Author's note: Basically the author lost her mind and posted the chapters out of order. For those of you that posted reviews, thanks so much for trying to make sense or my error. The next chapter (which you probably have already read) will be reposted soon after this chapter and in its proper order. - Chianna
Chapter 2 - Missing Pieces
The road in this densely wooded region, just twenty feet from the base fence, was lined with densely packed trees. The long shadows partially hid the patrolmen standingin a group on the opposite side of the oad. Gibbs didn't see the witness until he had parted the knot of officers. Only about 5'7", the man was easily in his fifties. Though broad, there seemed to not be an ounce of fat on the guy. Gibbs would have pegged him for Navy even before he saw the tattoos on his arms. They were nothing fancy. The cheap, single color kind you get when you're young, drunk and having your first liberty after a couple months at sea. An uninspired anchor with a waving banner across it declared that the bearer had, at one time in his carrier, served on the New Jersey. By his age, Gibbs surmised that the witness might served in Vietnam. The battleship U.S.S. New Jersey saw action from WWII all the way through and past Vietnam. As the most decorated battleship in U.S. history, the Iowa class vessel had come to a stately rest as floating museum on the Delaware River near Philadelphia.
That's one ride you could be proud of, Gibbs thought. He slowed ever so slightly to give himself further time to size up the witness. He was mildly disconcerted to see that the object of his inspection was taking his measure as well. Shuttered and mildly hostile, the other man gave the investigator as good as he was getting. Meaty arms crossed, the muscles bulging under the rolled up sleeves of a shirt that had seen better days. Though the older sailor's step might have slowed a bit, Gibbs didn't think he'd enjoy wrestling with an adversary, despite his age, still looked like he could still muster a quite formidable strength.
One of the plain clothes officers hollered. "Gibbs! Since your taking custody of the investigation, you can enjoy the company of our charming witness here as well."
Gibbs mentally rolled his eyes. The local cops were not happy sharing the jurisdiction so it looked like they were going to poke the bear a couple of times to get him feeling all warm and fuzzy for the NCIS interview. Just peachy, Gibbs groused to himself.
Almost prophetically, the man fixed Gibbs with a deadeye stare. Anyone else looking on might think the look was completely emotionless. But Gibb's golden gut was telling him something was not right with this guy. His gut started doing back flips when the witness looked beyond Gibbs to his team. The older sailor broke into slow smile that showed all his teeth. For a moment Gibbs knew what it was like to be Little Red Ridding Hood.
Unconsciously protective, Gibbs shifted his stance slightly to put himself between his team and that predatory leer. Closing the last few feet, he wondered at that smile. Certainly, Kate has turned heads before, but somehow this seemed different. Gibbs couldn't help a smile when he thought how Tony was know to turn heads - of both genders. Somehow, he doubted that DiNozzo was this sailor's type. The guy was old enough to be DiNozzo's old man and then some. Gibb's smile seemed to have the unintended effect of distracting the man across from him for a moment. Was that a look of confusion flitting across the gruff face before the mask dropped back into place, Gibbs mused.
Gibbs was distracted for a moment by the detective that had lost the negotiation for jurisdiction of the crime scene.
"Gibbs. Mr. Warner here is all yours. You two have a wonderful time. What was I thinking to want jurisdiction? I have a nice toasty bed waiting for me, not to mention the beguiling curves one lusty bottle of 12-year-old single malt."
Gibbs swiped a hand over his heart, feigning a mortal wound. A genuine smile crossed his face, showing that he was willing to be a magnanimous victor.
"That is hitting below the belt, Humphries. I wouldn't want you to keep a lady waiting."
With the departure of the ranking detective, the other officers left the scene with deceptive speed. Gibbs found himself alone with Warner
He fixed piercing blue eyes in Gennero's direction. "Mr. Warner My name is Jethro Gibbs. I'm Senior Investigator for NCIS. That's the Naval Crime Investigative Service."
"I know that," Warner replied with mild belligerence.
"Navy?"
"Yeah, Vietnam. Served on the New Jersey." The finality of his tone made it clear to Gibbs that this subject was closed. "Could I have your full name Mr. Warner."
"Able. Able Warner." He fingered the collar of the jumpsuit that he was wearing. It seemed to go part and parcel with the tow truck pulled over on the side of the road not far from where they stood. Something bothered Gibbs as he looked over at the beat up truck and then back at the neat uniform jumpsuit of the man in front of him. He filed the thought away for further contemplation.
"Mr. Warner. Can you run me through what you saw tonight?"
Warner grimaced as if this was the tenth time that he'd related the story. Probably was, so Gibbs was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.
"Got a call in for a breakdown on this road. I thought it was a little hinky. This time of night - mostly military traveling this area. Normally call one of their own, not a wrecker. Cheaper that way, I guess."
This guy talked in bullet points. Gibbs was certain that he would have to drag every detail from the guy. "About what time was this?" Gibbs queried.
"Near about 8:30 pm. I was driving down this stretch when I saw a guy leaning over that girl. She wasn't moving. The guy looked up straight at me and my truck. Then he hightailed it to his car." Pointing to a stretch on the fenced side of the road just beyond the victim. "The car was over there. Couldn't make out the plate"
Gibbs found it just a bit disconcerting how Warner's eyes were locked onto his. Not normal witness behavior. No pauses or hesitations to recall the events. No frustration at not recalling facts. And interestingly, no emotion, no shock when he talked about the dead girl. Seeing a dead body, even for an old soldier, is not a commonplace occurrence.
"Can you give me a description?"
"It was a baby blue '85 Crown Vic with a navy vinyl top. Though most of that was long gone. Sounded like the 302 engine. Needs an engine that size to get her big ass in gear."
Gibbs was not sure if he was amused or annoyed, but he certainly was not surprised that a tow truck driver would give him a description of the vehicle instead of the perp.
"How about the guy? What did he look like?"
What followed was one of Gibb's least favorite exercises he'd often referred to as the "Medium Description."
Every question that he asked was followed quickly by a terse and remarkably useless description.
"Sorta' average height."
"Brownish hair."
"In his thirties or forties."
"That covers almost two decades Mr. Warner. Can you narrow it down for me?"
"It was dark."
"Did he have any distinctive features?"
"What do you think?"
"Was he white? Hispanic?"
"Could be either. It was too…"
"Dark."
"Yeah. How did you guess?"
Gibbs new that he was being played and it galled him to no end. Warner's face remained passive though Gibbs was sure he saw a malicious glint in his witness's eye after the last remark.
The senior agent was not sure if his investigators were finished with their initial investigation, simply curious or sensing something was not right with the interview. Gibbs best guess was a combination of the later with a strong dose of both of the former. He sighed deeply. Tony was an odd mix of intuition, sensitivity and an almost juvenile recklessness. In varying degrees, these qualities made him a gifted investigator and, more often than he'd like to think about... a 32-year-old juvenile delinquent.
Tony approached with a determined stride. Kate followed behind, her legs not quite able to match her partner's long strides. From the uncharacteristically serious expression on Tony's face, it seemed the younger man had also picked up on the odd vibes Warner gave of like an unwholesome and indefinable stench.
Sensing something from the comer of his eye, the senior agent turned from his approaching agents. Again with the smile? Gibbs saw Kate's eyes narrow as she pulled even with Gibbs. Her reaction confirmed for Gibbs that something was not right with their witness. Only time would tell if the… wrongness would be a factor in their investigation.
''Able Warner. " The senior agent gestured toward his team. ''Agents Todd and DiNozzo."
Tony favored the other man with a curt nod before he launched into his update. Kate's eyes never left Gennero's face. She offered no polite acknowledgement.
No goofing around, DiNozzo gave a simple run down on their progress.
"Prelim photos done. Ducky's wrapping up with his on-site observations. I'm going to make a cast of the tire tracks near the body. Sunup is in a couple of hours. Kate and I are gonna expand the search area when we have daylight."
Gibbs couldn't help as a corner of his mouth inched up in amusement that lasted no more than a nanosecond. Tony volunteering to hangout at a scene for a couple of hours without being ordered? No token complaint or attempt at avoiding the duty? Tony must be picking up the same odd readings from Warner or equally likely he sensed the frustration Gibbs thought surely was oozing out of every one of his pores. Tony did have a well-developed sense of self-preservation when it came to annoying the senior agent.
TBC ...