Jan 28
Repetition does not transform a lie into a truth.
Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882 - 1945), radio address, October 26, 1939
Leroy Jethro Gibbs sat in his favorite chair in Interrogation. He may have had to surreptitiously steal it from another room where it had migrated, but it was worth it. His team did not know about his favorite chair, but his evil ex-partner did and she was not beyond playing such childish pranks. Especially after he had openly flirted with a redheaded suspect yesterday. News travelled fast.
His current suspect, a six foot African American marine who Ziva had not so subtly been eyeing up, was causing him no end of problems. His alibi was a lie. Even if Gibbs did not have eighteen years experience in interrogations under his belt, the ability to read people and a gut feeling that was the envy of the agency, the suspect had a lousy poker face. And McGee had utterly destroyed the alibi as well.
"I said," the marine repeated for the umpteenth time. "I said I was at Club Nero between 2200 and 0200. With my friends. Who will vouch for me."
"Then we have a problem," Gibbs answered. "My agents have watched the CCTV and flashed your photo. Nothing. Your friends are lawyering up. And I've got you at a cash machine half a block from the crime scene in that time."
"I told you I wasn't there."
Gibbs wondered why people continued to repeat stories that were patiently untrue. It was a waste of breath and his time. He picked up the file and walked out, happy to let his suspect stew for a few hours. Perhaps he would realize the value of the truth before long.