PART 2: Tuesday
Thurman was a few years away from retirement. With two sons in the Navy, he appreciated NCIS and the people who worked there. Because criminal investigators were rarely able to keep to a nine to five workday, the Major Case Response Team was often around when he worked. He enjoyed watching them interact. They were all so different that they were bound to clash, but when you put them together, their various strengths complimented each others and allowed them to be the team with the highest case closure rate at NCIS.
The phone conversation he'd overheard bothered him. Thurman didn't know why DiNozzo would want a change. Could it be he was having trouble with his boss? Agent Gibbs was notorious for alienating people after a few years. He demanded a lot from the team, but that was the way it should be. Thurman could see that DiNozzo looked up to his boss, and over the years he'd seen the younger man become more and more like the team leader. No, he wouldn't be leaving because of a problem with Gibbs.
Thurman continued to think as he mopped the lobby floor. Why wasn't Agent DiNozzo leading a team of his own? He'd wondered about that last year when Agent Ramirez was placed in charge of the new team at the Pentagon. There was a rumor that Director Vance didn't like DiNozzo much. As Thurman worked, he reasoned the Director's attitude was at the root of the problem. It would be good for Tony to work in a place where he would be considered for promotion.
At the end of his shift, Thurman was working in the evidence garage. Several of the technicians had come in to get an early start to their day. "Morning, Thurman. How was your night?" Jason White was always polite to the older man.
"Good, Casey at the European desk brought in the cookies his mother sent from home; they were fantastic. Oh, I had trouble with the elevator again. It stalled between floors and I was trapped for a couple of minutes. Someone's going to have to call a technician in to check it."
"Blame Agent Gibbs. He considers it his personal conference room and uses the emergency stop switch to guarantee privacy."
"Remember that time he kept Agent McGee waiting in there all morning?" Glen Thompson laughed as he logged in for the day.
"Speaking of Gibbs, it looks like you'll be losing your least favorite person sometime soon. Agent DiNozzo is leaving NCIS to work for DC Metro police." Thurman enjoyed sharing the news. He didn't consider it gossip; Tony had known he was in the room. If the conversation had been confidential, he would have taken the phone call another place.
"What? When did you hear this?" Jason was surprised. He'd thought that the MCRT people were inseparable, especially after the mission to Somalia. He didn't know much about it of course, but you couldn't work in the building without having heard something of the risks they took to return Agent David to NCIS.
"Last night. He was talking to a friend of his about looking for another team."
"Why would he do that?" Glen was curious. He wasn't too disappointed with the news. Agent DiNozzo had a tendency to treat the evidence technicians with little respect. He was rarely patient logging in the items from his crime scenes, thinking that most of the rules and paperwork were ridiculous. Glen might agree, but it was his job on the line if the reports weren't filled out properly.
"He said he wanted a change. Maybe he didn't like the way the Director's been passing him by for promotion. He's been here eight years, he should be leading his own team by now."
"It might not be the Director. You know the junior agent on the team, McGee? He can be a real pain at a crime scene. You should have seen him at that cryptographer's house where the girl supposedly committed suicide. While we were moving all the heavy furniture out of the house, he was whining about having to catch the cat." Jason rolled his eyes as he remembered.
"Oh, yeah, remember that one near the dumpster where the blind photographer found the dead guy? He turned green. Or how about the scene at the old restaurant where the guy was covered in maggots? I thought he'd hurl." Glen laughed.
"I just might, too. I couldn't do your work. I'll stick to mopping floors and cleaning men's rooms. Good morning." Thurman hurried away before he could hear more.
"Maybe DiNozzo is tired of putting up with McGee's issues." Jason speculated.
"It might not be just Agent McGee." Gina Zelno, the newest member of the group, had approached while the men were talking. "I overheard an argument between him and that scientist, Abby Scuito. I didn't hear everything, but she sounded really upset about something he'd done and threatened to kill him and leave no forensic evidence."
"When you've had a chance to work with her longer you'll know that Abby wouldn't do anything like that, she's just exaggerating." Glen defended Abby. "However, there are times I wish she would teach me to do that to DiNozzo."
"Glen, be fair, he's not that bad. Agent DiNozzo's just busy, and the evidence he and the MCRT people bring in is usually more important to process than the other stuff we get." Gina tried to be open-minded.
"Really, Gina, you're standing up for the guy who coined the term baggie bunnies?" Jason laughed.
"What?"
"Oh, yeah, he's the one who came up with the nickname."
Gina's eyes narrowed. Perhaps it wouldn't be a bad thing for him to leave after all. Maybe that name would fade away if its inspiration left. It could be that he needed a change because he'd antagonized his team and they had taken enough. Baggie bunnies, indeed.
"I need to get a copy of the evidence log for the laptop in the Westbrook case, number 432-A87M-36S. His lawyers are insisting that the evidence on the computer was planted so we have to interview all employees who had access to it." Lisa Sherrill was one of the newer aides in the legal department and felt she had to justify all of her requests.
"Let's see … brought in by your Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo on August 8." Glen smirked as he read the log while he printed it out. He'd watched a scene between the two a few months ago. Lisa had turned bright red when she'd seen the agent and was barely able to speak when he'd greeted her. Rumor had it that all of the routes she took on her errands for Legal led her through the MCRT bullpen.
Lisa blushed and mumbled. "Not my special agent." This assignment would be a great excuse to see him though. Now that she'd gotten past tongue tied, she occasionally worked up the nerve to speak with Agent DiNozzo—usually about the weather. Lisa checked the print out. In addition to Tony, Abby Scuito and Tim McGee had examined laptop.
"You know, I heard he's leaving NCIS for a job at Metro PD." Glen wanted to see Lisa's reaction.
"What?" Lisa was shocked.
"He wants a change from NCIS."
"Glen, hey, I need your help with the evidence from the McMillan case." Gina tried to distract Glen. She experienced his teasing regularly and she felt sorry for anyone on the receiving end of it.
Glen ignored her. "He probably antagonized his team with his arrogant attitude. They must have gotten tired of it and are making things tough for him."
"He's not arrogant! He's good at what he does and he knows it. He's not the kind of guy who wouldn't put his friends down, but I bet he's tired of pulling all the weight for his team." Lisa defended Tony.
"Really, and you know him well enough to say that after just a few conversations about all the rain we've had this year?" Glen was having fun.
"Glen, I really need your help here. I don't know how to file some of this and Agent Evans will have my job if I get it wrong." Gina finally managed to distract Glen, leaving a flustered Lisa to pick up the print out and return to Legal.
Lunch break came and found Lisa staring at the salad and crackers she bought at the food court as if they could give her advice. Since hearing about Tony's plans, she'd been distracted, even earning a reprimand from her supervisor. She'd developed an infatuation with Tony DiNozzo the first time she'd been sent to the MCRT bullpen to deliver a warrant. It was in her first week on the job and she'd been nervous about doing everything correctly. He'd smiled, said something charming about her shoes, and put her at ease.
Lisa met the other members of the team later. Tim McGee acted like a little boy most of the time. Tony took such care to guide and train him. It could be that he was tired of the responsibility. No, it was most likely that ice queen of a partner he had that caused the problem. Ziva David was always cutting him down with her comments, laughing at him, and threatening to kill him with office supplies. Why couldn't she appreciate him more? Maybe it would be a good thing for him to leave and go somewhere he'd be appreciated. For a selfless moment, she thought she wanted the best for him even if it meant she wouldn't see him any more.
No, that wouldn't do, she needed to see him. If Tony were going to leave, she needed to take the initiative to ask him out. Lisa needed to know what was going on, but how could she, short of asking him directly? As she pondered this, she noticed a woman sitting at a table near hers. Marliss Hogue worked in human resources. The taciturn woman was difficult to approach, but she would know if Tony had filed a notice to leave.
"Ms. Hogue? May I join you?" Marliss looked up from her lunch to nod. Lisa bravely continued, "Thank you. How do you like the cold weather we've been having?" When this elicited no response, Lisa tried a different subject. "With the economy so poor, you must be getting so many new applicants. I'm so glad I have this job, I wouldn't want to be out looking right now."
"That's true."
Encouraged by the short answer, Lisa continued. "I hear there may be some openings here soon with several people leaving NCIS. Have any of the field agents given notice?"
Marliss' expression went from uninterested to disapproving. "Young lady, if that were the case, I would not be able to tell you. Those records are confidential."
"I just thought if you could tell me, we would be able to say goodbye properly. Agent DiNozzo has been having problems with his team—that's why he's leaving. Even if they knew, they wouldn't likely do anything for him." Lisa blushed. That had sounded so much better in her head.
"As laudable as your motivations may be, I can not divulge such information. If you are so worried about Agent DiNozzo, why don't you ask him when he is leaving so that you have adequate time to plan whatever you wish."
With mumbled thank you, a chastised Lisa quickly left the table, threw away her half eaten meal, and returned to work no less distracted than when she had arrived.
Marliss was disgruntled when she returned to her desk. She didn't have time for silly girls and felt her lunch had been spoiled by the conversation. As she began filing, she thought little about what Lisa had shared. In all probability it was only gossip making the rounds. Goodness, every few years someone saw Ms. Scuito eating dinner with a well-dressed stranger and spread rumors about the woman leaving to take a new job. Perhaps Agent DiNozzo had an argument with one of his coworkers and the rumor had started. More likely Agent Gibbs had put him in his place with a head slap and someone was blowing things out of proportion. Marliss believed sometimes a little corporal punishment was needed to keep the kids in line.
As the workday ended, Analyst Daniel Woolcock came into the office. He worked the late shift at the North African desk to be available when his contacts and agents were in the field. Usually he arrived at work around eight o'clock, but tonight he came in early to submit some paperwork. "Good evening, Ms. Hogue. Where should… Is this where I submit my request to be transferred to field agent?"
"This is a good day to turn in your request. We may soon have an opening at headquarters for a special agent." Marliss responded absently as she took the paperwork. Form TS1067b needed to be duplicated with copies being sent to Director Vance, Intel Director Wallace, and Human Resources Director Hernandez. Other copies …
"Really? What's happening?" Daniel's voice broke through Marliss' mental list.
"Rumor has it Agent DiNozzo has grown tired of working with MCRT and will be moving on soon." Marliss replied still thinking …to be filed in employee's personnel file and in the special agent applicant files. Electronic…
"What could have caused that to happen?"
Marliss realized she'd spoken out of turn. "Really, Mr. Woolcock. I have already speculated too much. I'm sure that your colleagues throughout the building will have come up with several theories by now. Maybe one of them will be able to enlighten you." Angry at her slip, she watched the young man stammer an apology and stumble out of the room.
It was Tuesday evening and Abby was working late. She'd missed her team, but was glad they'd taken the day off. Gibbs was unrelenting when there was an escapee on the run and the team was usually well past exhausted by the time the adrenalin wore off and they were done with the paperwork. She'd spent much of the day in her lab working to catch up with all of the evidence that had poured in during her absence due to a two-day forensics conference. As soon as she returned weapon she'd tested to the evidence locker, she'd be finished for the day. "One Beretta 92 semi-automatic pistol to be returned to evidence locker box 34F89D."
As she was signing the log to maintain the chain of evidence, Gina asked. "When will Agent DiNozzo be leaving for his new job?"
"What!?" Abby's voice echoed around the evidence garage.
Alerted by the sound, Glen took over for the intimidated Gina. "Hasn't he told you? Evidently Metro PD has made him an offer and he's leaving."
"Where did you hear this?" Abby's voice had lowered several decibels, but remained intense.
"The night custodian, Thurman Atteberry, told us he'd heard Agent DiNozzo talking to someone from homicide."
Abby turned away to begin her search for Thurman. "This can't be true. Tony would never leave us. He's just like Gibbs, faithful to his team. Okay that's not the best example because Gibbs left. But he came back and that's what's important. And Tony's just like that. He's loyal; loyal like a Saint Bernard. Oh, just wait till I get my hands on Thurman for telling stories. He'll wish he'd never said anything. No, he'll wish he'd never been born. I know how to boil someone from the inside out. I'll have to have someone help me with the body… Ziva! That's it. I'll just give her a call…" The shutting elevator doors cut off the rest of her plans.
Glen turned to Gina. "That was scary. You could be right; DiNozzo's reason to leave might have something to do with Abby." Gina nodded wide-eyed in agreement.
Abby found the janitor outside her lab just coming on duty. "Thurman! There you are you smelly pond scum. What do you have to say for yourself?"
"What?" Thurman was confused; he hadn't seen Abby this worked up since she'd accused him of stealing her cupcake. He'd not done it of course and her investigation had cleared him. What was making the usually cheerful scientist so angry?
"Why have you been telling people that Tony's leaving?" Abby shook her finger in his face.
Thurman leaned back. "Because I heard him say he was."
"He told you, 'Thurman, I'm fed up with my team and I'm going to leave NCIS?'"
"No, I heard him talking with someone named Andrea on the phone last night. He said he was looking for a new team, and did she know if there were any openings at Metro PD."
That name sounded familiar. Abby backed down, but she still couldn't believe Tony was going away. "You must not have heard him clearly."
"I know I did. There was no one else around and I was at Agent Mitchem's desk about twenty feet away."
The expression on Abby's face changed from accusing to crestfallen. "Why would he want to leave?"
Thurman's heart softened. For all her black makeup and studded dog collars, Abby wasn't much different than his granddaughter. Right now she looked like a little girl whose puppy had run away. "He said that he wanted a change, but I'm sure he didn't mean that he doesn't want to work with you. Maybe he'd had enough of working for Director Vance and waiting for him to notice his abilities." He pulled her into a hug.
"Thanks, Thurman." Abby sniffled against his shoulder. After a few moments, she pulled away and wished him good night. Thurman continued down the hallway while Abby went into her lab. She remembered where she'd heard that name now. During the Scott Rowe case, they'd worked with a Detective Andrea Sparr in the Metro homicide department. She and Tony had gotten along quite well. If Tony had wanted to know if there were any positions available at DC Metro, he'd call Andrea. She still didn't understand why he was going, but she put her speculation aside and put on her jacket. Right now, she needed to go home and plot of a way to keep Tony from leaving NCIS.
