C S I (UNDER EDITING)

Chapter 21 - Reminiscence (2)

Lauren's POV
You never understand why someone lies. To you, it seems crazy that they would even consider it in the first place. I mean, why not just tell the truth? Rip it off like a band aid? But times comes when you lie, you'll understand. For those of you staring or even thinking judgementally, you're lying to yourself if you say you've always told the truth. We're humans, we're imperfect, WE LIE. So to you I say, who's the bigger liar here? Coming here, I knew there would be stones I would bury and leave unturned about my past. As far as anyone needed to know; I was Lauren Callgate, transfer from the London crime lab, end of story. No family, no nothing. They don't need to know all the skeletons I've spend half my life trying to hide and forget. I didn't mean to lie to them, I didn't mean to lie to Catherine, to lie about my past and why this case was hard for me, really. But I promised myself, when I got on that flight in London, I promised myself. I would be a new person when I got here. That, that part of my life was no longer. But the past has a way of catching up to us, even when we think we're safe. "Hay, you okay?" Nick asks as he walks into the break room. "Oh, um...yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." I nod. "You don't look okay." He states matter of factly as he sits across from me on the couch. "I promise I'm fine." I nod, even mustering up a smile that manages to look half convincing. "How's your case?" I ask. "Ehh. We've got ID on the vic but it's been hard tryna find the next of kin." He shrugs. "What about you?" He questions. "Cath's taken autopsy and I'm waiting on lab results and we just got ID as well; foster kid." I explain. "They're always the saddest." He sighs. "Yeah." I agree. "Oh Hay Nick." Catherine greets as she walks in. "Hay, we got autopsy results, wanna see?" She turns to me. "Show." I nod. She gives the file and I flip through. Signs of abuse, blunt force trauma as cause death, nothing new. "Anything else?" I ask. "That's not the only thing." Catherine frowns. "Apparently, doc also found signs of trauma on her wrists as if she's been bound for a prolonged time." She reads off the report. "Poor girl..." I sigh. "I was just on my way to go pester the lab techs for results." She jokes, attempting to lighten the mood. "Lead the way." I mutter. We flip through the Manila coloured folder once we've gathered the results. "There was ketamine in her system." I read off the sheet. "That's probably how they kept her quiet." I mutter, a frown on my face. "This girl didn't even have a chance." I fume, the anger finally catching on. "Calm down, the justice we get her is through solving the case. Not getting angry." Catherine states. "I know, I know. I'm sorry...it's just, this girl never had a chance. These people bound her, pumped her full of drugs. They treated her like an animal." I choke. "Hay, we're gonna find them, and we're gotta get justice for Ariana." She assures me comfortingly. "Um, anything else?" I ask. "Nothing more the good doctor can add. That's all. Next is locating the weapon." She explains. "Alright, I got that." I state as I run out the room.

Hours later...

"My eyes are about to pop out." I groan, rubbing them. I've been going through the evidence for hours and I still am no closer to finding the weapon. "Wo, take a break Lauren. You've been here for hours." Catherine smirks as she walks in. "N, nah. I'm good. I need to find this weapon." I sigh, stifling a yawn. "You're exhausted and that's not good for anyone, go home." She persists. "I'm good." I disagree. "Okay, how about this, you let me take you to eat something. There's this amazing diner around the corner and their pancakes are heaven." She suggests. "Alright..." I agree. "Let's go." She sniggers. We head to diner, deciding to walk because it's such a short route. Cath orders us both pancakes and a coffee. "This case is so frustrating. We can't do much because she was pretty much invisible and we're still stuck trying to identify the weapon." I sigh as I take a sip of my coffee and a bite of my pancake. "With these cases, they always are." She smiles sadly. "I gotta ask, why the persistence? I mean I get that this case isn't easy but what makes this different?" She asks. That's the question I've been dreading since the day I arrived. "Aha..." I laugh nervously. "The past is in the past." I reply simply.