Chapter Four: Distraction

Solving Vin Hawks murder would prove to be a somewhat difficult case. Partly because, at first glance it was no murder; it was suicide. The Navy reservist and federal census taker was found hanging from a pipe in the basement of his brownstone house. When the team arrived at the crime scene the NCIS agents saw as his body hanged lifeless from a seemingly new pipe by a rope. Gibbs then saw Vin's laptop still running with the webcam pointed directly at his corpse. He found it rather peculiar and had McGee bag it. While Ducky and the rest of the forensics team wheeled out Vin's body bag up walked Reverend Will Sharpe, surrounded by several parishioners.

"God has exercised his righteousness once again," chanted the Reverend. "No more shall this world suffer the abomination of this heathen!"

The parishioners cheered out.

"Hallelujah!" Ducky exclaimed sarcastically. "Now move out of the way before I have you arrested for interfering with a crime scene."

The people part to make way for the doctor and his assistant. Meanwhile back down in the basement Gibbs looks over at Tony who has seemed to have the same stupid grin on his face all morning.

"Something on your mind, DiNozzo?" He asked.

"No boss." He said, wiping the smirk off of his face.

Just then Gibbs head slapped Tony which caused Tony to wince.

"What was that for?" He asked, knowing all too well what the answer was.

Gibbs looked at the agent and gave him his signature stare. It was one that made the strongest of men cringe.

"David." He called, not allowing his eyes to leave Tony for several moments.

"Yes, Gibbs."

"Photograph this whole room. I want you and McGee to canvas the area for anything you can find." He ordered.

"On it!" She said, running back over to where her NCIS backpack was.

Tony and Gibbs left and McGee and Ziva were canvassing the crime scene. It was then when McGee saw it. McGee saw that the rope was still attached to one of the pipes in the basement's ceiling. The rope hung near the bottom of the staircase so McGee ascends the stairs just enough to inspect the pipe and rope.

"This section of pipe that the rope is attached to is shinier than the surrounding pipes," he notices out loud to Ziva. "And look here, metal filings. This section was recently replaced."

He turned over to Ziva and saw that she seemed distracted.

"Ziva?" He asked, calling out for her.

Yet still the Israeli did not turn her head.

"Ziva!" He exclaimed.

"Yeah, McGee, that's really interesting." She said nonchalantly as she went up the stairs. "I'm going to check around outside."

McGee's eyebrows furrowed together and his whole face illustrated his confusion. He had no idea why Ziva was being this way but he knew it was affecting her ability to work this case. When she got outside Ziva found a dumpster and decided to search it for evidence. Ziva then discovered a broken step within it. She inspected the broken step found in the dumpster and spotted a piece of ripped up shoe canvas embedded in the broken edge. She was able to make out a partial insignia. She turned around when she saw McGee come outside.

"It looks like whoever broke this step was wearing sneakers," She remarked.

"If it was Vin, then he must have been a runner. Probably in good shape," replied McGee.

"But apparently not fast enough to get out of harm's way." Ziva quipped.

Later that day Ziva David was sitting at her desk and she could not focus on the case. In fact, she could only think about one thing…Tony. Why was she letting her emotions get in the way of her ability to solve this case? She was never like this before. She looked down at the file on her desk. She rested her forehead in her hands and read the file. It was the file of Adele Foster. She looked up and watched as Tony entered the squad room. She feared that he would bring last night up but was surprised when he didn't say a word. He just sat down at his desk and started doing research on a suspect named Ward Hilbert, a fifty-three year old while separatist who owns a hardware store in downtown Georgetown. He sifted through electronic and paper files and he knew that if he were to come here that he shouldn't let Ziva anywhere near this guy. He stood up and grabbed his jacket.

"I am uh, going to question Hilbert. I will be back in about an hour." He informed Ziva with a slight smile.

"Okay." She said, batting her eyelashes at him.

He shook his head and chuckled before he left. He got to Hilbert's hardware store within record time.

"Nice place you've got here," smirked DiNozzo. "The Swastika mural is a nice touch."

Hilbert rolled his eyes and looked over at the NCIS agent.

"Say your piece then get the hell out," He replied.

DiNozzo was about to start questioning him but then he saw something that caught his attention. He found a picture of some black men lynched in a similar manner as Vin had been. Tony decided to take him in for questioning.

"Nice place you've got here," said Hilbert as he was lead into the interrogation room, "I like the furniture. White's my favorite color."

DiNozzo sat Hilbert down forcefully in a chair, but he refused to speak.

"And I don't need no damn lawyer." He dared. "I'll just sit here and enjoy watching you Feds squirm in frustration."

Tony sat down in the chair and eyed Hilbert for several minutes. Ward could no longer stand the silence and he drew in a deep breath.

"I didn't do anything." Hilbert said, slapping his hands down on the interrogation table.

"Oh yeah?" Tony asked. "I have read your blog. That's some very…interesting stuff. I am sure you would love to talk it over with our resident Israeli agent."

Ziva then walked in, her brunette curls pulled over her left shoulder. Her Star of David necklace hung with pride from around her neck. Hilbert could only scoff.

"Stupid Jew." He muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" She asked, slapping her hands on the table in front of her.

"You heard me, you fucking Jew." He spat.

"So, did you kill him?" She asked, getting in his face.

"Get the fuck out of my face!" He snarled.

"Oh, I don't think I will." She said with a sly laugh as she slammed her Sig Sauer on the table.

She sat down and Tony handed her Ward Hilbert's file.

"Now…talk!" She exclaimed.

"I will not talk to you."

"Why?" She asked, leaning back in the chair she sat in.

"You know damn well why, Jew bitch."

She cringed slightly at his words. It was not that he had said it. It was his words. They had triggered a flashback. For only a second she thought back to when Saleem Ulman had called her that. Soon she came back to the present and looked directly into the man's blue eyes.

"Tell me, Ward…why did you kill Vin Hawks?" She asked.

Tony just stood there in awe as Ziva interrogated this man. It reminded him of the old Ziva. He smirked and continued to watch as the scene unfolded. Just then Gibbs walked in.

"DiNozzo, David, Abby just showed me the entire decrypted video. He couldn't have done this. Go ahead and release Hilbert…for now."

"But boss." Tony protested.

Ziva then put a hand on Tony's chest to stop him. She shook her head and flashed him a small smile. She knew why he was being this way. It was because he cared about her.

"Oral thrush." Ducky said as Gibbs walked into Autopsy that evening.

"What Duck?" He asked.

"He has an infection and oral thrush." He said, showing Gibbs the white spots on the victim's tongue. "I will run some blood tests to find out the identity of our infection."

"Good work, Dr. I'll check in on you tomorrow. It's getting late." He said, walking out of Autopsy.

Ducky sighed and returned his attention to the body in front of him.

"How exactly did you acquire this infection? Hmm?" He asked the corpse.

Just then Jimmy Palmer came in with Vin Hawk's blood test results. Jimmy handed him the records with a small smile.

"Thank you, Mr. Palmer. Go home. We will pick this up in the morning." He said.

"Okay doctor." Jimmy said, ridding himself of the blood-covered smock which covered his scrawny scrub-clad frame.

When Palmer left Ducky opened the folder and began reading.

"HIV positive…" Ducky read aloud.

He looked to the dead body of Vin Hawk and his eyebrows knitted together. Meanwhile Gibbs arrived at the squad room to find his agents and Abby standing and sitting around the bull pen.

"Go home. Get some sleep." He ordered, walking to his desk.

Without any hesitation they all scurried from the squad room, heading their separate ways. When Ziva got to her apartment she closed her door and dropped her bag. She leaned up against the door and rested her head back onto it. When he phone started to vibrate she sighed and flipped it open. Before she had the chance to respond she heard his voice.

"Do you need a distraction?" He asked.