Hearing his colleagues' laughter as they exited the elevator, Gibbs looked at his watch. He could hardly fault them for being late, it was only 7:15 on a Saturday morning. He was edgy, however, from waiting for them; he wanted this finished.

How was I supposed to know a dozen other people beat us to it? Tony's mock whining was thick with amusement.

I can't believe there are that many people who thought of it! I still say it's sick! Kate came around the corner with a wide grin on her face.

Not as long as it's all properly bagged and tagged! Tony said with a straight face as he watched Kate struggle not to give in to gales of laughter.

Oh! Oh, Tony, I can't laugh this hard, it hurts my ribs! She sat down at her desk and carefully took slow breaths.

Tony watched her, making sure she was all right before turning to their team leader. Morning, Boss!

Storing food in the body coolers? Gibbs asked drily.

Yep. Can't believe I didn't think of it sooner. There's hardly any room left down there!

The older man just nodded. In case of emergency, Ducky occasionally authorized the personal use of one of the isolated coolers for friends. As long as it was all properly bagged and tagged, that is.

Good morning, Gibbs. Kate had regained her equilibrium and greeted him quietly. The older man took the time to study her carefully. She looked fully rested for the first time since the case started, the shadows he'd seen for days beneath her eyes had now faded into obscurity. She seemed much more contented now; less agitated, as if she'd released a heavy burden.

Kate, you look much better this morning. Did you get a good night's sleep?

She looked at her boss and willed herself not to flush. His voice showed concern over her well-being so she answered in the same vein, trying to forget their previous confrontation over sleeping arrangements. Yes actually, I did. I went to bed early and didn't have any nightmares. It was wonderful getting a full night's sleep without my own brain tormenting me. Now if I just had my air conditioner back, I'd be ecstatic! She smiled, praying that he'd leave the subject alone now.

How are your ribs?

Not bad. Somehow I found a pretty comfortable position that kept the pressure off them and still allowed me to breathe comfortably. They're still sore, but I feel much better today.

Good. Glad to hear it. Tony, keys, Gibbs tossed the ring to the other man. Let's go, we have a lot of ground to cover today. He strode out of the bullpen without a backward glance.

Kate's puzzlement over Gibbs questions showed clearly in her eyes; the tilt of her head silently asking her partner, What the hell was that?' Tony's answering headshake and shrugged shoulders were an unmistakable, Don't ask me!'

They caught up to Gibbs at the elevator. He explained that he requested another team to check out the property that Pederson listed as her official address. Martin said it was only a vacant lot; since we have a lot of ground to cover I decided to call in some help. That team has instructions to call and report as soon as they've verified the location and condition of the property. We'll have a detailed report from them by Monday morning.

Sounds reasonable. Does that mean we're checking out the other three? Kate asked as she and Tony followed Gibbs across the parking lot toward a sedan.

No. It's going to take quite a while to bag, tag and load at the warehouse, if Martin's intel is reliable. I don't really want us stuck there if we can avoid it, so I've requested an evidence team. I think we need to be concentrating on the properties that Martin claimed were the meth lab and Pederson's and Holder's real residence-cum-office. They settled themselves in the already warm car and Tony headed toward the highway.

Sounds good to me. Where do we start? he asked, glancing to his passenger for directions.

Gibbs pointed to an upcoming entrance ramp as he answered. First stop is the house. I want to go through that place with a fine-toothed comb; every last piece of evidence that can make these charges stick to Pederson, Martin and Duvall is critical and I don't want to miss a single thing.

After nearly thirty minutes of driving, they arrived at an older looking two story Victorian style house set on a large lot well back from the road. The paint was in good condition, the color a stately colonial blue. From the car it seemed to be a well-cared for modest home.

It appears Ms. Pederson liked her privacy, Tony commented as he climbed out of the car. Looking around the agents noticed that though the lot was large, the front yard was only moderately sized. The remainder of the open space was covered in mulch, as if awaiting plants. Surrounding all this were mature trees that screened the house from view on three sides. Similar trees had lined the road leaving a break only where the gravel driveway appeared; it ran up to and alongside the house, disappearing around the back.

The made their way along a short flagstone path across a neat lawn and climbed the few steps to the spacious wraparound porch. As Gibbs fished out the key that Larry Martin had given them, Tony and Kate gave the tidy area a cursory search, noting the clean but simple wicker furniture. Peering through the windows proved fruitless however, as each had an ornately embroidered lace panel covering it. The snick of the deadbolt drew them back to Gibbs' side as the door swung open noiselessly on well-oiled hinges. They stepped into the entryway, weapons drawn and proceeded to move silently into the living room. Fanning out, they slipped through the rooms on the first level, ensuring the house held no unexpected occupants. Meeting in the sunroom at the back of the house, Gibbs immediately headed back to cover the door. As Tony turned to follow him, Kate indicated an alcove off the gleaming kitchen that had captured her interest and he gave a quick nod. She snapped on gloves and seated herself at a small, antique roll-top desk in what appeared to be a butler's pantry minus its doors. She noted that the tiny room looked as though it was being used as a makeshift office before beginning to carefully sort through the untidy piles covering the desk.

The two men had made their way to the foot of a large staircase. As they had passed back through the rooms on this level they made mental notes of suspicious areas and items to check on. The younger agent noticed the contrast between the simplicity of the exterior of the house and the expensive furnishings he saw inside, but did not comment.

As Tony arrived at Gibbs' side, Gibbs looked past him for Kate. The team leader lifted a questioning eyebrow at the woman's partner. Tony mouthed the word and Gibbs nodded and inclined his head toward the stairs. Tony took the lead and they cleared the upper floor as they had the lower, finding only four large rooms on the second floor. Holstering their weapons, they easily identified the work and sleep areas and began methodically dissecting the two women's lives.

Gibbs had unearthed what was obviously Lynn Holder's workroom. There was a drafting table under a high-wattage lamp, a container of various pens and pencils and a tray with several exacto knives, all clean and lethally sharp. A column of drawers next to the table contained numerous backing materials for any number of government IDs and documents, trays of hologrammed laminates and even official passport covers. Along one windowless wall, he found an expensive digital camera set up, pointing at a dozen colored backdrops hanging from rolls. Another table on the far side of the room held her computer, a high-quality printer and, of course, a laminating machine. Gibbs shook his head. Expert forger, hell!' he thought. If this girl was as good as her equipment suggests, she should have been working for the CIA!' Knowing they could not fit all of this in the car, he called for another evidence team to meet them at the house, then began photographing the room.

Tony began in a luxurious bedroom furnished with antiques and richly appointed. A passing glance at her makeup table revealed expensive brand names. He gave her dresser a perfunctory search and skimmed through her very full walk-in closet, finding only high-priced designer clothing. Finding nothing probative in her private quarters, he entered an adjoining room, clearly her office, noting the woman's passion for luxury extended to her working space as well. He sat down in a plush chair in front of a highly organized antique desk and methodically began to explore the contents. Midway through he knew exactly who Emily Pederson was. She was thorough, meticulous, analytical and highly controlling. She had log books for her meth clients and for Lynn's forgery clients, complete with exacting details on material costs, overhead, markup and profit. Tony shook his head. She could have gone quite far in the legitimate business world, judging by her deft handling of these enterprises. When he found her supplier logs, he was unsurprised to see that they were just as complete, detailing payment terms and dates for materials as well as delivery dates and service ratings. Clearly she did not believe that these books would ever be seen by anyone except herself. Tony wondered why she felt compelled to keep such detailed records of something that could potentially land her in jail. Was it for the pride of a job well done, or was she simply that anal? By the time he was finished reviewing the ledgers he was impressed -- despite his disgust for the woman and her operation. She had one hell of a business sense and she'd been very successful at her chosen profession.

Lynn Holder's bedroom contained little besides the furniture and her clothes; Gibbs quickly finished his perusal of her modest belongings while Tony was still absorbed in the ledgers. He looked around the upstairs hallway, noting the expensive decorator touches before heading down the winding front staircase into the large living room. Even his untrained eye could tell that its furnishings were clearly quite expensive but tasteful. There were a pair of Tiffany lamps flanking the sofa, and several pieces of artwork on the walls that Gibbs suspected were not reproductions.

Tony came down the stairs and scanned the room. Holy cow, Boss. These women sure did like the good stuff! He followed the silver-headed man as they moved into the formal dining room.

How much do you suppose they had tied up in property in this house? Gibbs asked the younger man.

Sighing, Tony looked around. I dunno, Boss. Louis XIV bedroom suite and desk in Pederson's rooms, Aubusson carpets, Chippendale dining room... If it were me, I'd insure the contents for a million easy, but that's without any appraisals. I'm not really into the whole art thing, so I have no idea what they're worth. It's certainly safe to say they at least one or both of them poured a fair amount of their profits into some assets.

Kate, meanwhile, had been poring over a handful of financial documents, floored by the dollar figures she uncovered. Between Emily's crystal meth operation and Lynn's forgeries it appeared the two women had more money than God, twice over! She found copies of some of Lynn's bank statements from the bank that gave them the videotapes. Pulling out her PDA, she compared some vital statistics and found the reason they couldn't find this information previously. Apparently Lynn had forged herself a new Social Security ID. Kate set the statements aside and continued sorting through the documents.

She was just finishing her search when Gibbs and Tony joined her. They were discussing their finds and the value of them, sounding pleased with their accomplishments. She didn't look up as they neared, concentrating instead on reading the paper she'd found crumpled at the back of the bottom drawer.

Kate? What did you find? Gibbs' voice could cut through anything.

What? Oh, just a minute. She stared blankly at the white wall in front of her trying to sort this new information into what she already knew. She went back to the badly wrinkled page and started over from the top, this time with Gibbs and Tony behind her, reading along. As they reached the bottom, each of the men had comments that put the letter in perspective.

Well, she was talented enough for the CIA; Navy Intelligence would have been a good step in the right direction. Gibbs commented.

Tony immediately saw a motive for murder in the transfer letter. Shit! No wonder Pederson had her killed. If Lynn went into intelligence and she went straight, the profits would drop by nearly half. And if she didn't give up her forgery career, there's always the chance that she could get caught and bring her old friend Emily down with her.

Kate tapped the letter in front of her. But this doesn't say if she requested the assignment or if someone found out about her artistic talents and requested her. I found this crumpled up in the back of a drawer. Maybe she didn't want the transfer. And why would she keep the letter? Why not get rid of it instead of shoving in the back of a drawer?

Tony caught Kate's reasoning and constructed a plausible scenario. So, say, Emily finds the letter and they fight. Whether or not she wants the transfer, it's out of control now. Em knows there's not a lot she can do; she has to make sure Lynn can't bring the whole operation down on her head. If she's going to lose her partner anyway...

Better to make sure Lynn can't do her any harm. And make damn sure it looks so much like an accident that no one asks questions. Gibbs nodded as he finished Tony's sentence.

Kate nodded. It's all speculation, but it feels right. It's the first thing in this case that has. By the way, Gibbs, did you look at those videos from the bank?

Last night, he nodded. They do indeed show the fire escape, but they only show the ladder area, not the platform. It appears you were correct about how Holder died; it looked like she was hurrying down the ladder and then it began to sway wildly and she lost her grip. But since we can't see the window area, we can't verify that someone helped' her fall.

What about tampering with the bolts, Boss?

Similar problem. It was apparently done from the first floor platform with long handle bolt cutters. You can see the cutters in the video, but not the person cutting. Gibbs sighed in disgust. He turned back to Kate. What else did you find here?

Financial statements; bank statements, investment statements. These women were richer than Croesus! I can't for the life of me imagine why Holder was in the Navy. Kate absently tapped a finger on the pile.

Join the Navy, fleece the world? Tony commented as he leafed through the documents Kate had stacked up. He gave a low whistle at some of the account balances. That's more money than some Third World countries' GNPs! Tony looked thoughtful for a moment. How far back do these go?

About four months. They weren't very well organized. It's almost as if someone was bringing in mail and leaving it here. There were a few empty envelopes and most of the surface of the desk was disorganized.

Tony shook his head. That wasn't Pederson. She was so anal about her records she'd have flipped if she'd seen this.

They looked at each other for a moment, trying to put it all in perspective and failing to reach an obvious answer.

All right, let's get moving. I called for an evidence team; Holder's equipment is too much for the car to handle. Start bagging and tagging, then we're off to the meth lab. Gibbs turned to head back up the stairs.