Just a small tidbit I've had stuck in my head for the past few weeks. Never really been writing short stuff like this, so any and all feedback will be greatly appreciated.
Hope you'll enjoy the read.
All the best, Cape
"Okay, the questioning stops right here, gentlemen." He exclaimed, as he walked through the wooden door and into the tiny room. "Also, I would like a moment with my client. Alone, please." He added the last part, when the two interrogators did not move immediately.
The two agents looked somewhat flabbergasted at the lawyer, whom had just interrupted their interrogation, just before they were able to get any information out of their suspect. But as they were forced to follow his request for a private conversation with his client, they quickly exited the room, leaving the suspect to talk to his lawyer.
…
"So," he started, after the agents had joined them once more. "I understand that you are accusing my client of article 118, premeditated murder, is that correct?"
"Has he always been this serious, Sam?" The team lead inquired, a hint of teasing in his voice, obviously having gotten over the earlier surprise of seeing someone they recognized.
"Pretty sure this is the first time I've ever heard him be serious, G." The larger agent replied, matching the joking manner of his partner.
The lawyer took a deep breath, whilst sneaking a sideways glance at his client in order to gauge his reaction. "Just answer the question, guys."
"Oh, we've gone from gentlemen to just guys now." Callen noted with a chuckle, earning him a disapproving glare from across the desk. "Alright, yes. Petty Officer 2nd class, Nathan Ryes killed his friend, Petty Officer 2nd class, Patricia Earle early this morning."
"Allegedly, agent Callen."
"We found the pistol, which was used to gun down the Petty Officer, in your client's house," Sam pointed out stoically.
"I am well aware of that," the shaggy lawyer replied. He allowed a slight grin to appear, before he controlled his features and turned serious, "However, I am also aware, thanks to Petty Officer Ryes' security system, that you entered his house at roughly 10.30 this morning, which was hours before the search warrant for his premises had gone through. Which means, gentlemen, that you conducted an illegal search of my client's house, meaning that anything you found, the alleged murder weapon included, will be inadmissible in court as it is now illegally obtained evidence."
The two agents looked squinting at the blond lawyer sitting across from them. Neither had expected him to go to that level of defense for the detained man, and they both swore inwardly, as they knew he was technically right in everything he had just said.
"So…" he interrupted their thoughts once more, "Unless you have some evidence, which can be used in a court of law, I have to request that you release my client immediately."
"We can detain your client for 24 hours, before we have to charge him with a crime. We have probable cause," the team lead explained, sliding over a tablet to show both men a video taken from outside a nightclub. It consisted of his client and the victim getting into a heated argument, including Petty Officer Ryes pushing the female victim once.
"Don't comment on that." Petty Officer Ryes' lawyer told him after watching the surveillance footage.
"As you can see, we have the Petty Officer on camera getting agitated with the victim the night before, thus giving us proper cause to keep him for the time being," the team lead told the detainee more than the lawyer, who by now had already figured that out.
"Can they do that?" Petty Officer Ryes exasperatingly asked, looking searchingly at his JAG lawyer.
"They can if they have reasonable suspicion," he half nodded half shrugged, quite annoyed that he had not been told about said camera footage before just now. "Is there anything else, agents? Otherwise I'd like a moment with my client, please."
"Nothing more for now, Deeks." Callen shook his head and followed his partner, who was already halfway out the door.
…
When he exited the room five minutes later, he found himself turning the corner and almost walking straight into a very good looking, and by the look of her face, very annoyed woman.
"Fancy seeing you here," he smiled at her.
She did not reciprocate his greeting. "How can you defend someone like Ryes?" She asked in an accusatory manner.
"It's my job, Kens," he explained softly.
"I know that… but he killed that woman. I know he did, you know he did," she exclaimed exasperatingly.
And she was right. He did know, that the man had killed another human being, or rather he strongly suspected it. All the evidence was there, his previous record of violent outburst supporting the theory of premeditated murder. But even then, he couldn't just let them off with illegally obtaining evidence, he was too good, too proud of his job to do that.
"Then he will get what's coming to him. I'm just here to make sure due process is followed." He assured her. From the little his girlfriend had been allowed to tell him about her team, he knew they were the best of the best, and his faith in her and her team was great.
"But you're helping him walk free right now."
"Look, babe…if you're talking about the inadmissible gun, that's on you guys, not me. All I did was point out that you folks did something illegal…and told my client what any other lawyer would tell him, that he should keep quiet and not answer a single question asked." He shrugged, "I'm sorry about this, I never hoped that we'd meet like this." He told her softly.
"I know. I know," she assured him, knowing that he would know that she was annoyed with the situation and not him in particular. Never wanting to create a rift between them, her voice softened, "I'm sorry about going off on you."
"Forgiven," he told her easily. "Besides, you can always give me a kiss to make up for it," he wiggled his eyebrows, earning him a perfectly executed eye roll from his girlfriend.
Even though she had just rolled her eyes at his childish demeanor, she was powerless to resist his request. She stood up on her toes, and just as they were about to seal their lips together, they heard the two teammates of hers enter the room.
"Look at the two lovebirds, G." Sam chuckled good-naturedly at them. "One moment he's a tough, no-nonsense lawyer and the next he's goo in the arms of Kensi."
He stole a quick peck from her lips despite their new company, "Sam, good to see you." He greeted the man easily, shaking his hand. "Callen," he nodded to the other man, before shaking his hand as well. "Nice place you've got here," he said as he did a three-sixty, taking in the very lax atmosphere of the boatshed.
"Yeah, well…it's to meet people from outside the agency and to interrogate people, of course," the team leader easily explained.
"I figured that last part," he chuckled.
He had met with both Callen and Sam several times at different venues, well, bars and burger joints mostly, since that was much more Kensi's forte. He liked both men even despite their rocky start, when Kensi had first introduced them.
"I didn't know you could dress this nicely, Deeks," Sam chuckled at the man's expense. "Never thought I'd see you in a uniform."
"Well one of us has to look the part," he gave the large agent a jokingly, exasperating elevator look. "And since that's obviously not you..." he laughed.
"Keep it coming, Shaggy," Sam laughed heartedly along with him, alleviating the last tension in the room.
"Don't you guys have to find clues and stuff?" He asked after a moment of silence.
"Clues and stuff?" Kensi asked her boyfriend, in a voice that told him she did not know whether or not he was being serious.
"Yeah. Spread out and search for clues…anyone?" He was met with three agents looking at him, like he'd grown a second head. "No? None of you ever seen Scooby Doo?"
"You mean leads and evidence?" Callen laughed at him.
"Something like that, yeah. Just…" he looked apologetically at Kensi. "Keep it admissible, please."
He got a stern nod from both senior agents, "Will do." Callen answered. "We'll go to the car, Kensi you coming in a few minutes?"
She looked surprised at her team leader. She had not expected him to give her a few minutes alone with the man, "Yeah, I'll be right there."
"It was nice seeing you again, Deeks," Callen told the lawyer before walking out of the building, even though he didn't quite believe it this time. A small nod wordlessly told him the same from Sam before he, too, walked out of the boatshed.
"So…this is kinda awkward," he tried lightening the mood.
"Yeah," she agreed, nodding ever so slightly.
"Never really expected this to happen," he chuckled at her, his nervousness at the situation had returned and was shining through.
She hated that he was nervous. He was always so sure in his cases, always so confident. But she knew that he hated going against her, and during this case he was forced to do just that.
"And I know that you're part of NCIS, which is part of the Navy…well not exactly part of the Navy, but working with crimes with the US Navy and US Marine Corps, and although I'm a JAG lawyer and work with the same personnel, I never expected us to meet like this, I mean it's-"
"Marty," she saved him from further rambling, tenderly placing her hands on his forearms.
He chuckled a bit, knowing exactly what she had just done, earning her a slight smile and a, "Thanks."
"And no hard feelings, okay?" Her mismatched eyes finding his blue orbs to ensure that he could see the sincerity, "You did your job in there, and… we obviously failed to do ours properly. That's on us, not you. You were right."
He nodded slowly at her words, which helped remove the remaining doubts, "No hard feelings." He echoed.
"But I really do have to go now, okay?" She told him. "I'll see you at home tonight."
"Of course. Just… one more thing," a glint of mischief in his eyes told her to be aware.
"Which is…?"
He stole a kiss from her, but to his surprise, her hand travelled to the back of his neck, pulling him down further and deepened the kiss, turning the tables.
"I love you," she told him once they broke for air.
He chuckled at her, of course she had been able to read him and told him before he could tell her.
"I love you, too." He told her easily. "Now, go find something you can pin on this guy."
