didn't mean to I am sorry I.....I..... sorry" I try to Profusely apologize but DB was having none of it. He just pats my shoulder and says "it's ok" then I ask " how long was I asleep for anyway " he laughs a little " you were asleep for about three hours " I check my phone to see if Hodges had anything. Just as I reach for my phone it goes off and I get a message from Hodges saying that he has my results.