"A gasp of breath, a sudden death, a tale begun"…The audience clapped, the Marine drama classes version of Macbeth, had gone down well. Sal McNair wiped the grease paint from her face and saying good night to her fellow thespians, left the hall in Quantico and made her way home.
-oOo-
The shadows on the wall, cast by the moonlight through the leaves left a mottled effect. The leaves rustled in the wind, making the shadows appear as figures. "vivid imagination Sal" she said to herself. "No a false memory." Her father used to say, but as she looked at the patterns, In the real world as in dreams, nothing is quite what it seems." She heard her fathers' words echo in her ears. A bat flew past her head, she gasped, as she felt an object slam into the side of her head, she tripped and fell to the sidewalk. She heard the footsteps hurrying away before she passed out.
What was probably only minutes passed and Sal came round, she stood and made her way further up the street, she could see her home, but she felt cold, disorientated and sick. She knelt down on the grass outside her home. "Sleep a little sleep that is all I need," she whispered as she closed her eyes.
-oOo-
"We're drawn to high castles, where old hunchbacked vassals glare wall-eyed as lightning flares
without brightening." Tim shouted at the computer screen.
"Laboratories in the high towers, where the doctor wields power, creating new life in a dark hour,
in the belfry of the high tower." Abby replied. "Personally, I think this new game you gave created, is pretty cool. I mean I can at last beat you at something."
"Yeah, based on an few words I read by Dean Koontz from Book of Counted Sorrows, but we can't call it Demon Seed, still, I think we have a winner on our hands," as they heard Tim's cell ring. "That was Gibbs, we have a dead Marine….and so can we continue this some other time?"
-oOo-
By the time Tim had dropped Abby off at the Navy Yard and continued to the crime scene, he found that Ducky and Mr Palmer had already taken Sal to Autopsy.
"Not much we can do in the dark," Gibbs had said, "Take pictures and get anything you find to Abbs. We need to search the house and talk to her fellow thespians."
-oOo-
Agent Gibbs entered autopsy, Sal's body laid out on the table.
"What you got Duks?" he enquired as he entered the room.
"I was thinking, well Mr Palmer was…..in the real world as in dreams, nothing is quite what it seems…."
"Ticktock, Agent Gibbs…her heart, it gave out…but I like the idea of Shadowfires, where the night has patterns that can read less by the living than by the dead. I always think of Michael Jackson's Thriller," as Jimmy turned and did a quick Michael Jackson twirl.
Gibbs looked at him, "You have heard of Michael Jackson, Agent Gibbs?" Jimmy asked
"I have but didn't quite realise he danced like that."
"Jethro, may I bring the two of you back to the land of the living…., I wish I could Sal, but Jethro, Sal is not all she seems. Have you heard of the Traid of Death?"
"You will explain Ducky?" Gibbs asked.
"Jethro, I have a bruise on her side of her head, she was hit by something, the trauma it caused the blunt force went on to become the triad of death." Dr Mallard continued now looking at Gibbs face, " It is a medical term describing the combination of hypothermia, acidosis and coagulopathy. This combination is commonly seen in patients who have sustained severe traumatic injuries, the bang on the head, and results in a significant rise in the mortality rate. The three conditions share a complex relationship…. each factor can compound the others, resulting in high mortality if the cycle continues uninterrupted."
"And?" Gibbs now enquired.
"Severe hemorrhaging in trauma diminishes the oxygen delivery, it causing the patient's body temperature to drop… the hypothermia. This in turn can halt the coagulation cascade preventing blood from clotting….. coagulopathy. Jethro in the absence of any blood bound energy, the body's cells burn glucose, anaerobically, for energy, lactic acidosis, this in turn increases the blood's acidity…. metabolic acidosis. Such an increase in acidity can reduce the efficiency of the heart muscles, further reducing the oxygen delivery and hence triggering a deadly cycle. As Mr Palmer said her ticker gave out."
"So what killed her?" Gibbs asked.
"I just told you Jethro do you not listen to anything I say." Dr Mallard replied.
"Ok I'll rephrase, what hit her?"
"A ball Jethro, either a golf or a baseball….it is up to you to find out who and why." Donald Mallard finished saying.
-oOo-
Gibbs entered the bullpen, he wasn't happy, it was turning into a mess. Sal maybe hadn't been murdered. It was turning into a misadventure, but he still had to get some answers.
"David, McGee…..I want to you to go and interview her fellow actors…..and before you ask why not DiNozzo, do you not think that would just make him come out with every film line he could think of. So DiNozzo, you and me," as he threw the keys at Tony, "We're going to interview the street."
-oOo-
Gibbs and Tony arrived in the street, and pulled up outside Sal's house, Gibbs got out the car and walked to the door. Sal's father opened.
"Sir, may we come in?" as Mr McNair opened the door and allowed Gibbs and Tony entrance. Mrs McNair was sitting in the lounge, she looked up, her eyes red.
"Mrs McNair… Sir," as he looked at the couple, "We need to ask you a few questions…..if you are up to it?" Gibbs asked gently.
Mr McNair placed his hand on his wife's shoulder and looked at her, his wife nodded. "It is ok."
"Sir, we know how your daughter died, but we think it was more a tragic accident rather than murder, but we have to ask, who in the street plays either golf, or baseball. It would appear that she was hit on the side of the head by an object fitting that size and description." Gibbs began to say.
"We have a few golfers yes, and some of the children do play baseball, but it was dark and I don't think anyone would be playing in the street. But if they were coming home from practise…"
"Pop, remember a few weeks ago Sal say that young lad swinging a golf club, remember he hit the neighbours cat, and Sal went to defend…..what was it she said he'd do….?"
"Sal said he threatened her, he said something like "a cat is only an animal but a human would be different." Mr McNair replied
"You don't think Pop, he wouldn't would he?" Sal's mom cried.
"Sir?" Gibbs asked, "Would have an address for this boy, or at least a street?"
"I have a street," Mr McNair replied, "And I think they are just new in the neighbourhood." as he gave Gibbs an address.
"Thank you Sir, we will be in touch." As both Tony and Gibbs thanked Sal's parents and went to question and arrest the boy on suspicion of murder.
The End.