Tony and Kate stared at the man dressed in Navy Whites in the interrogation room. He sat hunched over, his face planted in his trembling hands. He was thin and weak looking and even sitting down they could see he was short for his gender and age. He raised his head from his hands and seemingly stared right through the one-way mirror at Kate and Tony, though all he saw was himself. His eyes were red and swollen, like he had been crying. Kate looked at the photo of Seaman Havener and then back at the frail man across from her.
“I think this is Robert Havener, Tony.” She handed him the file and he examined the photo closely in the dim light of the observation room.
Kate was right; the photo they had of their suspect was only from the shoulders up and showed no indication of how strong he could be. His face and hair were the same as the man in the photo too; this was indeed Seaman Robert Havener.
A moment later, they watched as Gibbs entered the interrogation room and seated himself across from the Seaman.
“Is Gibbs seriously going to interrogate this guy, I don’t think he could take on a Chihuahua never mind two Naval trained women,” Kate asked, gesturing to Gibbs and his serious expression.
“He’s our only connection with the murders, we need something. Besides maybe he had an accomplice do his dirty work,” Tony answered. Kate shrugged and turned her attention to the scene in the other room.
“Are you going to tell me why I’m here?” Havener asked, his voice shaking as he spoke.
“Where were you on the night of June fourteenth and June sixteenth?” Gibbs said, ignoring the naval man’s question.
“I don’t know. Probably at home. Why are you asking? Did I do something wrong?”
“Do you live alone?”
“Yes. Look, whatever it is, I think you have the wrong guy...where am I anyway?” Havener looked around for any sign of his location.
“Do you know these women,” Gibbs asked as he threw autopsy photos of the two victims onto the table in front of Havener.
He stared at the photos for a second before becoming wide-eyed and looking back to Gibbs. “You think I have something to do with those murders on base?”
Gibbs stared fiercely back at Robert. “So you know them?”
“No! I...I don’t know them personally. I just heard about it on base.”
“You’re telling me you never met Lieutenant Peyton?”
“No...no.”
Gibbs opened the file in front of him. “Yet two months ago you applied to be her assistant in the legal office. Wasn’t there an interview?”
The Seaman swallowed the forming lump in his throat and tried to speak. “Please... I...I...have nothing to do with this!”
“Answer the question, Havener!”
“Th...there was an interview, it was done by here assistant at the time, and then we met the Lieutenant briefly. I swear I didn’t do it. I don’t even know this other woman.”
“That other woman is the person who took the job you applied for,” Gibbs said, pushing Seaman Havener further into a corner. “And what about this violent past of yours? Picking fights with senior officers on the first day. Sounds like a good start for a murderer, Havener.”
“No!...Please!...Look I had something to prove! No one thought I’d make it in the Navy, I wasn’t...I’m not tough enough. Please, there haven’t been any problems since. I applied for that job to try and get away from the guys around the base...” he trailed off meekly, feeling defeated.
Kate watched sadly from the other side of the glass as Robert’s eyes welled up, he was terrified and didn’t know what to do. Kate was sure he was innocent. “Okay, that’s enough,” she said standing up and heading for the door. “He doesn’t know anything.”
Tony scrambled after her as she moved out into the hall and to the next door. “You can’t bother Gibbs in interrogation!”
“Watch me!” She opened the door and stepped part way in. “Agent Gibbs, can I have a word?”
The frightened Seaman looked relieved as his interrogator turned his attention on someone else. Gibbs grumbled a few profanities, shot a glare at Kate and followed her out into the hall.
“Agent Todd! What have I said about interrupting me...” he started to yell but was cut off by Kate.
“He’s innocent!”
“What?”
“God Gibbs, you don’t need a profiler to tell you that that man in there couldn’t have raped and murdered two women,” Kate said, trying her best to stare down Gibbs.
“Agent Todd, you’re stepping over the line...” Gibbs warned but was cut off again by Kate.
“That’s bullshit Gibbs and you know it!”
“He has a connection with the victims and no alibi, Kate!” Gibbs yelled, taking a step forward and towering over his senior agent.
“And he’s the size of a fucking twelve year old boy! How could he have taken down the Lieutenant and Petty Officer by himself?” Kate countered, not backing down in the slightest, her rare use of a profanity emphasizing that.
Tony stood a few feet back, watching as his boss and colleague tore into each other. He did have to admit that Kate had a stronger argument; Havener really didn’t seem like the murdering type. However, he made no move to interfere. For one, he didn’t want to come between Gibbs and a good argument, and he had to admit that watching Kate all riled and ready to kill Gibbs was hot. Tony smiled inwardly to himself, no matter how upset he was with her he could never banish his office fantasies from his mind.
“He could have had an accomplice!” Gibbs continued.
“Why are you pushing this Gibbs! I know you’re not an idiot, you can see as well as anyone that this man has nothing to do with our case!”
At Kate’s words Gibbs finally conceded to her argument. He pulled her aside gently, shuffling down the hall away from Tony. “Look,” he said, then paused and ruffled his hair awkwardly. “I’m worried about you.”
Kate looked at him with disbelief. Sure the team could tell when he was concerned about one of them, but he’d never made his thoughts known so clearly before. “Gibbs, you don’t have to...”
“No, I do. I have a bad feeling about this case...our victims,” he said, and Kate nodded understanding what he meant. “I just want to find the guy before anything happens, and right now Robert Havener is as close as we’ve got. So just let me do my thing, okay?” He gently patted Kate’s shoulder and she smiled, grateful for the almost fatherly concern and relief at someone else agreeing with what her mind continued to tell her was not a coincidence.
“Okay, just don’t be so hard on the guy. I still don’t think he’s involved, but we’ll do some more research, maybe check out his place today.”
Gibbs frowned a little. “Maybe you shouldn’t go out into the field...”
“Gibbs!” Kate’s protests cut him off.
“Fine, just watch your back, Todd,” and with a final pat on the shoulder he disappeared back into the interrogation room.
Kate rejoined Tony down the hall and he grinned at her and winked. “What were you talking about with the boss?” he said with another wink.
Kate’s expression quickly turned to disgust and she elbowed Tony in the ribs. “DiNozzo!”
“Hey! I’m just saying, Kate. You and Gibbs looked pretty cozy back there,” Tony said with a laugh, then prepared for another hit.
But instead of another sharp blow to the ribs, Kate smiled up at Tony. “Hey, we’re talking,” she said happily, noticing his drastic mood change.
Tony smiled back a little. “Yea, we are.”
“Maybe we could...you know...”
“Kate, could we maybe talk about it later?” Tony asked, looking at this floor, slightly embarrassed. He wanted to clear the air between them but didn’t feel like having this conversation at work where Gibbs could walk in at any moment.
“Sure, no problem,” Kate said, then punched him hard in the arm.
“Hey! What was that for?” Tony cried, rubbing his arm lightly.
“For even suggesting there is something between me and Gibbs,” she said with a laugh and started down the hall. Tony hurried after her and they headed upstairs, finally feeling almost back to normal.
Chapter End Notes:
Two chapters in one day! Lucky ducks! Enjoy.