A/N: Getting close to the end, I think, but not quite there yet! More case-related stuff this time, but there will be more team interaction in the next chapter, promise. I found this chapter much harder to write than the others, so please let me know what you think. Still not an expert, still don't own NCIS…you know. The usual. Thanks again for all the reviews and alerts! -abby
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Tim and Ziva had just gotten the suspect settled in Interrogation and were watching from the observation area when DiNozzo joined them. Ziva looked up as the door opened and took in Tony's battered visage with a glance. She quickly suppressed the flash of sympathy in her dark eyes, but not before Tony saw it. He smiled at her and mouthed "I'm okay." Ziva smiled warmly at him in return and they turned their attention to the two-way mirror.
In typical Gibbs fashion, he stared down the suspect for a while, saying nothing. Then he began questioning, demanding to know West's whereabouts over the past twenty-four hours. Vincent West appeared unfazed by Gibbs' infamous glare. Weird, Tony thought from his position in the observation room. Normally the ol' Gibbs stare makes them squirm at least a little.
"I was at my apartment, asleep. I worked the night shift then went home to bed. I was not anywhere near the base at Quantico yesterday." West was eerily calm and matter-of-fact. Gibbs narrowed his eyes and asked about the bar fight.
"Yeah, I beat the hell out of him that night. So what? It was just my little way of saying 'thanks for ruining my marriage'. It doesn't mean I killed him." West smirked. "Of course, it also doesn't mean I'm sad the bastard's dead."
Gibbs continued with, "I suppose you also claim that you had nothing to do with the assault of a Federal officer at the crime scene, then?"
"I don't know anything about that. Told you I wasn't near Quantico that morning. Am I being charged with something?" West looked unconcerned. Gibbs wasn't about to take him at his word and demanded to know where his security baton was. Vincent West shrugged, "Don't ask me. It disappeared a couple days ago and I had to be issued a new one. You can ask my boss." Gibbs growled, "Oh, don't worry. We will." He threw a glance toward the observation room. Tim got the message and left to verify West's story.
Tony exchanged glances with Ziva. Something's wrong, he thought. This guy is creeping me out. Nobody is that calm while being interrogated. Tony closed his eyes and again tried to remember anything useful about his attacker. Still nothing. Dammit! When he opened his eyes he found that Ziva was watching him with concern. "What do you think, Tony? Could this be the man who attacked you?" she asked carefully. DiNozzo rubbed his hands down his face and shrugged. I wish I knew.
At that moment, Gibbs lifted his hand and beckoned his senior agent into Interrogation. When Tony stepped in the door, Vincent West did not react. "This the guy I supposedly attacked? Couldn't have been too much of an assault, he's still standing."
Gibbs pinned West to the seat with his intense gaze. "I didn't ask for commentary. I want you to tell me what you know."
Unlike most people that Gibbs questioned, the security guard still didn't seem the least bit nervous. He looked past the two agents, staring at the wall. "I told you I don't know anything."
Tony looked at his boss meaningfully. He's lying. Gibbs agreed with a sharp nod.
The lead agent leaned across the table and got in West's personal space. "What really happened to your baton?" Gibbs barked.
Under Gibbs' watchful glare, West finally offered an explanation. He claimed that after his wife's affair with Staff Sergeant Ramsey, their marriage had dissolved. While technically still married, they hadn't lived together for some time. The security guard asserted that Kara West had shown up at his apartment recently, asking for some insurance papers. When West went into another room to look for the papers, he left his wife alone with his work uniform. "I didn't think much of it at the time, but that night was when I noticed the baton was missing. Kara could have easily taken it. Bitch is crazy, wouldn't surprise me a bit if she killed him herself." West finished his story and leaned back, a smug look on his face.
"Where is your wife now?" Gibbs demanded.
"Like I care. I haven't spoken with her since she stole my baton," was the cold response.
Gibbs and DiNozzo stepped out into the hall. Ziva came out of the observation area to meet them. "I do not like him, Gibbs," she said. "He is clearly hiding something." Just then, McGee came around the corner to add, "I agree, but his story checks out. Seems to, anyway. According to West's employer, he did report his issued baton as missing two days ago. And he worked the late shift the night before the murder, but clocked out at 0730 that morning. The Staff Sergeant was murdered around 0745, according to Ducky. There's no way to prove that he actually went home after his shift, but it would have been nearly impossible for him to make it over to Quantico in that 15 minutes," Tim concluded.
Gibbs considered the options. "McGee, Ziva, check with his neighbors. Maybe someone saw him come home. And find me Kara West! I want to talk to her. DiNozzo, you stay and keep an eye on our friend here. He may have an alibi but I don't like it. I'm not ready to let him off the hook just yet." And watch your six, was the unspoken instruction that followed.
-On it- was Tony's swift response. He was grateful that his boss was allowing him to contribute. It may be a babysitting assignment but it beats the hell out of sitting around doing nothing. DiNozzo went back into Interrogation and pulled out his cell phone to begin a new game of Tetris. "Hey, can I go now?" the security guard demanded. Tony shook his head with a grin, then leaned back to prop his feet up on the table.
For his part, Gibbs charged down to Abby's lab. "What do you have, Abbs?" He handed the forensic scientist the Caf-Pow he had grabbed on the way.
"Gibbs Gibbs Gibbs! I was just about to call you! Wait, where's Tony? Gibbs! He shouldn't be alone right now!" Abby was bouncing up and down rapidly. "I'm really worried about him, Gibbs!"
"I know Abbs. I'm worried about him too but the best thing for him right now is to be useful. He's fine, just keeping an eye on our person of interest." Gibbs kissed her on the cheek. "I'm not going to let anything happen to him, Abby. I promise. Now, what have you got for me?"
"I'm holding you to that, mister. Now, let's see. I was double-checked everything that Tim bagged at the scene, and I didn't find any prints. Not even a partial. But, I did find evidence of a second victim. Not all of the blood belonged to Staff Sergeant Ramsey. There was a second blood type all over the scene – and Ramsey's body – and it was way too much to be from the killer. No way could someone have walked away after losing that much blood." Abby paused to take a breath. "Whoever did this was brutal, but methodical. Careful not to leave loose ends, although I'm not sure why they removed one body and not the other. It doesn't make sense. I think we're looking at a serious psycho here, Gibbs. It scares me for Tony, you know? I mean what if they think he could identify-"
Gibbs interrupted her ramblings. "Abbs! Is that it? Any idea who the second victim could be?"
"I was getting to that, Bossman! I'm running it now. Should get a match any-" this time Abby was cut off by the rapid beeping of her computer. "Okay! That was fast. The mystery blood belongs to one" - she squinted at the screen - "Kara West. She must be our other victim!" Abby spun around with a satisfied grin.
Suddenly everything clicked into place. Gibbs left a shocked forensic scientist standing in his wake as he suddenly turned on his heel and rushed out of the lab.