Chapter 3
"How's it goin' luv?" he asked when he entered the lab. Abby had turned her music up and was now spinning in her chair, sucking at a mostly empty Caff-Pow.
"Luv?" asked Nigel again, a little louder. Abby jumped.
"Oh, sorry Nige," she said.
"Not a problem luv," he said pulling up another chair beside her, "Find anything yet?"
"No, not a thing," she said, frowning, "The powder is thus far still a mystery, the knife is clean, and there's nothing on his clothes, wallet, keys or anything. What'd Duck say?"
"He most likely bled to death, but there's a bunch of our mysterious powder in his lungs," said Nigel, "What about his shoes?"
"Already checked," said Abby, "Nothing to help us find out where he's been." A machine in the corner began to beep, and Abby rushed over to it.
"Well, we've solved the case of the mysterious powder," she said, "It's a combination of drugs here, we've got meth, marijuana, cocaine, even a bit of angel dust."
"I don't get why people insist on taking so many drugs. That's bloody stupid," said Nigel.
"He must have been pretty insane after taking that lot," agreed Abby.
"Enough for someone to kill him?" he asked.
"I don't know," she said staring at the results and thinking hard. At that moment, Tony came in.
"Don't know wha- Who are you?" he asked once he caught sight of Nigel.
"Tony!" said Abby, head-smacking him, "Don't be rude!"
"'S alright luv," said Nigel, "Dr. Nigel Townsend, criminologist and forensic expert at the ME office in Boston."
"Right, Special Agent Tony DiNozzo," said Tony, shaking Nigel's hand and feeling rather outsmarted by the two experts in the room.
"He's here on vacation, we met online a few months ago," explained Abby.
"Oh, so you two are…" Tony trailed off.
"No!" said Abby and Nigel simultaneously.
"We're just friends," said Nigel.
"Right," said Tony, dropping the obviously touchy situation quickly and handing Abby a fresh Caff-Pow!, "So what have you got for me?"
"Not much," said Abby, "Our mystery powder is a combination of drugs though, cocaine, marijuana, the whole nine yards."
"So he was a druggy?" asked Tony.
"Yeah, that's generally what it means when you find a whole bunch of drugs in a guy," said Abby, exasperatedly.
"I better go tell Gibbs, good work Abbs," he said.
"Nigel helped too," Abby called after him, but he was already gone.
"Only a bit, luv," said Nigel, and Abby gave him a hug.
"But you still helped," she said.
"Hey guys, Nige and I are going out to lunch, you want us to bring you back something?" offered Abby as she and Nigel walked into the bullpen. McGee looked up interestedly, but Kate answered their question before he could ask his.
"No, we're good," she said.
"Okay. Oh, McGee, you haven't met him yet have you?" said Abby, "Nigel, Tim McGee. McGee, Dr. Nigel Townsend," she introduced them.
"Dr.?" asked McGee.
"Criminologist and forensic expert," explained Nigel, grinning embarrassedly.
"Well, we'll be off then," said Abby, and linking arms with a fairly surprised Nigel, she led him back to the elevator.
"Are they…" asked McGee, staring after them.
"Supposedly not," answered Tony.
"Right," said Kate disbelievingly.
"Supposedly not," answered Tony.
"Right," said Kate disbelievingly.
"So where are we going, luv?" asked Nigel, grinning and putting an arm around her waist. It was a risky move, touching her like that, but she didn't shy away. She was like a fizzy drink; he'd had a taste of her bubbly personality and wanted more.
"I don't know, it's your vacation, you choose," she replied.
"Whatever you want, luv, my treat," said Nigel, holding the door for her.
"Thanks," she said, "but that's a dangerous offer."
"What makes you say that?" he asked.
"There are some pretty expensive places in town," said Abby, grinning.
"You are evil, luv." He grinned too.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Lunch, and quite a few drugs.