Chapter Twenty
A/N: So, here it is, my interpretation of "Ice Queen". Well, part one, at least. I'm going to publish part two next month.
Fair warning, I kept much of the NCIS parts in this chapter in case somebody hasn't seen the crossover or doesn't remember the details. The episode aired 19 years ago-I'm feeling old right now…
Anyway, enjoy!
JAG HQ
Fall Church, Virginia
Looking at the faces of his colleagues, Harm saw that none of them knew why Admiral Chegwidden had called his senior personnel into the conference room for a meeting. When Chegwidden entered, he saw the grim look on the face of his superior and knew instantly that it would not be good news.
"NCIS has discovered the remains of an unidentified JAG Lieutenant in Potomac Park. Medical examiner estimates that she is between four and five months pregnant," he told a shocked group.
Harriet Sims was the first to react. "Oh my Lord, sir, I hope that it is not Lieutenant Singer."
Harm'S head whipped to her. "It can't be Lt. Singer. She is due in two weeks," Harm stated, which gathered him surprised looks.
"Have you been in contact with the Lt.?" The Admiral asked.
Harm got a little tongue-tied before answering. "No, sir. Not since she left in October. It was an estimate."
"The Commander is right. The Medical Examiner wouldn't misestimate by four months," Mac stated.
"He hasn't conducted the autopsy yet. I'd assume that the body is somewhat decomposed," Chegwidden replied grimly.
At this moment, Petty Officer Tiner, the Admirals Yeoman, knocked and entered. "I'm sorry, sir. I tried Lt. Singer numbers in San Diego and cell phone, sir. Both have been disconnected, Admiral," he informed the Admiral who dismissed him.
"That didn't look good," Chegwidden stated.
"You're not writing her off, sir, are you?" Harm asked, surprised.
"You know, Commander, I may not know all the 750 JAG officers under my command, but I would damn sure know if one was missing for months," Chegwidden rebuked. "NCIS will get DNA from the remains and run them through the military database. They'll know shortly if the body is Lieutenant Singer's."
NCIS HQ
Navy Yard
In the morgue, Dr. Donald 'Ducky' Mallard, the NCIS medical examiner, was busy taking photographs of the corpse.
"Despite having no face, you cleaned up pretty good," Ducky told the body.
While this was going on, Blackadder was applying vap-o-rub to her face.
Gibbs saw that and told her, "The only thing you're going to be smelling is a dead girl with a chest cold."
Special Agent Vivian Blackadder Blackadder just rolled her eyes as the team descended on the corpse.
"The only unaccounted JAG is Lieutenant Singer who's pregnant and is supposedly full term," Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Special Agent in Charge of the Major Case Response Team, informed the M.E.
"Then she is not our guest," Ducky assured him.
"Could she just have delivered?" Special Agent Anthony 'Tony' DiNozzo asked.
"Nope," Ducky replied.
"The DNA results will be in shortly and then we will be formally introduced," Ducky said to the corpse.
"We will need the fetus DNA, Ducky," Gibbs requested.
"You think that whoever the father of the victim's baby was could also be the killer?" Ducky asked.
"She was single," DiNozzo stated.
"Shame on you," Ducky rather jokingly berated the victim.
"If we're lucky, then the baby's DNA will match someone at JAG," Gibbs stated.
"It's illegal to use military DNA for anything except to identify a body," Blackadder protested.
"I don't intend to use it in court," Gibbs replied.
"It's still illegal."
"That law is gonna change soon," DiNozzo said.
"But it hasn't changed yet!" Blackadder insisted.
"Politicians have their own timetables, I have mine," Gibbs stated.
"Let's stop fighting because we're all on the same team," Ducky ordered.
He then headed over to the desk to show them what he found on the body before he sent those up to Abigail "Abby" Sciuto, the Chief Forensic Scientist.
The contents were a water-soaked cocktail napkin. It appeared to have had something written on it and a plane ticket. The victim was traveling American Airlines but Ducky couldn't figure that out because it was in worse shape than the napkin.
Gibbs examined it and soon figured out that it's "S something N".
"Chegwidden said that Lt. Singer lived in San Diego. SAN is their airport destination," DiNozzo said.
Gibbs ordered that NCIS in San Diego be contacted so that a full investigation was to take place in search of Singer's place and to interview her neighbors.
"Anything else, Duck?"
"I saved the best for last," Ducky replied. He then produced a small tube containing something metallic.
"This was embedded in the victim's posterior skull fracture," he said and showed the team the X-rays determining where it was found. "My guess, she was hit on the head with a blunt metal object before being dumped into the falls."
Ducky also stated that the fractures might have been caused by the victim going over the falls without a barrel.
"Check every bridge in and around the area," Gibbs ordered his team members.
"Viv and will be out at first light," DiNozzo said.
"You'll be on your own. She's going with me to JAG."
While Gibbs beckoned DiNozzo forward to show him something, Ducky called for Blackadder. He gave her a plastic helmet. "You want to find out how their guest is hiding a full-term fetus?"
Blackadder was uncomfortable with his actions. Having placed his helmet on, Ducky picked up a scalpel, and just as he got ready, the phone suddenly rang. "Oh, saved by the bell."
It's the Armed Forces DNA Registry that has officially identified the body as being that of missing JAG Lieutenant Loren Singer.
JAG HQ
Fall Church, Virginia
The next morning, Harm and the senior staff were once again meeting in the conference room. Gibbs and Blackadder were in attendance, too.
As soon as Harm saw Chegwidden's face, he knew that the dead body was indeed Singer's.
"Armed Forces DNA Registry has identified the body as Lt. Singer. Special Agents Gibbs and Blackadder from NCIS will be leading the investigation into Singer's death," Chegwidden said.
"You're letting NCIS take the lead on this?" Harm asked, surprised.
"That's correct."
Harm was stunned that Chegwidden's letting NCIS take the lead as it was different from previous cases when JAG personnel had been involved.
"Sir, I recommend that we run a concurrent JAGMAN investigation," Harm said.
"Request denied," Chegwidden said.
"Admiral, I think…"
"Denied," Chegwidden shut Harm down altogether, which left everyone stunned.
Recovering quickly, although he was slightly frustrated, Harm turned to Gibbs. "She was murdered?"
"Why would you think that?"
"You wouldn't be here if it was an accidental death," Harm stated sarcastically.
He disliked the Marine, who had no respect for lawyers or officers. Over the years, they had butted heads previously when Harm had defended several people, Gibbs' team had arrested. In three out of five cases, Harm had cleared his client. Twice, he had identified the actual killer. The two times Harm had lost the case, even he had known that his clients had been guilty.
To Harm, Gibbs was a stubborn hard-ass who did everything he could to get his perpetrators, even if it meant he had to bend some rules and laws. In that, Gibbs followed in the footsteps of his training agent, NCIS Special Agent Mike Franks. A man who was also known to bend and even break the rules.
Franks was also a very good friend of Brian Turque, the Agent who had been tasked with the investigation of Harm's former girlfriend, Diane Schonke. The same agent who had arrested him for his former friend's rape and murder. It had taken Harm and his then partner Meg Austin less than a day to get him free.
"Lt. Singer was supposed to be in San Diego. Any idea what she was doing in D.C?" Mac asked.
"We hoped that one of you could tell us," Blackadder said.
Because of his earlier behavior, it didn't surprise Harm when she lept on staring at him. He barely refrained from rolling his eyes.
"Nobody here has seen Singer since she left the JAG office in October," Harm replied calmly.
Getting up from his seat, Gibbs asked, "You always speak for everyone at JAG, Commander Rabb?"
"No, Agent Gibbs, I do not. But we," he gestured around the room, "talked briefly about Singer when the Admiral informed us about the dead body. And the consensus was that neither had spoken with the Lieutenant since October."
Before Gibbs could say anything else, Chegwidden intervened. "Agents Gibbs and Blackadder have requested separate interviews with each of you. I expect your full co-operation," Chegwidden ordered while Gibbs walked behind Harm.
Chegwidden asked Gibbs. "How would you mind to presume with this?"
"You should remain from discussing the case and testimonies because if you do, it could cause an obstruction of justice charge," Gibbs told them.
The lawyers were giving each other looks. "I think we know the law, Gibbs," Harm cut him off.
"You seem to know it better than anybody else, Commander. Why don't we start with you?" Gibbs said.
Harm immediately stood up, staring at Gibbs, but before he could say or do anything, Chegwidden intervened again. "Commander Rabb and I have to rework a court schedule."
Gibbs and Harm turned to Chegwidden. "Anyway, I prefer you start with me. Any problems with that?"
"No."
"Good. Give us a few minutes and we're out. That'll be all," the Admiral said, stood up, and left the room. The staff stood at attention while there was an awkward silence in the room. Silently, Harm followed him.
Heading into Chegwidden's office, the Admiral angrily asked Harm, "What the hell went on between you and Lt. Singer?"
"Nothing, sir," Harm replied calmly.
"Nothing, my ass," Chegwidden exclaimed. "After that performance in the conference room, you'd be my prime suspect!"
"I know. I didn't kill Lt. Singer, Admiral," Harm softly stated.
"I know you didn't kill her. But you're sure involved, and I wanna know how?"
"I'd rather not say, sir."
"Good God, did you get her pregnant?" Only a second later, he changed his tune. "Of course, you didn't get her pregnant, but you know who did! And you're protecting him, aren't you?"
"I'm protecting Lt. Singer's privacy, sir. If she didn't tell anyone who the father was, then I'm not going to speculate on it."
"You're not going to be any more truthful with me than you will be with NCIS," Chegwidden said.
"I'm not gonna lie, Admiral," Harm stated, disappointed and angry at the accusation.
"No, but you are a damn good lawyer and know how to obfuscate the truth in an interrogation…" Chegwidden stated, before stopping to speak. He let out a humorless chuckle, having realized that Gibbs had played them. "He's good."
"Sir?"
"Special Agent, Gibbs. He got me to question you. Hearsay rules don't apply in an interrogation. I am duty-bound to repeat anything you tell me if he asks."
"I know, sir."
A little while later, Gibbs and Blackadder were interviewing the Admiral. "Lt. Singer requested extended maternity leave in October and I granted it."
Gibbs wondered if that's the last contact Chegwidden had with Singer and Chegwidden admitted that it was.
"There was a charge of Conduct Unbecoming that was subsequently dropped by the skipper of the Seahawk," Blackadder read from a file.
"That is correct. She was found to be pregnant while on sea-duty with the skipper suspecting an on-board liaison," Chegwidden explained.
"She stated that it happened before she sailed out, but refused to prove it by naming the father," Blackadder added.
"That is correct."
"Why did the skipper drop the charges?" Blackadder asked.
"I believe he believed her."
"Or Colonel Mackenzie," Gibbs brought up. "You send her to the Seahawk to investigate Lieutenant Singer, didn't you?"
"You already know that. That is in the file."
"That's not in this file," Gibbs said, holding up a folder in his hand. "This file is Commander Rabb's. You sent him to the Seahawk, too?"
"Separate investigations," Chegwidden admitted.
"He and Lt. Singer even departed together," Gibbs stated.
"Coincidence," Chegwidden dismissed it. "Lt. Singer was on her way to Washington D.C while the Commander was on his way to an assignment in Naples."
"I bet they conversed on the COD (Combat Operations Division or Carrier Onboard Delivery)."
"I'm sure they did. But I have no idea what was said."
"He didn't mention it, Admiral?" Gibbs asked, feigning being surprised.
"No, he didn't. Neither did she." Chegwidden then got to the point. "Agent Gibbs, why don't we save ourselves some time?" He asked a smirking Gibbs. "The only thing Commander Rabb told me earlier was that he did not murder Lt. Singer. And he has no idea who did."
"And you believe him?"
"I have no reason to doubt him."
Later, Gibbs and Blackadder were interviewing the staff.
"Could the father be somebody at JAG?" Gibbs asked Bud, stalking behind him.
"God, no. Nobody around here would be dumb enough to get involved with Lt. Singer," Bud denied, chuckling nervously. "I mean, she's not an unattractive woman," he began to say, but stopped.
He was nervous. "You... you don't think it's me, do you?"
"Should we?" Blackadder asked seriously.
"I did not have sex with that woman," Bud stated emphatically.
"Not the best choice of words there, Lieutenant," Gibbs said to Bud's chagrin.
When they interviewed Tracy Manetti, she denied knowing anything concerning Lieutenant Singer, stating that she was new at JAG. "It wasn't someone from JAG," she speculated.
She continued to tell them that a bartender at Benzinger's had told her that Singer was seeing a civilian before she shipped out. When asked how she knew that, Manetti admitted that Commander Rabb had asked her to ferret out who Lieutenant Singer had been seeing before her deployment.
"What?" Mac asked, surprised when Gibbs confronted her with Harm's request to Manetti.
"He wasn't part of your investigation. Then why would he do that?"
"I have no idea. I seldom understand why the Commander does anything. He probably thought he knew better than I. He always does," Mac snapped.
After they had finished the interviews, Gibbs and Blackadder headed back to NCIS.
"Why didn't we question Rabb?"
Blackadder asked, clearly pissed off about them not interviewing Harm.
"That's what the FBI would have done?" Gibbs asked softly.
"You're damn right! Rabb ran an unofficial investigation into Lt. Singer's love life. Why don't we slam him in a room, read him his rights, and go for the jugular?"
"Because Rabb is JAG's fair-haired boy."
"Oh, and that gives him a pass on a murder investigation?" Blackadder asked angrily. She wanted to interrogate the arrogant Commander. She was sure that she could get a confession out of him.
"He's also their best defender and prosecutor," Gibbs added.
"Oh, please, I'm in awe," Blackadder said sarcastically.
"You should be. We start questioning Rabb when we don't have all the pieces to the puzzle, he's going to pull an O.J. on us and he won't even need a slick defense lawyer to do it. I've seen him do it a few times."
The words hanging in the air, Blackadder came around to Gibbs's way of thinking.
"I'm feeling really stupid right now, Gibbs."
"You're just a little behind the learning curve."
During the day, Harm had come up with a plan and knew that he would have to make some calls that should be difficult to trace back to him. So, after leaving the office, Harm decided to take the Metro. Harm knew that his behavior at JAG had made him a suspect. A fact that would cement when the agents found out about his unofficial investigation. He scoffed. They had spoken with Manetti so they probably already knew about it.
That he was the only person they hadn't interviewed told him that they were looking into him. Harm was smart enough to know that he was probably their prime suspect. He also knew that Gibbs would want to get all the facts straight and get all the information they could before interviewing him.
He entered a pay-phone to call his half-brother first. After a bit of small-talk, Harm came to the point.
"Sergei, have you seen Loren Singer when you were in D.C. three weeks ago?" Sergei had come to D.C. to meet C.J. and his 'niece', as he called Mattie.
"Loren? No."
"Have you talked to her on the phone?" Harm asked.
"Not since the night you made her call me about the baby."
"Did you really believe her when she told you it wasn't yours?"
"Yes," Sergei replied without hesitation. "Is she now saying that the baby is mine?"
Harm sighed. He didn't like that he had to inform his brother about Singer's dead via phone.
"Sergei, Lt. Singer was murdered three weeks ago."
"Murdered?" Sergei asked, stunned before cursing in Russian. "You think I did it?" He asked, hurt.
Harm immediately denied it. "No, of course not. But the investigators might if they believe that you were the father, and you were in town when she was murdered."
"Always the big brother, always looking out for me," Sergei remarked after a momentary silence.
"That is what big brothers are for," Harm stated.
They talked a little more. They ended the call with Harm promising Sergei that he would keep him up-to-date.
Harm took a deep breath before he grabbed his phone and looked through his contact list. When he found the name of the person he wanted to talk to, he put the numbers in on the pay-phone. He hoped that the person at the other end would pick and be around to help him.
He waited for a few moments. "Come on, come on. Take up the phone," Harm practically begged into the phone. When the call connected, he heard a voice he simultaneously hoped to hear. "Austin."
"Hey, Meg. It's Harm."
"Heya, Harm. That's a surprise. How are you?" Meg Austin, his former partner, greeted him.
"Listen, Meg, I'd really like to catch up with you, but I'm in a bit of trouble."
"Are you all right?" Meg Austin, his former partner, asked concerned.
"Yes, I am not in any kind of physical danger, but I am going to be in legal trouble soon."
"What happened?" Meg asked, concerned.
"You remember NCIS Agent Turque?"
"Uh, yes."
"That kind of trouble."
After a moment of silence, Meg ordered him to tell her anything. It took him a few minutes to summarize the situation.
"Oh Harm, you are so cool under pressure in the cockpit and in the courtroom. But as soon as family or friends are involved…"
"Yeah, I know. Will you help me?"
"Of course. I'm coming to D.C. Maybe after everything is solved, you can introduce me to your girlfriend!"
"How do you know about C.J.?" Harm asked, surprised.
"Well, Harm, the White House Press Secretary is a public figure. There are reports about her private life. Besides, even if I didn't read or watch those, Ollie keeps me up-to-date on some things."
"Ah, you're right," he said sheepishly. "We can talk more about that when we see each other. I have to call her now."
"Alright. See ya tomorrow."
Harm knew that C.J. would be in a meeting all evening. So he called Carol and asked her to get C.J. because an old friend from home was calling. That was the code the senior staff used to inform their colleagues that something had gone wrong, or that there was a problem. Harm told Carol that he would call back in ten minutes.
When he called back, C.J. immediately asked him, "What's wrong, Harm? Has anything happened to Mattie?"
"No, nothing happened to Mattie. Sorry, I didn't think about that. It's about the dead body…"
"They identified her as your colleague?"
"Yes."
"Oh… That's horrible," Harm. "What about the baby?"
"I don't know. Anyway, C.J., I told you a bit about the situation concerning her and Sergei. Because of that, I made a plunder today and made myself the prime target."
C.J. sighed. "What did you do?"
Harm told her about the confrontation with the NCIS agents and the Admiral.
"Harm…"
"I know, I know. But you know already know how I am when my family is involved."
"Yeah."
"Anyway, the reason I called is to brief you on the situation. You should prepare yourself for questions from the press. And maybe even the NCIS agents."
C.J. groaned. "You think they are going to want to talk with me?"
"Probably. Especially when they learn that you have met Sergei when he was in town a few weeks ago. Or to question you about anything I might have said to you."
"And as we are not married, I don't have a reason not to answer any questions."
"Exactly."
"Uhhh."
"I'm sorry, C.J."
"It's not your fault."
"Yes, it is."
"It is, isn't it?"
"Yeah. You should probably inform Leo, too."
"Okay. Uh, Harm, do you need a lawyer?"
"No, I already called somebody."
"Do I know him?"
"Not personally, but I told you about her. I called my former partner at JAG, Meg Austin. She has already experienced in defending me against charges brought against me by NCIS. She'll be here, tomorrow."
"Alright. I have to go back now. See you later."
"Bye. C.J."
"Bye.
NCIS HQ
Navy Yard
The Agents were talking to Abby, who told them that the blood type found on the bridge is AB and that it was Lt. Singers. Abby then revealed that she had found a logo on a napkin: The logo was of Benzinger's, the bar in Falls Church where Lt. Singer used to hang out.
"A bar definitely goes with the analysis I did on her stomach contents," Abby told the group.
She continued to tell them that Singer died within two hours of eating her last snack, which solely consisted of peanuts, pretzels, and crackers, which is essentially a bar mix.
Blackadder wondered what the thirteen-digit number on the napkin was.
"It's a Moscow cell phone number," Gibbs replied.
"How do you know?"
"If I couldn't ID a Moscow phone number after six months undercover, then the taxpayers should get their money back," Gibbs replied. He asked whether she knew how to trace the number fast.
"Oh, yeah," Blackadder replied. "Through the FBI".
"That will work too," Gibbs mumbled.
Abby told them that she had found the name of the airline ticket. DiNozzo believed that the departure date was early January, but Abby told him that it was actually October 6th. Gibbs still believed that it was January 6th. DiNozzo then stated that Singer missed her flight.
"Yeah, she got whacked," Abby stated.
"Not three months ago."
"Actually, three months is probably quite accurate," Ducky interrupted them when he walked into the room.
"I'm afraid that our Lieutenant was in the Potomac at least that long."
"What was she racking up frequent floater miles?" Abby joked.
"Being an Ice Queen. She was frozen," Ducky replied.
Blackadder came back from talking to her FBI contact. "Hey, I have a contact. Manetti said that Benzinger's bartender told her that Singer was seeing a civilian before she shipped out. Well, that Moscow cell is registered to a guy named Sergei Zhukov. I'm running an immigration check. He was in the States when Singer got pregnant, left two days before she shipped out and returned for 48 hours three weeks ago," she told the group happily.
When the others didn't join in her happiness, she asked them what was wrong. She was downhearted when Gibbs revealed that Singer had been murdered months ago.
"Cross-check Zhukov's cell phone and Rabb's number," Gibbs ordered. He then made a call to the Director's secretary, telling her that he needed to talk to him.
A few seconds later, Blackadder told them that she didn't have to cross-check the numbers because Zhukov's green card sponsor was Commander Rabb.
"They are half-brothers."
Up in MTAC, as a live feed of Bin Atwad, the man who had supplied money and explosives to Hussan Mohammed for the attack on the USS Cole, was broadcasted into the room, Gibbs was briefing Director Morrow in regard to Singer's case.
"Who is your prime suspect?"
"A JAG officer."
"Damn. We have to work with these people. Not a senior officer, I hope?"
Gibbs silence was his answer.
"Do I know him?"
"Yes, sir. I believe you do."
"Are you going to tell me his name?" Morrow asked, exasperated with Gibbs games.
"Commander Harmon Rabb."
There was a brief silence. "I couldn't be more stunned if you told me that it was Admiral Chegwidden. You certain?"
"Not 100%. But from the information we're gathering, we do know that he's deeply involved."
"I don't have to tell you the implications if you're wrong?" Director Morrow asked.
"That's why I'm moving slowly."
"Don't move too slowly. NSA decrypts indicate that al-jihad is poised to launch another grey-hull attack."
"What ship?"
"Only Hussan Mohammed knows."
"Not Bin Atwad?"
"Boys up the river say that al-jihad is limiting target data to the executor. I need you to break Bin Atwad. As soon as you wrap up the JAG murder."
"With all due respect, Director, breaking him is a lot more important than solving a murder."
"If it were a crime involved anyone other than JAG, I'd agree. All I can tell you is, 'do both'."
Gibbs nodded in agreement and stood up to leave.
"Oh, and Gibbs?"
"Yes, Director. Be very sure that you're right. Commander Rabb is not only their fair-haired boy. His girlfriend is C.J. Cregg, the White House Press Secretary."
Gibbs looked at him, stunned for a moment. He hadn't known that. Then he nodded that he understood. He knew the stakes had been raised.
When Gibbs came back to the bullpen, he asked Blackadder what she's got.
"Uh, plenty. San Diego found that Singer took a furnished rental on Coronado Island, ordered a phone to be installed, but Singer herself never showed. And get this: no credit card or bank-account activity since she withdrew 200 dollars at a Falls Church ATM on October 4."
"That narrows down the murder date between October 4 and the flight she missed on October 6."
DiNozzo had arrived in the bullpen while Blackadder had briefed Gibbs. He told them that Abby had gotten a man's prints from the car and that she was going through them right now.
Gibbs ordered Blackadder to go check with Ducky and determine if the dates in question matched up with Ducky's autopsy results.
As this happened, Gibbs ordered Tony to come with him to Benzinger's to interview the people for information on Singer.
In the morgue, Ducky was telling Blackadder that when the Potomac thawed, the victim thawed with it. That explained why the crows only got at Singer's face, but her arms and legs were in ice.
Blackadder wondered if she could have died between October 4th and October 6th.
"The development of the fetus matches those dates," Ducky replied.
Looking at the fetus, she asked Ducky if he had matched Harm's DNA to the fetus.
He replied that he didn't have to. "I checked Commander Rabb's blood type," he said. "That's legal," he stated regarding Gibbs' and Blackadder's previous disagreement.
"And?"
"There is no way that he could have fathered the girl."
"Girl?"
"Yeah."
"Damn."
Gibbs and DiNozzo were interviewing Petty Officer Jennifer Coates at JAG HQ. Gibbs told her that they had spoken to a bartender at Benzinger's, who recalled Coates being there one evening in early October.
"I have been to Benzinger's a couple of times in October, sir," Coates replied.
"This night, you were in a booth behind Commander Rabb and Lieutenant Singer," Gibbs said.
"I make an effort not to listen into other people's conversations," Coates said, clearly nervous.
"That conversation in question was so heated that it got the bartender's attention across the room," DiNozzo said.
"I may have heard a few things," Coates admitted.
Gibbs then asked her what she had heard.
Back at the river, the search is still ongoing, and it's looking bleak. That was until the agents found a Navy Commander's hat buried in among a few leaves. Judging by its condition, the hat was in; it had been there for a while.