Specters of Crimes Past

The insistent ringing of his cell phone brought Grissom out of the dream he was having. Blinking away the fog of sleep still clouding his mind, he reached for the phone and flipped it open.

"Grissom."

"Gil, it's Catherine. Look, I know it's your night off, but would happen to have any idea where I could find Jana?"

He frowned. "Jana?"

"Yeah, Jana. Jana Stevens, former CSI, now PI, two of you are often seen together outside of the job. That Jana."

"Why are you trying to find Jana?"

Catherine sighed. "I need to ask her a question about something, and it really can't wait."

"Did you try her house?"

"Yes, I did. I also tried her office, her private office line, and her office manager at home to see if he knew where she was."

"How about her cell phone?"

"I didn't try that. Do you have the number?"

He rattled it off to Catherine. "Cath, can you tell me what this is about?"

"Not right now - kinda busy. See you tomorrow!" She ended the call and he closed the phone, frowning thoughtfully.

The ringing began again five seconds later. Grissom picked up the second cell phone that sat on his bedside table and handed it to the blonde woman who was lying on top of him, her hair spread out across his chest. She glared at the display and hit the talk button.

"Jana Stevens."

* * * * *

Eight months earlier . . .

The candles on the tables in the restaurant gave it a highly romantic atmosphere. She followed the maitre 'd across the room, feeling a little uncomfortable. After all, this was not another midnight meeting over chicken fried steak at the diner. This was a real date, their third in the past two months. They had left their pagers and cell phones at home, wanting to just enjoy each other's company without interruption. Jana was actually dressed up in a black dress that clung to her torso and fell in gentle pleats from waist to knee, with heels. Her blonde hair was pulled up and she was wearing the pearls her mother had given her.

He stood up to greet her when she arrived at the table, his dark blue suit a startling contrast to his silver tinged hair and blue eyes. He smiled at her, admiration in his gaze. He courteously held her chair for her, and she blushed. He sat back down across from her.

"You look wonderful, Jana."

"Thank you. So do you." She picked up her menu and smiled at him. "You picked this place just to see me in a dress, didn't you?"

"Yeah," he said with a sheepish shrug and a small smile

She stuck her tongue out at him playfully and he chuckled.

Their waiter came, and they ordered. When the man had left, Grissom picked up his wine glass and held it up in a toast. "To another dinner with a beautiful woman."

Jana blushed again, but clinked her glass with his. "And a handsome gentleman." Now he looked embarrassed.

Conversation was awkward for a while, both of them feeling out of place. When the silence continued to stretch out, Jana started giggling.

"What?" he asked with a slight smile.

"Oh, the two of us. Put us in a smoke filled diner or at a body filled crime scene and we're fine. Put us in fancy clothes in a fancy restaurant and we're fish out of water." She shook her head.

He laughed at her description. "I guess we are. Neither of us have a personal life outside of our jobs either. Well, except for our diner dates."

She groaned at his play on words. "That was terrible, Gil."

"Thank you."

Their dinners arrived, and they both frowned at the fancy arrangement of the food. They looked at each other and barely restrained laughter. Finally, Jana managed to speak.

"So, how was that seminar you gave last week?"

He smiled. "I think it went well. You should have come."

"I would have loved to, but work kept me busy. We've got more cases than I think we can handle sometimes. I need to hire a new investigator. Feel like going into the private sector? No politics, less paperwork, though the boss is a real bitch to work for," Jana said teasingly.

He smiled again. "No, but you could always come back and work for me."

"No way. I like getting to pick my own cases. Besides, if I worked for you we couldn't do this," she said, gesturing around the room. "You know the sheriff would frown upon it."

"True. I don't want to stop seeing you, Jana."

Jana smiled, a little thrill running though her. "I wouldn't want that either," she said softly.

Conversation turned to other matters then, the rest of the dinner passing as if they were two normal people out on a date, their history forgotten in the moment.

Once back outside in the noise and bustle of the Strip, Gil tucked her hand into the crook of his arm and led her down the sidewalk. She followed him, not really caring where they went. She was enjoying this night, with him. She smiled, remembering the night three years ago when he had asked if he could see her more often. She knew he was romantically interested in her, but she'd still been too raw from wounds she had blamed him for causing to even consider a romantic attachment. But he was patient, taking what she offered and not asking for more. Gradually, her fears had diminished, and they had begun to date like any other couple.

She looked up to find him smiling at her, and she smiled back. "What are thinking?"

"Me?"

"Don't give me that innocent look - I know you. I've known you for ten years. You're planning something."

"Actually, I was thinking since we're here…" he gestured with his free hand to the building across the street. Jana looked and knew exactly what he hand in mind.

"You want me to ride a roller coaster in this dress?"

"Why not?"

"Let me see now, short, billowy dress and fast speeds. Laws of physics dictate that my skirt will not be preserving any modesty."

"And the problem with that is?" he asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

She rolled her eyes. "Okay, but if every male under seventy on the ride is leering at me, I warned you."

* * *

Several hours later, Jana kicked her shoes off before sitting down on Gil's couch, sighing. "I swear, a man invented high heels."

Gil, coming back into the living room with two glasses of water, raised an eyebrow. "Why a man?"

"Because no woman in her right or wrong mind would have willingly subjected her sisters to such torture."

"Interesting theory."

"Thank you," she said, her eyes reflecting her smile as she took the glass from him.

Gil sat down next to her and tilted his head. "Don't you wear heels at the office?"

"Not dress heels. These are a good two inches higher than usual, hon."

"So why did you wear them?"

"Because they went with the dress."

He laughed, and she joined in at her totally female reasoning.

Setting his glass down on the table, he reached down to pick up one of Jana's feet. She looked at him with a quizzical expression, but didn't stop him. She was curious as to what he was doing.

Gil was a little surprised by his temerity. But the restaurant tonight had been his idea, and he wanted to make it up to her if her shoes had bothered her feet that much. Slowly, he began rubbing the bottom of her foot with his thumbs, alternating between light touches and hard pressure as he worked his way from the soles of her feet to her toes. He kept his eyes on his hands, a little afraid to look at Jana to see her reaction. Finally, he snuck a glance and was gratified to see her eyes were closed; her head resting on the back of the couch.

He kept massaging her feet, working around to the front. He was still amazed that Jana had agreed to these formal dates. For three years, they'd kept their relationship on a mostly platonic level. It had been frustrating for him, because he had really started to care for Jana as more than just a friend. And yet he understood her reluctance to become involved, and acknowledged the part he'd played in creating that hesitancy. So he'd waited, not always patiently. Catherine had noticed his attraction to Jana a few months ago and warned him to go slow. He thought she'd be stunned to find he'd been going slowly for three years. But he didn't mind. He firmly believed in the old parable about the tortoise and the hare. Slow and steady would prevail over a more hasty approach. His hands trailed lightly down to her ankle, working around the joint before sliding back to the sole of her foot and then to the toes. He glanced again at Jana. Her eyes were still closed, and she had a slight smile on her face.

Jana sat there, letting his hands work on her feet, feeling her entire body relax. She smiled, thinking that if she'd known Gil was this good at foot massages, she would have let him do this years ago. His hands left her foot, and she opened her eyes, about to protest. But he merely put that one back down and picked up the other foot, giving it the same careful, thorough attention. She closed her eyes again, letting him relax her other foot. Sometimes she wondered why Gil continued to put up with her. The last time she'd dated had been right after she'd started her business. She knew now she'd been too raw from what happened to be in a relationship, but at the time she was trying for a semblance of a normal life. She couldn't even remember the guy's name, but he'd stopped calling after their third date when she wouldn't sleep with him. After that, she'd kept away from romantic entanglements. But Gil was different. He didn't pressure her, didn't play games, and didn't accuse her of sending out mixed signals. He took what she offered. Sure, he would suggest things, but it was always just a new place for them to meet - like dinner tonight. Coming back to his house had been her idea.

Sometime over the past few months, Jana realized that Gil was more than just a friend to her. She couldn't say when or how it happened, but it had. She was just unsure of what to do about it. She knew he was interested in her, but she was scared that she was reading the signals wrong. She didn't want to lose him as a friend because she was deficient in her interpersonal relationships.

Slowly, Jana became aware that his hands were just resting on her foot, his hands warm on her skin. She opened her eyes to find him watching her with that intense gaze. Desire was flickering in his eyes, and Jana felt an answering response go through her. She let a slow smile cross her lips, and his gaze grew more intense, his eyes darkening. Slowly, his hand slid up her leg. Jana shivered at his touch.

Gil leaned closer to her, his hands resting lightly on her hips. He was watching her face carefully, looking for signs that Jana was uncomfortable. As much as he wanted to make love to her, he would stop if she asked.

Jana sensed his hesitancy, could see the questions in his eyes. He was being so gentle with her, as if he was afraid she would stop him at any moment. Yet because he was being so gentle, Jana didn't want him to stop. She reached out to run a finger across his lips, smiling when he gently kissed it. Her hand slid around to the back of his neck and pulled him to her, bringing his lips down to hers. It was a soft kiss at first, lips just barely touching. Then Jana let her lips part underneath his, pulling him closer. He deepened the kiss, letting his tongue slide into her mouth. Jana let out a soft exclamation and he drew away, his hands leaving her hips. He looked down at the floor as he spoke.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" Jana was confused.

"I didn't mean to push you, Jana."

Jana took his hands in hers. "You're not."

He looked up at her then, hope written on his face. He brought their joined hands up to his mouth and kissed the backs of her hands. "Are you sure?"

The low, silky voice he used sent shivers down Jana's spine. She licked her lips and nodded, not trusting her voice. He stood, still holding her hands so that she stood with him. He drew her to him and kissed her, a deeper kiss than before. Jana leaned into the kiss, slipping her hands out of his and letting them rest against his chest. His arms came around to pull her to him. Jana leaned back against them, her knees weak. Gil broke off the kiss and led her to his bedroom.

Once inside, he carefully undressed her, still half-expecting her to stop him at any moment. She never pulled away though, undressing him and unerringly finding the most sensitive places on his body. He groaned and pulled her back to him for another kiss, letting three years of longing come through. Jana wrapped her arms around him and let herself fall back onto the bed, bringing him with her. Their hands explored each other and soft sighs and murmurs were the only sounds in the room. Bodies entwined and passion built until it could no longer be contained and they found themselves exploding together.

Afterward, the room was quiet except for their breathing. Gil was too emotionally drained to move, unable to recall if he'd spoken aloud or just thought the words when he came. He hoped he hadn't said them aloud. Yet with his face next to hers, cheeks almost touching, he felt the need to whisper I love you.

Whether he would have or not became a moot point when he felt a teardrop sliding down Jana's cheek. Alarmed, he lifted his head to look at her. Her eyes were closed and tears were slowly tracing down from under her lids. He gently wiped them away from one cheek with his thumb.

"Jana…." He said her name softly.

Her eyes opened, fastening on his. What he had feared he would see - anger, accusation, hate - wasn't there. Instead, she looked at him with something he couldn't name, but understood nevertheless.

"Oh, Gil…." She whispered.

He smoothed a few stray hairs off her forehead and leaned down to kiss her gently. He rolled over onto his side, taking her with him and cradling her in his arms as she continued to softly weep. When dawn broke over the desert town, it found them still in each other's arms, lost in the dreamless sleep of new lovers.

* * * * *

Present day . . .

Jana hung up her cell phone and sighed. Catherine wanted her to come down to the crime lab for some reason. Jana was tempted to tell Catherine to take a hike, but knew she wouldn't. She leaned her head against Gil's chest for a few moments, trying to gather the mental energy needed to leave his arms.

"What does Catherine want?" he asked softly.

"She wants me to come down to the lab. She wouldn't say why."

"I suppose you ought to go, then."

"Yeah." Jana made no move to leave. They lay there for several more minutes.

"You know, she might send Brass after you if you aren't there soon." Gil finally said with a smile in his voice.

Jana chuckled as she sat up, pushing her hair away from her face. "Well, he'll know where to find me when my house is empty." She sat on the edge of the bed to gather up her clothing before standing.

"Are you saying you think Brass suspects something?"

"No, I'm saying he knows," she said as she fastened her jeans.

Gil looked a little stunned by this news. "How does he know?"

Jana shrugged into her shirt. "It's not like we've really tried to keep this secret, Gil. I'm surprised you didn't hand me the phone when Catherine called you."

"I thought we agreed to keep it low key. And I don't talk about my personal life at work."

Jana shook her head. "Low key and secret are two different things." She finished pulling on her boots and stood up. "I'll call you when I'm done at the lab, okay?"

He smiled wryly. "Isn't that my line?"

"Yes." She leaned down to kiss him hard, leaving them both a little breathless when she finally pulled away. "A promise for later," she said with a wink as she left the room.

* * * * *

Catherine was waiting for Jana inside the reception area of the lab. She tossed Jana a visitor's pass without a word and started walking back in the direction of the morgue. Eyebrows raised, Jana followed her down the hallway, nodding at Sara and Nick as they passed by.

Catherine didn't speak once they entered the morgue. She merely pulled back a sheet from a corpse on an autopsy table and watched Jana's face.

"Son of a bitch," the PI said.

"So you know him."

Jana gave a mirthless laugh. "Alexander Wilson, Esquire. Marcus Jackson's defense attorney."

Catherine stared at Jana, clearly not expecting that name. "Are you sure?"

Jana shot a look at Catherine. "Oh yeah, I'm sure. Bastard grilled me for hours at the trial. I don’t think I'm likely to forget him. What happened?"

"Someone shot him, fifteen times. Overkill."

"And considering the scum he liked to defend, you've probably got a zillion suspects in Las Vegas alone. Including me," Jana added, staring straight into Catherine's eyes. The other woman nodded solemnly.

"Including you."

* * * * *

Jana sipped at her coffee in the interview room and waited for Catherine to return. A sheriff's deputy stood in the corner of the room, keeping an eye on Jana. Not that Jana was going to try anything stupid. Being a former CSI had its advantages - she knew what not to do around the police station. This included not calling Gil. He was her alibi, and she wanted to be sure that his veracity wouldn't be called into question. If she called him now, before the police talked to him, they could always claim she asked him to lie. Not that Gil would lie for her or anyone. He had too much integrity. Part of what she loved about him.

Jana looked up when the door opened, surprised when Brass walked in. He nodded at the deputy, giving him permission to leave the room.

"I hear Marcus Jackson's attorney was killed tonight," Brass said as he sat down across from Jana.

"Apparently so. Catherine asked me down to identify the body." She frowned. "Why me though?"

"She didn't tell you? Your business card was found in his pocket. That was the only identification found on him. AFIS just confirmed your ID."

Jana looked at Brass, blinking in shock. "My business card? How would he have my business card? We've never done business together."

"Well, you did know him."

Jana rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Brass, the last time I saw him was at Marcus Jackson's sentencing hearing."

"What about the execution last month?"

"It was stayed again, remember? Anyway, I wasn't going up there - he was dead to me the moment the jury pronounced sentence. I bought three bottles of Glenlivet that day and I've kept them in my pantry. I plan on getting very, very drunk when the state executes Jackson; but I don't plan on being there to watch it."

Brass raised an eyebrow at Jana's plan for commemorating the execution of the man who had killed her parents and nearly killed her, too. Then he cleared his throat and looked Jana in the eye. "I have to ask this, you know. Where were you tonight, Jana?" Brass opened his notebook to take down her answer.

"I worked until 6, then went over to Gil's house for dinner."

"And after dinner?"

Jana leaned forward. "Do you want the play by play, Brass, or will a simple 'we went to bed' do?" she purred.

Brass stared at Jana, blinking. Jana chuckled. "Sorry. Bad timing, I know. To be blunt, we went to bed and we were still there when Catherine called."

Catherine had entered the room during Jana's last sentence. Since she hadn't heard the name of the person Jana was giving as her alibi, she asked her, "Who were you with?"

"Gil Grissom," Jana said.

Catherine's eyes widened with shock. "Wait, then why didn't he just give you the phone when I called?"

"We wanted to keep our relationship low key. I guess he thought that handing me the phone was not a low key thing." Jana shrugged. "It's Grissom, you know how he loves to talk about his private life," she added.

Catherine nodded slowly, her eyes showing doubt in the way she kept glancing at Brass. Brass was making notes, not looking at either of the women, though he had a small smile on his face.

"Look, Catherine, if you don't believe me call Gil. I haven't spoken to him since I left his house - you know I didn't call him, and the deputy can tell you the same thing."

"Jana, you do have a good motive for killing Alex Wilson, and he was found with your business card."

The blonde P.I. sighed. "I know - he was Marcus Jackson's lawyer, he got Jackson two stays of execution and on the stand he called me a slut and tried to insinuate I was merely out for revenge because of my parents, so I compromised evidence, blah blah blah." Jana pushed her hair out of her face and sighed. "As for the business card, I don't know what to tell you. I never did business with the guy. But I do business with a lot of attorneys and other people - he could have gotten my card from anywhere." What Jana didn't say, but knew Catherine and Brass were also thinking, was that if she had killed Wilson, why would she leave something that tied her to him?

Brass and Catherine looked at each other before getting up. "We'll be back in a minute," Brass said.

"I'll be here," Jana replied with false cheer as the deputy came back in.

* * * * *

"Catherine, what is this about? First you call Jana down to the lab, and now you want me to tell you what I did tonight?" Grissom's voice was a mix of confusion and frustration.

"Look, Gil, I really can't tell you about it at the moment. Just, trust me, please," she said softly. She hated having to keep Gil in the dark on an investigation, but she needed him to tell her what happened without prevarication. She could hear his sigh over the phone.

"I had dinner with Jana Stevens, she came over to my place around 6 tonight."

"What time did she leave?"

"When you called her down to the lab. She was here when you called me."

"So why didn't you give her the phone?"

"I didn't give her the phone because that's not the way our relationship works, Catherine. We're trying to keep our personal lives separate from our professional."

"Well, they're about to run into each other head on."

"What do you mean?"

"Marcus Jackson's attorney was murdered tonight."