Chapter 7

Ducky was already on autopsy when Jimmy arrived.

" Mr Palmer! Good Morning. I hope you are felling better. "

" Good Morning Dr. Yes, I am much better, thanks. "

" Well, if that's the case. Let's get ready. That's much yet to be done. I will fill you on the details of the work I have made last night. "

" Of course Dr. "

They started to work. Ducky noticed that his assistant seemed to be a little distracted but didn't say anything. A few hours later Gibbs entered the room.

" What you got Ducky? "

Gibbs and Ducky noticed that Jimmy wasn't startled by Gibbs arrival, wich he usually was.

" Ah, Jethro! I have lots to tell. This family had a lot to tell us. But first, Mr. Palmer would you please get this last samples to Abigail? "

" Of course Dr. "

Jimmy took the samples and left Autopsy.

" So? How did they died? "

Ducky made his way to the drawers on the wall. He opened one with a small brown dog.

" Let's begin with the family dog, Caramel according to the tag on its collar. One stab wound, straight to the heart. It would have killed it immediately. There is no sign that it attacked the person who killed him. "

" So it knew him? "

" Perhaps. Or it just didn't see a threat. That's for you to find out Jethro."

He closed that drawer and went to the next one, he opened it a 7-year-old little girl with long red hair.

" Young Lisa. Such a shame. The injuries suggest that a blow to the chest area, I'm guessing a kick for the shape of the bruise, it was strong enough to crack her ribs. That would most likely caused the injury in the back of the head when she fell. Then the four stabs wounds, three in the lower abdomen and one straight to the heart, wich was the cause of death. "

He opened the drawer top drawer, a 9-year-old boy with short brown hair was there.

" Gerald. This young lad has bruises on his face from a blow, conclusion is that the attacker hit him with the back of his hand. There is some defensive wounds but unfortunately I have not found no foreign DNA on them. There is a big bruise from a kick on his left side, other injuries on his right side indicating that he fell. He also have four stab wounds, one on the lower abdomen, three on the upper, two straight to the heart one puncturing the right long. "

He closed both drawers and moved to another one. A 13-year-old girl with shoulder length hair was inside.

" Amanda. She has some scratches on her knees and ankles, they are a few days old, from what looks like falling on the grass, apparently she loved to play soccer. "

" Her team was the division champion last year, Duck. "

" Yes, such a shame. Well, Amanda has more defensive wounds than her younger siblings, she even manage to break two nails on her right hand. Her arms are covered with punches and blows, so are her legs and torso. The torso has 6 stab wounds. The last was the one to the neck, the blade was inserted on the right side and it went all the way to the other side. She bled out before she could suffocate to death, it was quick but rather painful. "

He closed the drawer and open another one. A petit woman on her mid 30's, she had long red hair.

" Emily, she had a lot of injuries. Punches and kicks from the ankle to the head. Her left tibia is broken in three places, her collar-bone its shattered, her right humerus is broken in two, her ribs are bruised. This woman fought a lot, but also no DNA from the attacker. 10 stab wounds on the abdomen, one of them straight to the heart. "

He closed the drawer and went to the table where Lt. Manning was.

" And for last, Lt. Manning. He has an injury on the front of the head consistent with someone hitting his head repeatedly against a surface, I imagine a wall from the particulates I've found on the wound, he would have been knocked unconscious. He has marks that confirm that he was dragged. Three stab wounds to the heart and a cut on the front of the neck. He has a lot of defensive wounds both humerus broken, as well as both femurs, tibia and fibulae. Cracked ribs and a fractured sternum. Also a broken jaw. "

Gibbs took a moment to absorb everything he had just heard.

" What do you think of the guy who did it? Or guys? "

" Well all bruises are relatively the same size. The evidence suggest that there was one attacker, or that the attackers were the same height, with feet the same size, and same sized hands. I'm guessing one person. "

" Why? "

" All the injuries were precise. No hesitation. There is a lot of them of course, but most of them are more painful than deadly. There was no DNA on the victims, wich is an impressive feat with the amount of fighting they manage to have. If you would want my opinion..."

" That's why I'm here Duck. "

" Well. This man could have killed them much faster, and more efficiently. This was a show. It was a message for someone, especially with the way the Lt. was positioned and the drawing on the wall. To whom was the message for, I can not say. "

" Thanks Duck. "

Gibbs stormed out of Autopsy and entered the elevator, on his way to Abby's lab.