Chapter 2
They arrived at the Admiral's home and piled out of the cars. Deeks whistled. "I guess this is what old money buys in L.A." he said, looking up at the Plantation Style Mansion in front of them. Kensi just nodded, her mouth slightly open. The last home they had been to that was this over the top, was Ben and Aubrey Darva's several years ago for another case.
"Let's get going you guys. You can gawk later." laughed Callen, making his way up the front stairs and knocking on the door. A butler answered and he showed his badge. "NCIS Agents Callen, Hanna and Blye, LAPD Detective Marty Deeks, here to see Admiral Shelton. We're expected." The butler nodded and opened the door further, bowing them in. They entered to find themselves in a foyer that would rival Tara. Deeks just shook his head. He was not particularly impressed by ostentatiousness and this fit the bill. He thought of all the good that this kind of money could do in L.A. alone and sighed.
"The Admiral and Mrs. Shelton are in the drawing room. If you would please follow me." intoned the butler. Kensi and Deeks shared a look and almost burst into laughter. This would be fodder for stories, impressions and jokes for weeks to come. They were led into a large room to the right of the foyer. Heavy furniture, dark curtains, oriental rugs, book cases full of books and a large stone fireplace met them. Deeks felt like he had stepped back in time. Admiral and Mrs. Shelton stood by the fireplace, watching the four of them as they moved into the room.
Callen introduced them all, the Admiral and his wife shaking their hands. Deeks pretended not to notice that both gave him the once over and clearly found him lacking in comparison to the rest of his team. Callen began by trying to convince the Sheltons, once again, to go into protective custody. The Admiral and his wife both stood by their original decision not to be driven into hiding. He nodded, not having had any real hope that they would have changed their minds and told them the protection arrangements. Mrs. Shelton stared at Kensi for a moment and then said "Good luck."
Kensi looked confused and asked "What do you mean, Mrs. Shelton? Good luck with what?"
Mrs. Shelton smiled "Good luck with my teenage daughter. I doubt you will be able to get her away from her phone or tablet long enough to introduce yourself to her. If we try, she will be guaranteed to refuse any contact with you." Her smile faded as she finished her explanation.
Kensi drew herself up and said "I'm sure we'll do just fine ma'am. Could you tell me where Meaghan is right now? No time like the present to get acquainted."
"She's in the kitchen. Through that door over there." replied Mrs. Shelton, pointing at a door that was almost invisible in the far wall. Kensi walked over and through the door, leaving her team members to sort out the rest of the assignments. She was back within two minutes.
"Kensi?" asked Callen.
"I couldn't get anything but an eye roll. She wouldn't respond and wouldn't pull her earphones out. I'm not really sure what else to do that wouldn't involve violence." she replied in consternation. Callen chuckled. He was pretty sure Hetty had assigned Kensi to Meaghan in order to give the young woman a female to talk to but she hadn't known about Meaghan's attitude. He looked over at Deeks and wondered, could he get under the Admiral's daughter's skin the way he did everyone else's?
Decision made, he nodded at the younger man "You're up Deeks. See what you can do."
Deeks nodded his head at him and said "On it. Mrs. Shelton, can I have Meaghan's cell number please?" Laura Shelton looked surprised but gave him the number and he entered it into his phone as he ambled over to the door to the kitchen.
The Admiral, standing next to Sam, watched the detective saunter through the door and then turned to him. "I am not sure why that man is even on your team, Agent Hanna." he stated haughtily, aware from his bearing that Sam was most likely military, figuring he would think of the detective in the same light.
Sam looked the Admiral in the eye and said "Others have underestimated Detective Deeks in the past Admiral. To their detriment. Most are either in prison or in the ground. He's a good man and a great cop." He stared Shelton down, daring him to dispute his assessment of his team mate. The Admiral was silent, staring back at him. Finally assured, he nodded his head and they went back to the discussion of how the day was to play out.
Deeks wandered into the kitchen to find Meaghan Shelton sitting at the breakfast bar. Her head was down, ear phones in while she texted furiously on her phone, a tablet open in front of her playing music videos. He had no idea what she looked like, all he could see was the top of her strawberry blonde head. He walked over and leaned up against a counter facing the bar, not saying anything. He looked at the young woman in front of him, knowing full well that she knew he was there but was studiously ignoring him. He decided to approach this as if it were an undercover op. She was the mark and he needed a hook to get her interested. He scanned her from head to toe and noticed she was wearing a t-shirt for a local rock band. Deeks was very into the local music scene and knew the band well. He had even sat in for one of their guitarists once or twice when the man in question hadn't been able to make a gig. He smiled and sent a text to the number just provided by the girl's mother.
Nice t-shirt. Great band!
Meaghan's phone beeped and he watched as she read the text. She texted back.
Who is this? I don't recognize the number.
Deeks chuffed out a soft laugh. This girl was going to be fun. He knew that she knew who was texting her. He also knew that she knew that he knew. Ok, now his head was starting to hurt.
Look up and find out!
Meaghan Shelton decided to comply but do it in the most obnoxious way she could. She started with his feet, noting that she liked his boots but storing that away. She moved her eyes very slowly up the denim clad legs of the man in front of her. Jeez, she thought, do they ever end? She moved up past his waist and up to his chest. His arms were folded so she couldn't see what his stomach and abs looked like but she had a sneaking suspicion that he was in great shape, based on what else she was seeing. His arms looked toned but not muscle bound, she hated that. Still moving slowly up, she started to see his face. Scruffy looking beard, long scraggly hair. Huh, loser. She was sure her dad must have been totally unimpressed with the man standing in front of her. He hated when men weren't "squared away".
Continuing her insulting perusal of the man's body, she worked her way further up his face. Wide nostrils above the mustache, he must not be very good looking. Then she met the most beautiful blue eyes she had ever seen and felt butterflies start in her stomach. He grinned his crooked grin at her and she fell into those eyes.