Chapter Three: Thinking
Gibbs strode briskly into the room. "Whaddaya got?"
Kate got up from her desk, as Tony stayed put. "Um, he received three calls from a woman, Olivia Dane, the night he was murdered. I think she'd be a good place to start. Uh, several things were bought with his credit card that day as well. TV, video games, computer, you name it," Kate explained.
Gibbs nodded and turned to Tony, who had been half listening to Kate's spiel, "DiNozzo."
After a minute, Tony looked up and stood. "Yeah, boss?"
Gibbs sighed frustrated, "The case, DiNozzo. What did you find? Now would be great."
"Oh, yeah. Well, I found out something interesting. Well, not like interesting interesting. But interesting, like, sorta ironic. No, not really ironic. Sad, yeah. I think the word's, uh, bizarre. Like, incredibly-"
"DiNozzo!" Gibbs snapped. "Get on with it! Now!"
"Right. Um, his father committed suicide when he was fourteen," Tony told them.
"Tony, that's sad and all, but bizarre? How is it bizarre? People take their own life. Tony, it's sad, but not uncommon," Kate said, muddled.
"That's not the bizarre part, Kate." Tony turned his attention back to Gibbs and finished his point, saying, "Boss, three years later, he was seventeen, his mother took her own life."
"What? Both parents dead by the time he reaches eighteen? That's horrible!" Kate expressed her dismay.
Gibbs looked up at Tony and asked, "He have any siblings?"
"Uh, yeah, an older brother and younger sister," Tony said, referring to his computer screen.
"Alright. Kate, you find this Olivia Dane," Gibbs ordered. Kate nodded. "DiNozzo, you find the marine's siblings." Tony mimicked Kate's nod and went to sit behind his desk.
"You've gotten yourself into a bit of a situation, Private Taylor. Ah, I remember a case like this. I was much younger then. It involved an angry girlfriend, a cheating marine, and the other woman. See, neither girl had been told that the marine had been seeing both. They joined together when they found out. Sixteen stab wounds to the chest! Aw, but do not fret. They are both in prison now. Such a shame how people can be pushed to-"
"Duck."
"Ah, Jethro. I was wondering when you'd get here," Ducky said.
"You got anything yet," Gibbs said, as he got nothing before.
Ducky answered, "Yes, I believe I do. This marine was stabbed in the-"
"Boss! Boss. Boss, hi," Tony ran in through the door.
Gibbs ran his hand over his eyes, exhaustedly saying, "DiNozzo."
"Boss," Tony said back.
Gibbs waited, albeit three seconds, then said, "What, DiNozzo?!"
"Oh, yeah. I found them, the brother and sister. Alex Taylor and Lindsay O'Connor. They live in Upper Marlboro, not together. They live with their families. Alex is married, four kids; Lindsay, she's married with five kids. No self control, I guess-"
"You're one to talk," Gibbs quipped.
Tony smirked. "I have self control, boss. I don't have any kids."
Gibbs rolled his eyes, thinking that it was more so the fact that DiNozzo acted like a child himself most of the time. But, he ignored it and pushed on with the case. "Go talk to 'em."
"Both of them?" Tony asked.
"No, DiNozzo. I only want you to talk to one of 'em," Gibbs replied, facetiously.
Tony confusedly asked, "What? Why? If I'm already-ouch!" Tony was not completely new to his boss' hand connecting to the back of his head.
"Of course I want you to talk to 'em both! For crying out loud, DiNozzo! Use your head!" Gibbs exclaimed with indignation, slightly appalled at his, usually competent, agent.
"Sorry, boss. I'll…" Tony slowly retreated towards the door, but Gibbs unmistakably heard it when Tony muttered, "...be better."
Gibbs thought about it. Not I'll do better or even I'll try harder. It was I'll be better. And it wasn't the first time the young agent had done this. Never saying it where anybody should hear it outright, always muttered or in an undertone. Always about how he wasn't good enough. Always hinting as though he believed he wasn't worth anything. Gibbs thought he knew Tony. Hell, he'd placed him on his team for a reason. He was a damn good agent and an even better person. Sure, he had flaws; everyone did. But, Tony never seemed to care. Always smiling, laughing, smiling. Never bothered by anything. Troubled by Tony's barely inaudible, "I'll...be better," Gibbs turned toward the door his agent had just retreated from. Maybe he didn't know him at all?
