"Well, I'm not sure we have anything additional to offer." Grissom stated, when the FBI presentation concluded.

"We would like to go over the evidence you've gathered." Chloe countered.

"Very well." Grissom acquiesced, then addressed Cavallo, Ecklie and Atwater. "Gentlemen, I suspect, we've reached a dead end, at least, for us. I'm sure you would like to call it a night."

"Cath, would you and Greg log out the evidence." Grissom requested, after they had departed. Chloe and Rob quickly gathered their material follow him through the corridors.

"What were they looking at?" She whispered.

"Your profile." Rob answered then lengthened his stride to close the gap between them and Grissom, cocking his head to one side in study. Chloe rushed to catch up to him.

"What're you doing now?" She exasperatedly asked.

"Trying to check out his ass." Rob indignantly replied. "Geez, he's got it covered with that shirt. How'd she ever see it?"

"The A/C wasn't working quite right. I believe he took off his suit jacket."

"You were there."

"No, I wasn't. Karen just told me about how hot it was in there; he took off his jacket, loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. She thought it was very sexy. I figured she was on the verge of a heat stroke or something."

"Rob, that's the break room, perhaps you'd like some more coffee?" Grissom pirouetted to point out, as they caught up to him. Rob glanced at Chloe, and at her nod, headed into the break room.

"My office, Ms. DeCaen. Please sit." Grissom beckoned her to a chair opposite his desk.

"I'm curious, Ms. DeCaen, how you managed to get here so quickly?" Grissom asked after she settled across from him.

"We were scheduled here on another case. This takes priority."

"I don't like false pretense and I'm feeling a little pushed, right now. I don't like it. The truth, please?" He tossed his glasses on the desk, and gazed at her over steepled fingers.

They reminded her of a game she played as a child, `Here's the church, here's the steeple.' Then an exclamation of `And, here's all the people!' turn your hands over, and spread your palms to reveal wiggling fingers. She doubted he would find it as humorous as she did. `Okay, strike one for arrogant presumption, on your part. Get on this man's good side.' She chided herself then with a deep breath.

"I'm sorry, for that. I am pushing, it's just, we've been after Mantis for a long time. I was hoping to avoid a big hassle over jurisdiction. This is the first really good scene since LA where we got into a messy jurisdiction battle. It was frustrating. We might have caught her then, if we could've started quickly enough. Look, I don't care who gets the glory; I just want to catch her."

"I worked in L.A., as a Coroner. We don't have quite the ponderous bureaucracy, case overload, or the need for niche protection." Grissom clearly remembered being cajoled then bullied; by Administrators, hoping to avoid scandal or keep their respective fiefdom intact; and detectives, hoping to advance in the ranks. Chloe wanted to squirm under his penetrative gaze but quelled the urge, determined not to show outward weakness.

"You left out mistrust of the FBI."

"I'm not particularly enamored with the FBI, myself. Truce?"

"I'd like that."

"Okay, we'll collect your partner and take a look at the evidence."

"So, a friend of ours attended your lecture in Atlanta last fall, did you enjoy your stay?" Rob inquired, catching a sharp elbow in the ribs from Chloe.

"Atlanta?" Grissom paused to remember. "That was a quick trip, I flew in on Sunday, lectured late Monday morning and flew back that afternoon." He briefly considered adding that it was quite an enjoyable trip but that might encourage further questions. Only a lonely old roller coaster mechanic would appreciate the real reason he went - to ride the Superman Ultimate Flight roller coaster, which was fairly new, at Six Flags Over Georgia. Then, he indulged in another ride on the Great American Scream Machine and the Cyclone. Of course, the original Cyclone on Coney Island was still the best….

TBC