The three CSIs looked down into the trunk to see the wide-eyed terrified face of a young woman, her mouth duct-taped, her hands and ankles bound with black nylon electrical ties. She was about twenty, and her brunette good looks were not unlike those of the late Candace Lewis.
They helped the woman out of the trunk, cut her bonds and removed her duct-tape gag, preserving all of that as evidence. Sara led the hysterical but grateful girl toward the Tahoe to check her over, physically, and then start interviewing her.
"The new girlfriend," Brass said.
"Nice," Grissom said, arms folded.
"How so?"
He turned his angelic, ever so faintly mocking gaze on the detective. "How often do we ever find a body at a crime scene…that's breathing?"
Brass grunted an appreciative laugh.
Watching Sara with the woman who would never have to suffer the way Candace Lewis had, Warrick Brown, meaning every word, said, "It is nice, Gris. Nice to save one, for a change."
Author's Note
I would again like to acknowledge the contribution of Matthew V. Clemens.
Matt-who has collaborated with me on numerous published short stories-is an accomplished true crime writer, as well as a knowledgeable fan of CSI. We worked together developing the plot of this novel, and Matt created a lengthy story treatment, which included all of his considerable forensic research, from which I expanded my novel.
Once again, criminalist (and newly promoted) Lt. Chris Kauffman, CLPE, Bettendorf Police Department-the Gil Grissom of the Bettendorf Iowa Police Department-provided comments, insights, and information that were invaluable to this project. Thank you also to Lt. Paul Van Steenhuyse, Certified Forensic Computer Examiner, Certified Electronic Evidence Collection Specialist, Scott County Sheriff's Office (whose assistance the dedication of this book can only partly repay); to Detective Jeff Swanson, Crime Scene Investigation and Identification Section, Scott County Sheriff's Office; and to Todd Hendricks for his knowledge of cars.
Books consulted include two works by Vernon J. Gerberth: Practical Homicide Investigation Checklist and Field Guide (1997) and Practical Homicide Investigation: Tactics, Procedures and Forensic Investigation (1996). Also helpful were Scene of the Crime: A Writer's Guide to Crime-Scene Investigations (1992), Anne Wingate, Ph.D, and The Forensic Science of C.S.I. (2001), Katherine Rams-land. Any inaccuracies, however, are my own.
Again, Jessica McGivney at Pocket Books provided support, suggestions, and guidance. The producers of CSI were gracious in providing scripts, background material, and episode tapes, without which this novel would have been impossible.
As usual, the inventive Anthony E. Zuiker must be singled out as creator of this concept and these characters. Thank you to him and other CSI writers, whose inventive and well-documented scripts inspired this novel and continue to make the series a commercial and artistic success.