Not really one of my better chapters, it's just an 'in-between' chapter to see inside the mind of the deranged lunatic known as Luca Moretti.
Director Vance paced the short hallway in front of the MCRT's bullpen section as he waited for the team to return with their first and only suspect against Tony's kidnapping and drugging. While he cared a great deal for all of the agents underneath his command, somehow the members of the MCRT had wormed their way deeper into his heart, making them feel like an extended family, which he was grateful for, considering most of his family lived out west now.
McGee and Ellie walked into the bullpen with a tall dark-haired man that looks like he'd been drinking his way through half of the DC area "This is the guy?" Vance asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked between his two field agents.
"Yes sir. This is Luca Moretti. He's already waved his rights to counsel, but also said he won't speak to anybody unless they have – and I quote – the balls to take me on." McGee reported, grinning slightly at the menacing glare that Vance was drilling into their suspect.
Vance nodded slowly as he reached into his inside jacket pocket and pulled out a plastic toothpick, slotting it between his teeth and twirling it around "Place him in Interrogation one. That's some fine work Agent McGee, Agent Bishop. McGee, tell the rest of the team to head on home and get some rest, Balboa and I will be taking over this investigation." Vance said as he walked past the trio and down the hall.
McGee and Ellie quickly led Luca down to the interrogation room and handcuffed him to the table, then left the man alone as they stood outside of the room "That guy doesn't stand a chance if Director Vance interrogates him…" Ellie stated as they walked to the observation room.
"No, he stands a chance with Director Vance interrogating him… If Gibbs were here, we'd be cleaning blood and guts up for the next year…" McGee said, grimacing at the image he put in his own mind.
"Somehow, I think that would be a better alternative than to watch this interrogation. But, speaking of Gibbs, you know he won't leave the hospital until Tony's released, maybe you should go and tell him that we've got our suspect…" Ellie said quietly as she sat down in one of the chairs, getting comfortable for the interrogation to come.
McGee nodded as he squeezed Ellie's shoulder lightly "You sure you'll be okay here?" McGee asked, looking down at the younger agent, Ellie nodded as she smiled up at McGee.
Vance inhaled deeply as he wrapped his hand around the metal door handle, schooling his features as he walked into the room and silently sat down across from Luca, keeping his eyes forward and not sparing a glance at the younger man.
After several minutes of silence, Luca shifted uncomfortably in the metal chair, his handcuffs tugging slightly at his wrists "You gonna' say anything or jus' sit there and stare?!" Luca asked, his voice slightly slurred.
Vance shook his head, "I was waiting for you to start off this conversation, so… Since you did… Let's get straight to business…" Vance said, looking down at his fingers and inspecting his fingertips carefully, an eyebrow raised upwards as he waited patiently.
Luca snuffled slightly "That smarmy little twink deserved everything he got last night and every night he was with me." Luca said disdainfully, leaning down to swipe at his nose and sniffle slightly.
"How long ago since you did a line?" Vance asked curiously, still sitting at the table dejectedly and inspecting his cuticles.
"The hell does that gotta do with anything?!" Luca demanded, staring up at Vance with wide, glossed-over eyes.
Vance shook his head slowly "Can't talk to someone who is currently high on drugs or drunk…" Vance stated as he slowly stood up, looking over his shoulder into the observation room.
Luca shook his head "It's been a couple days… I'm lucid, for the most part…" Luca stated as he shifted in his chair again, tapping his foot nervously against the floor.
Vance nodded as he sat back down and crossed his arms over his chest "How did you know where Agent DiNozzo was tonight?" Vance asked curiously, one corner of his mouth curving upward.
"I didn't know where he was… I knew where his husband was, guess I should have known they would have been together…" Luca mused out loud, shaking his head slowly "Tony was lucky, getting in my way… Instead of that husband of his… I could never hurt Tony, I love him, could never hurt someone I love…" Luca stated coldly, staring blankly across the room.
Vance shook his head slowly, "So, you've been tracking Agent Gibbs? Trying to do what… Get rid of him? Make yourself an opening to comfort a distraught widow?" Vance asked curiously, a slight smile playing across his lips.
Luca nodded emphatically "Yes! And… Tony would never know what happened, or how it happened… It would have just been an accident! A happy accident. Tony getting in the way was just… a coincidence…" Luca stated, lowering his head slightly.
Vance nodded as he stood up, "I'll be back in a minute, you just wait here." Vance said as he walked out of the interrogation room and into the observation room, "This guy is a nut job." Vance stated, leaning his hands against the ledge of the one-way mirror.
Ellie nodded slowly as she looked up at Vance "He is a nut job, but why would he want to go after Agent Gibbs, if he's in love with Tony? That's what doesn't make sense… Why not kidnap Tony? Why just drug him and leave him lying on the ground? And then not follow through with his plan to attack Gibbs?" Ellie asked, looking into the interrogation room at the deranged man before them.
Vance shrugged his shoulders "Guess that is something I'll find out… Means, motive and opportunity, he had all of them… But the drugs have clearly affected his logical thinking, because he did not plan this out too well…" Vance mused as he turned and headed back out of the observation room.
Vance sat back down across from Luca, crossing his arms over his chest and staring at the man with a frown on his face "Tell me something Mr. Moretti, what went wrong with your plan?" Vance asked, pulling a toothpick out of his jacket pocket and twisting it in his fingertips slowly.
Luca shrugged "Tony wasn't supposed to get in my way… I had to improvise when I saw Tony come down the stairs… Like I said, I never wanted to hurt Tony… It was Gibbs… He stole everything from me!" Luca insisted, tugging at the handcuffs on his wrists again.
"Are those cuffs irritating you, Mr. Moretti?" Vance asked, raising his eyebrow as he looked down at the cuffed hands of his suspect "Why didn't you proceed with your plan? Of attacking Agent Gibbs, after you had Tony subdued?" Vance continued, not giving the younger man a chance to think about the cuffs.
Luca shook his head slowly "I've been watching them, I knew that I wouldn't have enough time once Gibbs knew that Tony wasn't with them any more… So, I had to get out of there…" Luca said quietly, twisting his wrists again.
Vance rolled his eyes slightly "So, why just drug Tony, and not kidnap him? Why leave him lying there? If you love him, why not take him back?" Leon asked, linking his hands together on the table top.
"Because, he wasn't a part of the plan! Why do you keep asking me the same questions?! Tony was not supposed to come down the stairs! If I had thought I could get Gibbs and Tony together, I had bigger plans, but I couldn't get both of them, and I had to take what was given to me… But, I couldn't intentionally hurt Tony like that." Luca stated, lowering his head slightly and sniffling into his shoulder.
Vance shook his head as he slowly stood up again, pacing back and forth in front of the table, "Your hole keeps getting deeper, Mr. Moretti." Vance stated coldly as he motioned for Ellie to start recording the interrogation.
After sitting with the deranged lunatic for over an hour, Vance exited the interrogation room and sighed warily as he walked into the observation room and sat down in one of the chairs, "I want him charged with Attempted Murder of a Federal Agent, attempted kidnapping… Hell, throw the entire book at him Agent Bishop, I don't want this man ever seeing the light of day from outside a block of grey again." Vance stated tiredly, yawning into his fist.
"Yes sir." Ellie said as she looked over at the door that just opened, "McGee, how is Tony?" Ellie asked, jumping up to her feet.
McGee smiled sadly "He's awake again, talking and everything… No permanent damage as far as the doctors can see… Emotionally though, not so sure how that is… Gibbs kicked me out of the room once I told them who the suspect was." McGee stated as he looked in at Luca, "So, who is he, to Tony?" McGee asked curiously, looking between Vance and Ellie.
"My guess is an ex-boyfriend or something, he claims he's in love with Agent DiNozzo. I still haven't gotten his signed confession yet, he won't sign anything until he knows how DiNozzo is doing. Guess I'll head back in, and inform our suspect that he's lucky he won't be getting charged with murder…" Vance stated as he stood up and headed back into the interrogation room.
McGee sighed as he sat down in Vance's vacated chair, yawning loudly into his fist as he looked into the interrogation room, "So, is he really as crazy as he looks?" McGee asked, looking over at Ellie briefly.
"Oh yeah, a smart guy, but utterly crazy… If he weren't hopped up on cocaine half the time, or drunk off his ass… I could see why Tony was attracted to him at one point." Ellie said sullenly as she yawned into her shoulder.
McGee frowned slightly "I'd rather not think about Tony and this guy being an item… Gibbs and Tony were meant for each other, El, and now that they have each other… Well, yeah… I just don't want to think about it." McGee said tiredly as he curled up in the chair slightly.
Ellie nodded as she curled up in her own chair and watched the interrogation continue in front of her. Eventually both agents fell asleep in their chairs while Vance continued talking to Luca and getting his written confession.
