Chapter 23
"Mrs. Reed, thank you for coming down to see us on such short notice." Gibbs voice sounded sincere enough to the untrained ear.
The blonde female nodded and dabbed at her eyes.
"Has my husband been found?" She asked tearfully.
"Please, Mrs. Reed, allow me to ask the questions. I'd appreciate you answering them as honestly as possible."
"Of course. Although, as much as I would like to help find my husband, I'm not sure how that is possible."
If only you knew… Jethro thought. Of course, maybe you already do.
"I'm curious why you send the group of Canadian military Christmas cards. That's not something normally done."
Janet Reed smiled weakly.
"Yes, that's true. I just wanted to remind that we were thinking of them back home and we looked forward to having them back on native soil."
"Did you know, though, that most of the staff is unaware of your husband's marital state?"
"That's not much of a surprise. Jason is a loving man and sometimes he finds that proclaiming he's married puts a cramp in his social life."
"A cramp, I'm sure, you wish was there."
"What wife doesn't?" Janet glared through her watery eyes. "I love my husband but that doesn't me I want everyone else to love him."
"But don't you find it odd that you send the group some cards but no one knows you're married?"
"I sent them to Jason and asked him to distribute them. Apparently he chose not to."
"Except to one person, right?"
Janet looked at Gibbs questioningly.
"Pardon me?"
"Captain Emilie Payette. She already knew you, so there was no harm in your husband giving her a card, right?"
Janet nodded.
"How do you know Captain Payette, Mrs. Reed?" Gibbs asked.
"Mutual friends and acquaintances. The Canadian Military is like an extended family. It's difficult to go to a base and not know at least several people." The response from Janet was cool.
"So, you're nothing more than friends?" Gibbs asked innocently.
"I'm a married woman!" Mrs. Reed's voice was filled with outrage.
"You wouldn't be the first to break the vows." Gibbs logically argued. He spotted Janet's purse. "Tell me, Mrs. Reed, what form of documentation did you use to enter the United States?"
"My passport. Why?"
"May I see it, please?"
Janet fumbled through the contents before handing it over.
"Is there something wrong with it?" She asked.
"No…not at all." Gibbs stopped on a page. "I see this was stamped for entry into the US just a few days ago. In fact, the day of your husband's disappearance."
"I…I…I was just coming in to surprise him for a visit."
"Interesting. Have you done that before?"
"No."
"What prompted this visit?"
"I was told that there was a woman coming in for a visit…a woman that Jason had been chasing for a while. I wanted to surprise him…keep him from going after her."
"Who told you?"
"Emilie."
"What woman?"
"Roxane Jamieson."
"Is he okay?" Tony asked in the observation room.
"He looks like he's going to pass out or throw up." Tim remarked.
Ziva blanched, both out of her concern for Gibbs and the implications of Mrs. Reed's statement. Captain Payette had said earlier that Roxane showed no interest in Captain Reed. If that was true, why would she tell the Captain's wife otherwise?
"Where's Captain Payette?" She demanded.
"Being brought in." Tim replied. "Officers should have her here any moment."
"I'm questioning her."
"What about Gibbs, Ziva?"
"He's busy, Tony. My friend has just been implicated by this…this…hussy's statement and I want to clear her name."
Tony grabbed Ziva by the arm and hauled her out into the hallway.
"Aren't you a bit too involved in this?" He whispered harshly.
"No more so than Gibbs!" She hissed back.
He blinked.
"Oh come on, Tony! Don't be so blind! Same clothes as yesterday, no watch…"
Tony's eyes widened.
"You mean that while you and I were…he and she were…" Tony closed his eyes, recollecting himself. "By the way, when this is over, how about you and I…
Ziva punched his arm again.
"I'll take that as a definite maybe." Tony rubbed his arm. "Look, how about I take Payette? She's going to try to fluster you by making advances and if she is involved, we need to distance you to show that we're not biased."
Ziva sagged against the way.
"I hate it when you actually make sense, Tony." She protested weakly.
"Good thing it doesn't happen to often then, huh?" He grinned and escorted Ziva back into the observation room.