Chapter 13: Wedding blues

The celebration of the nuptials wasn't a joyful affair, as everyone in the castle knew the terrible fate which awaited the young bride. She could feel the pitiful looks burning her back as she walked towards the church where she was going to be given as wife to the hideous beast.

The party was short and finally it was announced that both should go their chamber to consummate their wedding.

It was time for them to become husband and wife.

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

Gibbs entered the interrogation room in his usual manner - quiet, with a folder in his hands and enough ammunition to set ablaze the whole metro area. Tony entered too and went to the corner of the room, preferring to watch quietly and intervene only if necessary. I stayed in the observation room and was relieved when I saw Laura entering it too, but before I could open my mouth to apologize Ziva entered and went to my side, effectively ending any chance of a more personal conversation.

"Have they started yet?" Ziva asked, eagerly waiting for Gibbs to turn that woman into mince meat.

"No," I answered with a pout, looking at Laura's face but she refused to meet my gaze, preferring to stare at the interrogation room silently. Finally Gibbs started his questioning, effectively stopping any chance of conversation on our side of the mirror.

"Mrs. Joyce Trask, it seems that you weren't completely truthful in our first interview."

"What's the problem with you people?" She sighed and looked at him, aggravated, "I've told you again and again that I don't know who killed Gary. I was at the gym when he was killed."

"That's not what we're talking about."

Gibbs put a picture on the table, enhanced from the traffic surveillance camera which had filmed the Suburban of our suspect.

"This car was seen in the vicinity of one of the areas where the murders occurred and we also have an eyewitness that confirms that this car is the one being used by our murderer. And it's registered in your name."

"That's not my car."

"DMV says otherwise."

"It belongs to my husband."

"You said were divorced." Tony said from where he was standing, not letting go of the tiny bit of information.

Nancy sat back on the chair, smiling brightly to DiNozzo, showing him her delicately sculptured cheekbones and her collagen enhanced lips.

"Separated. The papers aren't finalized yet. But I've already got my part on the settlement and that awful car stayed with Norman."

"Where is your husband?"

"Why is this relevant to Gary's death?"

"Just answer the question."

"He is not around."

"That wasn't my question."

"But that's my only answer."

"Where is your husband?"

"Former husband."

"Whatever. Where is he?"

"You can't possibly think that Norman would have anything to do with it." Nancy snickered, looking at Gibbs as if he had lost his mind.

"I don't know. You tell us." Tony said, seeing how she simply dismissed their concern.

"Where is Norman, Joyce?" Gibbs insisted, showing his impatience in his tone of voice.

"I don't know where he is."

"You don't know where he is. Come on, how is that possible." Tony wasn't buying that so he approached the table and put a picture of Gary's dead body on the table, making Joyce cringe and look away. "Think again. Where is he?"

"I really don't know." She insisted, refusing to look at the dead body.

Tony shook his head, "Please, you really expect us to believe that."

"I'm telling the truth! The last time I saw him he was at Georgetown University Medical Hospital"

"Stop. Lying. To. Me." Gibbs muttered very slowly, his patience reaching its end.

"Norman is very sick. He couldn't have done any of it." She pointed disgusted at the pictures, showing her disgust to it in her face.

"How can you be so sure of that?" Tony asked, just to receive a glare from Joyce who looked at him aggravated.

"I'm sure he couldn't... He can't even leave the home alone. He wouldn't dare show his ugly face to anyone."

"Ugly face." Gibbs stood up, growling at that awfully superficial woman, whose actions led to the death of several people, her boyfriend included.

"He ... has ..." her carefully manicured hand fluttered over her own face, "He has cancer okay. It's awful. The last time I saw him the doctors were preparing him to make a biopsy of the horrible tumors growing on his face."

"The last time... when did you last see him?"

"A couple of months ago."

"Let me guess, right before he was submitted to major surgery. Let me guess again, when you served him the divorce papers, where was he? In the post-surgery room, waiting for anesthesia to pass, right?" Tony listed her sins, knowing that now they had the motive for what was going on.

"Hey, you have no idea what was living with that... that... abomination. I couldn't handle anymore." Joyce still tried to defend her point of view, but she only sounded hollow and empty, exactly like her surgery enhanced beauty.

"You've told him that? Does he know you see him as an abomination?"

Gibbs stood up, looking at her with disgust as she folded her arms and looked at him showing no remorse on her eyes.

"Of course you did. And that's why he is murdering people now."