Chapter 4
Gibbs had gone slightly ballistic when Kate had mentioned it looked like a sleepover.
"A what?"
"Gibbs, we have to go further over the Appalachians to Edinburg. Need to look out for a family of hillbillies by the name of McNeill."
"Like h…" he began to say as Tony now cut in.
"Boss either we go now or we have to come back later and so I thought now would be best."
"And do you know what exactly you are looking for?" Gibbs now questioned.
"No, not really, but moonshine springs to mind, and maybe get Probie to check out any McNeills"
"Moonshine? McNeills?" as the Gibbs echo appeared again.
"Yes Boss, moonshine…mountain dew, tell you what, I'll bring you back a bottle or two if I can," as he heard Gibbs sigh.
"Ok DiNozzo but touch base and tell us what you find, I'll get Tim to search the internet thingy and we'll liaise that way," as he closed the cell.
"We got the permission," Tony smiled as he started the engine and they drove off.
-oOo-
The pair drove over the valley to Edinburg and parked the car up.
"Certainly looks a bit wild west, doesn't it," as Kate surveyed the main street.
"Suppose we could ask at the bank, or the sheriff's office, or even the old saloon," as Tony pointed, "See if they can point us in the direction of the McNeills'."
"I'd go for the sheriff's office, but we need to find accommodation so maybe the saloon is better."
"Grab your gear then, as Gibbs would say," as he opened the truck and removed her holdall and his backpack, Kate picked up her bag and they walked across the street to the Hotel, and opened the door, it was as they had imagined, Tony just smiled and strode to the bar. Three gentlemen sat at the bar drinking beer, they eyed the pair suspiciously.
"Howdy, looking for a couple of rooms, something to eat and drink," Tony asked nicely to the dour looking gentleman behind the bar.
"In that order?...As I run a respectable establishment," came the reply.
"I'm sure you do," Kate now smiled sweetly, "It's just, we are here looking for some long lost relations. Wonderful thing those "Find your family" websites, pop in a name or two, get a ship or even better Ellis Island and well it seems our relatives eventually came through this way."
"So you want two rooms?" the man said.
"That's what I asked for," Tony replied.
"I got two, you paying cash? And meal will be whatever my good lady is giving me."
"Sounds perfect," Kate added still smiling.
The man indicated they move to the far end of the bar, the three drinkers eyes followed.
"Don't worry about them, one's the sheriff, the other two are the doctor and the priest, this is the best place to find out what's happening around here," as the manager now gave them a key each, "Top of the stair facing the street. And yes ma'am en-suite, we aren't all hillbillies round here, and dinner will be in 30 minutes."
The pair thanked the man as he went back to the three drinkers, and climbed the stairs.
-oOo-
Back at the Navy Yard, Gibbs had organised Tim to search McNeill in the Edinburg area.
"Boss there was a Sean McNeill, he served in the Navy same time as Doughty and Carter, in-fact they were all on the same ship."
"And…"
"Sean has a brother Seamus, and sister Siobhan," Tim continued to search.
"And…no Mr McNeill?"
"No Boss, doesn't say there is, but the census of 2000 gave Edinburg, a population of 813 and this is interesting, 9.9% have a female householder with no husband present."
"Tell me McGee, what exactly do the McNeills' do, and find me Mr McNeill," as he turned back to his desk he picked up his phone, he dialled a number, "Fornell, what you know about moonshine…yes moonshine, the good old mountain dew, and when was the last time the ATF busted an illicit still over Edinburg way?" Gibbs listened to what Fornell had to say before replying, "Fine but stay off my drink this time."
-oOo-
Back in Edinburg, Kate had managed to get a signal for her cell and for the laptop. Tim's email had said a Sean McNeill had served in the Navy and that he had a sister and brother. She made her way down to the bar and saw Tony already there, but she noticed that a table had been set in an alcove, for 5 people.
"Wine?" Tony enquired, as Kate nodded.
"Glass dry white wine and a beer please," Tony asked the girl who was now behind the bar. Tony took the drinks and saw that Kate was now sitting at the table along with the owner, Tony passed Kate her wine.
"Thank you, Jeff here was just telling me that they don't often get visitors, but they always set an extra place just in case," Kate began to say.
"Very hospitable of you," Tony smiled.
The pair watched as Jeff's wife placed steaming plates of thick soup in front of them, lumps of homemade bread lay in a basket beside a jug of water. Tony was about to start when he felt Kate kick him under the table, and she clasped her hands together and glared.
"Sorry," as Tony now did the same. Grace over, Jeff passed the bread to Kate who smiled and took a piece, "Thank you," she replied.
"So…looking for family eh?" Jeff queried through a mouthful of soup and bread.
"Yes, it looks like my cousin and I have a mutual relation, way back a Captain Hector McNeill, he was of Irish/Scots decent, he had quite a chequered career, was at one point a third ranking Captain in the Continental Navy," Kate now answered.
"Fascinating," Tony muttered, "I mean it was fascinating to find out so much about him, but do continue Kate," he added talking naturally now, but glaring at her.
"And what happened to him?" Jeff's wife now asked.
"He was eventually court-marshalled over something, but spent the rest of the Civil War as a privateer in Massachusetts," Kate concluded.
"Massachusetts is a lot further north than here?" Jeff quizzed.
"But as Kate has said he was a sailor, and he became a privateer, so really plied his trade up and down the East Coast," Tony now added, joining in.
"Do you know what became of Hector, "Jeff's wife asked as she now served up a fish pie.
"He was lost at sea," Kate replied.
"So really he could have faked his own death and jumped ship so to speak," Jeff' replied, "…so you looking for the McNeill family?"
"Yes," Tony concluded.
"There is a family of McNeill's live about 5 miles from here; I'll give you directions after we have eaten."
-oOo-
Meanwhile back in the basement of Gibbs, Fornell had arrived, not only with a few beers but a good Chinese takeaway.
"Sorry about last night, or even this morning," Tobias began to say.
"Just don't do it again…what did Diane say?" Gibbs asked, as he laid plates on the table.
"Basically the same, but she knows I'm here and that if I get drunk you'll put me up or I go home sober, told her I was helping with a case."
"Well…anything Tobias?"
"Zoe Keates, she was a rookie with DiNozzo in Baltimore, before you hijacked him…she moved to ATF, not long after," Fornell replied.
"And?" as Gibbs knocked the top of the beer before sitting down and opening the cartons.
"Zoe, not that I know her but you know, a friend of a friend, of a colleague mentioned her. So gave her a call and she said she'd find out what she could."
"And?" Gibbs continued, plating up some of the Chinese.
"Ok," as Tobias spooned some food onto a plate, "Said that about 10 years ago there was a case in Shenandoah County where some hillbilly family was exporting moonshine."
"Exporting?" the Gibbs echo repeated.
"Well, you know shipping and selling untaxed liquor. Some moonshiners went legit, but others like Micky McNeill preferred to do it the old way."
"And there was a market?" Gibbs asked.
"If it's cheap, but today modern-day moonshining, is the manufacture of methamphetamine, sparkling snow," Fornell added now looking at Gibbs.
"You said Micky McNeill, when McGee did an internet sweep he didn't find anyone of that name."
"Micky disappeared just after, well probably about the time your Petty Officer was murdered," Fornell concluded.
"I owe you Tobias."
"You certainly do, this meal and the beer, and getting me out of another evening with Diane," as he waved at the now empty cartons.