Chapter Five:

Catherine entered the morgue behind Gibbs who walked in with his coffee in his hand. "Jethro," a man by the body said looking up. "Hope she isn't number four."

"Ducky meet Catherine Willows from the Las Vegas Crime Lab. She wants to see our Vic," Gibbs said giving the man a look. Catherine just shuck her head and smiled. Ducky pointed to the body in front of him.

"COD was a stab wound to the heart," she said receiving a nod. "Defensive wounds are the arms," she said.

"Those are old wounds," Ducky said. "We suspected abuse."

"I don't think so," she replied studying one of the feet, which was swollen. "Sprained ankle?"

"Yes. Rather recent."

"Could be a sign of defense or something else," she moved back towards the head and studied the two non fatal wounds to the chest. "Stabbed three times with force and the right hand."

"She is good," Ducky whispered to Gibbs as the two stood back watching. Gibbs smiled slightly. "You like her don't you."

"You should have seen how she turned down DiNozzo," Gibbs whispered back not aware she could hear.

"Abby would like that. Oh that tattoo we found we still haven't figured out what it stands for."

"What tattoo," she looked at them. "Yes I heard every word you said. I have been a CSI for awhile I'm trained to listen carefully."

"Left shoulder blade," Gibbs informed. She lifted the shoulder and studied it.

"Could explain the sprained ankle but I have to see the house first."

"Care to share."

"It's a theory and I'm not sure about it yet. Plus if I'm right ... well let's just say I don't want to be right," she shrugged. "Not much more the body can tell me."

"Actually ... "Ducky studied her then the body."You kind of look like her."

"Cept I'm walking around. And that is a coincidence. Let it get to me the bad guy wins," she shrugged. "Wow I sound just like him now."

"Want to see the scene or talk with Abby?" Gibbs asked.

"I want to be at home with my daughter," she replied. "But I guess talking with Abby is okay." Gibbs nodded and led her from the room. Ducky shuck his head and mutter 'Here comes number four'. When they entered Abby's lab McGee was typing at a computer and Abby was walking around talking out loud. When she saw Gibbs she smiled.

"Gibbs I got nothing for you yet," she looked at Catherine. "You must be Catherine."

"Yeah," she replied turning the music down. 'Just like Greg,' she thought. "So I take it your the one who ran the DNA and prints."

"Yeah," she replied. "Now we are trying to hack into her computer. Damn thing has so many passwords it's a miracle she remembers them all."

"Well ... if my theory is correct she most likely has a sheet of paper listing each and ever single password. But the one you are looking for now would be Aimee," she said simply. McGee typed in the password and it worked. Icons began to appear on the screen.

"I have been working on that for days and you get it in a second. That is not fair!"

"It was rather simple. I mean my password is Lindsey and she is my daughter. A password is normally something of importance to you so the first one to suspect would be Aimee her daughter," she smiled.

"Hey Abby," Kate said entering. Tony right behind her. "We found nothing of importance Gibbs. They are rather through."

"Care to take me to the crime scene?"

-Las Vegas Crime Lab-

"Grissom ... how's this 'case' of yours," Ecklie said entering his office with the sheriff. Grissom lowered the phone having been ready to call Catherine.

"This case going fine," Grissom informed. "In fact I was just about to contact Catherine with an update. Maybe find out how she is doing in DC. How may I help you two because I know you care nothing about out case?"

"I have DNA evidence saying Catherine, Eddie, and our Vic was recently in a fight," Ecklie stated. "The sheriff is here because Catherine rather rudely hung up on him."

"And I wish to know why you sent a suspect in a murder investigation across the country," The sheriff said coldly.

"Well she was the only other person on my case therefore it was most reasonable. And I highly doubt she killed the women in your case. Plus there is no way she could run being surrounded by NCIS agents in DC none the less," he shrugged. "Now if you don't mind I need to contact Catherine."

"Don't let us stop you," Ecklie said not moving to leave the office. Grissim shuck his head and reached for the phone.

-DC Crime Scene-

Catherine stepped out of the car and looked up at the house in front of her. The agents walked off towards the house as she looked around. Her eyes fell onto the neighboring house where two old women and a young lady were gathered on the porch. Walking over to them she caught the agents' attention and they followed. Smiling she recognized one of the old lady's. "Good morning Mrs. Grissom," she signed and spoke. "I didn't know you had a friend in D.C."

"You don't know a lot about me," Mrs. Grissom signed back as the young lady read what she signed to the others. "It is a pleasure to see you again Catherine."

"And to see you," she looked at the other lady. "Did you know the victim?"

"Yes," the women signed. "I watched her sneak out of the house at night and back in the earlier morning. It was rather upsetting."

"Thank you," Catherine nodded and left the porch.

"You don't going to ask anything else," Kate asked surprised.

"There's nothing else to ask. She couldn't have heard anything now could she," she smiled and entered the crime scene. "Plus she told me what I wanted to hear." Kate and Tony entered the kitchen as Gibbs walked around and she headed up the stairs.

Kate looked at Tony. "I think she's hiding something," she said looking around the kitchen.

"Why because she won't tell us about the phone calls," Tony replied shrugging. "I think Gibbs likes her."

"That is freaky," she replied. "One he laughed. I thought he didn't have a good side. I thought everyone was automatically on his bad side."

"No its just no one has figured out how to get on his good side. I think she figured it out though," Tony laughed. "It could be the hair. Or her looks."

"What is it with you and looks," she rolled her eyes. "Really it's what on the inside that counts."

"Please Kate you start drooling if you see a guy that looks good."

"Well I'm not drooling around you does that say anything," she smirked but quickly pulled her gun at hearing two gun shots go off. Tony went for his and each made their way to the stairs. When the reached it they saw Gibbs standing outside the master bedroom with his gun drawn.

"He went out back!" He yelled and they went towards the back door. By the time they got there, there was no one around. Heading back inside they went up the stairs and stopped by Gibbs. All had reholstered there guns and watched as Catherine stood there smiling.

"He didn't get the divorce papers," she said turning from the broken window and showing them the papers in one hand. Lifting her other hand she showed them a pair of high heal shows that looked painful to wear. "Nor did he get these. Thanks Gibbs for shoot at him. Though you didn't hit him."

"Where did you find those," Kate asked shocked.

"Under the mattress. It's where I hide my divorce papers and other things I did not want people to find," she shrugged. "Let's drop these off with Abby while I make a phone call."

Thirty minutes later they were standing around the car outside of the NCIS building. The agents watched as Catherine talked into her phone a few feet away. She hung up and walked over to them. "I know where we need to go," she handed a sheet of paper to Gibbs and the four got into the car. Twenty minutes later the pulled up outside a bar. Before they could get out of the car Catherine's phone rang. "Willows ... oh hey Grissom ... Have you talked to the victim yet. See if she remembers anything or is she not alive ... are you sure ... but he was never caught ... I know you know that but he wasn't caught ... No I can work this plus we don't have time to get someone out here and I found out their victim, Heather Minn, was filing for divorce against her current husband. I think she was having an affair with her ex-husband ... screw you," she hung up. "A couple of our prints and DNA came back to a match of an attempted rape from about twenty years or so ago."

"The victim," Tony asked as they stepped out of the car.

"Me," she replied walking into the bar. They followed and watched as she walked behind the bar and bent down to look through some things.

"Doesn't she need a warrant or the owners permission to do that," Kate asked shocked. The bartender walked towards her.

"Hey no one allowed behind this bar without my permission."

"I got it twenty years ago Tiny," she stood and smiled at him.

"Cat!" He yelled pulling her into a hug. She spotted someone over his shoulder she hadn't expected to see.

"Hey T ... what's Ed doing here? He is supposed to be in Vegas," she whispered as he released her.

"Said he was having girl problems and need to leave Vegas. You lookin' for Ted?"

"Yeah is he here?"

"Yep," he pulled out a key. The agents walked over to her. "Um ... Cat who are they?"

"NCIS," Gibbs said getting ready to flash his badge.

"Don't worry about them Tiny. There okay," she smiled. "There with me." He nodded and unlocked a door. The four walked down the stairs and entered a large room full of more customers. Tony gasped at seeing the half naked women dancing on the stage. There was a squeal and one of the dancers jumped from the stage and ran at them. Kate watched as Tony's eyes followed the women and she narrowed her eyes.

"Cat!" The women yelled hugging Catherine. "Oh my god what are you doin' here? I thought you dumped us."

"Nah girl I just got a new job," she replied. "Ted in."

"Yeah he is in the back ... um ... your not wearing a ring anymore?"

"Nope dumped Eddie a couple years ago," she shrugged. "Caught him in bed with Mel."

"Told ya she had a thing for him."

"Yeah well I don't listen now do I," she smiled. "Oh this is Kate Tony and Gibbs. There with me."

"He don't look like our normal customers," she pointed at Gibbs. Pointing at Tony. "He looks ..."

"Desperate," Kate supplied.

"No I was gonna say something else but that fits too."

"Hey do you know a Heather," Catherine asked shocking the others.

"Yeah. Poor girl twisted her ankle about a week ago. Haven't seen her since. She left with that marine," she whistled. "Damn I would have loved to been in her shoes. Of course I warned her that she needs to be careful because you never know who's sneaking around down here."

"How new is she?"

"A couple months. But she is good. Almost as good as you but no one can top you," she looked at a door. "Oh gotta get back to work Ted is watching."

"Thanks Brittney," Catherine turned and walked towards a door where a man was standing. "Ted I need to ask you some questions."

"Who are they," Ted pointed at the three behind her.

"NCIS agents Ted. Heather was killed a couple days ago," she walked past him and into an office. Looking around she shrugged. "Haven't changed a bit have you."

"What do you mean?"

"Tissues," she pointed at the book of tissues. "Half of them are missing. I take it you evaluated the girls today."

"Yeah ... so."

"Every time you do they start to cry."

"You never did."

"You only told me nice things. Plus it's hard to make me cry," she flopped down in a chair. "Ted do you know if Heather was having an affair with her ex-husband."

"Course she was strawberry," he replied sitting behind his desk. "Reason she danced really. Every time he was here she danced better."

"Has her current husband ever been by here?"

"Yeah. Walked in just after she got off stage. Though she got back on before he left and he kinda left upset. But hey it's in the business. No boyfriend is happy to find there girl stripping for twenty other men who are drunk."

"Well they learn to live. You know she had a daughter right?"

"Yes. Cute kid too. We all went out to eat one night and she came with. Rather smart. I must say we miss you around here."

"Ah well sometimes I miss it too but hey I love the job I have now. Ted ... you remember the attempted rape from twenty years ago?"

"Yeah you were one of the lucky ones. It's a good think I came out there just as he went after you," he sighed.

"Do you remember the customer's name? I recognized his face from other nights but you normally know all the names."

"I remember he was a petty officer ... I think his last name was Minn."

"Oh ..." She looked a bit shocked. "You realize Heather's last name is Minn."

"Yeah ... now I remember because I thought it was rather weird her having the same last name. But you know the case went dry they couldn't find the guy anyways."

"Thanks Ted," she stood. "Oh Ted one more thing ... the night Heather twisted her ankle was her husband here?"

"Yeah he left right after she walked out with her ex. Kept mutter about something."

-Las Vegas Crime Lab-

"Hey Uncle Grissom," Lindsey said flopping down in front of his desk. "Dad left me home alone."

"Really?"

"Yeah. So I got a cab and came here. Is that okay?"

"Yeah it's fine. But I got to work on a case."

"That's okay I'll watch."

A/N: Okay please review. I like reviews they make me happy.