The team searched Lee's car, apartment and the surrounding grounds. At first, the only visible evidence of a struggle was a patch of grass that had been kicked up. Ziva shot pictures and Tony noticed a dark object while the camera flashed.

"Think I've got something here, boss." He told Gibbs, stooping down to pick it up.

Ziva looked at the object. "It's Michelle's barrette. She was wearing them in her hair yesterday."

"Bag it." Gibbs told him as Tony pulled the evidence bag out of his kit.

"Boss, over here." Tim said pointing to a spot on the pavement.

Gibbs walked over as Tim was snapping a picture of the object he had found. "It looks like the other barrette. And over this way, tire marks. They aren't dark but the look fresh and they are leading away from the apartment complex."

"Did you…" Gibbs started.

"Already shot it, boss." Tim told him.

"Good work, Tim." Gibbs told him and looked around trying to put together what happened. Not satisfied with what he saw, but knowing they had all the evidence they would get from this scene, he called for them to head back to NCIS.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Abby and Carly were already working on the flowers Michelle had received, analyzing the card and every petal of every rose and carnation to see if there was any trace evidence. Abby growled as Gibbs and Tony filed into the lab with the new, miniscule pieces of evidence.

"I hate criminals who watch crime shows and take forensics courses!" Abby exclaimed and turned with a scowl at her two favorite men. "Tell me you brought me something to catch this creep and get Michelle back."

"We have photos and her hair barrettes." Gibbs told her.

Carly grabbed the photos to analyze while Abby took the barrettes and Jimmy made a sound of despair from the corner of the room.

Only just realizing he was in the room, Tony looked uncomfortable while Gibbs walked over to the miserable young man.

"Palmer!" Gibbs barked to get his attention. When the man looked up and met his eyes, Gibbs continued, "we'll get her back, unharmed, you got that?"

Jimmy stared into the blue eyes of a man he normally feared and saw the understanding and certainty shining from them. He stood up straight and nodded. "I've got it Gibbs."

With a quick look at Abby, he started for the door. The four of them watched in compassion as he left, but as soon as the doors slid shut behind him, Carly noticed something in the photos that puzzled her.

"Abby, take a look at this. Is that?" Carly asked.

"What did we miss?" Tony asked as he and Gibbs looked over the women's shoulders.

"I don't know that you missed anything since we haven't pulled any evidence of the flowers she received. But that looks exactly like one of the small petals from the carnations in the arrangement. See?" Carly told them and pulled out the photo of the arrangement from before they set about taking it apart.

Gibbs eyes narrowed. "Son of a … He's leaving us a calling card?"

Tony looks up in disgust. "Looks like it."