CHAPTER 4
Gibbs shrugged. Between Ducky and Abby he was used to dealing with eccentricities. "What can you tell us about him, Duck?"
"We have only just gotten started," Ducky replied, somewhat testily. "However, I can tell you that this body shows definite signs of purposeful mummification." Ducky pointed to what looked like a thin slit in the corpse's abdomen. "The internal organs have been removed."
"In ancient mummification rituals the organs were removed from the body, desiccated, then placed in a bag and returned to the body cavity," Brennan interrupted, drawing everyone's attention. "However, there is no indication that this man's organs were ever returned. The killer may have disposed of them elsewhere. Or he or she could have kept them for a souvenir."
"Yes, well," continued Ducky as if he hadn't been interrupted. "Lance Corporal Martinez's clothing and the samples taken at the crime scene have already been sent to Abby for analysis. In addition, I have taken tissue samples to send to her to test for the presence of chemicals typically used in mummification." He nodded toward a tray of sealed sample jars on a nearby table. "That may be helpful in determining what was done to this poor fellow." Ducky paused for dramatic effect and pointed at the two agents with his scalpel. "And who did it."
Like Gibbs, Booth was used to dealing with the little personality quirks of the scientists he worked with. However, he decided it would probably be a good idea to keep the medical examiner's attention on the body instead of any tangential story he might have floating around in his brain. "What can you tell us about the incision?" he asked.
"With the body desiccated as it is, it will be difficult to determine much about the incision," Cam stated.
"Meaning what?" Gibbs questioned, stepping up to stand beside her in order to examine the incision more closely.
"Meaning," Cam stated, turning to look at Gibbs "that it will be difficult to determine the original length of the incision or the type of blade that made it because the edges of the wound are so damaged."
"Didn't you rehydrate someone's hands to get their fingerprints one time?" Booth asked, trying to think of a way that they might be able to gather the information that might be vital to their investigation.
"That might work," Brennan said, considering the possibility.
"We have done exactly that using saline injected under the skin," Ducky interrupted, the idea of such a novel solution bringing a smile to his face. "However, I have never heard of anyone rehydrating an entire mummified corpse. But, you know, it just might work. There's just one minor hitch to that plan. " Ducky moved around the table to stand beside Brennan and Cam. "We don't have the type of equipment that would be necessary for something like that."
"We could do it at the Jeffersonian lab."
Ducky and Gibbs exchanged a look.
"Do you need to examine the body further?" Gibbs asked.
"No, I think we have as much information as we are going to be able to gather at this point."
"Then let's get these samples up to Abby to test and transport the body to the Jeffersonian," he directed. Picking up the tray of samples, he moved toward the door.
"Jethro, there is one more thing," Duck called after Gibbs.
The NCIS agent paused and turned to walk back to where the medical examiner and the team from the Jeffersonian were still working. "What is it, Duck?"
"I found a powdery substance in his nose. There were also traces of it on the skin around his nose and lips." Ducky moved over to the nearby table and picked up another tray of samples. He handed the tray to Booth. "Please take that to Abby as well, if you wouldn't mind."
"Cocaine?" Gibbs asked, slightly puzzled.
"I don't believe so," responded Ducky. "And it was curious. The appearance of the substance on the skin as well as in the nostrils suggests that the lance corporal was forced to inhale it while it was being held to his face, likely right up against his skin."
XxxxxxX XxxxxxX
Walking into Abby's lab was definitely a shock for Seeley Booth. He didn't know what he had been expecting, but it certainly hadn't been what he found. There was some type of discordant music playing at an ear-splitting volume. The sole occupant of the lab was a tall, slender woman with black pig tails and a spider web tattooed on the back of her neck. He couldn't tell what she was wearing under her white lab coat, as her back was to the door, but he couldn't help but notice her platform biker boots. And he thought the inhabitants of the Jeffersonian lab were strange.
Gibbs entered the room and immediately moved to the stereo and shut off the music. Abby immediately turned around with an indignant, "what the hell?"
"Gibbs," a grin spread across her face when she spotted the special agent. "You're early. My babies are still working on the samples Ducky sent down to me from the crime scene. I won't have anything for a couple of hours yet. I've been examining Lance Corporal Martinez's clothing, and I found something on his uniform. I'm just not sure what it is yet." She glanced questioningly at Booth. Gibbs didn't usually bring strangers into her lab. "Who's your friend?"
"This is FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth. What did you find, Abbs?"
"There's some fibers and some bug parts. I've got those running to see if I can find a match. So far, no luck." She moved to project the imagine of the fibers that she had been studying through the lenses of her microscope onto the wall screen so the two agents could see it as well. "They look natural, but I've never seen anything like them before. I've it running through the fiber database to see if I can find a match."
Booth stepped up to get a closer look at the projected image. After studying the enlarged view of the fibers, he turned to look at Abby and Gibbs. "Maybe you ought to get with Hodgins on that. He might have seen something like that before. Plus, he's an expert on bugs. He might be able to give you a hand on identifying the bug parts."
"Thanks, I might just do that," Abby replied. She had heard about Dr. Jack Hodgins and his work at the Jeffersonian. The forensic science circle in Washington D.C. was small, and, even if the members didn't know each other, they had at least heard about each other's work. Although she was sure she would be able to identify both the fibers and the bugs, at least eventually, agreeing to work with Hodgins would give her the opportunity to meet him.
"Abby, the bugs?" Gibbs asked, bringing Abby's attention back to her work.
"Oh, yeah, Oh Great One," Abby said as she moved to another part of her lab. She picked up a Petri dish in which she had placed the remains of some insects. "I've got wings and some legs, but no bodies. That tells me either they were on the body when it was moved to the dump site or the body has been at that site long enough for the bugs to have died and their bodies decay, but not long enough for the wings and legs." She returned the Petri dish to the table and looked expectantly at Gibbs. "I don't know more until I can identify the bugs or I get the results of the soil samples I'm running."
"Thanks, Abbs," Gibbs responded. He moved forward, handed her the large cup of Caff-Pow he'd been holding, and kissed her on the cheek. "Let me know when you've got something."
Abby's cheeky response brought a smile to Booth's face. He was really starting to like this woman. He could tell by their interaction and body language that Gibbs and Abby were close. He'd also wondered why they'd stopped in the cafeteria on their way to the lab. He hadn't pictured Gibbs as a fan of the overly sweet highly caffeinated drink.
Noise coming from the hallway drew the attention of the three people in the lab. They turned to see McGee pushing a cart covered in boxes and evidence bags.
"What have you got?" Gibbs asked, moving forward.
"We finished searching Lance Corporal Martinez's apartment. We found a desk top computer, as well as a lap top and a tablet computer. I brought the electronics back here to start going through them while Tony and Ziva went to search Seaman Malcolm's quarters."
"Did you find anything other than the computers," Booth asked, moving to look over the computers stacked on the evidence cart.
McGee blushed slightly. "Um, we found a closet full of sex toys and bondage gear." He shrugged. "It's still down in the evidence garage."
"Anything other than kinky sex toys, McGee?"
"No, that was about it, Boss. No mail, no calendars, and there were no messages on the answering machine. We did find a cell phone charger, but no phone."
"Okay," Gibbs responded, "Let me know what you find on those computers." Once again, he turned and walked out of the room without a word to Booth or turning back to see if the FBI agent was following him.
Once back up at the bullpen, the two agents sat. "I've got my people searching the residences of the non-military victims. There's something that ties all these victims together."
"I agree. Until we figure out what that is, we won't be able to find the bastard who did this," Gibbs responded, reaching for the cup of coffee on the corner of his desk. It was cold, but he took a deep drink of it anyway.
"You think the killer's a man?"
"Not necessarily," Gibbs responded as he sat back in his chair. "There's a chance it's a woman, but bastard works for the time beginning."
"I won't argue with you there." Booth stood and stretched to work the kinks out of his back.
TBC
Author's Note: I hope there are no glaring mistakes in the science. If there are, I apologize. My mind isn't geared for science – although I do find some of this stuff fascinating on the surface. I did some research, but I've made a lot of it up as I've gone along.
