Disclaimer: Nothings mine. Just playing with them.

A/N: Wow big ass long chapter with much goodness of case AND character development. I'm just happy I got to write this before my personal life got flushed down the drain. Work is physically pretty exhausting right now. And then there is the thing with my grandpa in hospital and some days he's feeling so bad that the doctors say it's just a matter of time, and other days he's feeling so good that they think about sending him to rehab and we don't know what to tell my grandma (who lives in a nursery home now since she can't live alone with her wheelchair) because It's up and down right now and we don't want to worry her. On the other hand she's got a right to know that her husband could very well die in the next few days but what if he won't and we worry her for nothing?! That's emotionally pretty exhausting. So the gist of the matter: I'm exhausted! All around.

Sorry to vent (or as Abby would say, babble), but I just needed to get this off my chest. I don't like talking with my co-workers about something like this and the family is already arguing about the inheritance (which I find slightly disturbing) so that's not an option either. And sometimes it's easier like this, with people you can't see and don't really know, if you know what I mean?!

But enough of that. This is not an agony column after all. On with the story and once again thanks to my beta Ktwesterna for the wonderful help! I hope you'll enjoy and thanks for the awesome reviews. They are making this whole mess so much more bearable. Love you all!


Their Day in Baltimore


Chapter 09

Mrs. Speer opened the door and was noticeably startled when she saw Gibbs and DiNozzo. She was looking a bit more rumpled, her bun not nearly as perfect and tight as it had been the day before. There were dark circles under her eyes that she'd obviously tried to hide under a layer of make-up. Gibbs thought that she finally looked like a grieving woman should, and was immediately ashamed of himself.

"Agent Gibbs. Detective DiNozzo. What are you doing here?"

In Gibbs' opinion, that was a pretty odd question to ask the men investing the death of your husband, but he let it go. He'd already come to accept that Speer's wife was anything but predictable.

"We have some more questions about your husband. Maybe we should take this inside."

For a second it looked like she was going to decline, but then she wordlessly took a step back to let them in. She was still avoiding looking directly into Tony's face as she led them into the living room.

"I really don't know what more I could tell you. I've told you all that I know."

"This won't take long Mrs. Speer." Tony promised, just as Maria the housemaid entered the room. "We just need to know if your husband was interested in art. Particularly the works of Leonardo da Vinci."

There was a gasp and Gibbs turned just in time to see Maria stumble over her own feet. Tony moved to rise from his seat to catch her, but the young woman managed to steady herself.

Mrs. Speer furrowed her brow. She seemed more weary than angry. "Maria, please watch your feet. Imagine what would have happened if you'd been carrying the Dresden china."

Maria blushed and smiled sheepishly but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I'm sorry ma'am. I'll be more careful." She turned towards their two guests. "Would the two gentlemen care for some coffee?"

Gibbs merely nodded, but Tony flashed her a flirtatious smile and winked at the pretty brunette. "Some coffee would be great Maria. Thank you."

Maria blushed an even deeper red and ducked her head while Gibbs barely kept himself from reaching out and slapping some restraint into the young man.

As soon as the young woman was gone, Mrs. Speer sighed heavily. "That girl. Since my husband died she's been even more of a klutz than usual. I'm just keeping her here because her parents were good friends, but I really don't know why I still care. You wouldn't believe how much porcelain I've already lost."

Tony stared at the door that lead towards the kitchen with a speculative frown on his face.

The widow cleared her throat. "Well enough of that. What did you say? Leonardo da Vinci? Wasn't he the artist who painted that smiling lady?"

Gibbs nodded his head, the bit of hope he'd had already sinking. "Yes, the 'Mona Lisa'. Did he mention anything about him or his works to you?"

She shook her head once more, looking quite bewildered. "No. Lance and I never talked about art or anything like that. Why are you asking me all this?"

Gibbs decided to not answer that question. It was becoming painfully obvious that this lead was just another dead end. Even without Speer's insistence that her late husband had no interest in art, the total lack of any paintings in this house was a dead give away. But even if Corporal Speer had been a secret art lover, it still would have been a pretty far-fetched theory.

Maria returned with their coffee's and Gibbs didn't miss the way DiNozzo watched her intensely. When the young Italian opened his mouth the older Agent was sure that he would try to flirt some more with the young housemaid, but instead he directed his question at Mrs. Speer.

"Did your husband ever tell you about a bar called 'Mona Lisa'?"

The cups clinked dangerously when Maria almost dropped them but fortunately her boss didn't seem to notice.

"No. The only bar he ever mentioned was the one where he always met his friends. What was it called again? Something Scottish... Mc-... Mc-…"

"McClarence, ma'am." Maria piped up. She still seemed oddly mesmerized by Tony's face. It seemed like she couldn't help but shoot little shy glances into DiNozzo's direction every few seconds, while the Italian was busy undressing her with his eyes. All that was hard to ignore for the Agent who clenched his fists to keep from lashing out, but the widow seemed oblivious. She merely waved a hand at her housemaid as if to wave away her answer.

"Yeah, yeah. I guess that's it." She looked at Maria then, who was still standing besides the couch, fidgeting with the empty tray in her hands. The young girl didn't notice at first, her whole attention on the detective. "That would be all Maria. Thank you." Speer's voice was like ice and Maria visibly jumped at that.

"O-Of course ma'am."

She made to turn away but Tony stopped her with a raised hand. "Excuse me. But may I use your bathroom?"

Their host seemed distracted all of a sudden. She stared into her coffee and didn't even lift her head when she said, "Of course Detective. Maria show him the way, please." There was an odd mix of relief and trepidation on Maria's face, but when Tony rose from his seat and smiled encouragingly at her she seemed to relax a bit.

Gibbs seethed and gritted his teeth while he watched them go. He would have liked nothing better than to grab Tony by his ears and drag his ass right back to the couch right now. This was a murder investigation, for God's sake, not a blind date! But he would contain himself for now. At least one of them had to act professional in front of the victims wife, even if said wife didn't seem to care what her maid and the detective did. As soon as they were alone though, DiNozzo would get to feel the legendary wrath of one Leroy Jethro Gibbs. The kid would be lucky to get away with all his limbs attached.

But at least he finally got to see what kind of detective DiNozzo really was. Sure he'd seemed capable at first, but in the end he was just another young man with no control over his hormones whatsoever. The huge wave of disappointment he suddenly felt came quite as a surprise though.

"He visited an evening class."

Speer's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. She was still staring into her coffee as if she was seeing something else instead of the black liquid. Her voice had been dreamy and far away, something that sounded wrong coming from the otherwise collected woman.

"Excuse me?"

Her fingers twitched and she tightened her hold on the cup. "Evening class. I received a sympathy card from his teacher and fellow students this morning. Every time he was ashore for a few months, he would visit this evening class three times a week and learn Spanish."

Gibbs brow furrowed in thought. "Do you think that could have anything to do with his death?"

A few minutes passed in uncomfortable silence before she shook her head. Her voice wasn't dreamy anymore but it cracked towards the end when she answered. "I didn't know." Her hands tightened even more and Gibbs was afraid the cup would break. "He was learning a new language and I didn't know. Three times a week and I didn't know."

She leaned back and closed her eyes and suddenly she looked so much older than before. "I won't lie to you Agent Gibbs. Our marriage... it wasn't all about love."

Gibbs bit his tongue but he didn't have a chance to say anything anyway, since Mrs. Speer was already talking again.

"It was a marriage of convenience in most parts. I wanted my family off my back and he... well," a bitter smile touched her lips. "He mostly wanted the money. But despite all that we always cared deeply for each other."

He had never been good at emotional stuff, but even Gibbs sensed that she needed to get something off of her chest. From personal experience he knew that sometimes it was easier talking to a stranger.

"But you cared more about him than he did about you."

Brown eyes opened to stare at him before they wandered to the ceiling. "You must have noticed that I don't know as much about him than I should as his wife. I know that too. But... but a whole new language. Three times a week." She turned desperate and disbelieving eyes on him and Gibbs realized that she'd done a lot more than simply care about him. "A new language Agent Gibbs. How could I have missed that."

Silent tears finally spilled over, but she made no move to wipe them away. Only stared at him, waiting for an answer that he couldn't give. There was nothing left of the woman that had reacted with detachment and indifference to her husband's death. Just a sad, old widow that wondered what had become of her life. That wondered, when she had started to love a man that thought she wasn't important enough to know about the major changes in his life.

When she realized that he couldn't give her an answer, that no one other than herself would be able to answer that question, she left the chair and took up a position in front of the window.

"When does it stop, Agent Gibbs?" She didn't sound like she expected an answer this time either.

Gibbs thought about the way he still couldn't visit Shannon's and Kelly's graves. Or the way he was still waking up in the middle of the night because he thought he'd heard a noise, convinced that Kelly had once again left her room for a glass of milk in the middle of the night. How he was still hurting and not really feeling all that much better after three years.

But he'd loved Shannon very much. His marriage wasn't one of convenience but of love, pure and unadulterated. There were no similarities between them and the Speer's.

He was just about to tell her that it would get better over time but then he thought that, maybe, her situation was even worse than his.

She'd loved this man, in her own twisted way, and had never had the fortune to have this love returned. Who knew how long she'd been trapped in this marriage fighting with her unrequited feelings. There was so much regret in her eyes and words that Gibbs had no doubt that she'd still hoped somewhere deep inside that he would return these feelings over time. But now there was no hope left, because Lance Speer was gone. She would have to live the rest of her life with the question whether she could have done something to make a difference.

He knew that Shannon had loved him. Had never doubted that for a second. He had lots of wonderful memories to reinforce that knowledge. The way she always made his favorite breakfast in the morning when he'd had a bad case. All the little trivial things she did for him like fluffing up his pillow every night or getting him a beer from the refrigerator in time, so it wouldn't be too cold when he got home from work. Small deeds that were totally self-evident for her. A fact that made him love her even more.

But Speer didn't have that.

She had nothing right now, except her own regrets.

"It doesn't." He said eventually. Her shoulders tensed and he quickly continued. "But it gets easier. A little. And one day, if you're lucky, it will almost seem bearable."

Gibbs realized that those words weren't encouraging in the least and certainly nothing a fresh widow wanted to hear. But they were the truth and Mrs. Speer seemed to appreciate that.

When she turned back to him there was almost a smile on her thin lips. "Thank you Agent Gibbs. Sounds like you speak out of experience."

Gibbs ignored the veiled question. He'd already said way too much anyway. It was time to leave and let her absorb everything that'd happened.

"Thank you for your time, Mrs. Speer. As soon as we know something I'll call."

She was already staring out the window again. He wasn't even sure whether she'd heard him until her distracted voice reached his ears. "Yes, do that please. Good bye Agent Gibbs."

She made no move to walk him out so he left the room by himself. He still had to find his wayward partner though. One could only hope that he wouldn't walk in on them making out with each other. That would be the last straw.


Just as he'd predicted, they weren't even near the bathroom when he finally found them, but in the kitchen.

He couldn't see them yet, but he could hear their muffled voices through the ajar door. His first notion was to barge in and stop whatever was going on between them. He didn't know what it was that was stopped him from doing just that in the end. Maybe it was because their voices sounded too solemn. Or the fact that he couldn't hear any of the girlish giggling that he associated with flirting. But whatever it was, it made him stop just in front of the door and soundlessly nudge it open a bit more so he could see and hear more while staying in the shadows himself.

The sight that met him certainly wasn't what he'd expected.

DiNozzo and Maria sat at the coffee table, facing each other. Tony's hand covered hers on top of the table but there was nothing sexual about the gesture. It looked more like he was trying to comfort her. That impression was just reinforced by her tear-stained face and her hunched and trembling shoulders.

"Come on Maria." Tony was saying, giving her hand a little squeeze. "I know you want to talk about it and it could really help us."

Maria sniffled. "I don't know...I'm scared." Her voice was timid and it seemed like she was afraid to meet Tony's eyes. "Would it really help? I mean-"

"Yes it would." Tony said firmly. "You want us to catch his killer too, don't you?"

"Of course!" Maria almost screamed before she ducked her head again. Her sobbing increased and her next words sounded heart-wrenchingly broken. "I loved him. Lance was my everything."

Gibbs shifted on his feet. He had not seen that coming.

Tony remained silent to give her the chance to regain her composure. When the sobbing died down eventually he tilted his head to be able to look her in the eyes. "Tell me."

The command was soft but firm and Maria did tell him.

"At first I thought I was just a booty call to him. You know, the guy who married the rich lady but had fun with the young and stupid housekeeper? It seemed pretty obvious." She chuckled lightly but it wasn't a happy sound. "And you know what? I didn't care one bit. It was all right, as long as he let me love him."

Tony didn't say anything and she took a deep breath. "But I wasn't just a casual affair. I needed a bit to realize that, but when I did it was heaven on earth." She shot the Italian a little self-deprecating smile. "Sounds tacky, I know. But that's how it was. He gave me everything I could ask for. Lance was an amazing individual. He had so much love to give and it had always been thrown back into his face. Mrs. Speer didn't know how lucky she was to have him. I mean, officially have him. She never appreciated him."

Gibbs thought back to the broken woman in the other room and thought that he might have a thing or two to say about that.

"But you did." Tony prompted.

"Yes." she said, a dreamy smile on her face. "I did. But he seemed to appreciate me as well. I was just a housemaid but he believed in me, and when I told him about my dream he didn't laugh at me like my parents did. He supported me."

"What dream?" DiNozzo asked. He had such a gleam in his eyes that Gibbs couldn't help but think that he already knew the answer.

Maria hesitated, her eyes darting all over the room. She bit her lip so hard, it wouldn't have surprised Gibbs if she'd drawn blood. Tony just waited, not saying a thing and Gibbs was secretly impressed by his patience.

Finally she sighed and released her abused lip. Her voice was so soft, Gibbs almost missed her answer.

"I always wanted to study art."

A satisfied grin touched Tony's lips but he smothered it immediately. "And he helped you with that, I take it."

"Oh he sure did. He asked a friend of his that's an art professor to get me a place in a University. I'm not sure if it was completely legal but I really didn't care. It was a dream come true, literally. I wasn't about to let that pass me by." Her eyes lit up with excitement and love. "But he didn't just help me. Lance was also honestly interested in what I was doing and learning at school. He asked me questions and took me to museums and exhibitions."

"How did you manage to go to a university and work here at the same time without Mrs. Speer knowing about it. I mean, I assume she didn't know?"

Maria shook her head. "No, of course not. It was an evening class. Never started before 7 pm. I stop working an hour before that. Mrs. Speer never noticed a thing. Lance would accompany me sometimes. I don't know what he was doing while I was in class, but I suspect he was taking a class on his own. Anyway, after that we would meet and go eat or drink something."

And Mrs. Speer thought an evening class was all she had to worry about.

Gibbs felt a little angry. Not at Maria or Mrs. Speer. Not even at Corporal Speer, who had just been too much of a coward to follow his heart. No, he felt angry at the situation, because in the end, no one emerged from this as a winner. Because all that was left, were two women living in the same house without knowing how much in common they really had.

The one mourning the happiness she'd lost.

The other mourning the happiness she'd never had.

Tony's voice interrupted his thoughts. "And where exactly did you and Corporal Lance go after your classes?" Maria just stared at him, a slight frown on her face and the Italian relented. "Could it have been a meeting place for young art students called 'Mona Lisa'?"

"If you already know the answer, why are you asking?" Her tone was decidedly miffed now, but Tony merely shrugged.

"Didn't know. Just suspected. Were the two of you there the night he disappeared?"

"No. But the night before that." An almost whisper. "It was the last time I saw him."

Tony gave her hand another squeeze but kept up with his interrogation nonetheless. "Did something unusual happen?"

She hedged a bit. "Well... I don't know if it's all that unusual. He was a good looking guy. A lot of people approached him even if he was obviously with me."

"So, someone approached him that night?"

"Yes. He was getting us drinks but I stayed at our table. A guy approached him and they talked for a few minutes. When he got back to our table, I asked him what the guy wanted, but he wouldn't tell me. Said that it was a surprise."

'A Surprise.' Gibbs thought. Alan Lowe had told his wife something about a surprise as well the night he was killed. He watched from his hiding place how Tony opened his notepad and wrote a few things down.

"Can you tell me what he looked like? Height? Hair color? Anything will help."

Maria slumped into her seat like a dead weight. It looked like all strength had left her all at once. "It was pretty dark. He wasn't that much taller than Lance but his build was heavier. Although they stood eye to eye, I couldn't help but think that the other guy towered over my Lance. It looked quite intimidating to me, but Lance didn't seem to be afraid. His hair was dark, I don't know what color exactly though. I can't tell you anything about his face. He was standing with his back to me the whole time." She glanced through her bangs at Tony who was still writing down what she'd told him. "I'm sorry, but that's all I can tell you."

DiNozzo smiled at her and it was genuine as far as Gibbs could tell. "Thank you for telling me all this at all. You have been a great help." He slid a little card over the table which she took after a moment of hesitation. "That's my number, work and cell. Promise to call me if you remember something else. No matter what time it is."

Maria the housemaid nodded before she rose from her seat and walked towards the second door in the room, the one that didn't hide an eavesdropping Gibbs. With her hand on the doorknob she stopped in her tracks. Her eyes were trained on the floor and she didn't turn around when she spoke.

"Don't you have to go to the bathroom anymore?"

DiNozzo's calm facade slipped and he shot her a toothy smile that went unseen by anyone other than Gibbs. "It doesn't seem so urgent anymore."

"I see." It looked like she would leave it at that but then she asked: "How did you know? I mean-"

"Sorry Maria." Tony interrupted her. "But it was pretty obvious."

And Gibbs realized with a start that it had been. The way she'd stumbled over her feet at the mention of art or the way she'd paled every time someone mentioned Corporal Speer's name. The Agent suddenly remembered her reaction when they'd revealed the bad news the day before. The kid had looked like she would faint on the spot.

Tony hadn't flirted with the young woman. He'd analyzed her odd behavior and drawn the right conclusions. And knowing that she would never reveal anything in front of her boss he'd used an excuse to lure her out of the room and to have the chance to speak to her alone.

Gibbs was just glad that he hadn't accused DiNozzo of anything yet. Apologies had never been his strong point.

And he was glad that he'd been obviously wrong about Anthony DiNozzo. Much more glad than he should be.

"Oh." Maria muttered and there was a slight edge of panic in her voice. "Do you think Mrs. Speer noticed something? I mean, I need this job, now that I'll have to pay the tuitions myself and all and... well-"

"I don't think she did Maria." Tony answered truthfully. "She seemed... occupied."

"And you won't tell her?" The young woman sounded more like a little kid right now. A little kid that was afraid her teacher was going to rat on her to her mother.

"I won't."

She released the breath she'd been holding and left the kitchen without another look back or even a thank you. DiNozzo stared at the closed door for a moment before he lowered his eyes to his hands that flipped through his notepad.

"Don't you want to come in?"

Gibbs didn't even pretend to be surprised that Tony had already discovered him. Instead he stepped out of the shadows and joined his young partner at the table. Tony still didn't look up, but there was clear amusement in his voice.

"Thought I wanted to ravish her right here and now, didn't you Agent Gibbs?"

The Agent actually grinned at that. "Wouldn't have dreamed of it DiNozzo."

The Italian leaned back and regarded him with an raised eyebrow. His voice was dead serious now. "Never someone that's associated with the case." He sounded like he recited some kind of old rule and that's probably what it was.

Gibbs felt stupid for ever doubting this young man.

"I know."

They stared at each other for a long time and Gibbs thought he could feel something change between the two of them. A tangible shift, so swift he almost missed it.

And then DiNozzo was grinning like a fool, swinging back and forth on two of the four chair legs. "But as soon as we close this case, all bets are off. Why do you think I gave her my cell phone number as well?"

Just a few hours ago, Tony's behavior might have still fooled Gibbs. But not anymore. He was beginning to get an inkling of the true Anthony DiNozzo, whether he liked to or not.

Maria would call eventually. They both knew that. She was too hurt and scared to not call a person that looked just like her beloved Lance. But as much as Tony liked to pretend, he would never exploit her grief like that. Couldn't, really.

Instead of commenting on it, Gibbs took DiNozzo's notepad out of the Italian's hands and pointed at the two words the young man had written there in big, bold letters.

"You know what that means?"

The smile on DiNozzo's lips was nothing short of murderous.

"We found our similarity."

A similarity called 'Mona Lisa'.

TBC


Hmmm... I wonder what kind of plan stupid-yet-brave-looks-disturbingly-like-the-victims Detective DiNozzo will come up with to lure their killer out into the open and how Gibbs is going to react to that plan... hmmmmmm *wanders away whistling innocently*