Chapter 3
"Mr. Durant?" Callen asked.
"Yes?" Durant answered cautiously. "Who wants to know?"
"NCIS. We need to ask you a few questions about the death of John Taylor." Callen said sternly.
"Oh. I heard about that. Terrible. Yes, of course." Durant agreed.
-Boathouse-
"You were John Taylor's C.O., right?" Sam asked Durant.
"Yes, I was, for 10 years." Durant answered.
"Do you know why he retired from the Navy?" Sam questioned.
"Said it was getting to be too much. He wanted to have fun in his life." Durant said while slightly throwing his hands up in the air.
"What could be more fun than almost getting blown up everyday protecting your country, Sam?" Callen asked sarcastically.
"I don't know, G." Sam replied.
"Um, I don't know if this will be helpful or not, but we did email back and forth sometimes. He said something about thinking someone was out to get him."
"Did he ever mention any names or anything about the person?"
"He called the person Ms. S.
"Was there anything else that sounded important or out of the ordinary?
"No, I think that's it."
"Ok, thank you. If there is anything else that you find please contact us.
"I will."
-OSP-
"Hey guys. Did you find anything?"
"We found out that Gary was meeting with a woman. The restaurant owner says that he gave the woman papers that looked classified.
"Yea. Sam and I interrogated Gary Durant. He said he was emailing John Taylor. Claimed that someone was out to get him. The name from the email was Ms. S. That was all he knew."
"Wait. What if Ms. S is the woman Taylor was meeting?"
"I was thinking the same thing. I would say great minds think alike but I don't want to give you any ideas."
"Too late, Kens!"
"Wonderful."
"Eric, FacialRec get any hits yet?"
"No, Sam, sor- *beepbeepbeep* Would ya look at that! Her name is Brandi Simler. Doesn't have a criminal record. Her home address is on your phones."
"No criminal past? Maybe we have the wrong person Sam."
"Or she is really good at what she does G."
"Well, let's find out."
Sam and I will take the first floor. Kensi, Deeks, you guys take the second floor."
"O.K."
"Ready?"
"Yep."
"Go."
"Clear!"
"Clear.
"Clear!
"Um, not so clear. More of a red, actually."
"Deeks, what do you mean more of a red? Guys, we found Brandi Simler.
"We? I think you mean me."
"Are you really arguing over who found the dead body, Deeks?"
"Yes. I am."
"Fine. Correction. Deeks found the girl."
"Thank you. Now was that so hard?"
"You're pushing it buddy."
"Shutting up."
"Wow. You guys need those shock collars or something."
"What the heck is that supposed to mean! I think you mean Deeks needs a shock collar. That would be fun!"
"No! I am going to call Eric now."
"No you aren't."
"Yes I am Kensi."
"No you aren't because Sam already is."
"Eric, we need an M.E. Brandi Simler is dead. It looks like poison, the same thing that killed James Taylor, but I can't be sure."
"Alright, I'll get the M.E. on the phone."
"Thanks Eric."
"Ok, so either someone killed her and Taylor or she killed Taylor and she killed herself. She looks like she has been dead at least a day. Like Taylor."
"Well, let's look for the package. It has to be here because Eric said she didn't have any safety deposit boxes, lockers anywhere, or a storage facility."
"It's ok. The house is only two stories and only has like 10 rooms."
"Stop whining Deeks. It's not like you are searching the house alone. Although, if you keep acting like a baby, you might be."
"If you do that, I just won't search the house at all."
"You gonna tell Hetty that?"
"Umm, well, no, not really. I would get fired if I did that, right?
"Most likely."
"Well, I can't do that then. That would mean I couldn't annoy you anymore, Sunshine! How sad would that be!"
"Ugh. Maybe I should have you search the house alone and get you fired. I am laying out ground rules for you. No going in her bedroom, bathroom, or office."
"Why not Fern?
"Your creepy little puppy dog eyes aren't gonna change my mind."
"It works with Sam and Callen."
"No it doesn't. And I will tell them you said that, Deeks."
"Y-you don't have to do that."
"I will. And you can't go into the bedroom because you will look at all of her clothes. You will smell all of her shampoo's and lotions and stuff in the bathroom. You can't go into the office because you will look through all of her search history."
"There might be something in her clothes like bags of poison. Her shampoos might have been poisoned. And last but not least, her search history might have websites on how to make poison."
"Doubtful. And bags of poison in her clothes? Really?"
"It could happen!"
"No it couldn't!"
"Yes it could! Wait! Fern! I am going into her bedroom!"
"Deeks!"
"Hey! I found it!"
"G? Callen? Where the heck are you?"
"I'm in here Sam."
"In where?"
"In the closet!"
"Why are you in the closet?"
"Do you have a problem with it?"
"No. It was just a question. I don't understand why you are in there!"
"How long have you two been married?
"Ha! That was a good one Kens!"
"Thank you Deeks!"
"Anytime!"
"Like I said, I found the package."
"Well don't just stand there and yell about it. Open it!"
"Deeks. You sound like a kid on Christmas morning."
"Well, just in case you forgot, it almost is Christmas morning, Kensi."
"I know Deeks."
"Once again."
"We got it Callen!"
"Ok! Just making sure!"
"OPEN IT!"
"Chill Deeks!"
"I can't Kensi!"
"This again?"
"Shut up Sam!"
"Back to me, I would but I don't want to."
"What the heck do you mean you don't want to?"
"I don't want to get in trouble with Hetty for opening evidence at a crime scene without clearing it with her. If you thought these things through, Sam."
"Fine, Callen. We'll all go back to OSP and open it there," Kensi said, a little fed up.
"The crime sceners are here anyways."
"Crime sceners? That isn't even a word Deeks!"
"Yea it is!"
"No its not. I swear, I am the only logical one in this whole group."
"Yea cause nothing says logical like wanting to get your partner fired."
"Shut up Deeks."
-OSP-
"Yes, Mr. Callen. You have my permission to open the package."
"Open it! Open it!"
"Once again Deeks. Christmas morning. Oh that reminds me! ERIC! NELL!"
"Kensi is everything ok!"
"Yea but I thought we should do a Secret Santa this year!"
"I think it's a great idea!
"That's just because you like to open presents, Deeks. But thank you!
"Yea that sounds like a great idea! Doesn't it Eric!"
"Yea! It does!"
"Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh."
"You sound like a constipated animal Callen."
"Out of all of the people to say that, Deeks, it had to be you."
"Well, it had to be said."
"No, it didn't!"
"Callen? Why don't you think it's a good idea?"
"No one ever likes what I get them when we do Secret Santa's."
"Well, maybe this year will be different. Maybe you will draw Sam."
So they cut up pieces of paper and wrote their names on them. They put them in a coffee cup and drew names. Like predicted, Sam got Callen, Callen got Sam, Eric got Nell, Nell got Eric, and Kensi and Deeks got each other, too. Unfortunately, it didn't stay a 'Secret Santa' for too long. 5 seconds, give or take a few, actually.
"Ha! I got Kensi!"
"Deeks! You aren't supposed to say who you got!"
"Oops."
"Oops! What the heck do you mean oops!"
"I got Eric!"
"And I got Nell!"
"Guys!"
"Yes! I got Sam! What do you want Sam?"
"Umm… I want… what do I want G?"
"you were complaining about how you ran out of Tootsie Roll™ wrappers for origami the last case we worked when we lost the bad guy."
"Maybe you could eat the lollipops and give me the wrappers!"
"Ok. I will eat 200. How does that sound?"
"Good. Thanks G."
"I can't figure out if the present is for you or for me!"
"Keep it up and I'll keep the lollipops for myself. You are going to go crazy from all that sugar."
"No I wont."
"Yea you will! Christmas is three days away! That's like 70 lollipops a day! Maybe you can just throw the lollipops away and keep the wrappers."
"Or, I could leave the lollipops in the wrappers and when we give the gifts, we can share the lollipops with the team and you can keep all of the wrappers. That way I don't become crazy and you don't hurt me."
"What do you mean 'become crazy?' I think you mean 'become crazier,' G."
"Doesn't matter. Let's do that."
"Hey, I got Kens!"
"Oh great."
"What's wrong Fern?"
"The fact that you are gift shopping for me."
"It'll be fun!"
"That's what I am afraid of."
"C'mon guys! We have to open the package!"
"Callen, you were just talking about what you were going to get Sam!"
"Yea, Kensi, but now I'm done."
"Then open the package!"
"Ok ok! It has… Restaurant Names! Wait. Restaurant Names?" What the heck?"
"Seriously. We waited for Hetty's approval to open the possible 'top secret folder' for it to turn out to be restaurant names?"
"Wait a minute. These restaurants are all owned by the same company. And only about 5 or so are in the L.A. vicinity."
"You're right Kens. Most of them are in the heart of downtown."
"Time to go talk to Eric and Nell."