Grissom and Chloe picked their way across the back of the empty lot between the Stargazer and the Magness. He had photographed and searched the car, in situ; then called for a tow. A more thorough investigation would be conducted at the lab. In the meantime, Chloe had examined the room. Presently, Grissom played his flashlight along the crumbling, head high wall then made his way around the one corner still standing. Chloe stopped to study the graffiti Catherine had photographed then perused other graffiti adjoining it.

"Looks like these were done by different people." She stated. She looked around when she received no reply. Grissom had disappeared.

"Dr. Grissom?" She called, gingerly treading debris, broken glass crunching underfoot.

"I've gotta pretty good view of the lot and the back of the Magness from here." Grissom spoke. Chloe twirled; it sounded as if he were directly behind her. She stumbled, falling gracelessly on her rump.

"Sorry. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, you startled me." She aimed her flashlight at where she thought his voice emanated. One bright blue eye and part of his face was visible through a hole in the wall. She stood up, dusted off and peered at the hole.

"You wouldn't know any one was there." She jumped again as he materialized beside her.

"Do you always walk that quietly?"

"It's the sand."

Chloe studied the hole for a moment; realized he had, once again, inaudibly departed. She located his silhouette in a pool of light, near the Dumpster, at the rear of the Magness. "Sand, my ass!" She grumbled, as the crack of another brittle shard of glass reverberated across the lot.

"What?" She asked. He was standing, head cocked to one side, lightly tapping his thumb against a middle finger.

"I think, we should've checked over here, Wednesday morning. Dumpster's recently been emptied." He pensively replied, with a shrug he added. "Shall we see if Catherine and Rob came up with anything?"

"Certainly."

"You sure you're okay?" He inquired, noticing her limp as they made their way to the lobby.

"Yeah, I think I twisted my ankle, a little."

"I'm sorry."

"It's nothing."

Grissom politely held the door for her; one of the clerks at the counter pointed them through a door after he presented his identification. They joined Catherine, Rob and the Magness night manager, John, according to the nameplate on his blazer. They were concentrating on grainy black and white footage of the parking lot, which included the Dumpster.

"There she is." Rob pointed out. A woman retrieved a duffle and a trash bag from behind the Dumpster and placed them in the trunk of a sedan.

"Looks like a GM. Can't make'em out but they're definitely not Nevada plates." Catherine mumbled, squinting at the screen. "Archie can probably enhance it enough to get the numbers. Mr. Taylor, we'll need these tapes, as well."

"Sure. Whatever we can do to help."

"Are there more tapes?" Grissom asked.

"Yes, they have tapes of the front counter." Catherine answered.

"We keep'em for a week, then tape over them." Taylor helpfully interjected.

"And the guest registration?" Grissom inquired.

"Well….I suppose."

"We'll keep this as quiet as possible." Catherine soothed.

Back at the lab…

"I take it our FBI guests called it a night." Grissom asked, peering over Catherine's shoulder.

"Yeah, one yawn after another, they left `bout an hour ago. Archie got a decent close-up of the plate and we figured out the make and model. It's a Buick, LeSabre…Arizona tags. I've sent a request; but we won't hear anything `til business hours. I'll call'em before I turn in for the day since it's Friday. Now, here's the good part, watch the bags."

"I've cleaned it up all I can." Archie commented, as he began the loop, he and Catherine had been concentrating on for the last half- hour. About 20 seconds into the video, a brunette came into view carrying a duffle bag and a trash bag; she paused behind the car parked next to the Dumpster. It appeared she searched her pockets, then glanced around the lot. Satisfied no one was around; she stowed the bags behind the Dumpster and disappeared from view around the back of the building.

"I think, she forgot her car keys and went up to her room to get them." Catherine noted. "Now, watch this." Practically, on cue with her words, the duffle bag moved into the light. Two hands unzipped it and quickly searched. A couple of items were removed; the bag was zipped closed and disappeared from view back around the Dumpster.

"You think that was our graffiti artist?" Grissom asked. Seconds later, the woman returned and placed the bags in the trunk of the car.

"Yep. Looks like it was about 10:45 PM. I'm gonna call the Magness night manager and get the rest of the surveillance tapes from around that time frame. Maybe, we can get a clear shot of our young man, to place him at the scene. Has Brass found him?"

"Haven't heard from him."

"Well, I'll get the rest of the tapes and we'll look over them. Then, we'll see if we can find our perp on the front desk tapes."

"Good, keep me informed."

TBC