‘What the heck?' Tony thought as he watched Director Shepard walk up the stairs. She had been avoiding him since her return, projecting a polite but controlled demeanor, much as she did when she first took over her position as NCIS Director. He knew they had grown much closer in the past few months. It was almost as if she was intentionally discouraging him from approaching her. And he could have sworn he just saw her turn around and watch Ziva's shapely backside with interest after she had turned to walk away. He turned at the sound of Noah's chuckle, and then remembered to block his thoughts around the vampire lest they become public knowledge.
Noah allowed his gaze to following Ziva as she made her way toward her desk.
"What?" she asked him, catching him staring.
Noah responded only with a sexy smile.
"Stop it," she ordered. He shrugged. He hadn't done anything; the problem was solely hers, and the both knew it.
"Where's my sailor?" Gibbs asked gruffly as he joined the others in the bullpen.
"Working on it, boss," McGee reported. "We've tried several different methods in an attempt to decipher what was meant in the letter…"
"Just figure it out," Gibbs interrupted. His phone began to ring. "Gibbs," he answered. He listened for a brief moment, and then slammed the phone down. "I'll be back," he said shortly. "DiNozzo, with me," he added.
"On your six, boss," Tony replied, joining Gibbs in the elevator. "Where we headed?" he asked.
"Autopsy," Gibbs told him.
"Oh," Tony replied, confused.
"Palmer's gone missing."
---
‘If I ever catch you ogling a female agent, or anyone, while inhabiting this body I promise you I will…' Jenny began.
‘You will what? Throw me out?' Roy scoffed.
‘Look, we agreed to keep this matter private, and to move forward with my life as best as possible. In order for that to happen, you need to let me control things, at least while we're at the office,' she reasoned.
‘So you're saying I can control things after hours? Pursue any woman I want, eat or drink whatever I want?' he queried.
‘Of course not! I'm not a lesbian!' she protested.
‘But I'm a man, Jenny. Seeing your lovely body naked is a nice plus, but it doesn't exactly put me in the position to gain the heart of the woman of my dreams,' Roy pointed out.
‘How dare you look at my body!' Jenny thought, outraged. ‘Besides, you're dead! This is my life.'
‘And it's due to me you still have it,' he reminded her.
"Director Shepard," Cynthia interrupted, buzzing her phone.
"Yes, Cynthia," Jenny answered.
"NPID Director Thom Murphy is here to see you," she announced.
"Send him in," Jenny replied with a sigh of resignation. Events had to move on, and she was eventually going to be required to face the music.
---
Dr. Mallard and Agent Lee greeted Gibbs and Dinozzo when they entered autopsy. Both were clearly worried for young Palmer.
"What's going on, Duck?" Gibbs asked.
"Yes," Ducky began. "Well, it seems that at some point between the time we unloaded the body of our sailor this morning and the time I began the autopsy, Palmer disappeared. At first I had assumed he was sulking. I was a bit hard on the lad earlier, as were you," Ducky reminded him. "Agent Lee says he was working on little to no sleep, having spent the majority of the night in the hospital, and that they had a bit of a row this morning. It seems circumstances have conspired against my young assistant."
"Okay, so Palmer took off," Tony speculated. "What makes you think he is missing?"
"This, for starters," Agent Lee said, holding out a note nearly identical to the one found at the crime scene that morning.
"Where did you find that?" Gibbs asked.
"Outside next to Jimmy's car," Lee replied. "I'm sorry about my fingerprints, but I didn't know what it was until I picked it up," she explained.
"Get that to Abby, now!" he ordered brusquely.
"Yes, sir," she said, as her tears finally began to spill down her cheeks.
"We'll find him," Tony called out after her.
"You bet we will," Gibbs added solemnly. "Tony, you and Ziva get down to the lot and get some photos. Have McGee and Sullivan continue working on decrypting the notes and searching for Caldwell."
---
Noah replaced his phone receiver and excused himself. "I'm needed in the Director's office," he said to no one in particular, and made his way upstairs.
"There's trouble down in Abby's lab," Maggie said, hanging up her phone. "I'll be back."
"I'm going with you," McGee said, concerned. "Why'd she call you instead of me?"
"Gibbs ordered you to stay here," Maggie reminded him.
"He ordered you to stay here too," he countered.
"Touché," she replied. "Let's go."
McGee's fingers casually attacked the keyboard as he made sure the searches he had initiated would continue properly in his absence, then the followed Maggie to the stairwell.
"Don't you ever take the elevator?" he questioned.
"Sometimes," she replied with a smile. "But not today."
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