Author's Note: This story came to me and demanded to be written. It's an AU, but all of our favorite characters are present. Well, most of them. I'm toying with the idea of making this a series of stories.
It's been a long time since I've been able to write a story. Almost a year, if I remember correctly. Tony is still lost at sea in my other story, even though I know how I'm getting him back. I just can't get the details of the case written.
Many thanks to my very patient betas, thekatebeyond, pixie-on-acid and rinkle. I wrote this so quickly that punctuation errors ran rampant. No one complained, which proves they should be eligible for sainthood.
The Lonely Detective - The Case of the Disappearing Brother
It was a gray, dismal day. The sky had been weeping buckets for hours, with no end in sight. Business was bad, and not just because of the weather. Ever since the war ended, the jobs didn't come as often; people were still in the blissful honeymoon stage of hard-won peace. I haven't had a case in over two months, and I'm already a month behind in the rent for the rat-hole I call my apartment.
I was sitting there, wallowing in my misery, when the door flew open. Standing there was the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. She stood about five foot three, dark hair pulled back into a tasteful chignon; her slim curves were draped in emerald green silk. She had the face of an angel, with red, pouty lips. But it was her eyes that drew me in – her dark, smoldering eyes, framed by almost unnaturally long lashes.
"Sorry, Boss." My assistant's face popped up over the mystery woman's shoulder, looking contrite and angry at the same time. "She just blew right past me."
"That's all right, Abs," I said, rising smoothly. "I'll handle this; you can go back to your desk."
Abby eyed the woman up and down and grinned. "I bet you will," she said, grinning cheekily, and sauntered back to the outer office.
I extended my hand toward the woman. "Anthony DiNozzo, is there something I can help you with?"
She took my hand in a solid grip and shook it briefly. "Ziva David," she said, her accent adding to her exotic air. "I need your help, Mr. DiNozzo," she said simply.
"Please, have a seat," I replied, indicating the chair in front of my desk. "Would you like something to drink? Coffee?"
Miss, or Mrs. David shook her head curtly. "No, thank you. I do not have time to linger and chat, lives are at stake."
"Oh, really?" I replied, eyebrow raised. I sat down behind my desk and leaned back. "Whose lives are we talking about? Mrs…."
"Miss," she interrupted, "but please, call me Ziva."
"That's an unusual name," I said. "Where…"
"I do not have time for this," Ziva cut in abruptly. "My brother has disappeared and I fear that his life is in danger, if he is not already dead. Can you help me?"
"Have you spoken to the police?"
Ziva waved dismissively. "They have rules and regulations that they are not willing to change. They say he hasn't been missing long enough."
"How long has it been since you last saw or spoke to him?" I inquired politely.
"I spoke to Ari last night, around 7:00."
"That's pretty recently," I replied. "What makes you think he's missing or in trouble?"
"I know my brother," she replied curtly, "if we do not meet for breakfast we speak on the phone every morning. He did not meet me at the restaurant and I am unable to reach him by telephone."
"Have you tried going to his apartment?"
Ziva nodded. "I did, he was not there."
I straightened up, trying to think of a nice way to tell this beautiful woman that she shouldn't worry her pretty little head over something like this. Something told me that she wouldn't take that advice kindly, though, so I thought of something more diplomatic to say.
"I gotta tell you, Miss David," I said, shaking my head, "I think it's too soon to think that something has happened to your brother, but…" I continued, cutting her off, "I'll do some checking to see if I can find any information that will soothe your worries."
"What are your rates?" she asked, pulling an envelope out of her stylish clutch purse.
"100 a day plus expenses," I replied, holding back a smile as her head jerked up in surprise.
"So much?" she said. "I hope you are worth that amount."
"Oh, believe me," I said, grinning, "I'm worth it."
Pulling some bills out of the envelope, she rose and extended them to me. "This should take care of your fees and expenses for a week," she said. "I hope I will not be in need of your services for much longer."
Taking the money, I smiled at her, "Thank you. I'll need personal information on your brother, and a picture, if you have one."
She pulled another envelope out of her purse and handed it to me. "Everything you need to know is in there," she said, turning to leave. "My contact information is there as well. I hope to hear from you soon." She strode out of the office without a backward glance.
Abby poked her head in my office. "So, do you have a new client or a new girlfriend?" she asked.
"Client," I said, waving the money. "You're actually going to get paid this week."
Abby ran in and threw her arms around me, knocking me backward against a bookcase. "That's so great, Tony," she squealed. "We get to play detective for a little while longer."
"Hey," I protested, "I don't play detective, I am one."
"I know," she said earnestly, loosening her death grip and backing up. "But it takes clients and cases to make a detective, at least a working one. And now we have one. Or two. We have both, but the client is related to the case, so we just have one."
"Not that I don't think you can handle more than one," she said quickly. "You're a smart guy, not to mention drop-dead gorgeous." She snorted as I preened, smacking me on the arm. "Go on, start detecting," she admonished, pushing me out the door.