Chapter 3
As DiNozzo exited the car, he started scanning the sky.
Ziva noticed him looking around, and started looking around, herself. "What are you looking at?" She asked.
"Not at…for." DiNozzo replied.
"Alright." Ziva corrected. "What are you looking for?"
"Birds." McGee answered.
Ziva glanced at McGee, then back at DiNozzo. "Why would you be looking for birds?" Ziva asked.
"It's how he works." DiNozzo said. "You follow the plot, thinking it's going in one direction…then "BAM"…plot twist you never saw coming."
"What are you talking about?" Ziva asked.
"Hitchcock." McGee told her.
Ziva just stared at DiNozzo, then sighed, shook her head, and headed for the hospital entrance.
"The naysayers are always the first to go." DiNozzo warned as he followed her, continually scanning the skies as he walked. When he saw a bird looking at him, he flinched and jogged to the door.
Rachel gave McGee a puzzled look.
"While we're here." McGee said. "Do you think we can leave him?"
She rolled her eyes and shook her head as she followed DiNozzo.
When Rachel and McGee entered, they noticed Ziva and DiNozzo standing at the front desk.
"Seventh floor." Rachel told them and headed to the elevator.
As they waited for the elevator to arrive, DiNozzo looked over and noticed a man in a wheelchair heading their way. Startled, he backed in to Ziva.
"What is it now?" Ziva demanded.
"Kinda looks like Cary Grant." Tony replied.
"Tony, if you don't stop," Ziva told him, "I will give you a glass of milk."
He took a few steps back from her.
"Good 'Suspicion' reference." He complimented, then looked at her suspiciously. "But how do you know about that?"
Ziva just clenched her fists and growled.
"Thank you for coming in, Admiral." Vance held out his hand.
"Thank you for your discretion." Garrett responded as they shook hands. "But I don't know how I will be of any help in your investigation."
"This is Special Agent Gibbs." Vance said. "He is in charge of the investigation."
They shook hands and sat down.
"What would you like to know?" Garrett asked.
"For starters," Gibbs began, "do you know anything about the skeleton that was dug up at the house you used to own?"
"Can't say that I do." Garrett replied. "But I only lived there for four years…why do you believe it is from that period?"
"Primarily because your daughter is the one who dug it up." Gibbs replied.
For a few seconds, Garrett looked at him in shock. "Leslie?" He finally replied. "Why would she dig up a body?"
"That's what we're trying to find out." Gibbs told him. "You're surprised that she's involved…Did you not know that she was in town?"
Garrett paused to consider his reply.
"I haven't talked to Leslie since my wife died." He said. "For reasons that I would prefer not to discuss, and which I doubt would be relevant to your investigation."
"Do you know why she would have done it?" Vance asked.
"I have no idea." Garrett replied. "Have you asked her?"
"She's currently in the hospital." Gibbs told him. "My people are there now."
"Hospital!" Garrett replied. "Is she alright?"
"The police were concerned for her." Vance said. "So they called an ambulance."
Garrett nodded, then looked at his watch. "Gentlemen…I have an important meeting soon…is there anything else?"
"Not at this point." Vance replied. "But thank you for coming in."
"My pleasure." Garrett said as he stood and shook hands. "I just wish I could have been able to assist you more."
Rachel talked with the Doctor on duty for a few minutes, then returned to them.
"He hasn't had much success with her." She told them. "But he has agreed to allow me to see what I can do."
"What do you want us to do?" Ziva asked.
"You can go in with me, but the two of you should wait out here." Rachel told McGee and DiNozzo. "At least until I get a feel for her state of mind. I don't want to intimidate her with too many people and badges."
"Please don't leave me alone with him." McGee pleaded.
DiNozzo looked sideways at McGee. "You know…since you've lost all that weight…you kinda look like Anthony Perkins."
"Tony, I am going to get a knife." McGee warned.
"Don't say that too loud on this floor." Rachel advised.
McGee looked over to see several of the nurses looking at him.
"It was a joke." He said, then turned to Rachel. "OK…You know what? I'll be down in the cafeteria when you're ready."
McGee glanced at DiNozzo and headed to the elevator as Rachel and Ziva opened the door to Leslie's room.
There were two beds. Leslie was laying in one, but the second one was empty.
"Good morning." Rachel began. "My name is Rachel, and this is Ziva. How are you feeling today?"
Leslie just stared a few seconds before replying.
"OK…I guess." She said.
"What is your name?" Rachel asked.
"Leslie." She replied.
"Do you know where you are, Leslie?"
She looked around. "A hospital…I guess." She said.
"That's right." Rachel said. "How long have you been here?"
"Since yesterday."
Rachel nodded. "Do you know why you are here?" She asked.
Leslie stared at her, but didn't answer.
"Do you remember being brought here?" Rachel asked.
Leslie just nodded.
"Do you remember why?"
She just shrugged.
"Can you tell me what you were doing yesterday morning?" Rachel tried.
"I think I would like some privacy, now." Leslie said.
Rachel looked at her for a few seconds, as if considering asking another question, then turned to Ziva and motioned towards the door.
"If you feel like talking to someone," Rachel told Leslie, "just ask for me, and I will get here as soon as I can."
Leslie just looked away as Rachel and Ziva walked out and shut the door.
"I'll keep trying." Rachel told Ziva once they were in the hallway. "But it might take a few days."
All Ziva could do was nod.
"She's pretty traumatized." Rachel was briefing Gibbs. "But she is aware of her surroundings. The hospital has agreed to let me work with her, but it might take awhile before I get anything useful…if I'm even able to."
Gibbs nodded. He didn't like it, but it was out of his hands.
"Just keep doing what you do best." He told her.
They both turned as DiNozzo walked by, looking around like he expected something to attack him at any time.
"Do you want me to have a talk with him?" She asked.
"Noooooo." Gibbs laughed. "I'm afraid of what you might find. Considering the circumstances, if he weren't acting like that, I would be worried."
Rachel shrugged, then turned to go back to the hospital, but paused and turned back.
"Have you seen Matthew?" She asked.
"He took a month off." Gibbs told her. "But he was here a couple of days last week to take Abby to lunch…I haven't seen him this week."
"When he shows up…give me a call." She said. "I want to talk to him."
"What about Abby?" He asked.
"I've been talking to her." She nodded.
Gibbs smiled. "I mean…what about asking her where he is."
"Oh." She laughed. "Sorry…I can wait until he shows up on his own."
Gibbs just nodded.
That afternoon, Ziva walked in to find Abby sitting at her desk.
"You doing OK?" She asked.
Abby just shrugged.
"Matthew still on vacation?" She asked.
"For two more weeks after this one." Abby nodded. "He hasn't decided on whether or not he's coming back."
"How's he doing?" Ziva asked.
"As well as can be expected…I guess." Abby said. "He went to California this week. To bring his wife's body back and bury it next to Sarah. Said he would be back late Friday night."
"How are the two of you doing?" Ziva asked after an awkward silence.
"I don't know." Abby said after a few seconds of thought. "But we both want to make it work."
"What's the status?" Vance asked Gibbs as soon as the door was closed.
"There isn't one." Gibbs shrugged. "Garrett's not talking, Leslie's not talking, body's not talking…we don't even know if it's related to them yet."
"Cold cases can be a pain." Vance sympathized.
"That they can." Gibbs agreed.
"How much longer are you going to give it?" Vance asked.
Gibbs stared at him a few seconds before replying.
"As long as I feel is necessary." He said. "Please don't tell me that you want me to sweep it under the rug."
"Not at all." Vance replied. "That little girl deserves justice, just like every other victim we have."
"Thank you." Gibbs answered coldly.
"However," Vance added, "I also don't want to expend valuable resources on a wild goose chase…give it a few days, then put it on the back burner."
Gibbs stared at him for a few seconds before leaving.