* The Italicized text is a flashback. Thanks for reading, feedback is always welcome.
Martin Armando held his head high as he waited to be interrogated. He wasn't worried. Soon his crew would notice his absence from their daily activities, and begin to search for him. Once they realized that he was in holding at the Navy Yard, they would help him escape, just as he had helped Rory escape. Rory. Even the thought of her name caused him to feel things he wasn't proud of. He always said that he would never fall in love. All his life, he thought that he would be immune to the tingly confusion that love created. But he had been wrong. He was still in love with Rory, and he always would be. He thought back to when they first met.
He first met Rory Adler in the fall of 1989. Her long red curls, and deep blue eyes had entranced him from the moment he saw her. He didn't approach her at first, because he knew that she would never want to be with a crook like him. He was in his early thirties, and she was in her mid-twenties. He hadn't yet climbed the occupational ladder of organized crime, and was still considered a rookie. His days were spent collecting debts, and using whatever force necessary to collect those debts.
She was on campus at a local college, trying to earn a degree in journalism. She wore jeans, and a long, white button down coat, and wrinkled leaves danced around her feet in the soft wind. Martin followed her for several minutes, contemplating how to make his move. Suddenly, she whipped around to face him.
"Why are you following me?" she asked. Her cheeks were a rosy shade of pink from the cool autumn air.
"I'm not," Martin replied. He was handsome in his youth. His black hair was combed neatly, and he wore a casual suit. A shiny new watch hung on his wrist, a watch that had been bought with money he had earned from criminal activities.
"Yes, you are. Do you know how I could tell that you were following me?" she asked with a sly smile.
"How?" Martin asked.
"Your cologne. It's very strong."
Martin raised his wrist to his nose and inhaled the scent of his expensive cologne. "I'm sorry," he said.
"It's okay. I like the way it smells. Now, what's your name and why are you following me?" she asked.
Martin stepped closer to her, his face inches from hers.
"My name is Martin Armando. And I was following you because I was trying to think of an excuse to talk to you," Martin explained, embarrassed.
"I'm Rory Adler. Do you go to school here, Martin?" Rory asked softly.
"No, I don't."
"Then why are you on campus at all?" Rory asked.
Martin shuffled his feet. He couldn't tell her the truth, that he was there to collect a debt from some frat boy who had borrowed more than he could pay back. So, he lied: "I'm here to meet a friend."
"What's his name? Maybe I know him."
"You don't know him. Trust me. Why don't you and I go and get some coffee?" Martin suggested. Rory flashed an embarrassed smile.
"I can't. I'm meeting my sister at the library. But I'll give you my number, and maybe we can get coffee another time?"
Martin smiled. "I'd like that."
The sound of the door to Interrogation Room 2 slamming shut brought Martin out of his memory. Gibbs sat down across from him.
"Why are you smiling, Mar-teen?" Gibbs asked sarcastically.
"I was just thinking of Rory. The woman who has caused all of this drama," Martin replied.
"Are you angry with her?" Gibbs asked.
"No. It was not her fault that NCIS couldn't handle a simple murder investigation. She didn't wrongly arrest herself, now did she?" Martin replied with a sly smile, trying to anger Gibbs.
"Oh, NCIS can handle a murder investigation. In fact, you are under investigation for murder right now."
"Are you sure it wasn't Rory? I know you like to accuse her of things she did not do," Martin replied smartly.
"You like to make jokes, don't you? If you really want to hear something funny, I've got things I can tell you that will probably make you laugh all night long. Like, did you know that we found not only Rory's finger print on the murder weapon from the first Adler case, but yours as well?" Gibbs said.
"I know nothing about this 'first Adler case'."
"Sure you do. A Marine was found dead in the trunk of a car that was registered to Rory Adler. During the first investigation, she claimed that the body was planted and that she was being framed. Can you think of anyone who would like to frame your girlfriend for murder?" Gibbs asked.
"She claimed that she was being framed?" Martin asked. Gibbs nodded. "Then why didn't you listen to her? Obviously she was framed if the case has been reopened."
"A hand gun was found in the glove box. Bullets from the gun match the bullet in the Marine. We found Rory Adler's finger print on the gun along with a partial print that we couldn't find a match to. Surely, if Rory had been framed, then this partial print has to belong to whoever was framing her, right?" Gibbs asked.
"I suppose so," Martin said quietly, unsure of what Gibbs was playing at.
"Well, when the Adler case was reopened, we re-analyzed that gun. And you know what? We got a match for the partial print. It was your print. Did you frame your own girlfriend for the murder of that innocent Marine?"
Martin began to shake with anger.
"That innocent Marine, didn't deserve to die. And Rory didn't deserve to be arrested for something she didn't do. Which do you feel more guilty about? Murdering an innocent man? Or blaming your own girlfriend for it?" Gibbs asked.
Martin jumped to feet and pointed a shaking finger at Gibbs. "YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!"
Gibbs stood too. "Sit your ass down," he snarled.
Martin wasn't done. "That so-called innocent Marine owed me more money than you've ever seen at one time! And I DID NOT frame my girlfriend for his murder!"
"So, who killed the Marine? You? Or Rory? I don't really care who it was, but I can guarantee you that one of you will be heading to prison. It's up to you to decide who that's going to be," Gibbs said.
"I killed the Marine. But I did not plant his body in Rory's car," Martin admitted with defeat.
Drool spilled onto the table of Interrogation Room 1 as Rory Adler slept. Her face was pressed against the cool, black table top, as she quietly snored. Several hours had passed since Gibbs had left Rory. It was early morning when Gibbs returned. He cleared his throat to wake her.
"Morning," he grunted.
"Where the hell have you been?" Rory asked angrily.
"I had things to do, that are none of your business. I forgot to ask you earlier, why did you dye your hair black?" Gibbs said casually.
"What? So that you wouldn't recognize me, Gibbs. I've been on the run, you know."
"I liked it better red. Now, let's get down to business. I have a few more questions for you," Gibbs said.
"No, I already told you everything. You're supposed to let me go now."
"I just interrogated Martin. He confessed to killing the Marine from the first case," Gibbs said. He watched her blue eyes carefully for any response.
Rory inhaled sharply. "What's going to happen to him?"
"Well, he's going to prison for a while. But if you give me the answers I need, I can put him away for even longer."
Rory flinched at his words. "How are you going to do that?" she asked.
"When you tell me about how Martin killed your sister, I might be able to put him away for that too," Gibbs said quietly.
Rory's mouth fell open. "I'm not talking about that."
"Do her the justice of having her killer put away," Gibbs said.
"She's gone, Gibbs. Let her rest."
"The only way you're getting out of here is if you tell me about your sister," Gibbs said firmly.
A tear slipped out of the corner of Rory's eye, as she prepared to bare her soul to a stranger.
