Skeletons Revealed

Chapter 4

Wednesday July 31, 1996

0830 Local Time

JAG Headquarters

Falls Church, VA

Mac walked into her office and angrily dropped her briefcase and handbag onto her desk. Then she took two folders from her briefcase and walked out of the office intending to go into her CO, Admiral AJ Chegwidden's office. She wanted to discuss her sister Diane's murder case with him. She had just received new evidence by mail at home the previous day. She wanted to present it to Chegwidden as she thought the officer who was running the case was incompetent.

As Mac walked across the bullpen that officer came out of her office, saw Mac and said, "Major Gibbs would you come into my office," Commander Allison Krennick said, commandingly.

Mac stopped and replied, "I'm sorry ma'am I can't right now. I have an appointment with Admiral Chegwidden. We both know he does not like to be kept waiting."

"Well in that case stop by after your meeting with him," Krennick commanded.

"Aye ma'am," Mac replied neutrally then turned and continued onto Chegwidden's office. After his Yeoman, PO Tiner notified the admiral of her presence, she went in after the usual knock and command of "Enter."

Mac approached Chegwidden's desk and stood at attention, looking at a spot two feet above and behind his desk chair and said, "Admiral yesterday I received some evidence via the US Postal Service and other sources that you need to see."

"At ease, and have a seat," AJ said reaching for the first folder Mac was giving to him.

AJ opened it and read the contents, looked up at Mac and said, "Have you shown this to Commander Krennick?"

"No sir I have not," Mac stated flatly.

"Any reason why?" AJ asked impatiently.

"Sir permission to speak freely?" Mac asked in reply.

"Granted," AJ said curious to hear her reason. He had a clue but he wanted to verify it first.

Mac began her explanation, "Sir, even though my husband Agent Gibbs has been told to stay away from my sister's murder investigation, he still receives briefings from his investigative team. Well Jethro has informed me that Agent Turkee and Commander Krennick have been going around the Seahawk muddying the waters. They are following-up on false allegations that my sister had been having a lesbian affair with her roommate Lt. Sarah Williams. Then after she couldn't prove that, Commander Krennick accused Lt. Commander Rabb of having his own affair with Diane, practically implicating him as a suspect and then she removed him from the case, saying he wasn't obeying her orders of following the leads she has come up with. That was after she had the nerve to implicate him for murder when Agent Turkee found Lt. Lamm shot in the head, but then couldn't make it stick because Harm was with Meg at the time of Lamm's death."

"Well she did inform me of that, but the only reason she first thought Lt. Commander Rabb would be a suspect was because he and Lamm had a fight in the diner the day before," AJ said.

"Be that as it may sir, Commander Krennick is reckless with the truth. She does everything to make the evidence conform to her preconceived notions, not disclosing information pertinent to the case and withholding evidence by dismissing or not reporting interviews," Mac pointed out.

"Are you accusing Commander Krennick of doing that? Because if you are, you better be damn sure of your evidence major," AJ said threateningly.

Handing over the other folder Mac explained, "Yes sir I am and other things as well. While my husband may not be allowed to investigate Diane's murder, as I said before, his investigative team has been thoroughly involved. Agents Meg Rabb and Tony Dinozzo have interviewed the crew members who were on duty during the alleged time of the murder. An Ensign Bud Roberts told Agent Rabb that he overheard Commander Krennick making dinner arrangements with the Seahawk's Executive Officer, Commander Holbarth. Also as indicated by the report in the second folder, they knew each other from Annapolis. Furthermore because of that prior relationship, Commander Krennick dismissed what Lt. Williams told her of Holbarth when she interviewed her, which is a serious violation of investigative ethics, further proved by the document in the first folder."

After reading the documents Mac handed him AJ said, "I see your point." He then asked, "And what action do you think I should take major?"

"Sir, give this evidence to Harm and Lt. Pike and allow me to assist them. They will ensure that I keep my emotional distance and you will have zealous investigators working this case and not hit on every person of the opposite sex."

AJ thought about her request for a minute and then said, "Okay major you have your wish. Wait here a minute while I have Tiner copy this material and I summon Commander Krennick."

Mac sat and waited until after Tiner returned with the copies and Krennick entered the office. While Krennick stood at attention AJ said, "That will be all major. Share that evidence to Lt. Commander Rabb and Lt. Pike and continue as we discussed."

Mac got up, snapped to attention and said, "Aye, aye sir." She turned smartly about face and marched out of the office. She was totally amused to see sweat popping out from Krennick's hairline.

She went right to the office Harm and Cait shared and said, "Okay flyboy, lieutenant, grab your hats we're going back to Norfolk."

Harm and Cait followed Mac as she went to her office and retrieved her hat and handbag. Harm asked, "What's up?"

"We three are going to work my sister's murder case," Mac explained.

"Wow how did you arrange to pull it away from the dragon lady?" Cait asked.

"Careful lieutenant, you coming close to insubordination," Mac reminded Cait, handing her the folders for hers and Harm's perusal. As Harm looked over Cait's shoulder Mac smiled as she added, "And I agree with your assessment Cait."

Cait smiled back up at her then continued reading. She looked up in amazement saying, "This is what we needed in the first place. It could nail the bastard to the wall."

"Yuh think!" Harm explained, totally on board.

As they walked to the elevator Mac took a good look at Cait and made a suggestion, "Cait let's stop at your apartment first. I have an idea."

As Mac told Cait her idea, Cait's eyebrows went up and she asked, "Do you think it will work?"

"Yeah, he doesn't know Diane and I are twins. So we may shock him into revealing something," Mac said.

1040 Local Time

NCIS Headquarters

Washington Navy Yard, SE

After stopping at Cait's Georgetown apartment and putting the first part of Mac's plan into motion, the three JAG officers went next to NCIS headquarters to confer with Jethro and his team and to get one more thing done to facilitate her plan.

When Meg Rabb saw how what they did at Cait's apartment she asked, "Wow, do you think that will work?"

"Yeah I think it will," Mac answered.

"That's my wife, always thinking. I wish I could be there to see the look on his face," Jethro said smiling. He punctuated his statement with a kiss saying, "For luck."

After the kiss and out of sight from her colleagues and his team, Jethro pressed something into her palm. He said, "Keep it where you can get it fast, in case you need it."

"I will honey, thanks," Mac said with another kiss and dropped what her husband gave her into her purse.

1930 Local Time

Pier Seven

Norfolk, VA

Upon arriving at the Seahawk's pier, Harm, Cait, Meg and Tony went aboard together while Mac waited until she saw CPO Ned Bennon, the officer on deck leave. She knew that he was the last crewman to see Diane leave the ship before Lt. Lamm chased her down the pier.

Mac went up the gangway and signed in as Lt. Sarah Gibbs, showing the identification that she had made at NCIS. She could be identified as a naval officer as she had seen at the JAG Headquarters' elevator that she and Cait had the same body type. So she put on Cait's extra set of summer white uniform with slacks.

She made her way to the Officers' Wardroom. She was lucky as she didn't encounter any crewmen as she went through the ship. After pouring herself a cup of coffee, she sat at a table furthest away from the entrance with her back to the door. To occupy her she took a notepad out and started writing a letter. She smiled as she wrote endearments to Jethro.

She didn't have to worry about her hair, although it was as naturally dark as her sister's. Mac wore her hair short, with some red highlights while Diane wore her hair long, braided up for duty with no highlights.

Soon enough she heard Harm, Cait, Tony and Meg come into the wardroom with Holbarth. They settled at a table near the door. They all sat so that Holbarth had his back to where Mac sat. She could hear the conversation as she also had an earwig and wrist radio comm system issued for her, Meg & Tony to use.

"So commander how long have you known Commander Krennick?" Tony asked.

"I've know her since we attended the Naval Academy together," Holbarth answered honestly.

"I know Commander Krennick asked you this before sir, but what kind of relationship did you have with the deceased, Lt. Schonke?" Cait asked.

"And as I've answered Commander Krennick, Lt. Schonke and I enjoyed a very professional, platonic relationship. We sat together for dinner many times during our cruise," Holbarth answered.

Mac was steaming at that because she knew otherwise. She calmed down when she heard Harm ask, "Then please tell us commander, what do you make of this letter."

Harm handed over a letter sealed in a clear Evidence Bag. The letter was written on Seahawk stationary in an obvious female handwriting. Holbarth read a bit, but then blanched at what he saw. He stuttered trying to spin the allegations, "I, I don't have any idea what Lt. Schonke was writing about. I've never done the things she listed here."

"Oh really, then why do we have the same allegations from Lt. Sarah Williams in a letter received by the Inspector General," Tony said as he to pulled out another letter also sealed in an Evidence Bag. Before he handed it over to Holbarth, he read from it. Commander Holbarth has repeatedly hit on me, asking me to go with him on liberty and threatening me with a bad Fitness Report if I don't, in his words, show him some love."

"That's preposterous I've never said that to her or any other female on this ship. I rate everyone as I see them. I judge everyone on their merits, male and female alike," Holbarth protested.

"Well commander how do you explain this?" Cait asked pulling a few files from her briefcase. She opened the first one before she continued. "This is Lt. Williams' fitness report. You've rated her blow average. I also have few more fitness reports, all from female officers. You have consistently signed off on all of them with either below average or just about average fitness reports. I also have some files on male officers. On all of the files I checked, you have signed them all as consistently above or well above average. Can you explain that?"

"I stick by my earlier statement," Holbarth said in defiance.

"Then please explain why Lt. Schonke wrote what she did. Would you like me to read it to?" Meg said taking the letter from her husband.

Without waiting for Holbarth's permission she picked up Diane's letter and read. "Commander Holbarth has been consistently hitting on me. He is always indicating my wedding ring or lack thereof if I forget to put it on in the morning, asking me if I wanted to stay true to my wedding vows. I have always politely told him to stop asking me about my marriage as it was none of his business. He has even gone so far to threaten me with bad reports if I wasn't nicer to him. Sarah when I get back to port, I'm reporting him to the Inspector General's Office on charges of sexual harassment. I also have my roommate Sarah's support in this as she has also written a letter to the I.G."

"I have no idea what they are talking about. Lt. Schonke was always hitting on me," Holbarth sputtered.

Mac had been listening as Holbarth dug himself deeper and deeper into trouble. He had reached the moment she anticipated. When he accused her sister of hitting on him, she sprang up and from behind Holbarth and spat out, "You lying bastard, I never did that and you know it."

Holbarth turned at Mac's outburst and just about jumped out of his chair when he saw Mac. He sputtered in fright as he thought he was looking at a ghost as he wailed, "No you're dead, I saw you die. I put your body in the trunk myself. You can't be alive."

He started backpedaling to the exit. Unfortunately for him an armed marine lance corporal from the ship's Master at Arms detail, that Harm had requested be present, was blocking his way. Holbarth totally surprised the lance corporal when he turned and threw a quick punch which caught the him in the chin. As the lance corporal staggered back, Holbarth managed to grab the his gun from the holster at his hip. Holbarth pulled the lance corporal up in front of him and was waving the gun back and forth trying to cover as many people in the room as possible.

Harm was the first to speak saying, "Okay commander take it easy."

"Just stay back or I'll kill him!" Holbarth shouted. He was still waving the gun around, not pointing it at or holding it against the lance corporal.

Mac caught the lance corporal's eye. She made a move as if to tell him to use his elbow on Holbarth. Thankfully for her he caught the signal. As Holbarth looked out the door to make his escape, she reached into her purse. Her hand found the handle of the .38 automatic pistol that Jethro had palmed to her at NCIS.

Mac nodded her head to the lance corporal and he made his move. He stomped on Holbarth's instep and then jammed his elbow into his solar plexus. As the lance corporal broke free Mac called out, "Holbarth put the gun down NOW!"

Holbarth straightened up and pointed the gun at the direction of Mac's yell. Mac had a clear shot at Holbarth's central body mass. In the face of Holbarth's threat Mac stood stock still as she didn't hesitate to pull the trigger, twice. The first shot hit him in the left side, going right through his heart. The impact spun him a bit as well as made him fall back and to his left. The next bullet hit Holbarth in his right side going deep into the lung.

As the echo of the shots died away, the group could hear running feet in the corridor as the Marine Guards came charging to the sound of gunfire. When they came into the wardroom they saw Mac holding the smoking gun, standing over a dying Holbarth. Mac whispered as much to him as to herself, "That's for my sister."