Walking around the charred remains of what had been once DiNozzo's prized Corvette, Gibbs stepped around McGee who was busy photographing the scene as he listened to the Metro officer's report about finding the remains of the burnt-out car.
"This area tends to be a bit of a graveyard for stolen and stripped-down cars," the officer told him, "We were a bit surprised when we received an anonymous tip late this morning about a car being dumped and burned here late last night. And when we investigated, we found the still smoldering remains of your agent's car. The car had been fully engulfed by the fire but was but one of the license plates escaped the flames."
"Any indication that someone was in the car when it was set on fire?" Kate asked, asking the one question that she feared to hear the answer to.
"No, no body in the driver's seat and I checked the trunk, and there's no body in there either. I ran the number plate through DMV and was able to trace it back to your missing man."
"And you got an anonymous tip about the car?" Gibbs asked, looking around at the thick woods and undergrowth that lined the narrow dirt road.
"Yeah, although I don't know why anyone would be in this area, especially at…" the officer fell silent as he realized that the NCIS agent no longer seemed to be listening to him.
"Todd! McGee!"
The officer jumped in surprise as Gibbs hissed softly at his two agents, canting his head slightly in the direction that he was looking. Casting a quick, covert glance in the direction that held the lead agent's attention, the officer caught a quick flash of red as whoever was watching them ducked down amongst the green as the three NCIS agents drew their guns and rushed towards whoever was hiding in the underbrush. Drawing his own weapon, he scrambled to catch up with them, reaching them just as they surrounded the area where the suspect was hiding.
"NCIS! Drop your weapon and put your hands in the air!" Gibbs ordered firmly; his gun trained on the huddled figure hiding beneath a thick clump of ferns.
"Please do-don't shoot! I'm unarmed." The old man begged as he slowly sat up and raised his hands in the air, his eyes wide with fear as he stared up at the three NCIS agents and the police officer who all had their guns aimed at him. "I-I wasn't gunna hurt anyone. I-I just wanted to make sure that someone took my phone call this morning seriously."
"You're the one who rang in the anonymous tip about the car?" Gibbs asked, reholstering his gun, nodding at the others in a silent order to do the same before he leaned down and reached for the old man's arm, helping him up to his feet.
The old man nodded, his hands shaking as he took off his glasses before removing a handkerchief from his shirt pocket. Using the grime stained handkerchief to wipe the lenses, he tried to further explain. "I don't normally like to get involved in things. I keep to myself, and I'd like others to respect that. That's why I built my little shack back there's a little, away from the road." He told them pointing deeper into the woods, "Plus, you know, sometimes when you see someone do something, you let the authorities know, and the next day you're listed in the obituary page. But this time…"
"This time?" Kate asked, confused.
"Yes ma'am, that's what I said, this time." The old man snapped indignantly, as he brushed his hands against the front of his old red, well-worn, checked flannelette shirt, attempting to clean the dirt and leaves from them before he looked back up at her I've been livin' here long enough to watch them dump their stolen cars and I know that sometimes it's better just to turn a blind eye if I wanna live in peace but this time. But this time it was different."
"Different how?" Gibbs asked.
"Well, I was out walking my dog. I normally try to do it before it gets too dark, but Buster has been having some issues lately, and I've had to take him out more frequently even though it's dark. Not that I mind taking him out after dark for walks and so he can…well you know…, after all he's family, if you know what I mean?"
Gibbs nodded patiently as he gently pushed. "So, you were walking Buster?"
Nodding, the man said, "That's when I came across the Corvette, parked all alone on the road. Reminded me of the convertible that I used to drive when I was a little younger, and I could tell it was well-taken care of. It wasn't banged up and rusty or anything like that. It was obvious it was a car someone took good care of and I thought how terrible it was that someone must stole it and taken it on one of those joyrides, only to dump it here when they were done, in the middle of nowhere. Anyways, as Buster and I made our way over to have a look, a man got out."
"Of the car?" Gibbs frowned.
The old man nodded, vigorously, "Yes, scared me a little. I thought that the car was empty."
"Did you see what this man looked like?"
"Sort of. He was tall but not fat. Not really skinny either. He had a dark leather jacket on, you know, like motorcycle riders wear. Had on gloves too. He certainly didn't look like he was the car's owner, he was kind of suspicious looking, that's why I stopped and watched."
"Was there anything else that you noticed about him?" Gibbs asked leaning closer, watching the old man closely, "Skin color, hair color, about how tall do you think he was?"
"I'm pretty sure he was black. He had on a hat or something over his head, I think. But yes, he was definitely black. And like I said, he looked tall." The man nodded confidently, before continuing with his story, "Anyway, so after he gets out of the car, he rolls the window down before shutting the door. Then he reached into his pocket, took out a pack of cigarettes, opened it, and took one out."
"You saw all this in the dark?" the Metro police officer asked a little skeptically, glancing across at Gibbs who never took his eyes off the old man, before returning his attention back to the old man.
The man nodded again, turning to look at officer. "The car's interior light came on when he opened the door and I got a real good look at him as he got out of the car, son. Musta been an uncomfortable drive for him all the way out here though, he towered over the car once he got out of it." Looking back at Gibbs, he went on slowly, "Anyways after he got out of the car, he put the cigarette in his mouth, reached back into his pocket and pulled out a match. Strikes the match, lights the cigarette, but you know what he did then?"
Gibbs shook his head, not willing to talk and interrupt the older man's memory of what he had seen.
"He didn't throw the match away and litter like normal people! He didn't even shake out the match! No, instead he tossed it through the open window of the car, and then I heard a loud whoosh and the car went up in flames as he swiftly walked away!" the old man said, his eyes opened wide in disbelief of what he had witnessed.
"Where were you when all this happened? Did he see you?" Gibbs asked softly as he began to guide the older man out of the woods and towards the two cars parked near the burnt-out shell of Tony's convertible.
"Oh no, I was hiding right where you just found me, dropped straight down in the ferns when I saw the man get out of the car. And Buster, he musta known something was wrong as well 'cause he stayed as quiet as a mouse right beside me. He didn't make a noise, not even a whimper. But if they should get caught and put two and two together…"
"We'll make sure that doesn't happen?" Gibbs quickly reassured him before gently asking, "Did you see where the man went after he tossed the match in the car?"
The old man nodded his head eagerly as they reached the road and pointed yards up the road, "Another car pulled up a couple of minutes later, just there, and he got in that car, but I swear I could hear them laughing as they drove away."
"Did you happen to notice anything about the car that he got into? Maybe the color or perhaps even the make?" Gibbs asked
"Oh sure." Mr Hawkins grinned, "My dear wife had one just like it, God rest her soul. Her's was a beautiful 1961 Lincoln Continental. Hers was this sort of pearl white. Exquisite car. They don't make them like that anymore."
"I know it was dark but were you able to see what color was this one?" Gibbs asked.
"Oh, yes, I saw it in the moonlight as they drove away, it was the same color as my wife's. Gosh, I hope it's not the same car. I had to sell it awhile back."
Gibbs looked across at McGee and ordered. "Run a check through DMV. Get me all the registrations they have on 1961 white Lincoln Continentals."
"On it, Boss," Tim nodded as he turned to hurry back to the car.
Grabbing Tim's jacket to stop him from leaving, the old man reached into a pocket of his coat and pulled out a small piece of paper. "Here, son," he said to Tim, handing him a small sliver of folded paper. "That should help narrow things down a bit."
Confused, Tim opened up the folded paper.
"What is it?" Gibbs frowned.
"The car's license number, Boss" Tim answered, smiling at Mr Hawkins as he handed the slip of paper across to Gibbs.
"I might be old and a little slow but there ain't nothing wrong with my eyes when I'm wearing my glasses, lad, I saw it as they drove away and jotted it down as soon as I got back to the cabin, I thought it might come in handy..." Mr Hawkins grinned proudly.
Gibbs smiled as he guided the older man across to the patrol car and opened the back door as he asked, "Do you think you got a good enough look at the men that you could describe them well enough for one of my people to make an accurate computer drawing of them?"
Mr Hawkins nodded, "I'm willing to have a good go at it, son, just tell me when and where."
"How about now at NCIS headquarters. Agent McGee is heading back there now with this officer," Gibbs looked across at the Metro officer, who nodded his acknowledgement of the unspoken order from the lead NCIS agent, before he looked back at Mr Hawkins, "to run a check on that number plate you gave us."
The old man nodded as Gibbs helped him to settle into the back of the patrol car and closed the door behind him.
Turning back to Tim, Gibbs handed him back the slip of paper as he ordered softly, "Get Abby to work with him, hopefully he might be able to give us a face that we can work with and then run that plate through DMV, I want to know where that car is and who owns it and just what their connection is to DiNozzo!"
"Will do, Boss." Tim nodded, climbing into the passenger seat of the patrol car as Gibbs turned and walked back towards the charred remains of Tony's car.
