Chapter 3: Investigation

Winter had been merciless.

The weather had taken a downturn two weeks before and gray skies had been an ever present fixture until next week when Thanksgiving was promised to happen under a heavy blanked of snow. McGee waited for his sweetened coffee to cool off enough for a sip as he watched the heavy clouds bringing cold and snow to DC through the big windows of the bullpen. His search engine was working steadfastly gathering data on the dead marine, while Tony and Kate were collating information talking with former colleagues of the decease.

He allowed a little smile to play on his lips as he let his mind wander, the buzz and fuzz of the bullpen and its busy bee workers just a background for the pingpong of data rolling before his mind's eye. He reviewed the crime scene, the position of the corpse and the condition the car was found, finding nothing that screamed foul play.

Yet still, the death of any marine was due to be investigated until they were absolutely sure that it was suicide, not a murder. Only then they would put the case to rest and release the body for the family.

The thought of family brought a small frown to McGee's forehead, as his initial background check of the marine officer popped a name that brought a chill to his spine. Of course there were several people in the country with that exact same name as it was quite common one but the mere sight of it brought a fresh shiver to the younger man.

He tried to take another sip of his coffee but he found his cup empty, so he threw it away with a sigh before going back to his desk to check the latest results of his search queries.

Gibbs chose that moment to enter the bullpen followed by Abby, who was talking rapidly and moving her hands in the air, trying to keep up with Gibb's longer strides despite her high – very high – heels.

".. but Gibbs, I'm telling you, there are just two sets of fingerprints in the car. One belonging to Lieutenant William Collins, our stiff in Ducky's table, and the other to a woman named Christine Mills, according to her California DMV id."

Gibbs sat on his desk, his gaze touching each of his team members before landing again on Abby.

"Who is she?"

"According to his pals in the fifth regiment," Tony said, glancing at his boss as he put down the phone, "… she's his fiancée. She is a lawyer in California and they've kept a long distance relationship for the last two years. They were scheduled to get married next spring."

"Any chance she did it?"

"Ahh…" McGee muttered, gathering all attention onto him. "It would be physically impossible, boss."

Gibbs squinted at the younger man, his face serious. "Why?"

"Because she's currently on board of the American Airlines flight 76 according to its passenger manifesto." He looked down to his screen, reading the info displayed there. "She departed at 9 am from LAX airport and she's due to land in Dulles…" he glanced to his clock. "… three hours. And it's physically impossible to be in two places at the same time."

"Unless she planned it. Todd, McGee, go collect her at the airport. I want you to be the first faces she sees when she comes out the gates."

Both agents stood, gathered their gun, badges and prepared to leave the bullpen while Gibbs kept giving his orders.

"Tony, were you able to speak to his commanding officer?"

A nod was his answer. "He will be here in thirty minutes."

"Good, call me when he arrives. We'll talk to him together." He stood up and gestured to Abby to follow him. "I'll be downstairs talking with Ducky."

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

Gibbs strode into the autopsy and observed Ducky and Jimmy silently sewing the dead man back together, after checking the internal organs.

"Are you done here, Duck?"

"Ah Jethro, please come in." Ducky turned to Jimmy, "Please, my lad, put this brave young man to rest, will ya?"

After receiving a nod from Jimmy, Ducky went to the small sink on the corner to wash the gore and blood from his gloved hands at the same time he spoke to Jethro.

"Do you have a COD?"

"No."

"No?"

"This young man has no entry wounds, no injection marks, no corrosion on his stomach or inflammation in his tendons or muscles. I've already sent some samples of his last meal to Abby, as well as the enzymes found in his urine and waste ducts, but I don't see anything that might have probably caused his sudden death." Ducky walked towards the several specimen jars were the internal organs were organized and labeled. "His lungs are clear, no sign of use of drugs, either the illicit or the recreational kind. There are the very first signs of fatty liver disease, but that may be directly connected with his more than recreational drinking than foul play." Ducky stopped to study the heart in a jar, taking it delicately in his hands. "His heart seems to be normal, albeit slighter larger than what I would expect to find in a man in his size and age. But anyway, I've sent a cell sample for further studies."

"No poison, no bullets…" Gibbs sighed loudly, looking towards the marine being carefully sewed shut by Jimmy. "… no smoking gun."

"No gun at all, I hate to admit that his condition baffles me a little as there's no reason for him to be … dead. It's almost like his heart simply stopped."

Gibbs nodded, starting to march towards the exit doors. "Keep digging, Ducky."

"I will my friend."

Ducky waved half-heartedly to Gibbs, before going towards the metallic table and joining Jimmy in the tedious task of closing the gashes. And while they made each careful surgical stitches, the internal organs floated silently inside the preserving liquid before being sent to analysis.