8

Mistaken Identity

Rating: K

Disclaimers: STFBEye characters not mine. Everyone else is.

Author's Note: My intent has always been to write stories that could be part of the STFBeye series albeit with a Bobby and Sue ship. It's very gratifying that some of you think we have been pretty successful at this. The specific feedback informs me what you like about the stories which is enormously helpful in concocting them. Thanks so much for taking the time to read and review. It's what keeps us going!

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Chapter 4

"Monica…dead?" the woman repeated in shock.

"I'm afraid so," Jack confirmed.

"But how? Why? She only went to the post office to pick up a package. You aren't supposed to get killed for doing something like that," protested the shaken woman.

"A man walked in and started shooting," Jack explained quietly. "We're trying to determine why."

"Was Monica meeting anyone there?" asked Tara.

"No. She was picking up a package." Tiffany added haltingly. "She ordered something for her boyfriend as a surprise for Valentine's Day."

"Boyfriend?" Tara echoed, exchanging a glance with Jack.

"Yeah, Drew Stoddard. They've been dating for about a year now so she wanted to get something special for him. She was so happy it came in time." Tiffany said sadly. "Except…except she'll never be able to give it to him, will she?"

"What's the boyfriend like?" asked Jack.

"Nice, funny. He treated her really well." She grimaced, "Not like her old boyfriend."

"Old boyfriend?" Tara repeated, looking up from her notepad.

"Yeah," nodded Tiffany. "Chandler Tighe."

Tiffany noticed the glances Jack and Tara exchanged.

"Don't even go there," she said quickly. "It's just some weird kind of coincidence. Chandler thought it was a sign that they should be together, you know, like in the show, but Monica didn't buy it."

"Why did she break it off?" Tara asked.

"He was good-looking and loaded but there was just something about him that was…creepy," shivered Tiffany.

"Creepy? In what way?" questioned Jack with a frown.

"Really possessive," Tiffany clarified. "He had to know where Monica was all the time. At first she thought it was kind of cute, you know, him being jealous, but after a while, it wasn't fun any more. He was calling at all hours and showing up at the weirdest times. I even caught him sitting in his car watching our place—several times. It really gave us the willies to think that he was watching us…I mean her."

"When did she break it off?"

"About a year and a half ago. She couldn't take it any more. She even had to get a restraining order on him. That seemed to help. Took a while, but she started to have fun again. Then she met Drew in grad school. She was a little leery at first but Drew won her over and life was good again." Tiffany shook her head in distress, "Who's going to tell Drew? And what about her family?"

"We're in the process of notifying her family. As for Mr. Stoddard, if you give us an address or phone number, we can notify him too," offered Tara.

Tiffany hastily scribbled the information on a piece of paper. "Here. Drew's one of the teaching assistants in the physics department at the University of Maryland."

"Thanks," said Tara. "By any chance, do you happen to have an address or number we could contact this Chandler Tighe?"

Tiffany grimaced. "No, I don't. But he worked for a real estate appraisal company. I think he's still there. Let me write it down for you."

"Will you be okay? Can we call someone for you?" asked Tara as the woman gave her back the paper.

"I'm okay. I think when it all sinks in I won't be but I have people I can call," Tiffany replied tremulously.

"If you remember anything else," said Jack handing her a card, "please call this number and ask for Jack or Tara."

"FBI," read Tiffany. "It just doesn't seem real, you know what I mean?"

Jack and Tara looked at each other understanding the feeling of shock Tiffany was experiencing. The reality would sink in all too soon.

"I hate this part of the job," commented Tara as they headed back towards their vehicle.

"You and me both," concurred Jack.

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"I am shocked with this news," declared the stunned middle-aged man. "Naveh only recently came to this country to pursue his degree in finance. Such a good head on his shoulders…such a promising future."

Lucy had called Myles and D with the identity of the foreign student. He'd entered the country two years ago in hopes of obtaining his business degree in business. The man they were interviewing was Naveh Katz' sponsor.

"How could such a thing happen in this country?"

"That's what we're trying to find out, Mr. Zimet," said D patiently.

"Every measure will be taken to ensure that the perpetrator is found and punished," added Myles.

"In order to do that, we need to ask you a few questions," D informed him.

"Questions?"

D nodded. "Do you know of anyone…anyone at all who might have wanted to harm Naveh Katz?" D queried. "Maybe even see him dead?"

Zimet was taken aback. "Naveh? No! Most definitely not!"

"Was he involved in any groups or clubs that perhaps leaned towards…let's say anti-social behaviors?" Myles inquired delicately.

"Anti-social behaviors?" repeated Zimet in confusion. "What does that mean?"

Myles' excessive diplomacy earned him an exasperated frown from D. "What my partner is trying to ask, to the best of your knowledge, was Katz was involved in any group that advocated violence? That this could have been some kind of retaliatory act?"

"No!" exclaimed Zimet adamantly. "Naveh was not that kind of person. After serving his term with the military, he vowed he would only be an advocate for non-violent resolutions to problems. He did not want to perpetuate violence."

"Admirable," commented Myles dryly. "Too bad the person that fired those shots didn't believe in the same thing."

"What a waste!" lamented the Israeli. "What do I say to his family?" He shook his head. "What of his body?"

"We can't release it until our investigation is concluded," D replied. "We'll call you as soon as we can."

"What a waste," the man repeated sadly.

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"Found anything?" asked D as he walked in the bullpen with Myles close behind. It was already mid-afternoon. Lucy was busy putting photographs of the victims on the case board while Bobby looked over Sue's shoulder as she typed up the report of their interviews pointing out corrections and additions.

Bobby shook his head as he stood up. Much as he liked being close to Sue, looking over her shoulder took a toll on his back. As he stretched out the kinks, Sue flashed him a sympathetic smile. He nodded to redirect her attention to the two returning team members.

"Oh, hi!" she greeted. "How'd it go?"

"Nothing useful," D replied. "According to Naveh Katz' sponsor, there were no indications the guy was involved with anything that remotely resembled a terrorist group."

"Unless, of course, Zimet himself is part of the terrorist group," chimed in Myles. "There is that possibility, you know."

"And how are we supposed to ask a question like that?" said an exasperated D. "Israel is supposed to be an ally. We can't go accusing their citizens of being involved in terrorist groups without proof."

"I just mentioned it as a possibility," Myles declared a shade defensively.

Lucy rolled her eyes as she shook her head.

"What?" asked Myles as he headed to his desk. "We can't take what everyone says at face value. It's our job to dig deeper."

"But not so deep we fall into the hole," Lucy retorted. "D is just saying you need to be tactful."

"I was very discreet," he announced.

"Well, he's right about that," D said with a little smile. "Myles was so discreet, Zimet didn't know what he was talking about."

Before Myles could formulate a retort, Bobby mused, "So, that means we're still in the dark as to the shooter's motives."

"Maybe there's a nightlight on," announced Jack as he and Tara entered the bullpen.

"What did you find out?" asked D as they walked to their desks.

"It seems that Monica Temple had a very jealous, very possessive ex-boyfriend," Tara shared.

"Ex-boyfriend?" questioned Lucy.

Tara nodded. "She broke it off."

"Smart girl," Sue commented.

"She even had a restraining order on him," Tara declared.

"And why is this of interest to us?" asked a skeptical Myles.

"Because the guy didn't show up at work today," Jack chipped in.

"It's always the boyfriend," Myles intoned sagaciously. "Or ex-boyfriend, in this case."

"So what do we have on this guy?" asked D.

"We have a photograph of this guy, one Chandler Tighe courtesy of the annual company Christmas party," Jack answered as he pulled the picture from his pocket and handed it to Tara.

"Chandler? Monica?" Lucy asked with a frown. "You've got to be kidding."

"That's exactly what we said," agreed Jack with a smirk. "But her roommate assured us it was for real."

"And here he is," declared Tara flashing it on the flat screen.

Myles stood up in astonishment. "That's our shooter!" he exclaimed.

"But why shoot his ex-girlfriend in such a public place?" asked a puzzled Sue.

"And why shoot those other people?" Bobby questioned. "As far as we can tell, they were innocent bystanders."

Jack shrugged, "Chandler Tighe still considered Monica Temple his girlfriend, albeit from a distance."

Tara continued, glancing at Jack for confirmation, "So, when her latest relationship seemed to be working out, he grew even more obsessed."

Jack glanced at the case board and did a double take. "Hey! Who's this guy?" he asked pointing to a photo.

"Naveh Katz, one of the fatalities," answered D. "Why?"

Jack peered at it again. "Tara, take a look at this guy."

Curious, she examined the picture and looked at Jack in astonishment.

"What?" asked Myles.

"Naveh Katz happens to bear a striking resemblance to Monica Temple's present boyfriend, Drew Stoddard," Tara said slowly.

"One of the witnesses said Monica was standing behind Naveh," Jack pointed out.

"And he was talking to her when the shooting began," said Myles picking up the line of thought.

"Chandler Tighe thought Monica was with Drew and shot them," Bobby concluded.

"Another case of mistaken identity," Sue observed unhappily.

"But this time with deadly ramifications," Myles stated.

D mulled over the scenario—it was very plausible. "With everything we've got so far, it doesn't look like there are any terrorist connections to this case. However," he looked meaningfully at the group, "we need to be sure. I know you all have plans for tonight but they have to be put on hold until we find out for sure this was only a simple domestic violence case."

"Somehow the words 'simple domestic violence' doesn't fully convey the horror of the event," remarked Myles as he reached for his phone to cancel his plans for the evening.

"No, they don't," agreed D as he cradled his phoned. "Donna! I'm sorry…"

Tara sighed. "I guess no dinner at Antonio's," she said sadly. "I was really looking forward to it. I have the sexiest dress…"

"You can wear it for Stanley another evening," consoled Lucy.

"And you know he thinks you're beautiful no matter what you wear," pointed out Sue.

"There is that," Tara grinned. "I guess I better get it over with."

"I should make my phone call, too," commented Lucy ruefully. "That reminds me," she turned to Sue, "someone dropped by to see you while you were out."

"Someone came to see me?" asked a surprised Sue. "Anyone I know?"

Lucy tilted her head towards the bouquet of roses on Sue's desk. "Jonathan."

"Jonathan Hammond?"

Lucy nodded. "Jonathan Hammond."

Bobby, Jack and Myles exchanged glances. So, the ex-MI6 agent was back in town. Had he regained his memory?

"How did he look? Did he get his memory back?" Sue asked curiously.

"I asked but he just said he wanted to talk to you," replied Lucy.

"He did? Did he say about what?"

"No but you know what I think?"

"What?"

"He must've regained some of it because he doesn't have that lost look like before."

"That's good," said a pleased Sue.

"He said he'd call later."

"Oh, okay. Thanks Lucy."

"Well, in a way I'm glad I didn't have plans for tonight," remarked Jack. "At least I'm not disappointing someone tonight." He gazed thoughtfully at Sue, "What about you, Sue?"

Bobby paused momentarily in his review of his notes when he heard that, waiting for her response.

"I did make plans with a friend to meet for dinner," she admitted, "but when you work for the FBI…work comes first," she added. Her eyes flickered briefly towards Bobby.

His dimple appeared for a second as he heard her response. Very tactfully done, he approved, and truthful, too. Hopefully, he'll be able to show her how much he approved sooner rather than later.

Myles had watched the byplay with interest. Nicely handled, Thomas, he applauded silently. I wonder how long they can keep up their façade? Surely the attraction between Bobby and Sue should be obvious to someone besides himself at some point. Ah well, he thought as he jotted down a couple of notes to himself, not everyone could be as discerning as Myles Leland the third.

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