CHAPTER 2
There was a moment of stunned silence, everyone was staring at the screen which was flashing '100% match' right beside a picture of Gibbs.
"I wasn't anywhere near the body" Gibbs whispered
"It wouldn't have made any difference Jethro, the hairs were deep inside 2 of the stab wounds"
"Got a time of death Ducky?"
"Around 4.30 this morning"
"This is personal"
"It always has been, this killer, he knows too much about how we work, one body comes just as we run out of leads on the one before and now this" Ziva said thoughtfully "The car fibres, planted also? Yes?"
"Oh yeah, we only found it because he wants us to"
"Who hates us enough to do this?" Ziva was getting angry
"That's a long list Ziva" Gibbs placed a claming hand on her shoulder before leaving the lab.
"Where is he going?" Ziva asked
"I assume to tell the Director that he is now a suspect in this latest murder and has no alibi" Ducky said in a flat voice
"And you have no alibi?"
"Leon, at 0430 this morning I was asleep, alone"
"Officially, you can't work this case Gibbs"
"Oh come on, that's what this scum bag wants!"
"I said 'officially' Jethro"
Gibbs gave him a tight smile and left.
Gibbs went down to the squad room, McGee and DiNozzo were looking at him in shock.
"Ziva fill ya in?"
They both nodded.
"DiNozzo, officially you are now in charge of this case"
"What? Boss? Really? Vance kicked you off the case? But the evidence was clearly planted"
"Officially, DiNozzo"
"Ah ha ha" Tony 'got it' and laughed
"Uh, where do we start boss?" McGee asked, deliberately looking at Gibbs and not Tony.
"You run down those car carpet fibres, and you investigate me like I was a suspect"
Late that night
"Boss, I've run a check on where you were every time of death for each body, you have an alibi for 11 of them"
"And the fibres?"
"Only 1 1964 Aston Martin DB5 in the whole of Washington, Virginia and Maryland"
"One Probie?"
"Well, one that isn't in a museum"
"have we got a name McGee?"
"uh, yeah, it's owned by Phillip Thompson, a 48 year old Investment banker, from New York, lives in Georgetown, no prior arrests"
"Go pick him up"
"You're not coming boss?"
Gibbs shook his head "This one is all yours Tony"
Gibbs watched his team leave the building, fully aware Vance was behind him.
"Leon, this guy breaks into my house and takes hair in an attempt to frame me for murder and I'm sitting on the sidelines?"
"It's not breaking and entering if you keep your door unlocked. Nothing to stop being in the vicinity, I'm sure you have friends up Georgetown that you need to visit" Vance tucked a toothpick into his cheek and walked away.
Gibbs grabbed his car keys and ran for the elevator.
Gibbs arrived at Thompson's address minutes after the others. He sat outside in his car, waiting.
He was focusing intently on the front door when he spotted something out the corner of his eye. He waited a heartbeat, then another before slowly turning his head, a small building, possibly a garage, two buildings down from their targets address. Someone was definitely there, watching and waiting just like him.
Slowly Gibbs got out of the car, checking numbers and trying his best to look confused. He walked backwards, stopped and peered at house numbers across the street, all the time moving closer to the garage.
When he was almost parallel with the door, he sprinted and barged through before the person behind it had a chance to engage the lock.
The room he found himself in was indeed a garage, a very well kitted out one, in front of him was the Aston Martin, and quickly retreating behind it was a short dark haired man.
Gibbs drew his weapon "Philip Thompson?" The man didn't respond, just moved further away. Gibbs started moving towards him.
The man presumed to be Thompson was moving into a crouch, diagonally opposite Gibbs when the door burst open. Ziva was first through and took up a shooting stance aiming directly at Thompson. Tony and Tim followed.
"Boss?" The three agents hadn't first noticed Gibbs and they were momentarily distracted by his presence.
Suddenly Gibbs shouted "GUN!" and fired two shots.