I Told You, Chapter 1.
"Tony, how can you be serious?" McGee asked, incredulity in his voice.
"Easy Probie," Tony grinned at him. "There are some things that you will never know about women."
"Tony, I know enough about women." Tony laughed loudly.
"You? You know enough about women? Come on Probie. Let's be serious, you probably wouldn't even know what o do with it."
"That's an inappropriate comment, even for you Tony," replied McGee.
"What's inappropriate?" Kate asked as she walked in, placing her bag on her desk.
"Nothing Kate," Tony replied, flashing a warning look at McGee. "How are you this morning?" Kate flashed him a wary look.
"I'm fine, thank you, Tony. Why do you ask?"
"No reason…" Tony trailed off, as he headed to his desk, a grin etched onto his face.
"Tony!" Kate warned. "You're not normally this civilized. Why do you ask?"
"Kate, can't a guy ask his co-worker how she is in the morning?"
"Normally, yes he can, but you're not normal, Tony." She grinned at him sweetly.
"So, I'm above-average then?" Tony quipped. Kate giggled despite herself, and shook her head.
"I'd say you're below average," McGee chimed in. Kate laughed. "Not talking to you, Probie!"
"Grab your gear! Get Ducky!" Gibbs' barked from the stairs leading to MTAC.
"Where we heading boss?" Tony asked.
"Norfolk. Dead navy commander. No more details yet. Let's go!"
"Shotgun," Kate called from the elevator.
"Damn," Tony whispered as he slipped in next to her.
"A gunshot wound to the head, Jethro. Our Navy Commander died instantly."
"Time of death Duck?" Gibbs asked. Ducky chuckled.
"One moment, Jethro," Ducky replied, taking the probe from Jimmy, and delicately sliding inside the corpse's liver. Reading the temperature, Ducky sighed.
"He died approximately 4 hours ago."
"Coincides with the Commander going down in front of the Marines." Kate interjected.
"Doesn't explain how he was shot on base, in front of dozens of Marines, Kate." Gibbs retorted.
"Guy hiding? He must have had a pretty good shot, boss. One shot to the head." Tony stated.
"I can see that DiNozzo. Kate, you and Tony go and get statements from the Marines over there," Gibbs said, pointing at the large crowd of Marines, standing to attention. "McGee!"
"Yes, Boss?"
"I need measurements!"
"On it!"
Kate and Tony walked up to the Marines waiting for them.
"I'm NCIS Special Agent Todd, this is Special Agent DiNozzo, we would like to ask you a few questions about the Commander's shooting."
"Not a lot to tell, ma'am." A marine said.
"What do you mean?" Tony asked.
"We didn't hear a gunshot, and the Commander just went down. There is no way someone could have shot him from close range. Weapons are kept in a lockup, which is monitored constantly."
"What are you saying Corporal?" Kate asked.
"Sniper, Ma'am."
"Does the Commander have any enemies on base?" Kate asked.
"No Ma'am," came the synchronous reply.
"Are you sure?" Tony asked.
"Yes, Sir!"
"That'll be all." Kate dismissed them.
"Thank you Ma'am." The Marines left one by one, as Kate and Tony headed towards Gibbs.
"What did you find out?" Gibbs asked, as he noted something down, and Jimmy was loading the body into the truck.
"Sniper must've killed him Gibbs. No gunshot was heard, and all base weapons are in a secure lockup monitored 24/7."
"Check out the lock up, McGee!" Gibbs barked.
"Yes Boss!" McGee replied, hurrying towards the base's lockup.
"Why would a sniper target a random Navy commander?" Gibbs asked.
"Money?" Tony queried.
"Enemies?" Gibbs asked.
"None, according to the Marines, but I'll check his service record when we get back," Kate replied. "Not to mention, money doesn't fit Tony. He wasn't involved in any accounting aspects."
"You don't have to be, for it to be money, Kate." Gibbs retorted, as he climbed back into the truck.
"I've investigated his service record and it's clean Gibbs. Not one bad report. He was an excellent officer."
"I looked at his bank account, Boss. I say quite large sums of money being transferred out of the account in cash withdrawals. I thought he was having an affair, so I asked Abby to get me into the Commander's email…" Tony trailed off.
"What Tony?" Gibbs asked, impatiently.
"He was having an affair. Along with another affair. Two affairs at the same time, boss."
"We have motive!" Exclaimed Gibbs. "Affair leads to a jilted wife, who kills him, or hires someone to do it."
"You've got to give the guy credit, if you think about it."
"I can't believe you just said that, Tony."
"Think about it. He kept two women secret from each other, and his wife. I don't know how he pulled it off. It seemed to be going on for months."
"So, you can only cheat with one woman."
"I've never cheated Kate. I may be many things, but cheater is not one of them."
Gibbs snapped his cell closed.
"Got a text from Abby."
Kate, Tony and Gibbs walked into the perky Goth's lab. Gibbs handed her a Caf-Pow, which she gleefully accepted.
"What did you want Abby?"
"Ducky's one the line, because I can confirm that our Commander was shot by a sniper. Judging by the remains of the bullet, he was a fantastic marksman."
"Jethro, the shot was a clean kill. Through and through."
"Range, Abby?"
"600 meters?"
"Asking or telling?"
"Telling Gibbs," she smiled up at him. He grinned at her back.
"Jethro! Judging by the results of the autopsy, we are dealing with a professional." Ducky finished solemnly.
