Chapter 11 The British Are Coming

May 14, 2010

Gibbs and Hotchner go outside to meet their guests out front of NCIS headquarters. They escort them to security to get them permission to enter. Mr. Chester King, his son Harry and his wife Emma and her son James Bond.

Hotchner and Gibbs assess the group as they enter the building. The four of the are very well dressed. Mrs. Emma King is wearing a Navy blue suit with trousers and a white blouse. She is a lovely woman with a white pixie cut with high cheek bones and red nails and lips. Her blue eyes are stunning.

Mr. King's in a bespoke charcoal grey suit with waistcoat much like his son who is similarly dressed but in dark blue like his stepmother. King is a a tall graying man with a nice smile and a gentle manner.

Harry looks like an academic yet under his suit is a fit man who could be surprising. James Bond is in a silver, grey suit and cuts an impressive figure. He is like finely coiled viper ready to strike...as for striking his eyes are like ice.

As they walk through the corridors of NCIS the rest make their assessments. There is a sudden quiet as all the agents eye the new well dressed guests.

M smirks as she walks behind Chester with the boys following closely behind her. M knows full well how distracting James Bond can be and with the added bonus of Harry, all eyes are on them. Their group is impeccably dressed and they cut a fine figure.

They are introduced to the team members, and luckily, Ziva David is not in attendance. As expected two strangely clad women are in a stunned silence staring at the boys, as M now affectionately calls them. She doesn't think Q and Tanner are ever going to let her forget this excursion out as Bond's mother.

One of the women is clad in black with a spider web motif and the other, is a brightly coloured sun dress with feathers in her hair. There is one other female agent that is dressed in a suit. M wonders which one Bond will attempt to use his charms on first.

Gibbs introduces his team of Tony DiNozzo, Mallard, Abby Sciuto and Timothy McGee. Hotchner introduces Emily Prentiss, Derek Morgan, David Rossi, Dr Spencer Reid and Penelope Garcia.

They explain to their group, that NCIS is taking the lead in the investigation because of Private Owen's murder. The BAU is here because of the serial nature of the killings and to assist in creating a profile of the killer or killers.

Gibbs and DiNozzo, along with Rossi and Hotchner plan to conduct their interview as they escort them through the building further to the appropriate room. M assumes that they will be recorded, it's what she would do. Q will have to take care of video evidence later.

Ducky pulls Jethro aside at the last moment as he follows the group into the conference room and asks to be included in the interview. His excuse is that he may be needed for any questions the guests may have about the autopsy.

Gibbs smiles and agrees because Ducky may make the guest more comfortable. That...and the fact that Ducky has been staring at Mrs. King since she walked into the bullpen to meet them all.

Rossi and DiNozzo share a smirk and a smile as they watch Ducky enter the board room with them and sit on the other side beside Mrs. King.

"Hello and thank you for making this long trip to claim your cousin." Hotchner says.

"The least I could do. Do you have any idea what befell our cousin?"

"He was shot in the same rural area that we have evidence that he visited 30 years ago. I don't know if you are aware of this but there were four murders at that location in 79." Hotchner details.

"I did know of it yes...long ago and Malcolm had nothing to do with it. If he had, I assume charges would have been laid. Is there any other connection or was this a random shooting?" Chester asks, looking to his attractive wife.

Mrs. King sits quietly, not really saying much more than hello upon introduction but examining the room and all those in it. The sons are also quiet, allowing the head of the family to speak for all of them.

It isn't hard for Gibbs to tell that Ducky is attracted to the lady King, by the way he adjusts his bowtie. Their guest seem to differ to Ducky, either because of age or the familiarity with another countryman.

"I found some distinctive residue on Mr. King's body as if he fired a weapon. Possibly from a struggle with his attacker from what we can tell. I will take you to view the remains after."

"Did you serve Dr. Mallard?" Chester King inquires.

"SAS Afghanistan a long time ago. Do you know why your cousin came to Virginia?"

"I have not heard from Malcolm in months but I cannot speak for my wife."

M shoots a quick glare at her husband and then leans forward in her chair and resting her manicured hands on the table. Not a subtle move in this case, her red polished nails rest close to Ducky's and there is no wedding ring on her finger. However, Gibbs notices that she does have some on a chain around her neck.

"No; not really. I have not heard from Malcolm for two weeks. He called me to ask if we were attending an event with him next month."

"Oh yes...yes...the night at the races benefit. I forgot about that dear." Chester pats her knee affectionately and turns back to the four across the table questioning them. Subtly staking his claim on her.

"We know little of the incident. Malcolm only said there was a drunken brawl while he was on leave. He said that they sailed the next day and that the Americans were unfortunately the most abused of the bunch...he swore he was drugged that night and woke in the back of a truck. He remained in contact with the America's and gave a statement over the wire for what occurred that night."

"That is what you cousin told you happened?" Rossi asks. He looks at Gibbs. "Do you have any record of that interview taking place?"

"No we don't. McGee and Abby looked into all the records concerning the incident and it was more or less excused that the British officers left the next day without a word.

"Well, it was war games and it would be a busy time in port. The comings and goings in port would be fast and furious." Bond adds.

"Yes, they likely were and the authorities were slow to put the pieces together. We may have more questions for you later." Gibbs says as he looks over to Hotchner.

"Is that an indication that we should stay Mr. Hotchner or are we free to go back to London?" Harry asks.

"No you may leave as soon as you've made your arrangements for the deceased Commodore King's body."

Rossi notices the way Mrs. King flinches minutely, when Hotch mentions the body.

"Can we see Malcolm now?" King asks as he stands, offering his arm to his wife.

Gibbs and the rest stand as Ducky escorts the four of them to the morgue. Gibbs and Hotchner follow. Rossi joins the rest to begin to look for anything missing about King and his claim of giving evidence to the FBI by phone.

After they leave the remaining agents file into the conference room from the observation area next door. The lot of them were watching on video feed and now sit and collect their thoughts on the meeting with Rossi who was in attendance.

"That was interesting in more ways than one." DiNozzo blurts out suddenly.

"Yeah Tony. I can't believe how cute Ducky was being...he was so...you know...enraptured with Mrs. King." Abby says excitedly.

"Well Mrs. King doesn't seem like she wants to remain Mrs. King for much longer. Her body language was cold and distant from her husband. What do we have on her anything Garcia?" Prentiss asks.

"She was wearing an old set of engagement and wedding rings around her neck perhaps she has issues with her fingers." Reid says.

"Oh...my babies. What I have is not much. Married to an Andrew Bond who owns an estate in Scotland...there is definitely money there." Garcia says as she types furiously on her laptop.

"No doubt! Did you see the clothing...tailor made and not cheap. I swear the four of them were wearing my yearly salary on their backs!" Prentiss adds.

"So do we think these four know something about what went on out in Franklin?" Morgan asks.

"I don't think so." Tim adds. "They seemed as eager to understand what happened as we are."

"That is true." Rossy says, "yet, I get a sense that the sons were not really...you know...their sons. That Bond was wound tight and always within arms reach of his mother. That is the way bodyguards are trained to be. He also seemed to know a lot about war games. I think he was navy too. Garcia?"

"Yes...yes my Italian stallion...hold on a sec. Got it! James Bond Commander Royal Navy. You were right on the money my darling Rossi. And my god that was a handsome group...I can't believe nobody said it til now! Come on people...they could be in magazines or something."

"Mrs. King is one of those older women that make me go...wowzers...what did she look like 40 years ago because she is rockin it now!" DiNozzo smirks.

Abby comes up behind him and gives him a swat upside the head. "Hey now! Abbs! What did you do that for?"

"Gibbs wasn't here and it seemed like a moment when Gibbs would swat you upside the head for being rude about the lovely lady...the one Ducky is obviously smitten with."

"She's right Tony he would." Tim says smiling.

"I get the impression that one or more of them knows at least a little of what is going on with Malcolm King and the reason that he was killed." Reid says. "Did you notice how when Chester King asked his wife if she was in contact with his cousin? I saw the way her eyes flashed to him."

"Yes." Rossi says, "I saw her glare at him before she spoke up. It was as if she wanted to remain quietly in the background and he brought her into focus. McGee do we have Malcolm Kings interview via wire like his cousin suggested?"

"No nothing was in the records at all. There was never any contact with King and since they pinned the murders on the Potts brothers no one bothered to look deeper. One thing they said that is substantiated is that Owens and King stayed in contact over the years. Phone records display the calls."

Morgan crosses his arms and frowns. "I think we need to dig into any money trail baby girl...when in doubt…"

"Follow the money! I'm on it darling boy." Garcia begins typing furiously looking through records but not finding anything at all.

Gibbs and Hotchner come back to the room with Chester, Harry and James without Mrs. King.

"Mr. King and family would like to visit Franklin. Garcia could you please give them the coordinates and directions." Hotchner says.

Bond sits beside Garcia at the long conference room table and strikes up a conversation with her while absently playing with her colourful puffy pen on the table.

Harry begins to speak with Abby and Prentiss about any other sight they can visit out from the D.C. area. He explains that they have been to D.C. before and visited Arlington and museums.

Chester speaks with Dr. Reid. McGee, Gibbs and Hotchner as they wait for Ducky to bring Mrs. King back out from the morgue.

Gibbs' phone rings and he speaks into it. They all hear his confusion as he says, "Ducky? You're taking her where?"

The agents and their British guests all look at each other in surprise. .

Gibbs shrugs as Hotchner asks some of his people to go and get something for their guests to eat as they wait.

McGee and Reid go to make tea in the kitchen as the rest of them look rather uncomfortably around the room until Mr. King speaks in loud and clearly forceful tone.

"Agent Gibbs, what exactly did the doctor say, when you asked where he is taking my wife?"

Bond looks to Harry, as his hands momentarily curl into fists.

There is an undeniable moment of tension until they come back with the tea. "Oh goodie...look! Tim's back with the tea." Abby says as she and Garcia cheerfully move things around to make everyone comfortable.

To be continued...