Kensi and Rowntree were already at the address Fatima had given them when Sam and Callen arrived, with Detective Whiting just behind them.
Rowntree spoke first "The van is registered to Brian O'Brien, small time drug dealer"
"Donnelly has an informant called O'Brien. " Whiting added.
"We got the report on Deeks. We know what happened to him" Kensi nodded to Whiting "A blow to the back of the head probably knocked him unconscious, gave him a concussion. Blood test was positive for cocaine and an unidentified substance, his right arm showed signs of injecting the drugs. Some bruising on his arms and torso, but extensive bruising on his thighs and groin, evidence of….." Kensi's voice faltered, thick with emotion.
Sam gave Kensi's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Lets get this guy." He turned to the front door. "Federal Agents!….. Brian?...We need to talk to you," he bellowed.
The door was opened by a tiny shrew like woman whose best days, if she had any, were long gone. The woman glared at Sam and Callen. "Why don't you people leave my boy alone? He's done nuthin' wrong" she shrieked.
"We just want to talk to him" Sam used his 'calm down' voice.
"He's the victim here! You keep your hands off him" the woman slammed the door shut, abruptly ending the conversation.
Callen looked at Sam "That went well"
Whiting followed Kensi and Rowntree to the back garden. Just as they got there, a small wiry man opened the back door and came out holding a scrubbing brush. Seeing two agents aiming their guns at him, the wiry man stood motionless, his hands up, looking resigned. "Donnelly told me to get this cleaned up before anybody got here" He looked down at a large bloodstain outside the back door.
"Did he tell you to kidnap Deeks?" asked Kensi.
"Who's Deeks?"
Stunned, Kensi and Rowntree looked at each other "Boat shed" they agreed.
"I think it's time to talk to our detectives" Whiting said as she walked to her car.
While Sam and Callen watched the screen, Kensi and Rowntree sat opposite Brian O'Brien in an Interrogation Room at the boat shed. The wiry drug dealer seemed annoyed at the inconvenience.
Kensi spoke first "Can you tell us who the blood on your doorstep belongs to?"
"Yes"
"Who?"
"The Bitch"
"Does The Bitch have a name" Kensi asked in a calm voice.
"Tabitha something, she's a client. I call her The Bitch, 'cos she is. It's all her fault."
"How so?"
"She's a mean woman. The last delivery I made, she stabbed me and stole my stuff. Then she found out where I live. This morning she called round. Had to let her in, she was bangin' on the door, wakin' my Momma. I deliver I don't run a shop. Don't do click and collect" Brian chuckled at his joke.
"Is that why you killed her?"
"It was an accident"
"She fell on your knife?" Rowntree commented, bemused.
"Pretty much" Brian looked straight at Kensi "I grabbed a knife to defend myself, wasn't gonna use it"
"Why did you ?"
"She pushed me over, I thought she was gonna hurt me again. I put my hand up to protect myself, then there was blood everywhere. Her blood"
"Why didn't you dial 911?"
"Dumbo told me not to"
"Who's Dumbo? Kensi couldn't tell if he was trying to be difficult or was naturally awkward.
"Detective Donnelly. All muscle no brain. He calls me his informant but I just supply him with drugs."
Why was Detective Donnelly there?"
"I called him" O'Brien saw the look on Kensi's face and continued "When I saw The Bitch coming, I knew I was in trouble so I called him for help, but he got there too late, she was dead"
"So what did he tell you to do?"
"He said we could make it go away. We just needed to find a homeless guy that we could pin it on"
"So why did you abduct Deeks?"
Outside the Interrogation Room Whiting walked into the boat shed with a pale, subdued Deeks. "Good to see you Deeks" Sam handed him a coffee as he sat at the table. Deeks accepted the coffee with a nod and sat in silence watching the screen.
"I spoke to McPartlin" Whiting told Callen "He didn't have much to say, just that Donnelly seemed agitated when he got to the precinct and was adamant he had to meet his informant at their regular place at 9:20. He also said they didn't know Deeks, one of the officers, who arrived after they called it in, recognised him. Donnelly did pull Deeks off the victim, but he's lawyered up, not saying anything."
"We couldn't find a homeless guy, we saw this scruffy dude looking in the back of a truck and thought he would do. Look, I'm sorry if we grabbed your friend"
"He's my husband" Kensi replied with a deceptively calm voice.
"Really! That dude?"
Rowntree felt it was a good time to take over the interrogation. "Tell us what happened"
"Dumbo"
"Donnelly?"
"Donnelly put The Bitch in my van and we went looking for a homeless guy, but they were all on vacation" O'Brien laughed again.
"So you took Deeks?"
"Yeah it was really quick, nobody noticed." O'Brien looked pleased with himself " Dumbo hit him with his baton and pulled him in the van. We were near the precinct so I dropped Dumbo off round the corner"
"Then what?"
"He started his shift I guess"
"What did you do?"
"I parked the van and got things ready"
"Explain exactly what you did" Kensi leaned across the table and looked O'Brien straight in the eye.
O'Brien swallowed and continued " The dude looked like he was comin' round so I gave him a little somethin' to help him relax"
"You injected him with drugs?"
"I gave him the good stuff, for free" O'Brien looked indignant.
"Then what?"
"When he was relaxed I pulled his pants down, put a condom on him, and….you know….collected his juices"
"So you sexually assaulted a Federal Agent?" Kensi spat the words, grateful for Rowntree's calming presence. She already knew what had happened to Deeks, but hearing it described so casually was more than she could stomach.
"I guess so, if you put it like that. I wore gloves" O'Brien shrugged.
"That doesn't make it okay. What did you do next?" Rowntree took over the conversation again, but dreaded what he was going to hear.
"I had to improvise. I didn't have a turkey baster"
"A turkey baster?" Rowntree had totally lost the thread of the conversation.
"Yeah, Momma said she used a turkey baster to get me, couldn't get a man….Why are you looking at me like that? Okay, I pulled her panties down and put his juice inside her."
"Why did you do that?" Rowntree tried to look impassive
"We wanted make sure the dude looked guilty"
"Then you dumped Tabitha and Deeks outside the warehouse?" Rowntree finally made sense of something.
"Yes, Dumbo said they had to be there at 9:15 and I got there on the dot. Put the woman on the ground with the dude on top, put the knife in his hand then left. Donnelly and his partner were supposed to find them at 9:20" O'Brien looked pleased "And they did. Would have got away with it if we hadn't taken Dicks"
"Deeks!"
Kensi had never been so pleased to get out of an Interrogation Room, but she was overjoyed to see Deeks. He looked pale and drawn but at least he was free. All she wanted to do was give him a big hug, but felt it should wait till later. So she sat beside him and held his hand tightly in hers.
"We knew you were framed Deeks, but we didn't know why. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. You weren't targeted"
"Just a bad day at the office" Deeks struggled to raise a smile.
"Except you didn't make it to the office" Kensi put her hand on Deeks shoulder "Lets go home Baby, it's been a long day. You want to get something to eat?"
"I think I'd like to take a shower first, I feel kinda dirty"
"I could help, maybe wash your back" Kensi suggested.
"No I'm good, I can manage"
