Callen had never felt the full force of Kensi's wrath before, and he never wanted to feel it again. Full of rage Kensi grabbed Callen by his shirt and pinned him against the wall.
"You're saying my husband had sex with another woman! There is no way he would do that!" Kensi managed to grind out the words before Sam pulled her away. Despite the apparent evidence, which Kensi had yet to process, she was certain of Deeks innocence and was angry that anyone could doubt it.
"Kensi, stop! That's not what Callen is saying" Sam nodded to Callen, as he held Kensi gently by the shoulders.
Callen returned the nod, composed himself and continued "No, and I don't think he killed her either. Deeks was arrested for rape, but she wasn't raped. He's been set up"
"We kinda knew that already!" Kensi was trying to keep calm.
Wide eyed with surprise at the ruckus Rowntree cleared his throat "Guys. There's more..."
"Why didn't you say" Sam glared at Rowntree.
"Didn't give me a cha...Never mind." Rowntree looked at the sheaf of papers in his hand. "They still don't know the identity of the victim, but the time of death was around 7am."
" So Deeks was arrested at 9:30 for killing a corpse" said Callen shaking his head with disbelief.
"And raping a woman that wasn't raped" Sam added.
"So how come he's still in custody?" Kensi was losing the battle to stay calm.
"I think we would do well to stop running around like headless chickens" Kilbride walked into the bullpen. "We need to find out who the victim was and who killed her, do LAPD's job for them if we have to. Then we might find out who is behind this mess"
"Do you think it's Kessler?" asked Kensi, aware that the best way to hurt her was to hurt Deeks"
"More likely LAPD" Sam replied. "We need to find out how Deeks is involved"
"We NEED to get Deeks out of this" Kensi was far from calm.
"Guys, you need to see this!" Fatima called, as she came down from Ops "I found Deeks' truck, but look at this"
Fatima put the footage from a street cam on the screen, the team watched Deeks climb out of his vehicle and walk behind in. He stood for a few moments looking in the back of his truck until he was briefly hidden from view by a black van. The van stopped for a few seconds, but when it moved there was no sign of Deeks.
"Trace that van!" the bullpen choir called out.
"On it" shouted Fatima as she returned to Ops.
"We need to speak to Whiting again. Find out more about those detectives, they know more than they told us" Sam was both annoyed and perplexed.
"Well that's obvious, they didn't tell us anything" Callen remarked as he turned to follow Sam.
Kensi looked at her phone "Text from Whiting, they've taken Deeks to the precinct. "I have to see him"
Deeks had been put in the same cell he was in when he was arrested for killing Boyle. As Kensi approached she saw he was lying flat on the bed. She called his name but got no response. For an instant she thought he was dead.
"Baby it's me, Kensi" she tried again, a little louder.
This time he stirred and struggled to get up. He sat on the side of the bed for a moment to compose himself. Then he stood up and walked awkwardly across to Kensi, holding on to the bars to keep himself upright. Kensi had never seen her husband looking so rough.
"Are you okay? Can you remember anything yet?" Kensi put her hands on Deeks hands.
"No it's all hazy" Deeks looked Kensi straight in the eye. "Just a bad dream that keeps going. They said I raped and killed somebody, that's why I was arrested." Deeks paused briefly to collect his thoughts, then continued "Kens, They said I was high on drugs when I raped and killed. Could I do that and not remember?" Deeks distress was palpable.
"No Baby, you didn't" Kensi replied softly as she reached between the bars and put her hands on the back of Deeks head. She felt a large bump and slowly pulled her hands back, and saw traces of dried blood on them "Do you remember getting hit on the head? Baby, I think you've got a concussion"
"Yeah. At the hospital, the doctors said I had a concussion, but didn't need to stay there as long as I wasn't left alone. They said the victim must have fought back"
"Baby. She was dead before you got there"
"Really! So why am I here?" Deeks confusion rose to a new level.
"I don't know Baby, but we're gonna get you out. I promise."
Sam and Callen were back at the boat shed, waiting for Detective Whiting.
"Twice in one day, lucky me" Whiting made herself comfortable at the table. "How is Deeks holding up?"
"He's hanging in there. Looks like he was abducted not far from the precinct, Fatima is still trying to trace the van." Callen continued "What can you tell us about the detectives on the case?"
"You spoke to Detective Donnelly this morning. Been on the job about ten years, transferred from Sacramento six months ago, actually I think he was dumped on us, but he's kept his head down. Partner McPartlin, a newbie still wet behind the ears, been partners about two months." Whiting looked from Callen to Sam and shrugged "They're not LAPD's finest, a couple of complaints about procedures. They have lost some cases because they didn't follow the rules but I don't think they're another Boyle and Steadman. Not yet at least".
Callen answered his phone "Thanks Fatima" he grinned at Sam "Fatima found the van, registered to a small time drug dealer, she's given us the address, Rowntree and Kensi are meeting us there" He looked at Whiting "Are you joining us?"
"What are we waiting for?" Whiting replied.
