Chapter 4
Morgue, BPD Division One headquarters
Ducky Mallard briefly looked up from the body of the victim Homicide had investigated the day before. She was the first of what the local media had began referencing as the 'Venus de Milo killings'; though she was civilian, and therefore not under NCIS jurisdiction, Ducky still took a look at the body to see how similar it was to the Petty Officer found at BCU.
Ducky looked around at the workspace of Dr. Maura Dorthea Isles, Head Medical Examiner of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and her second, Assistant Medical Examiner Jordan Cavanaugh. It was similar to his own, if a little larger, and perhaps a bit more open.
He noticed a few of Dr. Isles' African art pieces hanging up - she informed him most were either in her office or at her home - and decided he missed the character they brought to his more sterile morgue back in Washington.
"Everything alright, Dr. Mallard?" Jordan said, snapping Ducky out of his thoughts.
"Ah," Ducky replied, "yes, Jordan. I am fine. Just finishing up my examination of this poor young woman."
"And what have you found?" asked Maura, looking up from the body of the BCU victim.
"Nothing any different from our other two victims, nor from the victims we found in Washington," Ducky replied. "The cuts, the plaster, how the body was maneuvered, are the same."
Jordan - looking at the mask of the woman found earlier that day at the park - then took the mask and held it up.
"Looks like the authentic Venus de Milo, too, in the face," Jordan commented. "Either the killer is a really good artist, or he's using a plaster mold to replicate the features of the original statue."
"I would say the killer is using a mold," Maura said, looking at the mask. "The facial features on her mask and the mask from this victim are exactly the same-"
"Yes," Ducky interjected. "The spacing between the eyes, the features of the nose, even the structure of the chin and jawline."
Maura looked over all three victims, again.
"See something else, Dr. Isles?" Jordan.
"Bodily structure is almost identical for all three women," Maura explained. "They are all the same height, same body type. The one from the park is Caucasian-Latina, the other two are Caucasian-"
"One from D.C. was also Caucasian, and the other was African-American," Ducky added.
"He's looking for a body type," Jordan said. "Question is, is that's all he's looking for?"
"That is for our detective and agent friends to uncover," Ducky mused. "I fear that they won't uncover the motivation - and track down the killer - before he or she strikes again."
Right then, the door to the morgue opened, and the three M.E.s saw Jane Rizzoli and Leroy Jethro Gibbs, trailed by Kate Todd.
"Not gonna wait around to find out, Duck," Gibbs said.
"Fill us in on what you found, Maura," Jane said to Maura, "so Kate and our people can start a profile on this creep."
Maura proceeded to inform Jane, Gibbs and Kate what she, and Jordan and Ducky, discovered about the bodies.
Homicide squadroom
Gibbs left Tony, Ziva and McGee behind with instructions to be quiet and observe.
For Tony, the 'be quiet' part ended after the elevator doors shut; he proceded to work the room and introduce himself to everyone - particularly those of the female variety.
"What happened to 'be quiet and observe'," McGee muttered to Ziva, as Tony began to chat up Det. Riley Cooper.
"Apparently he thinks it only applies to us," Ziva replied.
Riley, politely, declined Tony's invitation to discuss the local bar scene. And James Bond movie trivia. And the comparison of Kevin Garnett to Kevin McHale.
"Tony is going over with these detectives like a lead fart," Ziva said; Frost, sitting nearby, overheard her and looked up in surprise.
"Ziva. Lead balloon. The idiom is 'lead balloon'," McGee corrected her.
Tony glanced over at his fellow NCIS team members, and saw their reaction. He understood they'd rather him shut up, but in his mind there was a method to his madness. What better way to profile these detectives in a short time, to gauge the temperature of the room.
DiNozzo made eye contact with McGee and Ziva, and glanced towards Korsak and Frost.
McGee shook his head, and mouthed 'Gibbs'.
DiNozzo made eye contact again, and glanced towards Frost - who noticed him - and Korsak. Ziva made a headslap gesture to the back of her head, and McGee shook his head.
Tony glared at them both, briefly, then reintroduced himself to Detectives Woody Hoyt and Roz Framus, and proceeded to make small talk. To Woody's chagrin, Tony began with a list of top five movies set in Boston.
"Is he always like that?" Frost whispered to McGee and Ziva.
"Oh, it never stops," Ziva answered. "He is a clattertooth."
Frost looked at her, mystified by what she had just said.
"A clattertooth'?" Frost asked Ziva. "Like a snaggletooth?"
"No. A clattertooth. Constantly clatters. Never shuts up-"
"I think Ziva means chatterbox," McGee interjected. "Which he is. Once he gets started, it's hard to stop him."
"Ah," Frost replied, then remembered Jane's debriefing of the NCIS team from her lengthy time with them in Washington. "He's your senior agent, right? How good of an agent is he?"
"He's one of them, Kate's the other, and he's pretty good when he sticks to business," McGee said, as Korsak joined in on the conversation.
"I don't think Agent DiNozzo's gotten on Woody's good side," Korsak said, pointing over towards Detective Hoyt, who was extremely annoyed over the NCIS agent's abrupt recounting of Jerry O'Connell movies. "Think we should go over there and rescue him?"
"No," Ziva said. "Besides, he does know when to back down."
"He's working the room so he can know who we're dealing with here," McGee said. "The same way Jane's brother did when he visited the Navy Yard last March, and the same way you two are doing now."
Kid's perceptive, and smart, Korsak thought. "Pretty good observations, Agent McGee," he replied. "Is he saving us for last?"
"Tony is doing what Tony does," Ziva interjected. "He is a good agent, and despite appearances is no moron."
"But don't tell him that. Or don't tell him we said that," McGee added.
Ziva nodded her head in agreement. "Definitely not," she agreed. "Otherwise his head will grow until it pops like a tit."
Korsak was speechless. Frost stared at Ziva momentarily, then at McGee - who looked as if he'd heard the metaphor from her before - and a moment later, started giggling uncontrollably.
That caught Tony's attention from the other side of the squad room.
"Hey, McFunny!" Tony yelled. "You putting on a comedy show over there?"
Frost was besides himself with laughter, and Korsak spoke up.
"Just getting to know us, Agent DiNozzo," he said. "Just like you're getting to know Woody and Roz."
"Frost's gonna laugh himself to death," Roz commented.
"Better go over there, then and put an end to the McComedy Hour," Tony said, walking towards his teammates; Woody mouthed to Korsak 'YOU CAN HAVE HIM'.
Frost finally gathered himself, and put out his hand to shake Tony, who did likewise, and then with Korsak.
"So what's the joke, Probie, that you have one of Boston's finest doubled over in laughter?" Tony said, as the elevator doors opened in the hallway.
"Not me. Ziva," McGee thumbed to Officer David, who feigned ignorance.
"Apparently Mossad officers aren't just trained to kill," Tony quipped. "They're also trained to make jokes. What is it, Zee-vah? The one where I superglued Probie's face to the keyboard? Or the one where me and Kate-wait. Frost? Tell me."
"She..she said your head would pop like a tit," Frost said before doubling over in laughter as Jane, Gibbs, Kate and Maura walked towards them.
"Oh, okay, Zee-Vah, the joke's on me," Tony complained, while Frost tried to contain himself again, and Ziva and McGee straightened themselves up. "You two. Don't-"
"Don't what, DiNozzo." Tony stopped, hearing Gibbs' voice over his left shoulder.
"Yeah, Tony," Kate interjected, smiling and stepping on Tony's right side. "You were telling Ziva and McGee something. Don't what?"
"Sorry boss," Tony said, glancing to his left, then mock-sneering at Kate. "Probie. Zee-vah. Don't just stand there. Tell the boss what you've observed."
Tony played like McGee and Ziva were in the crosshairs, though he was well aware all eyes were on him.
"We saw 'very special agent DiNozzo' introducing himself to everyone as a representative of NCIS," Ziva stated.
"Special Agent DiNozzo wanted to meet Boston's finest for themselves," McGee followed.
Jane, ready to headslap DiNozzo if he even breathed wrongly, found Maura grapsing her hand - and giving her a 'don't you dare' look.
"DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked, and Tony braced himself.
"Boss," Tony said. "The homicide division of Boston's finest lives up to its name. We'll be working with some solid pros."
"Good thinking, not pulling out the 'almost as good as Baltimore' card," Jane whispered to DiNozzo.
"DiNozzo. Ziva. McGee," Gibbs said, stepping from behind Tony to address the group. "You'll work the case with Abby and Ducky in Washington. Me and Kate will work the case here with Homicide."