Disclaimer: Once upon a time that never was, I owned NCIS. However, that time passed long before reality began. And in reality, I am not nearly wealthy enough to own the rights to a major TV show. I barely have the money that I used to buy a few seasons of the show on DVD.
A/N: Shalom from Jerusalem! By some small miracle, the place that I'm staying tonight does have internet. So here is the next chapter for your reading pleasure. Sorry it took so long.
Chapter Four: Interrogation and Investigation
Is it just her, or does it feel warmer in here?
Ziva stands there awkwardly, waiting for him to say something.
Tony turns to face the interrogation room, links his hands loosely together in front of him, and says, "OK, let's hear it."
"Hear what?" Ziva asks, also looking through the glass window in front of them. It is… easier this way.
"I'm sure she said something," Tony half-scoffs.
Ziva retorts, "Is there something to tell?"
Neither of them glances at the other.
After a few seconds of silence, Tony says in a semblance of lightheartedness, "Isn't there always? The real question is which of those 'somethings' she so kindly shared with you."
"Nothing too incriminating," Ziva replies. "How the two of you met, some funny stories from your time together… Did you really ride a Coney Island Ferris wheel naked?"
She glances briefly at him, but his face gives no clues as to how he feels about this.
"Yeah," he says.
"Thank you. I appreciate the honesty," Ziva murmurs. "Actually, that is something that Wendy mentioned about you. That you were one of the most honest people she knew."
"Really?" Tony asks quietly, almost hopefully.
Ziva lets out a sigh, and says, "To… others. She says the only person you lie to is yourself, which she says you do a lot."
Unable to help herself, she turns to see his expression.
His face twists slightly, and he says, "Right. Well isn't that rich."
Ziva remains silent, hoping that if she doesn't say anything, he'll keep talking.
"Because I'm obviously the one with all the problems," he continues bitterly. "And what was up with her thinking that her kid liked me, huh?"
"Clearly she is deluding herself," Ziva agrees, forgetting to stay quiet.
Tony jerks his head around to face her, having seemingly forgotten that she was still there.
"I know that," he says suspiciously. "How do you know that?"
"I met her son – Fred, I believe? – when I picked her up at her grandmother's house," Ziva says. "He said that you treated him like an infant."
"It's a baby, Ziva, not an infant," Tony corrects. "And I most certainly did not."
Ziva thinks his correction rather ridiculous, since the two words mean the exact same thing. He is simply picknitting, yes?
"So, uh, what else did the little whippersnapper say?" he continues, smiling nervously.
Ziva debates showing her hand, but decides to go for honesty.
"He wanted to know if I had plans to kiss his mother the way the last NCIS agent did," Ziva says with a slight shrug. "When I told him that I had no intention of doing so, he warmed right up to me."
Tony winces almost imperceptibly, but quickly plasters on a lascivious grin.
"Are you sure, Ziva?" he asks. "I think you and Wendy could be quite happy together."
Ziva snorts, "You mean you think a little girl-on-girl action would be 'hot.' But I do not think you would be comfortable if Wendy and I actually engaged in a relationship. After all, you could hardly stand us being alone in the same room together for five minutes."
She is taking a risk here, but she wants to hear his response.
"Ziva, if you ever want to experiment, I can assure you, the last thing I will be is uncomfortable," Tony tells her.
"Really?" Ziva purrs. "Pity."
Tony shifts his balance and Ziva allows herself a small smirk. He is deflecting, but she will allow him that right now.
They watch the interrogation in silence for a few minutes. Ziva finds herself acutely aware of Tony's presence next to her, but she does her best to focus on Quintero.
The man seems innocent… unfortunately. It would have been nice to wrap up this case.
Something Quintero says stands out to her, but not because it is relevant to the case.
"Hey, why do you think I call myself Soulless?…But I am not a killer."
Ziva is a killer. She killed under orders, yes, but that does not negate her actions; she is aware of this.
A couple of years ago, she had asked Tony if he believed in soul mates. Every now and then, though, she wonders whether she even believes in souls. (Although raised in a fairly secular household, this thought feels uncomfortably like blasphemy.)
If souls do exist, will hers ever be clean again?
She rather doubts it.
Knowing better than to continue along this line of thought at work, she turns her attention back to Quintero.
-–- -–- -–- -–- -–-
Gibbs has assigned herself and McGee to check out Quintero's alibi.
As they drive to the retirement center, Ziva turns to McGee (who, out of courtesy, she has allowed to drive) and says, "So, I never got a chance to ask you: how was your stakeout with Tony? Did he drive you crazy with his nonstop babbling?"
McGee frowns and says, "Actually, he was pretty quiet. Wasn't hungry either."
Ziva's eyebrows shoot up.
"Yeah, I know, right?" McGee agrees. "And get this: he and Wendy kissed."
She works to keep her expression neutral. "I know."
McGee looks surprised. "Really? I thought he got all the lipstick off his collar."
"There was no lipstick," Ziva says curtly. "Wendy's son told me when I went to pick her up."
McGee winces in sympathy. "That's gotta be awkward."
"Mmmm," Ziva agrees, "but not nearly as awkward as watching Tony and Wendy flirt in Observation."
"Huh," McGee says thoughtfully. "What do you think about them?"
"I think… that we do not know enough about Wendy or her former relationship with Tony to make a judgment," Ziva says slowly. "I also think that that is the retirement center up ahead."
"Oh crap," McGee says, quickly changing lanes. As they pull into the retirement center's parking lot, he asks, "So what are we going to do about it?"
Ziva's lips turn upwards in a small smile. "Do a little research."
-–- -–- -–- -–- -–-
After talking to the center administrator and several, ah, eccentric grandmothers ("A murder? Ooo, how exciting! Matilda will be so envious, you know, nothing this interesting ever happens at her retirement center."), Quintero's alibi is confirmed.
When they return to NCIS, they inform Gibbs of this.
"Soulless does a magic show for residents on Tuesday nights," Ziva explains, remembering the photographs that the administrator had shown them. Quintero's costume for the show had made his superhero costume look positively understated.
"He's not our guy," McGee agrees, lowering his pack to the floor.
Tony glances at Gibbs, then says quickly, "We should look at other superheroes. Maybe someone was getting jealous of all the attention Wallace was getting."
Gibbs gets to his feet and joins them. "Link was the reporter."
"Well, I don't know boss," Tony says, smiling nervously, "I can think of a bunch of other angles."
Gibbs simply stares at him, daring him to list those angles. When Tony remains silent, Gibbs turns to the screen and draws up a picture of Wendy.
"OK, the link is the reporter," Tony agrees, an edge of increased discomfort entering his voice. "Let's keep talking about her."
They throw out what relevant information they know about her: she was working on several whistle-blowing stories with Wallace; Wallace called Wendy the day before he was killed.
So when Gibbs orders McGee to put together a file of Wendy's old news stories, she exchanges a quick, conspiratorial glance with him. If there was ever a perfect time to investigate Wendy, now is it. It might be significant to the case, after all.
She heads out to talk to Wallace's CO with a new spring in her step. McGee will update her on anything he finds; she is sure of it.