STORY INFORMATION
Summary: Evelyn Matthews came to NCIS with one goal in mind, to get close to Agent Gibbs. But how exactly do you go about telling a man that you're his dead daughter?
Pairings: EVENTUAL Ari/Evelyn(Kelly),
Tate
Tony/Evie friendship
Ducky/Audrey (Other pairings will appear when I decide)
Warnings: Greyish! Eli, Neutral! Ziva
NOTE: Things I lack knowledge of I have researched from the internet, and while I do try to make sure information is accurate as can be determined some things may not be, so I apology before hand for any mistakes or ignorance on my part.
I want to thank, Dricsj, Gibbs Girl Kelly, HannahbananaJane, JainaSyal, Lady Knight Aria of Haven, Notheronebitesdadust21, Probie girl1717, UnknownFlux, cheether, chrissypotter, Leonarange, lexilia, pavinet, torontogirl12, skeeter88, stargatesg1973, wisegirl71301, OzNCISLover, Kendra29, andrewjeeves, Fantasyfictionwriter, XxstarburstmonterxX, alterangirl, cookie62, kc5mzr, LovelyxLittlexLauren, Rayne90, faith1430709, jbn42, jrfan2383, yadoonkeenjaani, BONES-LOVER-94, FourHorses, IwouldrockJoshuaJacksonsWorld, lauram314, Angel-Lilly16, Captain Kathryn Janeway98, Jeremy Kelly, TivaBelieva.x.x.x, KrisShannon, Tris Holmes, Jenna Craig, MismatchedSocksandKnickers, jtr1812, Amelia Jessica Pond Williams, BrianB1126, calliegirl63, leoniebroeder94, CSIflea, MDDC26, Sirius7, amurdock42, byLunaA, buffy1242, Too Hard To Be Called Love, starchild295, swimgeek2007, Lady Isabelle Black, vampireacademyrulz797, Arkansas Sweetheart, Sweetest-Time, janno, Russian Flower, SimplyReBECca, GraceSong, Marauders Twilight, NikkiAlex, horsegirlrule, , Alpha Centarus and zebraclrgard for all the follows!
I also want to thank, UnknownFlux, HannahbananaJane, JainaSyal, skeeter88, stargatesg1973, Notheronebitesdadust21, smilin steph, bulletproofdeath, Leonarange, torontogirl12, wisergirl71301, LovelyxLittlexLauren, Rayne90, janno, Kendra29, Hope'sFace, lexilia, Annie016, KrisShannon, StarlightShivers, MismatchedSocksandKnickers, 1956johndeere50, Amelia Jessica Pond Williams, BrianB1126, calliegirl63, leoniebroeder94, Sirius7, byLunaA, SecretsAreHiddenByMe, Too Hard to Be Called Love, BurnedSpy, NikkiAlex, , Annie016 and andrewjeeves for the favs!
I apologize if I missed anyone, if I did just give me a shout out like 'Mirror, how could you?' Seriously all PMs are welcomed. :D
Wanna give a special thanks to, FourHorses, torontogirl12, XxstarburstmonterxX, byLunaA, Buckeye am I, Gibbs Girl Kelly, horsegirlrule, CSIflea, and Too Hard To Be Called Love! I believe have replied to everyone's reviews I think…if I have missed you and haven't replied to your review, please sent me a PM and say 'What's the matter with you? You forgot me.
I feel like I should do a review, or follow of the week kind of thing that Bones and Glee do for their shows. I mean, there are so many of you! Sorry it took so long for the update, I kinda struggled with this chapter, but I promise to have the next one out quicker if RL permits it.
CHAPTER TEN
'Something's Hinky Here'
There were many things that hit her in that split second that she awoke. The panic rushing through her veins, the sweat dripping down her forehead, but most importantly, the hand that was on her shoulder. Bile rushed to the back of her throat on the tail of horrible scream that ripped through her when she realized she was not dreaming. She shoved the hand off of her, and started fighting. "No! No!" She punched and hit, and kicked.
Gibbs at first was startled by the violent reaction, then reached out, catching her wrist to stop the blows that rained on his chest. "Matthews!" He tried to calm her down, her blue eyes unfocused and filled with fright and he internally cursed himself.
"Matthews!" The voice reached through the fog of panic that wrapped around her, and the shadow knelt down. The moonlight illuminated Gibbs's face. "Evelyn! It's me! It's Gibbs!" He said, shaking her shoulders lightly.
Evelyn blinked hard, and choked out, "Gibbs?" Then she slumped like a broken marionette and if Gibbs hadn't had a hold on her, she would have fallen to the ground.
"Yes…" Gibbs lowered her, and set her up against the couch. He was careful and gentle, not wanting to send her into another fit.
"I thought…I thought…" Evie gave a frustrated sigh as she reached up and wiped her brow. Her hands were shaking, and she felt a sob work its way through her body, but she held it back stubbornly. "Why…why did you grab me like that?" She turned a wide eyed look at him, her eyes filled with anger, panic, and confused tears.
"I was trying to wake you up," Gibbs told her, softly.
Evelyn panted, her chest rising and falling in desperate breaths. She lowered her gaze from him and let her head drop to her knees. She was shaking her head back and forth and muttering something under her breath. "It's okay…it's okay…" Gibbs told her, reaching out with hand to pet her hair like he did with Abby when she was upset.
"No…it's not," Evie countered, taking deep even breath. "I hate them…I hate the nightmares, I hate the fear…" She clenched her jaw tightly and slammed her eyes shut, holding her breath counting back from twenty before releasing it. She opened her eyes, and looked around the room, noticing the daylight coming from her windows. "What…what time is it?" She asked, panicking for a whole new reason.
"Seven," Gibbs told her.
"Seven? But I'm late for work," Evelyn started to get up, but Gibbs forced her to sit back down.
"And I'm your boss," Gibbs pointed out. "You can get away with being late just this once."
Evie slightly relaxed, although she could feel the telltale sighs of her phobia slowly creeping in her veins and she said, brushing her hair out of her face, "Well…okay, but…the case! We need to get back to work on that and-"
"Are you sure you are ready to get back to work?" Gibbs asked, seriously. "Especially with everything that's going on?"
She looked over at him, and sighed. She had hoped he would have just let it go, but apparently not. "My life…isn't all sunshine and roses," she told him, trying to be as honest as she could without divulging the details. She just wasn't ready to take about her past openly with him just yet. "Good things happened, so did bad…sometimes I had nightmares. You frightened me is all. Besides…when I am at work I can focus on that…instead of everything else."
Gibbs could tell she wasn't lying, but the vagueness of her statement wasn't lost on him either. Evelyn kept her secrets close, which he reluctantly admired, but it made it all the more frustrating on how to help her. "I'm not sure work is what you need," he pressed, his blue eyes watching her expression.
"Yes, it is," she tiredly replied. "It is the only place I feel safe, Gibbs. I need to be there on a case, not here. Please? I'll even make some coffee for the road?" She added, putting on a shaky smile.
Gibbs sighed through his nose then nodded. "Alright. But expect to be chained to your desk," he told her, sharply. "I don't want another incident like last time."
"Aye, aye, Captain," she gave him a sub par salute that would have gotten him whack on the back of the head or kitchen duty if he had given it to one of his senior officers back in his Marine days. So he gave her a light smack to back of the head, and smirked slightly when she jumped and looked at him in disbelief. "Did you just head slap me?" Evie asked.
"Yep. Better get used to it," he told her, and helped her off the ground. "Go get dressed, and everything together. I'll be out in the car."
Evelyn knew she had just dodged a bullet, but the one thing about a man like her father was, they always carried a back up. His questioning was far from over, she realized as she watched him retreat from the room to give her privacy. It only made her dilemma ever more pressing…when was the right time to tell him the truth?
Evelyn sat at her desk, phone pressed to her ear as she read the number off the piece of paper she held in her hand. "Serial number of the ankle joint is three two seven four…zero one five." She held back a sigh, then reluctantly agreed, "Yes. I'll hold." Her eyes glanced up to Kate who sat working at her desk, "Doing something case related?"
"Joint replacement database site, targeting orthopedic specialists, search referenced to hospital privileges and surgical records," Kate replied, her fingers stabbing at the keyboard.
Evelyn raised an eyebrow. There was a crease on her brow that Kate only got when DiNozzo had been annoying her. A smirk curved her lips and she placed her hand over the end of the phone. "So…Kate," she stated, with conversationally. "What kind of tattoo did you get?"
"Oh, my God!" Kate's cheeks blotched red. "I told DiNozzo I was kidding!"
"Me thinketh that doth protest too much," Evie pointed out.
Kate gave her a hard look. "I don't have a tattoo!" Kate denied, but the glowing blush gave her away.
"I bet it's a flower. You see like the kind of woman who goes to for the flower tattoo," Evelyn guessed.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Kate blinked.
Evelyn didn't answer, instead she got back to her phone call. "Yep. Still here. Oh? Really? Mm-hmm. Thank you," she hung up the phone and informed Kate. "The manufacturer shipped our Marine's titanium ankle to the Naval hospital in Bethesda in ninety nine."
"Well," Kate turned to her computer, "if we narrow down the search then…" Her brown eyes stared at the screen as it was processing all the information she was putting in. "It was signed for by Captain Brent Peters. May fourteenth, two thousand."
"Yeah…" Evelyn looked at Kate. "I kinda knew that…they told me on the phone," she pointed a finger at her phone.
"Then why didn't you say that?" Kate looked at her, confused.
"It's called a dramatic pause," Evie explained.
Kate's eyes narrowed. "Tony's a bad influence on you," Kate sniffed, delicately.
"Tony's a bad influence on himself," Evelyn smirked, lightly. She then picked up the phone, and dialed in Gibbs number. When the gruff voice greeted her, she said, "Hey, boss. We've got something from the titanium ankle."
Picking up his gun, Ari walked into the small room, his home for the night. He locked the door behind him, he was not a trusting man nor will he ever be one. He glanced out the window that gave him a view of the nearby river. It was his last resort if his cover would to be blown, but he had set up several other escapes that he would try first. He also had an arsenal in his room that was unmatched by anyone in the group. He mentally thanked Ziva for pulling through for him, and yet…even with all the weapons and precautions…
Ari never felt safe. A restless feeling had stirred inside of him, perhaps since he knew that he was almost to the end of the life he led. He found himself suddenly opening the desk drawer, even though he swore he would not look at it again, he found himself staring down at the photograph of Evelyn Matthews. It was a mistake keeping the thing, if his enemies or his handlers ever got a hold on it then it could have fatal consequences especially for Evelyn.
What in the hell was wrong with him? What was he thinking? He didn't make mistakes, and yet here he was making one. He held the photograph, studying it with a pensive face. How had she gotten to him? What was about her that stirred him. It wasn't her beauty, though he found her quite beautiful. It was something else.
Something that shone inside those blue eyes that stared straight out at him. He forced himself to throw the picture back into its hiding place. He would never see her again. He had already chosen to take Agent Todd, because of her ties to the Secret Service could help him begin severing his ties with Mossad. The information he possessed would help cement the deal.
He dressed carefully, slipping into his weapons as easily as the leather jacket that slid over his wide shoulders. His dark eyes stared at his cleanly shaven face, the scruff he had grown out in the desert finally too much to bear. He could fit into any crowd without drawing too much attention. It would do no good if Agent Todd―no matter how unlikely that was-spotted him while he learned her habits and stops.
He placed a hand on the desk where the photograph was hidden, and cursed himself slightly. He was going to get himself killed over a woman. He shook his head and walked out the door, locking behind him. "Recon," he gave the excuse to Marta as she looked up at him questioningly.
He knew she would believe it. Her infatuation, that he admittedly encouraged, wasn't completely useless after all.
"Okay, so our Marine was supposedly killed two years ago?" Evie looked over at Gibbs for clarification, her brows rose into her hairline.
"According to his file," Gibbs stated, gruffily. "P-F-C Dorn's service record. He was only in the Corps eleven months before the accident. He was about to get a medical discharge when he died."
"Huh," Evie stared at Gibbs, tilting her head to the side.
"What?" Gibbs barked. He had kept his eyes on Evelyn all day, looking for signs of distress. He had yet to see any. It was almost like once Evelyn stepped off the elevator, she had became a different person. She acted like any other agent, without any worry except for the job. She had a very good mask, but he had seen behind it. Evelyn Matthews had a lot of demons. Perhaps more than all of them and that worried him, for her and for the rest of the team.
"I think that was the most I've heard you say at one time," Evelyn mused, fingers tapping across her chin. Gibbs's eyes narrowed down at her, and she shrugged sheepishly. "Death certificate signed by a Doctor Silvia Chalmers in Harmony, West Virginia," Evie informed him, trying to hide her smile.
"Harmony?" Tony raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, population sixteen hundred," Kate stated, with a smile. "Sounds cute, doesn't it?"
"Cause of death myocardial infarction," Gibbs looked at the paper in his hand that Evelyn passed over. "A heart attack at twenty two?"
"That's pretty hinky," Evelyn frowned. "I mean, you have to pass a fitness test to join the Marines, right?" She looked at Gibbs, who nodded. "So wouldn't they have caught if anything was wrong with his heart? I mean, I know prolonged drug use causes stress on the heart, but if that was the case they would caught that when he was injured, right?"
"Yes. They would have," Gibbs nodded, with a frown.
"I do believe the die is cast, however. If your parents and grandparents live to be old, so will you," Tony tried to joke to lighten the mood.
Gibbs shot him a look. "I had an aunt who died at seven," Gibbs stated gruffly.
"It's just a theory," Tony held up his hands in surrender.
If that theory was true, then Kelly and Shannon should be alive. And they aren't, Gibbs thought with a deep sigh. DiNozzo hadn't know the cord he had struck, and he shouldn't let it aggravate him. Swallowing back the bitterness, he looked over at Evelyn. "Where's the autopsy report?"
"There isn't one," Evelyn stated.
"You mean you didn't find it?" Gibbs questioned.
"No," Kate cut in. "There is no autopsy. The doctor signed a death certificate but that was it," Kate finished, and took a step back as Gibbs's expression darkened. Oh, boy.
"Small towns," Tony stated. "You can get away with murder."
"The hell you can! Evelyn, you're with me. We are going to find the doctor in Harmony. Why there was no autopsy report. Find out where this body is buried," Gibbs ordered. "Kate, you get us a court order to dig up P-F-C Dorn and you have that body shipped back here to Ducky. DiNozzo, go down to Abby's. See what she had found."
He had been studying them for days. Todd was a creature of habit, unconsciously sticking to a routine. She liked order and things the way she saw them. DiNozzo had surprised him. The man frequently went to help down at the children's shelter then lie saying it was a date. A serious man underneath his façade. Gibbs was a recluse, preferring the company of a bourbon and his boat. He was quite the craftsman.
Evelyn…was not what he had expected. The spitfire she had been, with no fear holed herself in her house. He noticed that it was made like a fortress, everything from the wind chimes to the plants was made to keep someone out or alert her of their presences. His admiration for her grew, though he was also puzzled.
What are you trying to keep out, sweet Evelyn? Ari pondered, leaving the coffee shop where Agent Todd had stopped by to get herself a much needed caffeinate beverage. Or what are you trying to keep in? He glanced at his watch noting the time. It was the same time as yesterday, and the day before that. Todd's routine was going to make his job much more easy.
"It was a tragedy," Chalmers was an older lady. She sat in a her chair, with her glasses on the tip of her nose. She regarded them with a sad green gaze. "He was such a nice looking young Marine."
"Had you met him before?" Gibbs inquired.
Chalmers shook her head, though her aging face wrinkled even further. Evelyn couldn't tell if she was stressed because of the memories, or if she was lying. Chalmers said, "No. No, he didn't live around here."
"So. He just walked in?" Evie quirked up an eyebrow.
"Well I was the only doctor for forty miles at the time," Chalmers stated, with a slight smile.
"Doctor Burger on the sign – is he a new addition?" Gibbs asked, curiously.
"He's buying out my practice. I still see some of the older patients who don't trust a young doctor," Chalmers stated fondly. "He's only thirty seven."
"Hmmm… and who brought PFC Dorn into your office?" Gibbs asked, seriously. "Was he with anyone? Did someone drop him off?"
"I believe he just walked in…he was by himself I belief," Chalmer stated, her brows furrowing. She made frustrated noise in the back of her throat, running a hand down her wrinkly face. "Thelma could have told you. Thelma Bowman, my nurse. She died last summer. Stroke. We were together, doctor and nurse, for nearly thirty years."
"I'm sorry," Evelyn told her.
"So am I," said Chalmers, with a hefty sigh. "You saw that young thing Doctor Burger hired to replace her."
"Sure did," Evelyn commented. She was sure the nurse was smart, after all to become a nurse she had to get through medical school, but Evelyn was betting the woman's generous chest was what got her the job. Tony probably would have volunteered to give her a breast examine, she thought with a mirthful grin. Gibbs gave her a look, and she had a feeling he knew what she was thinking because he probably thought it too. Clearing her throat, Evie beckoned, "Please, go on."
"Well, Thelma brought this young Marine into my office, set him right down there in that chair," Chalmer recalled, her green eyes narrowed in thought as she tapped her chin. "He couldn't catch his breath. He was suffering extreme chest pains. Classic heart attack symptoms."
"Why didn't Thelma just take him to an examination room?" Gibbs questioned, his blue eyes focused on Chalmers intently for any signs of a lie.
"Well, we only had one and let's see… I think the Thomas twins was in there with the measles. Well anyway, before I could get up from this chair… he'd collapsed right where you're standing now," Chalmers pointed out and Evelyn felt a shudder rush up her spine. "And I administered CPR while Thelma called County looking for the ambulance, only it was over at a car accident way out in Turtle Creek."
"They county only has one ambulance?" Evie's eyebrows rose.
"You've never lived in a small county, have you, my dear?" Chalmers looked at her with a small smile.
"Nope," Evelyn shook her head.
"Well, it has its compensations. Anyway, by the time the ambulance got here, young Dorn had expired," Chalmers told them, pointedly.
"Why didn't the coroner do an autopsy?" Gibbs inquired.
"Well I…I didn't feel there was a need to," Chalmers shrugged, lightly.
"You're the coroner, too?" Evelyn's eyebrows rose.
"I was. It's pro bono work. Doctor Burger's coroner now. I did do a blood test and found elevated levels of cardiac enzymes," Chalmers said, sitting up in her chair. "That and his symptoms seemed sufficient."
"Not anymore," Gibbs told her, gruffly. "We're getting a court order to exhume the body."
"Oh, my." Chalmers raised a hand to her cheek. "I'm afraid that's going to be impossible."
"Why not?" Gibbs sent her a sharp look.
"His sister had him cremated." Chalmers nonchalant statement made both agents' eyes widen in surprise. Evie thought to herself, Isn't that convenient? Judging by the scowl on Gibbs's face, he thought so too. Chalmers continued,"She was so upset when she identified the body. She didn't have the money to ship him home and she wanted to scatter his ashes over the Blue Ridge Mountains. I told her I really should do an autopsy, but she was so distraught over the… the thought of him being cut up."
"You let her talk you out of it?" Gibbs looked skeptical.
"I, too, have known the pain of loss, Agent Gibbs," Chalmers voice held no nonsense. "I'm afraid I let hers affect me more than it should have, professionally. That never happened to me in all my years as a doctor. That was when I decided it was time to retire and sell my practice."
Gibbs didn't seem to buy it, simply reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a picture. "Do you recognize this Marine?" He asked.
Chalmers looked at the picture, her brows wrinkling. "No…I don't recall meeting this man. Why, should I recognize him?" The doctor asked.
"He's PFC Thomas Dorn," Evelyn stated.
Chalmers eyes widened in shock.
"What are you thinking?" Evelyn asked, as Gibbs sped down the road.
"I'm thinking…that something doesn't add up," Gibbs told her, truthfully.
"Glad I'm not the only one," Evie stated, sucking in the fresh air. "Why do old ladies marinate in Estee Lauder? I mean seriously?" She looked at Gibbs for an answer.
"My ex-wife wore Estee Lauder," Gibbs stated.
Evie felt like she had been punched in the stomach. She looked at him in shock, and couldn't form words. "Ex-wife?" Her voice sounded calm, but the echo inside her mind was a scream. It never occurred to her that Gibbs would have moved on, married and loved someone other than her mother. She felt her stomach roll, and she realized that this must have been one of the things that Audrey told her to read in that damned file. "Is that why she's an ex-wife?" She asked, lightly.
"Nope," Gibbs shook his head. "She tried to split my head open with a seven iron," he commented nonchalantly.
"Unusual choice," Evelyn's blue eyes flickered out to the road, feeling conflicted with this new information about her father. "What happened to the good old traditional baseball bat?" She laughed.
Gibbs grimaced.
"Oh…" Evie's eyebrows shot upward. "So she got you with a baseball bat, too?"
"Nope…that was the other wife," Gibbs stated.
Evelyn felt her amusement dim. Other wife? He couldn't be talking about her mother, could he? Or did he have another wife? She knew it was wrong to feel a stab of jealous or anger, but she did. She turned her gaze back onto the road, letting the conversation drop because honestly it wasn't one she wanted to continue. Instead, she changed the subject, "How does someone misidentify their brother?"
"They don't unless they've got something to hide," Gibbs replied, darkly.
"What killed him?" Tony looked at Abby.
"Digitalis," Abby replied.
"The heart medication?" Tony raised an eyebrow.
"Yep. The tox level in Dorn's leg along was enough to kill a bull," Abby stated, seriously.
"Would the overdose," Tony posed the question, "give the symptoms of a heart attack?"
"Not just the symptoms. Oh, okay!" Abby's eyes widened. "So you think our leg and that Marine that died two years ago of a heart attack are tied together."
"As Gibbs always said, there is no such thing as coincidences," Tony stated, with a half smile.
"What about that rock formation on the moon that looks like Jay Lenos' chin?" Abby shot at him, with an amused smirk.
"It's perfectly normal," Tony smirked back. Then his hazel eyes grew serious and he asked, "So anything on…Evelyn's happy little stalker?"
Abby stated, "My babies are working on it, Tony! You can't rush these things!"
"Gibbs can," Tony pointed out.
"Yeah, but that's because he is Gibbs and if you don't get things done quickly he gets all growly and frown and he does the glare thing," Abby rambled off, wringing her hands nervously.
"I hate the glare thing," Tony muttered under his breath. "Almost as much as I hate the head slap thing."
"You hate the glare worse than the slap?" Abby looked over him amused.
"Yep."
Abby just chuckled when her computer beeped loudly. "Ooh!" She twirled around, plopping in her chair and her fingers moved across the keyboard at lightning speed. Then her lips parted in surprise, and she said, "Ooooh…"
"Oooh?" Tony repeated. "I didn't like that 'oooh', that sounded like a bad 'oooh'."
"It kinda was," Abby gestured for him to come to her then she pointed at something on the screen.
Tony quickly read it off, and his eyes widened. "Ooooh," he said, slowly.
"Yeah…"
"You searching for Dorn's sister?" Gibbs asked Evelyn.
"On it, boss," Evie stated, her fingers running across the keyboard. Dorn's file was pulled up, and she started sifting though the information to find any relatives.
The phone at Gibbs desk and he picked it up. "Gibbs," he answered gruffly.
"Gibbs," Tony said, looking down at the case file that sat in front of him then up at Abby who was pacing worriedly, "we've got a big problem."
"What DiNozzo?" He asked.
"Remember the people in the photo with Evelyn you wanted us to find," Tony said, slowly tapping his pen against the metal desk in a frantic rhythm. "Well, we found the man. He name was Eric Wells. He was 28, has a list of DUIs as long as my arm as well as a couple of assault charges. He was unemployed, unmarried and practically living out of his truck."
"Was?" Gibbs asked.
"He's dead," Tony told him. "The police found him last night. Killed himself in Spring Valley park. They found boozes, drugs and…cameras in his truck."
"Spring Valley park?" Gibbs went over the Washington area inside him mind. "That's two miles from Matthews's place."
"Yeah, I know," Tony replied.
"Good work, Tony," Gibbs stated, snapping his phone shut and he turned towards Evelyn who sat at her desk working away. He studied her for a few moments and sipped his coffee, then asked almost nonchalantly, "So…who is Eric Wells?"
The effect was instantaneous. Ever inch of Evelyn froze like she had been craved out of stone, and the blood drained out of her face. Her blue eyes widened and slow lifted to met his gaze as her breath hitched in her throat. "What…what did you just say?" She asked, her hands trembling around her pen.
"Who is Eric Wells?" Gibbs posed the question softly.
Evelyn jumped from her seat, her expression cold and she asked, her voice rough, "Where the hell did you hear that name?" She stopped in front of his desk, and glared at him in a way that no one else dared. It almost made Gibbs smile if the situation weren't so serious.
"He killed himself last night," Gibbs told her, cautiously. Evie gasped taking a step back, and her expression faltering as she stared down at him in utter shock. "What was he to you?" Gibbs questioned.
The angry glint to her eyes returned with full force and she growled out. "That bastard…is nothing to me," Evie spun on her heel and headed towards the elevator. She needed fresh air, and she needed it now. Gibbs gave a sigh, and rose from his desk following her into the elevator. She gave him a glare as the doors slid close, and he slammed down on the emergency button. "What are you doing?" She asked, but took a step back when Gibbs leaned in her space.
"I want to know what your problem is, Matthews," Gibbs barked out. "We are all trying to help you, trying to have you back, if you will let us."
She stared at him, her anger melting away into uncertainty before her gaze dropped from his. "What makes you think I want your help?" She asked, stubbornly.
"If you hadn't…you wouldn't have broken down this morning," Gibbs countered, knowingly. "Now…what is Eric Wells to you?"
Evelyn closed her eyes, and expelled the painful breath from her body. Gibbs watched her silently. Finally, she ran her hands down her face and shook her head slightly. "I been through a lot of foster homes. Most of them were okay. Most of them were after the check, but they were a least nice. There were only a handful that were bad," Evie stated, remembering the few times that she had gotten slapped. "But it was never anything I couldn't handle. None of them held a candle to the Wells household."
"They were your foster family before Audrey, weren't they?" Gibbs realized, tilting his head to the side.
Evie gave a scoffing laugh. "You've really done you're homework on me haven't you?"
"Eric Wells," Gibbs reminded her.
"Yes. They were my foster family before Audrey." Evelyn sighed. "There just wasn't something right with that family. On the outside, they were the perfect family…on the inside?" A bitter twist of Evie's lips appeared. "Dana their daughter was stuck up, but I've been around worse. Mrs. Wells was a drunk, and Mr. Wells was an abusive bastard."
"Did he hurt you?" Gibbs asked, feeling rage boil in his gut.
"Gibbs…"
"Did he?"
"Yes…" Evie couldn't bear looking at him. She would break down again if she did. "He slapped me twice, burnt me with a cigar once…that was it. It was…their son, Eric, that did the rest." Her lips tugged downward and she pressed her eyes closed.
"Take your time," Gibbs whispered out.
"He moved back in. It didn't seem like that big of a deal, you know? He was actually really nice-well, I thought that at the time," Evie stated, her jaw clenching. "He would take me to the movies or out to ice cream…I thought he trying to be nice. But then Dana…she just walked up to me one day and said she was sorry."
"For what?" Gibbs asked, though he had a feeling he knew why and he felt anger boil in his veins.
"At first I didn't know," Evie confided, softly. "Then one night…Dana was away at a friends, and Mr. and Mrs. Wells went out for dinner…and Eric got drunk. He…" Evelyn sighed, pressing her hands to her forehead as she leaned against the elevator wall. "He tried…tried to…"
Gibbs's eyes darkened as he realized what she meant, and his hands clenched at his side.
"But he was too drunk," Evie managed to continue on after swallowing the lump in her throat. Gibbs stood there, unable to form words as Evelyn's eyes looked feral with fear as she remembered the worse time in her life. "I fought him off. And…he said no one would believe me," Evie told him, her voice growing soft. "And I…I believe him. So I kept quiet, and at nights I would…I put stuff in front of the doors and windows so if…if he tried it again then I would hear him."
"Did he?" Gibbs knew he had to ask.
"…twice," Evie's voice was faint. "But he didn't get far. The noise from the things I placed in my room woke his parents, and he left not wanting to get caught. After that I did everything I could think of to make the Wells not want me. I got into fights, I smoked, I drank, and it worked. They sent me back and I was…safe I guess." Drawing in a deep breath, she looked up at Gibbs. "Gibbs…was he the one stalking me?"
"Seems that way," Gibbs told her.
It hit her, a wave of sickness and the urge to scream or cry that was followed by the thought, He's dead…he's dead…A calm wafted through her and she felt her shoulders slump with relief. "Is it wrong that I'm…relieved that he's dead?" She asked, looking up at Gibbs.
"No. It's not," Gibbs assured her, firmly.
Evelyn's expression softened slightly, and she stared up at him with a peculiar expression. One filled with a lot of pain, and hope. "Gibbs…there is something else I need to tell you," she spoke, her voice sounding far off as her pulse thumped in her throat.
Gibbs peered down at her worriedly. "What is it, Evelyn?"
Her mouth went dry and she thought of a million ways to start the conversation, to confess to him the truth. It was something that had always been on her mind, and she had imagined several ways that she could start it, but in that moment it all disappeared. Everything fled from her mind, she was standing there in front of her father and she couldn't find the words. Her mouth worked up and down. "I'm…" She finally began a tremble of uncertainty in her voice, but a loud ringing cut her off.
Gibbs cursed underneath his breath. "Hold that thought," he pulled back from her, and pulled out his cell phone. "Gibbs."
Evelyn stared at him, for a moment long moment watching his eyes grow wide and he said, "Yeah. Yeah…we're on our way."
"What's going on?" Evelyn asked, looking up at him.
"We've found Melissa Dorn," Gibbs told her.
"Then what are we waiting for?" Evie asked him.
He got a small smile on his face, and hit the button. The elevator came back to life and he asked, "You going to give me an address, DiNozzo?"
Gibbs and Evelyn stood in front of the door, and Gibbs raised a hand and knocked. There was a beat before the sound of heels clacking against the wooden floor grew louder and louder before the door was opened. A woman with bright red hair and blue eyes opened the door with a small confused smile, "Hello…can I help you?"
"You already have," Gibbs stated.
Evelyn shot him a weird look, then looked back Melissa Dorn. After explaining why they were here, Melissa led them to the living room. "You would have liked Howard. He was the life of the party," Melissa smiled sadly.
"He was your half brother?" Evelyn asked. "Is that correct?"
"Yes," Melissa nodded, then returned her gaze to Gibbs. "We were raised by our father. Do you have any brothers and sisters, Agent Gibbs?" She inquired lightly.
"No," Gibbs shook his head.
"An only child? I figured as much," Melissa nodded, with a slighty flirty smile.
Gibbs returned it. "Hmm. How so?" He asked.
Evelyn stared uncertain if she was seeing what she was thinking she was seeing. Was Gibbs flirting? With a suspect? It had to be a game…right? Evie watched the scene with a weird detachment like she was staring through some kind of filter or watching a film. Melissa chuckled slightly, "You have all the classic traits of a first born; confident, and pays attention to detail, perfectionist, difficulty sharing."
"Guilty, guilty, guilty. Depends," Gibbs gave a small laugh, with an easy smile that Evelyn hadn't seen since she was child. Okay she was definitely not liking this.
"So why the visit after two years?" Melissa asked.
"We're working on another case," Evelyn finally rejoined the conversation. "There might be a tenuous connection."
"How can I help?" Melissa asked.
"Do you have any of your brother's personal effects?" Gibbs asked.
Melissa shook her head. "Anything that I didn't donate I threw away. I wanted to keep some of his thing, but they just made me sad," she gave a sigh then suddenly straightened and gave a small laugh. "Oh, where are my manners? Would you like some coffee?"
"Oh, yeah, I'd love some coffee," Gibbs said.
Evelyn fought a snigger.
"And you? Would you like some?" Melissa asked.
"None for me, thanks," Evelyn replied, politely.
As Gibbs and Evelyn left, the younger woman was practically bursting with the need to start sprouting off questions. Finally when they were next to the car, she asked, "You weren't buying any of that, were you?"
"Any of what?" Gibbs's right eyebrow rose.
"Her…giggly…charm," Evelyn fought to explain.
"Her giggly charm?" Gibbs narrowed his gaze at Evelyn, cocking his head. "Is it really that hard to believe, Evelyn, that I might be attractive to a woman?"
I wonder if I said 'yes' if he would headslap me or just shoot? It doesn't matter. This is not a conversation I want to have with my dad. Evelyn thought, and she just gave him a deadpanned stare. She stated, "That's not what I meant."
"Did you find us anything that'll get us a search warrant?" Gibbs changed the subject much to Evelyn's relief. The last thing she wanted was to delve into her father's love life.
"Well," Evelyn shifted on foot to foot, "she told you that she lives alone, but the toilet seat was up in the downstairs bathroom."
"Oh, you can tell that one to the judge," Gibbs gave her a look.
"Okay, well Abby found a piece of straw in Dorn's sock and there is a barn around the back," Evelyn was grasping at straws…no pun intended. After a moment, she conceded, "Fine. I found nothing that could give us probably cause."
Gibbs paused, tilting his head, "Maybe I did."
Evelyn looked at him confused, then looked at the sycamore tree that he was staring at. "Oh…oh," she nodded, her eyes widening. "The seed found in Dorn's boot. It was from a sycamore tree, too, wasn't it?"
"Exactly," Gibbs reached up and pulled a few seeds from the tree. He then got another one from a tree down the street while Evelyn watched on with slight amusement. As he bagged it, and got back into the car, he looked over at her, "What were you going to tell me?"
"What?" She looked over at him.
"In the elevator," he reminded her. "You said you had something you needed to tell me. What was it?"
Evelyn sat there for a moment, motionless before shaking her head with a smile. "I honestly can't remember," she said the lie without blinking.
Gibbs didn't look convinced, but turned the key in the ignition and let the matter drop for now.
Gibbs went straight to Abby's lab, while Evelyn sat at her desk listening to Tony and Kate go back and forth. "Six letter word for a reason to commit a crime?" Tony questioned, looking at Kate with a grin. "Come on, don't tense up. Starts with M."
"Murder," Kate replied.
"No," Tony shook his head. "Motive."
"Murder is a motive," Kate shot back.
"Why don't you to two go get a room and get it over with?" Evelyn looked between the two of them. Kate went red, while Tony even paused looking briefly flustered.
"What do you have?" Gibbs came walking up.
"Six letter word for reason to commit crime," Tony said.
"DiNozzo," Gibbs shot him a look.
Tony pointed out. "That's seven letters."
"Works for me. What do you got?" Gibbs repeated his question, and gave Tony the look.
"PFC Dorn purchased a term policy for three quarters of a million two months before his heart attack in Harmony," Tony stated, quickly. "The beneficiary is his only living relative…"
"His half sister Melissa. She and Dorn fed some sucker digitalis and dropped him off in Harmony," Kate added in with a frown.
"She identifies the body as her brother, cons the old lady coroner with crocodile tears into cremating the body and not performing an autopsy," Evelyn finished up, her brows furrowed lightly.
"The insurance company paid the claim?" Gibbs asked.
"Sure did," Tony gave a nod.
"Get the name of the adjuster?" Gibbs asked, his blue gaze moving across his team.
Evelyn replied, "Stanley Gordon, Rexford Mutual, Baltimore."
"Why are you two still here?" Gibbs looked at Kate and Tony. He watched the two scurry towards the elevator before looking over at Evelyn. "Evelyn," Gibbs looked over at her. Abby had told him what happened with the police department handing over Eric Wells body to the NCIS and he inquired, "Are you going to down there?"
Evelyn's face was taunt, and her blue eyes looked up at him steadily. However there was a slight tremor that ran through her, and she said, "I don't know. They want me to make a positive id on him. It's just really procedure bullcrap."
"What about his family?" Gibbs asked.
"Mother's in an asylum and barely recognizes herself, father died of liver cancer three years and sister killed herself two years ago," Evie told him, her voice flat and lifeless. "Apparently…she left a letter telling the parents exactly what their little boy was up to because he had hurt her too."
"So it falls on you," Gibbs noted, lightly.
"Looks that way," Evelyn said, softly. "I don't want to do it, Gibbs. I told myself after I left that house that I would never have to see him again…" Evie drew in a deep breath. "I'm not sure I can do this."
There was a moment. "I think you can," Gibbs stated, and Evelyn's head snapped upward to meet his gaze. "And I think you need to. You didn't get to face him, to confront him for attempting to hurt you like that. You never got the closure you needed. Maybe it's time for you to do that." With that Gibbs walked away, knowing in his heart what Evelyn would decide.
After Kate and Tony talked to the insurances agency it was learned that they reluctantly paid Melissa the money because she had threatened to sue, and they wanted to avoid the loss of millions of dollars where they could simply just pay a tenth of that. Gibbs was on his sixth cup of coffee, and it wasn't even noon yet.
"Six cups and it isn't even noon," Ducky appeared and announced his very thoughts.
"Oh, Duck," Gibbs sighed, looking down at the case. There was a genuine grief in Melissa Dorn, but the woman was also hiding something. And he'd bet anything that it had to do with her brother's and their mystery Marine's deaths. He just had to find a way to prove it. "This one's bothering me."
"So Abby said." Ducky mused. "You have her doing the same test twice."
Gibbs's lips pursed. "Dorn's leg shows up in a trash big. Tox screen shows digitalis, which is probably what he and or his sister gave the Marine in Harmony two years ago to pull off an insurance scam," he let out a big sigh.
"Sounds reasonable," said Ducky.
"So who killed Dorn a few days ago? Why toss his leg into a trash bin?" Gibbs stated, his eyes narrowed as he mentally went over all they knew trying to piece together why. "And why can't we find the rest of his body?"
"I recall a case in the Forensic Journal where the only evidence was a thumb found in the coin return of a pay phone," Ducky recalled, rubbing his chin in thought.
"Yeah? And?" Gibbs looked at him.
"Well, that's the only part that I remember," Ducky admitted sheepishly.
"Oh, Ducky, this is not helping me," Gibbs sighed.
"Well have you identified the body the sister claims was Dorn's?" Ducky asked.
"Cremated and spread over the Blue Ridge Mountains," Gibbs finished off his cup of coffee and looked down at the empty cup. He was going to need another cup by the end of the day. "Or so we've been told."
"Oh, that does pose a problem," Ducky observed, quietly.
"Duck," Gibbs started.
"Hmm?" Ducky raised his gaze.
"How is Evelyn?" He asked.
"Oh. Yes, that whole affair," Ducky said, with obvious distaste. He didn't know exactly what was going on with Evelyn, but he knew the last thing the woman had wanted was to identify that body. "She wanted to be alone. Said it would be easier that way. I'm not entirely sure that's true."
Gibbs nodded. He sat there for a moment before getting up out his seat. Ducky looked at him inquiringly, "Where are you going, Jethro?"
Gibbs shot him a look knowing the good doctor already knew the answer to that question. He headed towards the elevator when he ran into Abby, and he saw the troubled look on her face. "Walk with me," he told her.
She followed by his side and slipped into the elevator. When the doors shut, she started rambling, "Gibbs, those pictures on that guys camera…well, we all know that there were some that weren't originally taken with that camera."
"Yes," Gibbs nodded.
"I also went over all the police departments evidence as well. The pictures that they found in Eric Wells's truck were some that were on the camera, but…" Abby handed him a piece of paper and pointed out something. "They were printed out right before he died, so one would think, he must have had a back up camera…except the police didn't find one."
Gibbs lips pursed. "Good work, Abby," Gibbs told her, as he stepped out of the elevator.
"Good work?" Abby looked at him. "But Gibbs, if this means what I think it means, because it's extremely hinky and you know that then-"
"It means that Eric Wells might not have been Evelyn's stalker after all," Gibbs nodded. The doors slid shut and Abby stood there before giving a sigh.
Evelyn had expected to feel a lot of emotions as she had stepped through the autopsy door and saw his body. Fear, and anger were the primary two she expected. The urge to scream and hit him, and make him hurt. Instead, she felt calm. Eerily so. It was as if all her anger was drained out of her and she stood there contemplating the dead man in silence. The officer questioned her, and she in a monotone replied. He left her alone in the autopsy room and she stared at Eric Wells, her brows furrowed in thought. She didn't realize how long she had been standing there until the door behind her slid open.
She didn't need to turn around to know it was Gibbs, she recognized his footsteps. Silence ticked by before finally he spoke up. "What are you thinking?" Gibbs asked, lightly.
"I'm thinking about me and Pippy Longstockings, but what would the children look like?" She quipped, with a edge of sarcasm. She practically feel Gibbs's need to headslap her in that moment and sighed. "He gave me nightmares," she stated, softly and calmly. Her locked on the body as if trying to dissect some kind of weird puzzle. "After waking up in the hospital with amnesia, I didn't dream often, so I really cherished them and he…he turned them into nightmares." Sometimes she wondered if she somehow made the tumor to suppress her feelings, and memories. After all the human body was miraculous capable of doing amazing feats to keep itself going. "Now…he doesn't look that scary. I don't know why I ever thought he did."
"You were a kid back then," Gibbs told her, understandingly. "You didn't know you had a way of fighting back, but you know that now. He made you feel helpless, that's what made him so scary."
"I guess so," Evelyn wrinkled her nose. The man looked peaceful, there was nothing about his face that said he was a sick, twisted individual in life. Nothing like the monster that had planted the seed from which many of her fears stemmed.
"What about now?" Gibbs asked. "Do you think he'll give you nightmares now?"
Evelyn weighed the question then finally shook her head. "No. I don't think so. Not anymore," she said, turning away from the body slab. "I came down here expecting to find the monster that I was scared of, instead I see a sick, and ugly man he really was. Not the kind of thing that's nightmare worthy."
Gibbs looked at her for a long moment before accepting the answer. Evelyn smiled and walked out of autopsy with him. "So…catch me up on the case," she looked at her boss for answers.
"Well, let's just say the tree has given us probable cause," Gibb stated. "DiNozzo, Kate and I are heading to Melissa Dorn's now to execute a search warrant. Feel up to it?"
Can you handle it right now? That was the question that was between the lines, and Evelyn heard it loud and clear. Giving a sharp nod, she smiled, "Let's go."
The all exited the vehicle, and Evelyn drew her sidearm out and looked to Gibbs for orders. He didn't disappoint. "Tony, Evelyn, you take the barn. Kate, you got the house," he got out of the van.
"What're you going take?" Evelyn blurted out. Her eyes widened a fraction, and she shook her head back and forth. No, she did not want to think about her dad flirting among other things. "No, not what I meant. Words did not come out right."
"Yeah, I know what you meant," Gibbs said, with a light smirk and shake of his head. "Get going."
The team split up. Kate headed for the house with Gibbs, while Evelyn and Tony headed towards the barn. They crossed the yard in a cautious pace, and Tony reached for the door handle. He looked over at Evelyn and she gave him a nod to tell him that she was prepared. He pulled out the door, and Evelyn went in with her gun raised, her finger ready on the trigger. However, there was nothing there.
The barn was clean, immaculately so. Tony raised an eyebrow. "This has to be the cleanest barn ever. If she uses a service, I've got to have that number."
"I know, right?" Evelyn smiled, her eyes sweeping over the area. She froze her heart literally skipping a beat, looking down at the concrete. There were lines cut into the concrete, faint and from some type of saw. "Tony, look at that," she pointed it out.
Tony saw the five lines and paled slightly.
"You see what I see?" Evie looked at him.
"Yeah…" Tony's face went grim. "This is where Dorn was cut up."
"I really don't know what you think you're going to find here. Why do you keep staring at me? I could never have killed Tommy. I loved him!" Melissa looked at Gibbs with a glare, crossing her arms over her chest.
"A Gunny who knew both of you told me the same thing," Gibbs stated, not in the least bit unnerved by the angry red head. "Funny, though, he didn't know that you were brother and sister."
Melissa flushed, looking a tad ashamed and looked away from Gibbs pursing her lips. Gibbs walked into the kitchen, "Looks like you could use a glass of water."
Melissa stood there, her eyes flickering from the kitchen to Kate who sifting around through her things and she began to realize that she wasn't going get out of this. She accepted the glass from Gibbs and sipped it before setting it down.
Gibbs carefully picked up. "Thank you," he told a confused Melissa. "Have Abby compare her prints with those on her brother's leg."
Melissa glared at him.
The door opened and Evelyn stumbled through with Tony hot on her heels. "The barns where the cut him up," Evelyn stated, her face pale by the thought.
"Blood on the floor. Nicks in the concrete," Tony added, his eyes looking over at Melissa with an aloof expression. "Looks like they were made by a power saw."
Melissa just closed her eyes and dropped her head into her hands, looking like she was about to burst into tears. Evelyn felt Tony shift beside and shot him a look. His brows were pinched and he sniffed the air, carefully. "What's wrong, Tony?" She asked.
Tony looked around the room, then pulled out his gun.
"What?" Gibbs tensed.
"There's someone else," Tony started up the stairs, and Evelyn withdrew her gun and followed him. They walked towards the bedroom when Evelyn began to smell a strange, sweet smell. It was familiar and tickled her memory, but she couldn't place it. Evelyn stood with her back placed against the wall, and her hand on the door handle, adrenaline coursing through her veins as she tensed for a fight. She looked at Gibbs, who nodded, then at Tony, who nodded before she pulled the door open. Gibbs and Tony moved into the bedroom. It was neat, just like the barn had been, and not a soul in sight.
Tony pointed to the closet door, his eyes narrowed upon it and Gibbs followed him. Gibbs reached for the door and opened it. Tony and Evelyn held their guns on the person standing there. Evelyn's mouth dropped open in shock, "Dr. Chalmers?"
Dr. Chalmers love for Estee Lauder was her downfall, thanks to Tony's sharp nose. It was only after that they discovered that Dr. Chalmers was Melissa Dorn's mother, and that she didn't apparently approve of the love that Melissa had for her brother (thought the extent of that love could only be speculated since Melissa's lips were sealed on that matter), so she killed him. In the end, they had arrested both of them and they were both on they way to a cell.
And the paperwork that this entire mess left behind wasn't pleasant. Her hand hadn't cramped this bad since she had final exams in college.
"They just found the left arm in the garbage dump at Chiefton," Tony informed them all.
"So where does that leave us?" Kate asked.
"Right arm from Katy Lick, a torso from Marshville and the original leg from the dumpster in Clarksburg," Evelyn ticked off on her fingers. "Still no head, or left leg."
"Well, which I'm betting are going to be turning up around Lake Floyd or Jarvisville," said Tony, looking at the map as he tacked off the town where the left arm was found.
"Did you check Hooterville?" Abby asked, raising an eyebrow with a grin.
"Where's Hooterville?" Kate frowned while Evelyn shook her head with a loud.
"You guys, Petty Coat Junction. Green Acres. Hooterville," said Abby, looking affronted that they didn't understand her pop culture reference.
"I prefer TV shows from this century," Tony stated.
"Oh come on, they're hilarious! When we were in college we had this drinking game and the drugs collect in a solvent layer and that leaves only proteins and biological material behind," Abby said, waving her hands around.
Evelyn and Tony frowned. "Huh?" They asked.
"That's great, Abby. I'll make sure to get that in the report," said Kate, with a smile.
"What report?" Tony asked, still confused.
"We've got Humpty Dumpty back together?" Gibbs walked in with a fresh cup of coffee in his hand.
"Most of him," Evelyn answered.
"Melon and left leg are still outstanding," Tony told Gibbs as he walked by his desk.
"Any more tattoos?" Gibbs asked.
Evelyn couldn't fight the laughter when Tony sent Kate a smirk before announcing loudly, "Just the rose on Kate's butt."
Kate turned a million shades of red, and it got worse when Gibbs nonchalantly commented, "It's not a rose."
Tony's mouth dropped open in shock, and Evelyn's report had a big line running through it as she looked at Gibbs as he settled down at his desk as if nothing were amiss. Abby looked over Kate with mischievous smile, while Kate sputtered out, "He doesn't know that! Tell them, Gibbs!"
Gibbs merely sipped his coffee.
END OF CHAPTER
I was going to begin "Reville" at the end of this chapter, but I decided I would set that up in the next chapter because I had to research a couple of things first. Anyways I hoped you enjoyed!
Rrs are always welcomed and appreciated! :D