-CHAPTER 4-

Gibbs didn't waste any time when he and Ziva strode off the elevator an hour later.

"What have you got McGee?"

In seconds McGee had the file on the plasma.

"Lt. Shelly Cort, 32. Stationed at Bethesda, she is a first year resident. Before that she was stationed overseas as a head nurse at a field hospital in Bagdad. When she returned to the states she enrolled in medical school to get her doctorate." McGee reported, scrolling through multiple files he stopped on a class list. "She and Palmer are in two classes together this term…Medical Ethics and a two day a week clinical at the hospital."

"What about the John Hopkins residency Ducky mentioned?"

"It's a very prestigious position for a resident…it's a two year internship in a neurovascular study aimed specifically at helping returning soldiers suffering from TBI's" McGee reported, changing the plasma. "Since the study deals with the military most of the applicants are military or civilians working within government agencies."

"That's how Palmer made the short list." Gibbs commented.

"So, you think someone's out to make that list shorter?" Tony mused aloud.

"One way to find out; McGee get me the names of people on that list."

"On it boss." McGee said, fingers already flying over his keyboard. "Besides Palmer and the Lt., there were eleven other candidates on the list." McGee reported, adding, "The candidates are from all over the United States…of those eleven, three are in the D.C. area…the other eight are spread out at other military facilities in the U.S."

"Okay, so how would the panel go about choosing the candidate who gets the job?" Gibbs huffed out, frustrated that the theory he had been toying with had not panned out.

"Well…they would look at the candidates schooling, grades and if they had any experience in the field of medicine that the research is focusing on; then most likely a panel interview, probably need references…" McGee supplied. "It really depends on who's on the panel."

"Track the DC candidates down; I want you and Tony to question them." Gibbs ordered.

The three agents exchanged looks before Tony spoke. "Uh, boss, so far all we have is an accident, PD isn't even done processing the car…what exactly are we investigating?"

Gibbs just gave his agents a glare. "I don't know DiNozzo, how about whether someone was willing to kill two people to get that internship."

"Right, boss." Tony said quickly. "Come on McGee, let's go meet the candidates.

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"Nice of them to all be in the same place," DiNozzo quipped as they walked the hallway towards the doctor's lounge.

"Besides Palmer and Cort, there is a Dr. Randall Stephens, Dr. Monica Sharpe and a Dr. Frank Delmar," Tim said, scanning the files in his hand. "Front desk said Sharpe and Delmar should be on their lunch break."

The two agents entered the room and saw several doctors in the lounge area. Scanning the area quickly, Tony pulled out his ID and said to the room in general, "NCIS, we're looking for Dr.'s Sharpe and Delmar."

"Uh, I'm, uh, Dr. Delmar," a small, mousy man answered.

A tall, leggy brunette rose from a back table and sauntered forward, a coy smile on her face. "I'm Doctor Sharpe, gentlemen, what can I do for you?"

Looking around the crowded lounge, Tony asked, "Someplace we can talk...privately?"

Settling in a conference room down the hall, Dr. Delmar asked. "What's going on...NCIS, you're like cops, right?"

"Yeah, we're like cops." Tony answered sarcastically.

"Is this about Sherry and Jim?" Dr. Sharpe asked.

"Why would you ask that?" Tony questioned.

"The accident is the talk of the hospital." Monica replied. "And it's not a secret that Jim works for NCIS..."

"If it was an accident why is NCIS here?" Delmar asked guardedly.

"That's actually what we're trying to determine." McGee said.

Shaking his head in confusion the mousy man asked, "So what does any of this have to do with us?"

Exchanging looks with McGee, Tony said simply, "John Hopkins ring a bell."

"The internship?" the man asked in surprise.

With an impatient eye roll and sigh Dr. Sharpe stated, "You think the accident wasn't an accident...that someone purposefully hurt Shelly and Jim...because of the internship?"

"You tell us. Is this internship worth killing over..." Tony asked, "From what we hear, it could lead to research grants and a tenured position a at John's Hopkins; that would be a big feather in your cap...the prestige...the money..."

"What! Kill someone...what, no...that's absolutely ridiculous...I would never...could never run someone off the road..." Dr. Delmar babbled.

"Whoa, there Delmar, calm down...no one's accusing anyone of anything—yet." Tony said grabbing the man's arm and guiding him to a seat.

"Look, no ones being accused of anything...there are just a few loose ends we're trying to tie up...anything you can tell us might help," McGee explained.

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Having called in some favors from his old precinct, the preliminary accident report was waiting for Tony when he and McGee returned.

Pulling a fax off the machine and skimming its contents Tony looked up at the rest of his team. "Boss, you were right…Baltimore PD was suspicious of the lack of skid marks at the scene; checked out the car…found the brake line had a clean cut through it…"

"So someone intended that car to crash," Tim speculated.

"So our Lt. was murdered." Ziva stated.

"Murdered Lt. …makes it our case now." Gibbs said.

"And, whoever it was didn't want to leave it to chance." Tony continued as he flipped through the report pages. "The driver's side seat belt snapped on impact."

"Cut?"

"Inconclusive. The seatbelt is reported as frayed, not cut." Tony said

"Easy enough to make it appear as frayed and worn," Ziva commented. "You simply use a sawing motion rather than making a precise cut."

"No seatbelt or airbag sent our Lt. right through the windshield." McGee stated.

"So not only was the break line cut, the airbags disengaged; but someone also cut through the seatbelt." Ziva said. "Our killer definitely did not want anyone to walk away from this accident."

"Yeah, but someone did." Gibbs pointed out.

"Do you think Jimmy's in danger, boss?" McGee asked with concern.

"I'm not taking any chances. Ziva I want you at the hospital, don't let Palmer out of your sight." Gibbs ordered.

"On it." the woman said, grabbing her gear and heading for the elevator.

"DiNozzo, call the PD, I want everything they have so far, and have that car towed to Abby's lab."

"How would the killer know Jimmy would be in the car with Lt. Cort?" Tim asked.

"Probably didn't…just luck on our killers' part that two of the targets were together." Gibbs speculated.

"That's even if it has to do with the internship…it could just be that Palmer was in the wrong place at the wrong time." Tony pointed out.

"Get a warrant; search the Lt.'s place." Gibbs ordered as he headed out of the bull pen.

"Where ya' goin' boss," Tony called from around his phone.

"Tell the director we have a case." Gibbs called back without stopping.

TBC-