10.
"So Roger Lambert instructed you to kill Faith Lindsey?"
"Yes! No!"
"Well, which is it?" Gibbs asked.
Holt flinched when he met Gibbs' cold stare. "Roger didn't tell me to kill her, not in those exact words. He just said to get rid of her."
Tony's voice tone was borderline courteous as he asked his question. "Is that the type of job you regularly do for Lambert?"
"Not…not like that." Holt wiped at the sweat on his face.
"Like what then?"
"Just nuisance calls, a little…some…I guess you'd call it malicious mischief."
"Like keying cars? Or making false calls to the cops?" Tony pressed.
Holt managed a shaky nod. "It all just got out of control."
"Why?" Gibbs asked.
"Excuse me?"
"Did he explain why?"
For the first time Jason Holt seemed to be uncertain. "I didn't ask. I could guess, but I have no proof."
"So guess."
"The Senator's kid. He's always been a shit, couldn't stay out of trouble no matter what his mother did."
"You're talking about Lawrence Harrison?"
"Yeah. Mrs. Harris was a class act, ya know? But she was so sick and the Senator, well, he was just* busy then, learning all the ropes. He was hardly ever at home. Lawrence thought he was the young prince, could do anything he wanted."
Tony pulled out his notebook and pen. "Like what?"
"Ordered the help around, insisted that some of the younger house staff join him in his bedroom. He got one of the girls pregnant when he was just 15. She claimed he raped her."
"Did anyone report it to the police?"
"I don't know. That was before I was hired. I heard she was paid off. By the time I came to work there, none of the staff was under thirty. But there were rumors about some of his schoolmates, girls, whose families were also paid off after dates or encounters with Lawrence."
"Names?"
"I don't know, that was just something I heard about."
"Who would know?" Tony asked. "There should be a housekeeper, a butler, someone in charge of the staff."
"That would be Mrs. Mangione. She's been with the family since she was old enough to work. I think she came with Mrs. Harrison."
Gibbs resumed the questioning. "You were hired eight years ago?"
"That's right."
"Lawrence Harrison was seventeen, a senior in high school?"
Jason nervously moistened his dry lips. "Yeah, pretty much. Lawrence was almost eighteen."
Tony stiffened at the response, scribbling in his notebook. Gibbs glanced at him, but didn't comment.
"You stated Lambert directed you to 'get rid of' Faith Lindsey?"
"Yes, he did. And now he can't be bothered to even take my call."
Gibbs nodded. "You're going to write out exactly what happened and when. I also want a list of every illegal action you've taken, and who instructed you to do it. I want as much detail as you can provide." Gibbs pushed a yellow legal pad across the table, slapping a pen down next to it.
He and Tony left Jason Holt to his writings, heading out into the hall. A guard was standing there to prevent Holt from leaving.
"Gibbs, I need to check something." Tony started walking.
"Something important?" The agent found himself following.
"One more piece of the puzzle. Holt said Lawrence was almost eighteen. Based on his birthdate, he should've already graduated."
"So?"
"So why hadn't he?"
Gibbs shrugged. "Could've been sick. Happens."
"I don't think so. He looks very healthy in all the photos in his and his father's office. Something''s wrong."
"Get to it then. I'll arrange a holding cell for Holt."
~NCIS~
Gibbs had ordered pizza while Tony was deep on his research into Lawrence Harrison's missing year. Devouring a slice of supreme, Gibbs waited for an arrest warrant from Legal for Roger Lambert.
Tony was currently working the phones, both the desk and his cell. He alternated between both, but Gibbs only heard part of the conversations.
The warrant arrived just as Tony hung up both phones with a whoop. "Yes, yes, yes!"
Gibbs' blue eyes squinted with amusement. "Care to share, DiNozzo?"
"It took some major trading of favors, but I found it. I now know why Larry graduated late."
"And?"
"When he was 15 years old, Junior was caught beating the crap out of his school counselor. When Mrs. Penelope Whittier recovered enough to give a statement to the police, she told how Lawrence tried to force her to strip and, well, service him. He stated it was her job to do what he wanted."
"There's no record of that, not even a sealed juvenile file."
"According to a buddy of mine who was around then, Mrs. Harrison knew. She paid all of Mrs. Whittier's hospital bills and, according to the rumor mill, a nice big settlement to drop the charges."
"Pay-off," Gibbs said in disgust.
"Maybe, but the victim insisted that Lawrence get professional help. So Mrs. Harrison had her son committed to a very exclusive private mental hospital."
"Your buddy sure knows a lot."
Tony grinned. "Let's just say he never throws anything out, particularly investigative notebooks."
"And exactly how long was Lawrence at there?"
"The hospital wouldn't tell me, naturally. But according to a very helpful secretary at Lawrence's high school, he left two months into his junior year, not returning until the start of the next school year, which is why he was a year late graduating."
"Are you telling me the Senator didn't know?" Gibbs asked, spacing the words evenly.
"Who knows?" Tony frowned. "I have to wonder just how long Roger Lambert has been covering up for Lawrence?"
"Let's find out."
~NCIS~
Senator Malcolm Harrison was discussing an upcoming hearing with his Chief of Staff when Gibbs and DiNozzo came walking into the office. A flustered secretary came bustling in after them.
"Agent Gibbs, Detective DiNozzo. More questions?" Harrison's mellow baritone was edged with steely control.
"Not really, sir. We're here with a warrant for Mr. Lambert's arrest," Tony replied as he pulled a pair of handcuffs from under his jacket.
"Arrest?"
"What kind of joke is this?"
Gibbs regarded Lambert with impassive coldness.
"Roger Lambert, you're under arrest for conspiracy to commit murder, interfering with a federal investigation…" Tony listed off the charges while securing the cuffs on a still protesting Lambert.
"Attempted murder?" Senator Harrison listened in bewilderment.
"Jason Holt has stated that he was ordered to commit certain crimes by Roger Lambert."
"The word of a man caught in the commission of a crime, Agent Gibbs? Not especially reliable."
"No, sir. But further investigation has substantiated much of Holt's claims. Funds were paid out to a group of women who were beaten and, in five cases that we know of, raped. Those funds came from a trust that was set up in your name, Senator. All the payments were authorized by the only other person who was legally able to withdraw those funds."
The stunned man looked across the room at a man he had called friend. "Roger, why?"
When Lambert didn't answer, the Senator studied him thoughtfully for a moment. "Your silence speaks volumes. You of all people know that a strict law and order stance isn't just a political platform. It's something I truly believe in."
The Chief of Staff erupted when Harrison turned away from him. "It's so easy for you. Just let other people clean up the garbage in your life."
"What are talking about?"
"I believe he's referring to your son, Senator," Gibbs said smoothly.
"Lawrence? I still don't understand, what does my son have to do with this?"
"Roger's been covering up for Lawrence for years," Tony explained. "Those women who were attacked? They all have identified your son as their assailant. Your buddy here went out of his way to keep the police as far away from Lawrence, and by extension you, as possible. The money was used to convince the victims to move out of the area so they wouldn't accidentally run into your son when he returned to his hunting grounds." Tony's green eyes blazed with sudden anger. "Political expediency. After all, how would it look for the son of a law and order senator to be arrested for assault, rape, and murder?"
"Whose murder?" Harrison asked, collapsing into his desk chair.
"A good Samaritan who was brutally killed while rescuing the last victim. Your son took a nailed board to the back of his head."
The Senator ran a shaky hand over his pale features before recovering, glaring at the man he had known his whole political career. His words were sudden, raw and very angry. "You knew about this? You knew what Lawrence had been doing to those poor women? You knew he killed someone? How long? How long have you covered my son's crimes?"
Jaw clenched, Roger Lambert didn't answer.
"There was an incident when he was a junior in high school. Your son was committed to a mental hospital for approximately two months. Were you aware of that?" Tony provided the details of time and place.
"That can't be true. My wife was in an experimental program at that time."
"It is true." Roger finally spoke. "That's the first time I became actively involved. Mrs. Harrison was frantic, didn't want you to find out what Lawrence had done. We arranged a believable cover story to keep you at work."
"I assume you will be arresting my son?"
"Yes, sir." Gibbs acknowledged the truth of that statement.
"Where will you be taking him?"
"NCIS Headquarters."
"I want to have an attorney meet you there." He took a deep breath. "He's still my son."