Red Island Soil

"He was FOUND in the container in Norfolk. But we have trace on his body that is specific to one of the Maritime provinces in Canada." McGee was adamant. Gibbs raised an eyebrow and frowned.

"The red soil on Prince Edward Island is distinctive. Ducky found red soil on Moonchild's uniform. Abby tested it. Three times. There's just absolutely no doubt where it's from."

Tony found himself in the unlikely position to back McGee up on this one.

"That soil is specific to one place, and one place only. And it isn't Nova Scotia." McGee looked at him and nodded slightly in thanks.

"So, maybe the container he died in had been to Prince Edward Island, then back to Halifax?" Kate was thinking out loud. Tony was silent as he processed. "He went missing from Nova Scotia. Not Prince Edward Island. That would explain why we found trace evidence on him that wasn't found in the Norfolk container."

Gibbs was scowling. "So, how did he end up switching containers? What happened to him? Guys, I hate to say it, but it's sounding more and more like he died at home. This may be out of our hands."

His team sighed and groaned. "Boss, we've come too far. We can't assume anything," McGee pleaded, utilizing his baby-faced pout.

"Hate to say it, but McGee's right," Tony added, shrugging. "Boss, give us a chance? We can work this from our end, solve the mystery in reverse order. Work our way back to when he was still alive, in Halifax. We may be his only chance to find the answers that his family and friends need."

Gibbs got up out of his chair. "The clock is ticking, guys. You've got 24 hours. Don't waste a single minute of it. We're sending him home tomorrow… with or without answers. I simply can't justify this investigation much longer."

The team sighed again, this time with gratitude and relief.

…………………………………………………………………………

Gibbs sat at his desk thinking.

Tony and Kate were chasing leads, and McGee was back in the lab, helping Abby process evidence.

He was startled when his phone rang.

"Special Agent Gibbs, this is Captain Douglas. I think I've got something interesting for you."

Gibbs smiled. "Captain, if it isn't too presumptuous… if you would like to call me Jethro, I'd like to dispense with the formalities and just call you Jackson."

A deep chuckle was heard on the other end. "No, Jethro, it isn't too presumptuous. Able Seaman Moonchild seems to have become an ambassador, of sorts, hasn't he?" Gibbs chuckled briefly. "Jackson, we've found trace on your guy that suggests he was in a container that had once held cargo from Prince Edward Island." There was a silence on the other end, as the Canadian officer seemed to process this newest bit of information. "We do have cargo shipped back and forth between here and The Island. We have found a witness, though."

Gibbs sat up, intrigued. "Oh?"

"A local homeless person reported having seen a young man in uniform being mugged near the docks. But this person is known to the authorities as being, well, not quite all there. But I think it bears serious consideration, considering the evidence we have now."

"Did this witness say what they saw happen, I mean, other than the mugging?"

Captain Douglas didn't hesitate. "Yes, Jethro, in fact they did. They reported seeing a motion being made, like you would make if you were stabbing someone. Then he got scared and ran off. But you did say that Matthew bled to death?"

"Yeah, that was our M.E.'s official finding. So it's possible that he was stabbed, stuffed in a shipping container, then left to die?"

"It's sounding more and more like that. But you still don't know how he ended up in a container in Norfolk, that hadn't moved off of dry land in 5 weeks."

"We're working on that, Jackson. Believe me, we want to send him home with answers. A man with his sense of honour deserves nothing less than that."