Chapter 31
Palmer gave them the fake story. In general, it went a little something like this:
Jimmy Smith, born and raised in Minnesota, only child to John and Sarah Smith. At age 17, met Artemis, it was young love, full of passion and foolishness. She was a runaway, also 17. Dark brown hair, dark eyes, medium built. They dated for a while, meeting behind the bar she worked on. She knew that he was not happy there, so she said that they could run together. She was getting bored staying in just one place, she would leave and he could come with her. They decided to run away together. From meeting her to running away with her, it must have been about six months.
They moved from town to town. Getting jobs where they could, doing pretty much all from cleaning to serving, cooking. Other things that he implied being illegal, but never admitted to anything. They would sleep in the car they had, motels if they had the money.
It was good, while it lasted, but eventually, the fire was out. The initial passion died. All that was left was affection, and it was not enough to make him ignore the fact that he didn't want to live that way anymore. Not really connecting with people. He wanted to enjoy life, not survive it. He wanted to make something out of himself, be a doctor. Not scam people for money.
She was not happy with that.
So, he made preparations in secret. Living on the run gave him good connections. It took him time, to get the courage to leave, to slowly save enough money to leave, to hire someone who would make him a new identity. It took years. But he did it. One morning, before she woke up, he just wasn't there anymore.
After being with her for almost four years.
And Jimmy Palmer was born.
When he finished telling the story, the others didn't react at first. Not surprisingly, the first was Abby, that stood and gave him another hug.
" Oh Jimmy! Don't worry, we'll figure this out. I go to my lab, I'm not leaving until I find her and you're safe. "
He hugged her back, put kept discretely observing the others. They were all in deep thought, Gibbs was the one to have his face devoid of any emotion, the others looked lost in thought.
Ducky looked at his watch.
" It's quite late I belive I'm heading home. "
Gibbs looked at his watch aswell, he wanted his team to stay and kep working, trying to find a way to stop this woman before new victims they had no way to know who was the target, Palmer said that she most probably chose at random. And there would be a crime scene tomorrow. Another one. And if the message was any indication, it would be even worse than the first one.
" Alright, I want you to go home and get some sleep. We start this with fresh eyes tomorrow. "
They all looked about to protest, but thought better, they were pretty tired.
" DiNozzo, you're protecting Palmer tonight. "
Palmer jumped out of the table.
" Agent Gibbs, I don't think that's necessary. "
" Don't think is necessary Palmer? After everything you just told us? DiNozzo is staying with you. "
" But he's tired and I don't think anything will happen. He should go home and rest properly, he looks tired. "
" Wow, Autopsy Gremlin I didn't know you cared. But I'm fine. You say nothing will happen, but she tried to kill you twice already. And, from all of us, you are the one that looks like crap. "
He didn't have any other arguments against it, so he just nodded and left the autopsy room, knowing that Tony would follow.
He was hoping he would have some time alone, to sort his thoughts, to let his Palmer mask fall and be himself for a moment.
It was going to be a long night.