Thank you for the reviews :) Apologies for not updating sooner, but I hope you enjoy this. The end is actually in sight now, believe it or not :)

Chapter Thirteen

"Dan, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Tony finished, running a hand through is hair. Becker just stared; stared at Tony, at Gibbs, at the patrol cars blocking Lisa's body. Then he lunged, grabbing Tony's jacket with both hands.

"You bastard! You killed her! You killed her!"

Tony fell back as Dan was restrained by three officers, still screaming at Tony. He felt Gibbs' hand touch his back, steadying him. He watched as Dan lurched away from the three officers surrounding him, vomiting violently into the gutter.

"Jesus," he heard Gibbs mutter. "What the hell was she doing out?"

Tony shook her head. "Dan can't have known. He'd never have let Lisa go clubbing on a Friday."

Gibbs was silent for a moment, watching sadly as Tony's once strong and arrogant partner broke down into tears, pounding the road with his fist.

"Let's get to work."

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"Becker's off this case, obviously." Vernski told them grimly, pacing the length of his office. "We don't have time to brief a replacement. You –" he pointed to Gibbs. "You still have no real jurisdiction on this case. But I called around, spoke to that Tom Morrow fellow. You're good. So I'm going to let you stay. Run lead on this investigation with DiNozzo here."

Gibbs nodded, looking both annoyed and amused at being given permission to do what he'd already been doing for the past week.

"I'm going to give the statement to the media. I don't want you talking to any media for the moment DiNozzo. That will be all." Vernski dismissed them with a brief nod.

"How popular is Becker around here?" Gibbs asked once they were back in the squadroom.

"He's a 4th generation cop Gibbs. It's in his blood. He rubs pretty much every person here up the wrong way, but it's accepted, expected even of him."

"So how many people know Lisa?"

Tony leant back in his chair. "They've been dating – I mean they dated for as long as I've worked here. More probably, I never asked. She picks him up after work sometimes. I guess anyone with access to the parking lot could've seen them together."

"In other words, any one of the hundreds of people who work in this building. This is beyond any over-zealous psychopath who's decided to start stalking." Gibbs frowned. "My gut says it's an inside job."

Tony nodded in agreement, his fingers moving up to touch his bruised and all-but-swollen-over eye.

"From now on, everything stays between you and me." Gibbs stated.

"And the lab, kinda have to leave them in the loop." Tony added.

"Abby's going to be overseeing everything related to the case then."

Tony laughed. "Won't be a problem Gibbs. I think all the techs and assistants are either in love with her or completely and utterly terrified by her."

Gibbs smirked. "Yeah, she has that effect on people."

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"All of it? By myself?" Abby stared at Gibbs, wide-eyed.

"You heard me Abs. I don't trust anyone else."

Abby beamed at the compliment, but quickly screwed her face up in a grimace. "Gibbs, there are like a few hundred prints just from the crime scene at Gerard's. I haven't even started on the Z Club ones, I've got to scan them all into the system to run the search, log the evidence, run traces and DNA…"

Gibbs interrupted her with a kiss to the forehead. He handed her a four-pack of Red Bull he'd been holding behind his back. "Closest I could get to Caff-Pow. I'm sure it'll taste just as terrible."

He turned back as he was leaving. "You can do this Abs."

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"Damn it!" Tony cursed, rifling through the fridge in the break room. "Somebody took all my Red Bull."

"Stuff's no good for you DiNozzo," Gibbs replied, appearing in the doorway.

"And coffee's any better?"

Gibbs glared at Tony. His smile quickly vanished. "I mean, coffee is great. I love coffee. Let's have some right now."

Gibbs nodded. "That's better."

An hour later Gibbs called Abby for an update.

"I'm almost done with the prints from Gerard's, Gibbs," Abby announced cheerfully through the speaker phone in the lab. "DNA's running as well, but it's a 24 hour turnaround at least. Mass spec is working on a sticky substance I pulled off Mandy the barmaid's shirt. But it could easily be beer or softdrink, don't get your hopes up on that one."

Gibbs nodded on the other end of the phone. "Good Abs. And where are you with the evidence from the Z Club?"

Abby sighed. "I'm starting with the prints; the hot forensic guy dropped off several dozen they picked up at the scene. You know, it takes forever to scan them into the system, but it's not a complicated process. I'd get so much more done if I could just get one of the lab assistants…"

"No Abs." Gibbs cut her off.

"Aww, Gibbs? But I'm all lonely down here! They don't even have a CD player for me to dance to."

"Alright Abby," Gibbs gave in. "I'll tell you what; once Tony is done making a sketch from the witness' description, I'll send him down to help."

"Perfect." Gibbs could hear her smile through the phone. "Thanks bossma-" Gibbs hung up before she could finish.

"Thanks for your help," Tony said behind Gibbs, shaking hands with the young woman who'd come in to help with the sketch of the suspect. A uniform stood waiting to drive her home.

"It's not really detailed," Tony said, spinning in his chair to face Gibbs and flipping the sketchpad open to show him. "But I guess it's better than nothing. And it matches what I remember seeing of the guy."

Gibbs studied the rough sketch. A white male with dark hair. "Recognize him?"

Tony stifled a laugh. "Gibbs, it's could be any one of fifty white males who work in this building. The witness only saw him in the shadows of the club, I don't think saw much more of him than I did. White male, short brown or black hair, average height, either green or brown eyes. Even I fit the description for all the use it serves. We can't identify, let alone arrest anyone based on this."

Gibbs nodded. "Well if you're finished with that, Abby needs some help downstairs. I don't want anyone else accessing the evidence."

"Sure," Tony agreed readily, standing up and stretching.

Gibbs handed him a CD player he'd found in a store room. "Take this too."

Tony looked at it, slightly confused, but shrugged and picked it up. "I just remembered, Abby promised she'd show me her latest tattoo." He smiled a toothy grin.

Gibbs' fingers twitched again, but Tony was already halfway down the hallway.

TBC :)