Chapter 2

'One cut through the neck. If it had been about one inch deeper, he would have died immediately. Like this he bled to death, he struggled for survival for about thirty minutes', Ducky said and took the device Jimmy handed him to measure time of death.

'Without doubt, this had been a profi. And he wanted his victim to suffer', Dr. Mallard added.

'Time of death?', Gibbs asked. The dead marine was found in a parking lot a bit away of Washington downtown. He had been found by a couple that wanted to return home after spending a night at the disco near the crime scene.

'He must have died around…three o'clock this morning', Jimmy said and looked at Ducky.

He nodded and Jimmy smiled.

'But Jethro', Ducky said and Gibbs kneed down to the marine. 'It will be a bit difficult to determine who he is', he said and showed Gibbs the hands of the marine. Each fingertip was ripped open by a knife. No possibility of running recognition software.

'His teeth', Gibbs said and stood up. Ducky opened the marine's mouth. Single teeth fell out.

'Someone has broken his jaw and hit him that the teeth fell out. The killer doesn't want us to recognize his victim', Ducky said. His name wasn't written on his uniform either.

'His name is Steve Costner', a girl who stood outside of the crime scene warning tape said. Tony went to her. The girl had just arrived.

'Are you sure?', he asked and let her pass the tape. She nodded.

'How do you know?', Gibbs asked when she came nearer to the body.

'I met him yesterday in the disco', she explained. 'Well, he suddenly said he had to go and went off', she added.

'Do you know what time he went off?', Tony asked and looked into the shocked face of the girl.

'About…half past two', she said confused.

'What happened?', she added silently. Gibbs sighed. At least they had the person he had talked last time with.

Maybe she could help.

She sat in the conference room and waited. Gibbs, Tony and Ducky went up the stairway.

'Do you think she knows something?', Tony asked.

'She had been the last person he spoke to, maybe she noticed something unusual.'

'But they didn't know each other before', Tony reminded his boss. He didn't answer but opened the door.

'I am Special Agent Gibbs', Gibbs explained as he sat down.

'Scarlet Jones', she said.

'How old are you?'

'Seventeen.'

'Would you like to call your parents?'

'I live alone…They died', she explained.

'I'm sorry', Gibbs said.

Ducky sadly looked at the girl. She looked so nice, she was tall, had dark brown-black, long, a bit curly hair. He had pity with her that her parents died and now a young man she had met had been killed just a few moments later.

'Have you known Steve Costner before?', Gibbs asked.

She shook her head. 'We had met at the disco, gotten to know each other…well, you know', she said and got silent.

Gibbs looked confused.

'You had sex with him?', Tony asked directly.

That's too direct, Ducky thought. That poor little girl.

She nodded slightly.

'Then he went off?', Gibbs continued asking.

'At around half past two he said he needed to go. I asked him why but he just went off angrily. I don't know any reason. If I had followed him…'

'It's not your fault', Gibbs said.

'Can you identify him clearly now?', he added.

She nodded.

'Ducky, show her the body in Autopsy', the boss said and went out.

Tony followed him. 'Looks like she says the truth', Tony said.

Gibbs nodded and they went down to the stairway.

'What have you got?', he asked the other team members.

'Steve Costner, twenty-one years old, he is highly decorated despite his age. He went to this disco with a few friends and they confirmed that he went off with that girl, the description fitted', Ziva said. 'Since then he hasn't been seen', McGee added.

'So her story seems to fit', Tony mentioned and looked at Gibbs who stared at the plasma screen that showed the license of Steve.

'Where does he live?'

'He still lives with his parents and his younger sister.'

'Ziva, Tony, you go and inform them.'

The two special agents nodded and went off.

'I am Doctor Mallard, but everybody calls me Ducky', he explained and shook Scarlet's hand.

'Okay, Ducky', she smiled at him.

She obviously tries to suppress the memories of her parents, Ducky thought and tried to make a psychological profile of her. They went down to the Autopsy.

Scarlet's cell phone rang. 'I'm sorry', she said and switched off her phone and put it back in the pocket. Her ringtone was 'Scotland the Brave'.

'No matter. Actually, I have exactly the same ring tone', Ducky said surprised.

'Really?'

'Yes, I think it is quite fascinating that someone in your age listens to such kind of music.'

She smiled. 'You are British?', she asked nicely when they stepped into the elevator.

'Scottish and studied in Edinburgh', he smiled.

'University of Edinburgh Medical School?', she asked.

He looked fascinated at her. 'Yes, you look forward to study there too?'

'Unfortunately not. I considered studying medicine but I think I'll decide to Computer Science', she smiled.

Nice, friendly and seems to be intelligent, Ducky thought. She reminded him a bit on himself, although he never considered himself as being intelligent.

'Quite interesting. Special Agent McGee has studied something in that direction. Maybe you could ask him from time to time', they stepped out of the elevator and entered Autopsy.

'He is refrigerated here to-'

'Maintain the body and to not set it out to bacteria', she finished the sentence.

'That I'm not going to study medicine doesn't mean I'm not interested in it', she smiled.

She helped him putting the covered marine on the table. 'You haven't started yet, have you?'

He shook his head. She opened the body bag and sadly looked at the marine. At least, it looked like she was sad.

'Maybe I can still persuade you to study medicine', he said.

'Possible', she answered looking at Steve's face.

'His throat was cut?', she asked.

'Yes, that is the cause of death. He bled…for quite a while.'

'If it was deeper, he would have died immediately, am I right?' Ducky nodded sadly.

She was such a young girl and already confronted with horror of death and dying people who were close to her. 'His fingertips were cut in that made fingerprint recognition impossible.' Ducky put on gloves and opened Steve's mouth.

'No recognition of his dentition', she said when she saw the single teeth.

'Is it possible that he might have swallowed up some?', she asked.

He smiled. 'You would really be a perfect pathologist', he said. 'Take a pair of gloves.'

She smiled and put on gloves.

'Can you help me to collect the pieces of his teeth?' He gave her a forceps and she put the single teeth one after another into the little glass he held up.

He marked it as piece of evidence. 'I assume that goes up to your forensic lab?', she asked.

He nodded. 'Abby, our forensic scientist, will perhaps be able to build up a virtual dentition. Then we can run recognition software. But this is unnecessary as we have a dear witness', he said.

'I am absolutely sure that this is the man I met yesterday in the disco, Steve Costner', she reassured him.

'Good, well, actually not good for him, but I will write it down and you have to sign it.'

She nodded.

'Do you want to assist me during Autopsy?', Ducky asked.

Anyway, Jimmy was at the dentist and Ducky really liked the young girl. She nodded gladly and put on the green doctor's overall. In the following Ducky showed her how exactly to perform an Autopsy and he really started to like young Scarlet.

Finally, Gibbs came in and wanted results.

'As I already have mentioned, it must have been a very professional killer who wanted his victim to suffer. But, he didn't want to deny us any access to his identity or he would have looked out for witnesses or made his face unrecognizable', Ducky explained.

'Do you have any suspects?', he added. Gibbs shook his head.

'You?', he turned to Scarlet. She shook her head, too.

It was late evening again. Scarlet already sat in her car about two hundred meters away from NCIS headquarters. She had bugged the rooms she had been in and now listened to most of the conversations. They haven't found out anything suspicious about the victim or the murderer and still searched for a motive for the assassination.

'You'll find my motive, I count on you', Scarlet murmured to herself.

She knew that she shouldn't underestimate Gibbs and his team.

Her cell phone rang again. 'I couldn't answer last time. I have been in NCIS headquarters', she explained.

'Doesn't matter', Aisha Anwar said. 'Your plan is working?', she had no idea how Scarlet was going to kill Ducky.

'Yes, when may I kill him?', she asked.

She now had begun to personally meet her victim. She didn't always do that but she kind of respected Ducky. He was a good pathologist and had a very astonishing reputation.

'Kill him. As soon as he is dead you will get the money on the bank account', Aisha sat and hung up the phone.

Scar smiled and retook her book from the co-driver's seat.

'What have you found out about Scarlet?', Gibbs asked.

'She is only a witness, Gibbs', Ziva said as the three agents stood up and gathered in front of the plasma screen.

Ducky neared from behind. 'I just want to listen', he explained.

'Maybe you can help us', Tony said, 'because we couldn't find out much.'

'Scarlet Jones moved to Washington about two years ago, she is seventeen years old and lives alone. We don't know where. She is a usual girl and nothing suspicious', McGee said.

'She goes to High School?', Gibbs asked.

'We don't know. There isn't much about her, she's just a usual citizen', Tony said.

'A usual citizen who has much to hide', Gibbs muttered.

'Well, we can't gather data about all people who live in the States', Tony tried to explain.

'She looks forward to studying so I assume she is senior High School year', Ducky said.

'What else can you tell me about her?', Gibbs' mood obviously wasn't the best. 'Psychological profile, too', he added.

Ducky sighed. He didn't like it when Gibbs became like that.

'She is intelligent, smart, well-built. She wants to either study Computers or medicine', he started and side-looked at McGee. 'Her father killed her mother when she was five and her father also died when she was nine. Since that I assume she has lived in an orphanage but I don't know. She doesn't like to talk about her past.'

'Perhaps with a reason.'

'She is a nice girl, Jethro. Not the type who has bodies in the cellar. She has had a rough childhood, maybe it is not bad for her to forget.'

'You like her?'

'She reminds me a bit on myself', Ducky said a bit quieter.

Gibbs raised an eyebrow. 'Or she killed Steve Costner.'

'With what reason?'

'I don't know. You're the pathologist and psychologist. You find out', Gibbs screamed.

'I need coffee', he said and went out of the building.

'What is the matter with him?', Ziva asked.

'He obviously doesn't like her', McGee answered.

Ducky sighed.

'You really like her?', Tony questioned.

'She is a nice girl.' The three agents nodded and went back to their work.

Ducky didn't know that exactly in this moment he was watched through binoculars by the girl he thought of so innocent and nice. Scarlet put away her binoculars and drove home. She didn't need to watch Ducky now.

She knew that he soon go home and go on with his usual life.

But sometimes, life isn't that usual because sometimes, bad things happen to good people, Scar thought smilingly.

Please review this story!