Tony’s studying his charts again when Ziva returns. “Did you discover something?” Ziva questions as she stands beside him.
“No. I know I’m missing something, I just can’t see what it is.”
“Perhaps the forensics results may be of assistance then. It seems our assailant is a woman. The trace on the clothes turned out to be Paul Mitchell conditioner and Avon sheer French pink nail polish.”
Tony raises a speculative eyebrow, “Doesn’t conclusively prove it’s a woman.”
“But it is more likely that it is a woman given that the incidents took place on a naval vessel where a man in make up would likely stand out.”
“I doubt conditioner and sheer nail polish would stand out on anyone but you’re right that it’s most likely a woman. Was it the same on all three sets of clothes?”
“Yes. Their lab technician was very… through.”
“Bored the snot out of you?” Tony quirks a smile at her. “Okay, so a woman drugs three sailors, strips them naked and leaves them there. The question remains, why?”
“Perhaps it was retaliation for something they had done to her.”
“Possible. See if any of the female crew reported an assault during their last deployment.” Tony tilts his head again, “But it doesn’t seem quite right either. I mean there’s no real retaliation in what’s being done to them. Still, it’s the best we’ve got so far.”
Tony tapes up another sheet of paper and heads it “Suspect”. The list is a quick one at the moment, “Trace: Conditioner and nail polish” followed by “Female?” “Possible victim of assault or harassment” and “off duty at time of assaults, but onboard ship.”
As he boots the laptop up his cell rings. A quick glance makes him smile, “Hullo again Princess.”
“Hi Tony. How’s the case going?”
“Strange to say the least.”
“But you’re all okay?”
“I could break into a song from a Judy Garland film if it would help.”
“If you only had a break?”
“Got it in one.” He shifts the phone so he can type. “You bored there?”
“A little. I was supposed to be working over at the habitat site today but there was a gas leak on site so they sent us all home. And to be fair I did call Mom first.”
“I don’t mind you calling me, I’m just surprised you don’t have other things to do.”
“All my toys were busy.”
“TMI Princess.”
“Don’t let Pop work too hard and remind him I mean it about him calling me.”
“Will do. Anything else?”
“Nope. Take care of yourself too.”
“Go have some fun. I’ll see you when I get back.”
Ziva slips back out of the dining room silently.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Half an hour later as Tony’s highlighting the duty roster Gibbs calls to have him order dinner after a terse “Dead end.” Tony chuckles for a short while before calling in their dinner order. When he’s done that he returns to his new chart to list the 37 names he’s found. Not as good a start as he’d hoped. Ziva returns to the living room with the files Harper’s just delivered scowling thoroughly.
“How many?” Tony ask warily.
“26 during the Lincoln’s last deployment, and 15 during the previous deployment.”
“What, is the entire command staff and Harper asleep? 41 sexual assaults on board ship in 18 months!” Tony is clearly outraged.
“It is highly disturbing, though a third of these reports are for incidents of harassment, not assaults.”
“That’s still an awfully high number of assaults.” He reaches out a hand, “Give me half, we’ll start by looking for ones that mention our victims but if anything strikes you speak up.”
Tony is slightly comforted by the percentage of case files that are solved, most with adequate punishments handed out. Ziva seems less impressed. “How are any of these men not caught? They are within a contained space, their time fairly regimented, surely it can not be that difficult to identify who had opportunity.”
“Some times the only witness is the victim and they can’t identify their attacker. And opportunity can leave you with dozens of suspects on a ship the size of the Lincoln.”
A sudden light comes to Ziva’s eyes, “Perhaps that explains the odd attacks. She is looking for some mark she saw during the attack. A birthmark or tattoo perhaps.”
“Good thinking, let’s check the unsolved cases first.”
A short while later Tony stands up and moves to his suspect chart, still reading. After a moment he begins a new note, “Possible suspect: Tara Levitt, molested by man she could only identify by tat on ass, a koi.”
Ziva glances at the new entry, “What do you mean by molested?”
“She was fondled but not assaulted. I think molested is an appropriate term.”
Ziva nods absently and goes on to her next file. Two files later Ziva goes to the chart herself, and adds “Possible suspect: Laurel Bowen, drugged and raped during weekend liberty. Got ‘fuzzy’ look at assailant, 6’ 180lbs dark hair and eyes, oval shaped birthmark on hip.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When Gibbs and McGee arrive the Chinese food has recently arrived and there are five suspects listed on the chart. Tony’s on the phone with Harper. “They’ve all check in? No, the whole crew, or at least those who aren’t on extended leaves.” Tony’s expression tightens as he listens. “Check on it. And why don’t you do a follow up with our three victims? Just ask the doc if they’re okay and the men themselves if they’ve remembered anything. You can call your report in to Officer David.”
Ziva growls softly and Gibbs has to suppress a chuckle. When Tony hangs up Gibbs grabs the Chow Mien, “What‘ve you got for me?”
“All three of our additional possible victims are accounted for. Harper wasn’t able to tell me if everyone was accounted for tonight, but he’s checking. Ziva and I have figured out a possible angle. There was trace on the victims’ clothing. Conditioner and nail polish, so the natural conclusion is the suspect might be female. That being the case we think she maybe looking for an identifying mark not visible when they’re clothed. So we had Harper get us all the reports of assaults on female crew members and narrowed it down to five possibilities.”
Gibbs nods, “That’s good work.”
“What was the deal with Marsden, Boss?”
Gibbs just glares. McGee answers instead, “She was a ‘hired date’ and is doing rather well on word of mouth advertising.”
“So you chased down a local hooker?” Tony snickers. The smack he receives is harder than normal. He ignores it in favor of a text message. “Your phone off Boss?”
“Nope.”
“Abbs wants you to call her. Says it wasn‘t nice for all of us not to tell her we left town.”
“I’ll call her after dinner.”
“We calling it quits for the night?” Tony asks highly surprised.
“Nope but I figure we could all do with an hour just not staring at this, maybe it’ll give us some perspective.”
“Ducky and Abbs ganged up on you about down time, didn’t they?” Tony throws out there, knowing for sure that he did.
“Something like that. Got a favorite suspect?”
“Corporal Fuentes seems most likely. She was drugged and dragged into a store room, stripped in preparation for an assault but ultimately just left there as her attacker got spooked. She described the guy she was drinking with as tall, dark hair and eyes, offering to show her a bullet scar on his right thigh. She could be acting out what was done to her on men who fit the description of her attacker.”
“You and I will talk to her. Ziva, you take McGee and interview your pick for most likely of the remaining.” He finishes his dinner and heads for his claimed bedroom calling out, “Be ready to head out in thirty Tony.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Hi Pop! Can you talk?”
“What do you need sweetheart?”
“I was talking with Mom today… She says it’s your turn to host Thanksgiving.”
“And you had nothing to do with this decision?”
“I may have mentioned how unlikely it is that you’d bring Tony to Louisiana.”
“And my boyfriend’s whereabouts matter to your mother why Abigail?”
“I’ve been telling her how good you are for each other. How happy he makes you.”
“And it never occurred to you how unfair this is to Tony?”
“How so?”
“He’s fairly good at signing but not good enough to keep put with Jolene and Victor. So you’re throwing him not only into a meet the prospective extended family situation but one that leaves him at a disadvantage.”
“So you’re never going to introduce him to Grandpa Jack…”
“Abby, if your mother hadn’t given you his name and address you’d never have met your Grandpa Jack.”
“Daddy,” Abby cajoles, “You have good reason to be mad, he hurt you, I get that. But he‘s your father. You don‘t have to forgive him to speak to him.”
“Baby, I’m not going all the way to Stillwater to tell Jackson I don’t forgive him.”
“I could invite him to Thanksgiving.”
“I’ll think about it. But I’m warning Tony and giving him a chance to back out well in advance if I agree to this.”
“Don’t run him off Gibbs,” Abby’s warning is stern, and honest.
“From my life, my bed, my team? Never. From your grandfather? I can’t promise you that. Jack would tell him every story of me getting into some stupid fight over some girl, just to watch Tony react.”
“He doesn’t mean to hurt you. Not then, and not now. I could talk to him about Tony.”
“When did it become your job to be the buffer between me and the rest of the family?”
“The day I was born?” Abby rejoins smartly. “Or at least the day we met.”
“What about Brian and his family?”
“Going to Bethany’s parents’ this year.” He can hear the puppy dog eyes, “Please Daddy? I’ll help with the cooking, and there would only be the six of us. I’ll do all the inviting, and even smooth ruffled feathers.”
Knowing sooner or later he’ll give in he sighs, “Once I’ve asked Tony I’ll let you know. But if we do this make sure your grandfather knows not to bring a date.”
Abby chuckles, clearly sure she’s won. “Will do. How is ‘operation out Tony’ going?”
“Faster than planned, I think. They keep pushing about his clearly serious relationship. And just so you know Ziva suggested it might be you earlier.”
Abby laughs, “He would never touch me, especially because I’m your daughter. Bet he told her so too.”
“Said you were like his niece or little sister.”
“Guess he couldn’t very well tell them he’s my step dad, huh?”
“I want to tell you to stop that, but I just can’t.”
“Because you and I both know that even if he isn’t now he will be.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“It is a dangerous business, pursuing a woman with a child,” Ziva comments after Gibbs is gone.
Tony groans, “I’ve told you time and again there is no mystery woman.”
“Ziva’s right Tony, if she’s got a kid you have to be careful.”
“I am not dating her mother! I have never even met the woman. As I said earlier her father and I are friends, no big mystery. And no mysterious woman either.” He hopes desperately that they both missed the stress on the word woman.
“You can’t deny that you were with someone last night,” Ziva smirks.
“You do have a fresh hickey,” McGee throws in with a snicker.
“And who says it wasn’t just another date?” Just saying it stings Tony a bit but he refuses to show it.
“The fact that you once again will not speak about it.”
“Maybe I just enjoy watching you two scrambling about trying to ferret out the information.”
McGee looks thoughtful, “That does seem more likely than Tony being serious about someone…”
“DiNozzo, let’s go.”
“On it Boss,” Tony calls retrieving the pertinent file from the living room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After a couple of blocks Tony decides to break the silence, “Is this a ‘there’s no case details to go over’ silence, or an ‘Abby upset you and we’re not talking about it because it’s personal’ silence?”
“It’s an I don’t know how to broach the subject silence.”
“Unless you’re dumping me just say it.”
“Abby wants to host Thanksgiving at my place.”
“So I need to make other plans,” Tony guesses sadly.
“Not unless you want to. The problem is she’s basically trying to force you to meet my dad, not to mention her parents.”
“Your dad? I thought he was dead.”
“He’s dead to me. We haven’t spoken since Shannon and Kelly’s funeral. Jolene gave Abby his name and address. They’re friendly. I promised her I’d speak to him again as long as he understood I’m not forgiving him.”
“Is the reason you’re estranged something I should know?”
“Should? I don’t know. I will tell you. Just not until we’re home. You don’t have to decide about Thanksgiving right now either, and if you don’t want to spend it with the family we’ll lend Abby the house and have our own meal at your place.”
“I’d love to meet Abby’s folks. And as far as your dad goes, as long as I don’t get hit with flying food I’d love to meet your dad. I have questions.”
“I still haven’t agreed to this, you’re not encouraging me to do so.”
Tony ignores him. “Thanksgiving with family…Haven’t had one of those in a long time. Think I still know where Aunt Heloise’s sweet potato pie recipe is…”
Too close to the naval station to risk a kiss Gibbs merely caresses the back of the head in a swat like gesture, “Tell Abbs we’re on.”
Knowing they haven’t really got time to talk he texts her instead, “Sounds like I’m making a sweet potato pie. You’d better defend me if a food fight breaks out.”
“I’m not your knight in shining armor Tony. But you’ll love my green bean casserole, and Grandpa Jack.”
“My knight in shining armor requires my attention questioning a suspect. TTYL.”
Gibbs is already at the door when Tony gets out of the car. “Remember she’s a victim too and we don’t have any solid evidence, so don’t come at her too strong Boss.”
“Got my armor all shined up and a clean handkerchief in my pocket,” Gibbs assures him with a smirk.
“Next time you do that ‘my eyesight isn’t what it used to be’ thing I’m calling you on it. In public.”
“My eyesight really isn’t what it used to be. I had 20/10 vision once upon a time.”
“And it’s what now, 20/15? You read my crossword clues from the other side of the damn kitchen before I can. And evidently read my cell phone without even really focusing on it.”
“I was focusing. Just not for long.”
“Some days you are damn lucky you’re good looking Jethro.”
Gibbs gives Tony one of his full, openly happy smiles before ringing the doorbell and slipping back into his concerned professional mask. And suddenly an old comment of Ducky’s comes to mind. A laughing, teasing, clearly happy Jethro Gibbs does seem rather a lot like Tony’s public persona.
Quickly schooling his expression to one of professional concern Tony takes up his accustomed, and rightful, place beside and just behind Gibbs.
“Corporal Fuentes? I’m Special Agent Gibbs of NCIS, this is Special Agent DiNozzo we’d like to speak to you concerning an incident you reported during your last deployment.”
“‘Incident’ is an amusing way to put it,” Corporal Fuentes scoffs angrily.
“Special Agent Gibbs was just trying to be sensitive to the nature of the situation Corporal,” Tony smoothes over automatically. “We think the attempted assault on you and yesterday’s attacks might be related.”
“I thought all of the recent attacks were on men sir.”
Gibbs tries again. “They have been, but the behavior of their assailant is very similar to what happened to you and given that your assailant is as yet still undetermined we consider it a viable avenue of investigation.”
“And our questions are mostly about the investigation, not the attack itself,” Tony throws in with a reassuring smile.
The corporal nods so Gibbs goes on. “You gave a description of the man you suspect poisoned your drink. Was there any indication that he was a member of the Lincoln’s crew?”
“No. He was probably a civilian. Hair was too long to be regulation, sir.”
Recognizing the necessity of a soft touch here Gibbs ignores that hated little word. “But Harper handled the investigation in house?”
“No sir. He did have me give a statement and view a photo array of a few men who fit the description but after two days time he turned in over to the local authorities. I’ve yet to hear back from them.”
Now that she knew she wasn’t being belittled, discounted or trivialized she seemed calm and a little detached about the whole thing. Taking rule 8 into account Tony still asks the most difficult question on the agenda. “Where were you yesterday between 0600 and 1000?”
“Are you implying I’m a suspect?” If looks could kill Tony would be a smoking pile of ash. “I was having brunch with my mother in Seattle.”
“We’ll need her contact information,” Gibbs deflects her attention.
“We’re just following procedure Corporal,” Tony attempts to reassure.
She stays silent as she writes out the requested information, “Is that all Sir?”
“For now. Thank you Corporal Fuentes.”
“That went well,” Tony comments as they get back into the car.
“That’s the last time we trust Harper’s reports. Have him meet us at the house.”
“On it Boss.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“I stand by my suspect list Boss.”
“I know Tony. You were onto something. I could see that almost from the start. But I’m not walking into another interview with incomplete background.”
“And you’ve wanted to rip Harper a new one since we arrived to almost no information.”
“There is that,” Gibbs concedes. “When’s Harper due?”
“Twenty minutes.”
“And McGee and Ziva?”
“Fifteen.”
Gibbs nods and pulls Tony away from the windows. “Then it sounds like we have about ten minutes to relax…”
“And how do you suggest we relax exactly?” Gibbs answers by way of an enthusiastic kiss. When Gibbs releases him beside the sofa Tony grins, “I think this method of relaxation has real potential Boss. Why don’t you show me the technique a bit more?”
They’ve been making out less then ten minutes when the sound of a car stopping on the street in front of the house separates them.
Gibbs growls as he straightens his clothes.
“So much for relaxing,” Tony mutters heading for the bathroom to fix his hair. He doesn’t bother to hurry. Gibbs can get a sit rep from Ziva or rip Harper a new one just fine without him. Instead he goes in search of a bottle of water and a fortune cookie.
“How can you actually eat those?” McGee asks as he enters the dinning room.
Tony holds up the fortune, “You will be asked many inane repetitive questions. Rise above them.”
“That’s not what it says.”
“No it’s not. It says ‘If you do not live your life now, when will you?’ Not as topical as mine though.” He smiles as he eats the other half of the cookie, “Dead end?”
“Looks like it. Still have to check her alibi but it seems the local PD took good care of her.”
“Which suspect did Ziva pick?”
“Seaman Florence Mitchum.”
Tony goes back into the living room and puts an X beside Mitchum’s name with the notation “upon confirmation of alibi” then does the same to Fuentes’ listing.
“Hey Probie, Fuentes was supposed to be having brunch with her mother. Here’s the number.”
McGee glances at Gibbs, probably in preparation for a protest but in the end he doesn’t say anything. Possibly because Gibbs looks ready to shoot someone. Which makes Tony smirk, if only for a split second. Harper arrives as McGee is making the alibi calls.
Tony re-examines his suspect files while Gibbs scares Harper half to death. When the tone of voice tells him Gibbs is winding down he joins them. “Now tell me about the Howard investigation.”
“Petty Officer Howard was convinced it was one of the men she worked with in the engine room but they all had solid alibis, as I noted in the file. I promised to keep the investigation open but after about three months she confronted one of the men and seemed finally accept his assertion that none of the engine room crew was responsible. Without a specific subject I couldn’t get a search authorization for anyone DNA.”
Tony nods, “And Corporal Levitt?”
“Unfortunately the tattoo she described is not listed on anyone’s service record. I have the medical staff on alert about it but he hasn’t turned up.”
Tony considers that a moment before asking at last “Chief Warrant Officer Bowen?”
“That was a sad one. All the witness reports conflicted with Bowen’s statement. Again we’ve kept an eye out for the mark but as yet it hasn’t been spotted.”
Tony gives his charts one more measuring look before turning to Gibbs. “It’s Bowen, Boss. Nobody believed her. Nobody did a proper investigation. So she took matters into her own hands.”
“Let’s go.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It’s almost four AM by the time Bowen is safely in custody, as is her fourth victim, Petty Officer Second Class Nesting. Nesting is sporting an oval shaped birthmark as well as multiple abrasions and contusions. Bowen is confident he was her rapist. Either way their work is done and Tony wants nothing more than to attempt to sleep. Unfortunately Ziva seems to have no such inclination.
“I do not understand why she waited three months before implementing her plan.”
“Ziva, Ziva, Ziva. You do not just walk up to a man with a drugged cup of coffee right out of the gate. No if you plan to get away with it anyway. You have to establish a routine first. If you bring me coffee when you never have before half the people in the room will remember that. If every few days you bring me a cup it becomes such a nonevent even I don’t necessarily remember you brought it to me afterwards.” He shrugs, “Besides she needed a suspect list to work from, and as you know that takes time.”
Ziva’s quiet long enough Tony considers out right telling her to leave him alone and go to bed. When she fidgets slightly and turns to face him he decides against it, figuring she’s finally coming to the point of the whole exercise. “Were the women always a cover?”
“A cover for what?” Tony asks innocently.
“Tony, you and I both know the person you have been secretly, and I suspect seriously, seeing is the little girl’s father.”
He fights the instinctive panic in favor of sticking to the plan. “And if that’s true?”
“I simply do not understand why you make such a show of chasing women.”
“Gay cops don’t live long. And if you talk a good game most people take you at your word.”
“How is it that Americans are so obsessed with sex and yet you manage to be such prudes about it?”
“I don’t know what to tell you Ziva. Except maybe that guys tend to think that anyone who’s interested in men must be interested in them specifically.”
Ziva nods, “Does the little girl understand the situation?”
Tony checks that they are indeed still alone before answering, “She tells me I make her dad happy so I think so.”
“You seem very fond of her.”
“She’s a sweetheart.” A brilliant smile graces his face, “She’s my princess. And like any good knight of the realm I’d defend her honor as my own.”
Ziva laughs pleasantly, “She is lucky to have you.”
“I take it you aren’t bothered by the prospect then.”
“Of you finding someone of course not. Of you helping to raise a child? A bit. Do you stare at every shapely behind in front of her as well?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about Zee-va. Head on off to bed.”
“Goodnight Tony.”
“’Night.”
Chapter End Notes:
Up to this point everything was already written, hence the extremely quick update schedule. Unfortunately from here on out it looks like smaller less frequent updates will be the norm, maybe three pages a week instead of four a day. Sorry.