Gibbs opened the box, lifted out the evidence bags and laid them on the table in Abby's lab. He deliberately put the sign face-down; give Abby a little more time to come to terms with what she was seeing.
"Abs, you need to sign for this, by the book, remember?"
She automatically signed the form, then slipped on her gloves and handed a pair to Jimmy. She picked up the bag containing the sign and turned it over, for a second her vision blurred and it felt as if the bag was burning her fingers, she let it fall back on to the table.
"They put that on Tim? This is all because I didn't believe him before…I knew he couldn't have done those things, I knew…but I left him in jail, alone…"
Gibbs turned her head toward him, and brushed his thumb over her cheek, wiping away a stray tear.
"You listen to me Abby. Last time, that was on me. I told you all he was guilty, didn't even give you a chance to look at the evidence, and when Ziva did give you that chance, you proved Tim's innocence. I know it's hard to look at this, but I also know you and your new assistant are going to do all you can to help us find who put Tim in the hospital, we're counting on you Abs, can you do this?"
She gave a watery smile, and Gibbs kissed her cheek.
"Good girl, I'm going for coffee and Caf-Pow, Jimmy, what can I get you?"
"Oh…me? Er…a latte please Agent Gibbs."
"I'm on it."
Gibbs handed Ziva and Tony their drinks, the squad room was quiet, Sunday meant a skeleton staff on duty. Vance had put several teams on standby, if they got any names; he wanted the arrests made as quickly as possible.
"What have you got on Tim's phone records?"
Tony clicked the remote, and the list appeared on the plasma.
"He called AAA at 18.37 Friday night, must have been requesting roadside assistance, then two minutes later he called his parents' number, after that there's nothing. I've got a call in to the Auto Association; they're getting the patrolman who was on duty in that area Friday to call me back."
"Good, Ziva?"
"Nothing much Gibbs, Tim called the Mimslyn Inn, Luray Virginia, Friday 13.25, he must have been on his lunch break. I called them, he booked in for two night, but of course he did not check in…Thursday, there is one call here…to Elite Motors, I believe that is where he has his car repaired and serviced, they are closed today, but I will call them first thing tomorrow. I have not checked his emails, I will…."
"Stupid!"
"I beg your pardon Tony, I do not believe…"
"Not you Ziva, me, I'm stupid, not thinking straight. Boss, Agent Durden, he sent Tim some emails, saying he should have been fired, that he must be guilty…"
"When?"
"It was not long after Tim came back to work."
Tony couldn't believe he'd forgotten, he could picture the scene so vividly now. Tim had gone to get lunch, and Tony noticed a new email arrive on Tim's computer, still unable to resist checking up on other people's correspondence he went to look. What he read made him sick to his stomach, and he'd been so engrossed that he hadn't heard the elevator and he didn't notice Tim until he threw the lunch bags on his desk.
"When were you going to tell us?"
"Tell you what Tony?"
Tim looked quizzically at Tony, who glanced at Tim's computer screen, at the newly opened email; Tim was livid.
"Have you been snooping again? How many times Tony? Stay away from my desk!"
"You can't let him get away with that, what he called you…"
"Is my business, not yours. I will deal with this, I mean it Tony, keep your nose out."
So Tony had kept out of it, but he couldn't keep it quiet any longer, if Durden had anything to do with the attack on Tim, they had to speak to him.
"Tony, you wait here for your call; Ziva, you're with me, let's go pay Agent Durden a visit."
"Doctor Mallard, Agent McGee's parents are here."
"Thank you Anna, I'll be right out. Did you hear that Timothy? I'm just stepping out for a moment to talk to them."
Ducky eased himself out of the chair and stretched out his stiffening muscles; he'd asked the nurses to let him know when Commander and Mrs McGee arrived, he wanted to talk to them before they saw what had been done to their son.
He recognised them instantly, Commander McGee's green eyes, clouded as they were with worry had been inherited by his son, and Mrs McGee, well she looked distraught as only a mother could who had flown across the country dreading what would await her at the end of her journey.
"Welcome seems the wrong word somehow, but I am pleased to see you, I'm Donald Mallard, Ducky; please call me Ducky. I have been sitting with Timothy, and I know you want to see him, but…you need to be prepared. He has been beaten, badly beaten, and his face; there is a great deal of bruising and swelling, he's on a ventilator, and I know that can be a frightening thing to see, but Doctor Patel is hopeful that they can remove it later today."
Theresa gripped her husband's hand tight.
"I understand Ducky, but we have to see him, Tim needs us."
"He does indeed, go to him. I will wait here, and if you have any questions, you know where I am."
"Thank you Ducky, not just for staying with Tim; but for what you did before, Tim was so grateful for your hospitality."
"There was no need for gratitude, I was happy to help; now, I told Timothy you were here."
Hand in hand Theresa and Andrew McGee went in to see their son, and as they got their first look at his injuries it was the strong military man who hesitated.
"Drew? Come on, he needs us."
"Look at him Tess, why would anyone do this to Tim?"
They moved closer, and Theresa tried to find a place where she could touch her son, to let him know she was here. She laid her hand lightly on his arm.
"Tim, it's Mom, your Dad's here too, keep fighting my darling, we're here for you, please Tim…"
"Other side Durden!"
Will Durden slumped on to the chair in the interrogation room; he was still trying to take in what Gibbs had told him. McGee had been attacked, branded a sexual predator, they couldn't think he had anything to do with this.
"Agent Gibbs, you must believe me, I had nothing to do with this, why would I?"
Gibbs leaned menacingly over the table.
"You tell me Durden, you're the one who said McGee should be in jail, should be 'castrated' I think was the word you used, you called him the lowest scum on the earth, and worse…so you tell me, why would I think you had it in for him?"
"You don't understand…I got it all wrong…I thought…I have two children Gibbs, and another on the way…when you said McGee had done…those things…I saw red, he looks so innocent I thought,, but all the time he was looking at pictures of babies being…"
Gibbs slammed his fist in the table.
"But I was wrong Durden, I told everyone that! Tim did nothing wrong, I made a huge mistake, and he's still paying the price. He did not look at children…"
"I know! He told me."
Gibbs took a step back, and behind the glass Ziva and Tony looked at each other in astonishment.
"Tim? Tim spoke to you about this?"
"Yes, after that second email…I couldn't believe it when he came to me, I thought for sure he would report me to the Director…and I can't afford to lose my job, but I was so angry…I couldn't stop myself writing them."
Durden drew a deep breath as Gibbs returned to his seat.
"He told me…what he'd been through, how he'd almost walked away; but that he was determined to prove to everyone that he was innocent…He said he understood, that my having children would cloud my judgement. Then he looked at me…he's got this way of looking, and it's like you can see into his soul; I knew then he couldn't have done it. I offered to resign, but he said we'd keep it between us, so long as it stopped…I just wish I'd never sent them, I felt like I'd opened up wounds that hadn't even had a chance to heal. Now this…Agent Gibbs, if I can help, if you want my help, I'll do anything…please let me help McGee.
The American Automobile Association patrolman had returned Tony's call; when he got to Tim's location on Friday, an hour after the call, there had been no one there, no car, nothing. Patrolman Mendoza said it happened sometimes; the car started working again and the driver forgot to call and cancel their visit, or the driver got tired of waiting and called a tow truck. They knew Tim hadn't called anyone, so someone got to him before the AAA truck arrived, still so many questions, and another day was almost over.
Abby and Jimmy had painstakingly dusted that dreadful sign for fingerprints and swabbed the blood stains for DNA. They had gone over the ropes inch by gory inch and gathered a sample of every blood stain, they knew most of the blood would be Tim's, but if one of his attackers had cut themselves, or if Tim had been able to fight back; maybe some of the blood was theirs.
It was a long, slow process and they worked late into the evening before Gibbs returned to the lab and insisted they both go home.
"You've done all you can today."
"But Gibbs, we have to find them."
This time it was Jimmy who put his arm around her, and the brief thought flickered through his mind, just as well Tim isn't here to see me hugging Abby.
"Abby, you always tell us, science can't be hurried. We can come back tomorrow and get the samples running against the databases; we really have done all we can today."
"I know Jimmy, but…"
"But it feels like we're letting Tim down, you know that's not true; come on, let's go home and come back fresh in the morning."
They made their way out of the building, all reluctant to leave, but knowing that Gibbs was right, they had to get some rest. Tim was getting a little stronger by the hour, he'd been taken off the ventilator and Ducky said that since his parents arrived his vital signs were improving; they were all hoping that he would regain consciousness tomorrow. When he woke they wanted to be able to tell him that they had arrested the men who attacked him, they couldn't do it tonight; but their resolve was stronger than ever. The men who had done this to Tim were spending their last night of freedom, tomorrow, they would get them tomorrow, they had to.