Chapter 10
The car crash
"It happened when I was two or three, Tim," Catriona began, the whole team now sat together in the conference room with Alice Rose too. Alice Rose held her mother's hand and Tim sat next to her too, his hand on her shoulder. Catriona's hands were wrapped around a china cup of tea, curtesy of Ducky, who sat opposite her with Ziva. Tony and Gibbs stood by the wall."I don't remember Verra much about it."
"Tell us what you do know, Cat. That way we know what we're dealing with- with this guy, Kincade and his boss." Gibbs said kindly.
"I remember we driving across country, down country lanes in the highlands, nothing around us for miles until we entered a small town where we I believe, were meeting Ducky for something." Catriona met his eye sadly and Ducky flashed her a kind but sorrowful smile.
"Hogmanay. You were coming to me for Hogmanay that year."
"Oh, I didn't know that. Anyway we passed through the town on our way to Ducky's estate house just outside the town, when another car- a black truck like thing I think- came out of no where and ploughed into my father's side of the car. I don't really remember anything after that until about two years later when Archie Kincade was arrested after his DNA was found on my mother's belongings. He'd been looking for something." Catriona sighed, fighting the tears.
"Why did it take two years?" Gibbs asked flashing a look from Catriona to Ducky.
"They found the foreign DNA at the time but it was in the system for two years before they got a match." Ducky explained. "In court he said he hadn't intended to kill anyone - Catriona's father Hugh, died instantly and Alice Rose her mum, died in hospital of wounds received. Catriona was injured too, but as severely. The charge was manslaughter not murder. Kincade got 15 years."
"Do you mean my scar, da?" Catriona asked and Ducky nodded. Unconsciously Catriona touched her waist and upper thighs stroking softly in reminiscence.
"Aye, lass, I do. I never felt pain worse, then or since as I felt when you were hurting, my Catriona." Ducky held out a hand for her and she grasped it tightly.
"My Catriona," he said again. "Catriona Rose Victoria Monroe Mallard."
"Victoria?" Tim asked.
"After my mother. She always wanted a grandchild. In a sense she got one with Cait," Ducky smiled again. "You're safe now, lass, no harm will come to ye here. None."
When he said things like that, Catriona knew he was right and always felt safe. Her relaxed repose was interrupted by Gibbs' phone ringing.
"Yea Abs?" His face fell and anger filled his eyes.