Morgan stepped into the Director's office and stood before her desk quietly as the woman finished up what she was doing on the computer. When she finished, the Director pulled out a service weapon and badge, and placed it on the desk before folding her arms in front of her.
"You're certain you're ready to be back?"
Morgan frowned lightly. "I was released from the hospital and unlike some people, I actually take my medication as directed."
"Yes, but are you going to follow directions and remain out of the field?" The Director countered, making her glance away. "I thought not. At the very least, take it easy. You still have stitches, don't you?"
"They get taken out next week," Morgan informed her and she nodded as she pushed the weapon and badge over toward her.
"I've already told Gibbs your restrictions," she informed Morgan, whose frown deepened. "Next time you decide to run off with a witness, perhaps you'll think twice about getting shot."
She grunted, taking her things, and stepped out of the office. She headed downstairs rather gingerly and made it back to the bullpen where Russell was quickly by her side. Ziva saw the needy dog and cracked a smile.
"Somebody missed you."
"He's been with me the whole time I was in the hospital," Morgan argued, sitting down and sending the dog to his bed; though he moved rather reluctantly and sat as close to her on his bed as possible. "Might need to send him off someplace for training or something. He's become too co-dependent."
"Is that a bad thing?"
Morgan grunted, shrugging slightly. "Depends. For him, it is a bit. Can cause separation anxiety and could lead him to make bad judgment calls when he's given commands. I'll keep an eye on it."
"Gear up. We've got a case," Gibbs announced then, walking into the bullpen to get his own gear from his desk before stopping by Morgan as Russell handed her her bag from off the ground. "Nice to have you back, Frost."
"Nice to be back, boss," she replied, eyeing him for a moment but he continued toward the elevator without a second look so she finished grabbing her things and followed after him.
The crime scene was an interesting one. A newly redone house for sale with the corpse of a Lance Corporal suddenly plopped in the chair in the front room. So, as much as Morgan would like to think about the strange changes to Gibbs, she was forced to set the thoughts aside while she took Russell through the house and yard. Not that that stopped the rest of the team from voicing their own comments.
"There's no rush, gentlemen," Ducky called out when McGee and Palmer ran into one another. "Our patient isn't going anywhere."
"Well, Ducky, the old Gibbs is back," McGee countered.
"The old Gibbs?"
"McGee!" Gibbs called out, stepping into the front room as though he'd been summoned by their discussion. "Over here. Hands and knees. On the floor."
"Okay. Um…" McGee hesitated for a moment before doing as he asked, glancing up at him uneasily. "You're not going to step on me, are you?"
Gibbs shot him a look and the understanding dawned on him.
"Footprints! Footprints. Looking for footprints," McGee muttered, leaning down to eye the carpet. "It's a pretty tight weave."
"It looks like sisal," Ducky reported. "It's a naturally stiff fiber, woven from the leaf of the cactus plant. It doesn't mat, trap dust, or build static. Makes it ideal for carpeting, but personally, I prefer a good shag." He paused at the odd looks he got and cleared his throat. "From a criminal-investigative standpoint."
"I don't see any dirty footprints," McGee confirmed for Gibbs as Ducky hummed.
"I think it's safe to assume that our friend didn't stroll in here on his own."
"He didn't," Morgan reported from the front door where she grimaced a bit and turned to frown at Russell—who was at the end of his long line and had pulled a bit—before speaking again. "Russell caught a scent. I'll come back if we find anything."
Gibbs nodded and waved her off as Tony stepped in behind her.
"You look happy to see me, boss," he noted only for Gibbs to reach out and take the coffee in his hand. "Oh, it's the coffee… Ran the military ID our local LEOs got off the body. Lance Corporal James Finn stationed at Quantico. Went UA when his unit was shipped to Iraq six months ago."
"Looks like he's got a pretty good reason for not showing," McGee commented before Gibbs pulled him up.
"Check in with Frost. Find out where he's buried and don't let her do anything stupid."
McGee raised a brow, confused. "I don't think she would—"
Gibbs gave him a look and he nodded.
"Right. Still recovering. I'm on it."
"It won't be far, McGee," Ducky chimed before he could run out the door. "Had the trip been longer, some bits would have fallen off."
"Thanks, Duck."
It didn't take long for him to find the path Morgan had taken Russell down and when he got there, he gave her a small wave.
"How's it going?"
"Fine," Morgan replied, looking rather annoyed that he was asking though he chalked it up to her being in pain as well.
The route down wasn't exactly easy if you'd just been shot a week ago. He didn't bring it up though, assuming she was like Gibbs in the way that she wouldn't want to talk about it. So, he turned his attention to the hole in the ground that Russell was sniffing around.
"I take it the victim was buried here?"
"That's what Russell's saying," she replied, starting to kneel down before he could stop her and he didn't miss the slight grimace she made when she did. "It was dug out with a shovel. Not very deep either. Would have barely covered the body and we probably would've been called in if it rained more than it did last night and someone came down here. I'll see if we can find the shovel."
"And I'll go back up and let Gibbs know," McGee offered, knowing she wouldn't want to try and take the trek up and down the haphazard steps multiple times if she didn't have to.
"Double check for footprints," she called back to him as Russell started to trail away from the hole. "Russell dragged me down here and wasn't giving me a chance to. I doubt we'll find any with the rain."
"On it."
She was right about him not finding any and it was a short trip to get a hold of Gibbs and start leading him and the others toward the steps down.
"I checked for footprints, but it rained last night. So everything is pretty washed out," he explained to Gibbs as the man put on his gloves.
"You got access?"
"Well, there's side access at street level. Chain link fence around the yard, but anyone with gloves could have scaled it," he replied, having scoped out the yard on his way to find Morgan earlier.
"Wait for me!" Ziva called, hurrying after them as Tony glanced at her.
"Did the real estate agent solve the big mystery?"
"No. But she owns the property with a contractor, and every real estate agent in town had access," Ziva complained.
"I think the mystery is how they expect to sell a house for six hundred grand when it only has two and a half bathrooms."
"It's got a big yard," Morgan replied now that they'd reached where she was.
No one commented on the fact that she'd been leaning up against a nearby tree resting while waiting for them.
"Well, you know what they say. Location, location, location," McGee hummed. "Morgan said the marks around the edges and the shallow depth show the digger used a garden spade. The soil isn't really packed either, so it would have been easy digging for a male or female."
"You see that?" Gibbs pointed out and McGee nodded.
"Black plastic bags.
"Garbage bags," Tony mused as Gibbs corrected them both.
"Body bag. Get it back to Abby. Have a soil sample. I want ground-penetrating radar."
"Uh, Boss, those techs are booked weeks in advance," McGee went to argue before changing what he'd said. "I'm going to tell them it's an emergency, and I will not budge until they show."
"Shovel should be about three meters that way," Morgan informed him, gesturing to where Russell was staring. "Between two trees and just under a bush."
"Got it," McGee said as he went to make sure he had the right spot.
"Who's staying with McGee?" Gibbs asked and Morgan opened her mouth. "Not you, Frost."
"I can, if you want Tony to check out the other real estate women," Ziva offered, hoping to prevent Morgan from saying something she shouldn't at being so quickly denied time in the field.
"Fine with me," Tony hummed but Gibbs decided he wouldn't.
"Tony, stay with McGee."
"You shouldn't have licked your chops like a hungry wolf," Ziva informed him as she walked past and Morgan called Russell over to head back up the steps begrudgingly.
The next morning, Tony was ducking behind Ziva's desk and searching her drawers as Morgan walked in, eyeing him briefly as she moved to settle behind her own desk with a coffee cup.
"I wouldn't do that. Ziva won't be pleased you're going through her desk," she commented as Tony pulled out a deodorant stick and began using it.
"It's just deodorant. She'll get over it."
"Keep telling yourself that," Morgan replied, nodding toward Ziva as she stepped into the bullpen.
"Good morning," she hummed before spotting Tony and giving him a look of disgust. "What are you doing at my desk!"
"I couldn't find my deodorant, so I used yours."
"You—You didn't."
"Yeah, we're partners. What's the big deal?"
"A hair!" She complained, taking it from him and tossing it immediately in the trash bin.
"Come on. You attach electrodes to men's testicles. You're getting squeamish about a hair? I'm not going to feel bad. Those ground-radar techs didn't show 'till dawn. McGee and I watched the sunrise together. It was very Brokeback Mountain."
"He had me at 'howdy,'" McGee said, giving Tony a pat on the back as Ziva huffed.
"How romantic. I'm sorry I missed it."
"Well, I can show it to you on my new phone. It takes video. Behold the majesty of the sun," McGee said, showing her the image on screen as Ziva hummed, impressed.
"On a two-inch screen? Are we all getting those?"
"Nope. I bought it."
"Expensive?" Ziva pressed, interested herself.
"Not really."
"Ha! Yeah, really. You've been dropping a lot of cash lately, McGee. New phone, new watch, new teeth. What's up?" Tony tried to find out but Gibbs stepped in then.
"Ducky matched the dental records. The body downstairs is Lance Corporal Finn. Ziva, when did you—" He cut himself short at the sight of McGee. "McGee! How long does it take to put on a clean shirt?"
"Ten seconds. With buttons a little longer," McGee answered before pausing. "Rhetorical question."
Knowing what Gibbs had been going to ask, Ziva spoke up.
"Contractor's off the hook. He's been out of town for a week. Going to check on the real estate agents this morning."
"That's all you did?" Tony questioned her.
"No, while you and McGee were watching the sunrise, I was pulling Lance Corporal Finn's SRB, and I have to say it was… spotty. He was UNC on the range and failed his swim qual."
"So they made him a supply clerk," Gibbs concluded.
"Right. Six months ago he signed out on a three-day pass before deploying to Iraq, and he never returned home."
"Get me his CO."
"He's in Iraq," Morgan replied, glancing at him as he snatched her coffee cup off her desk. "I've already contacted MTAC. They said it will be a while before they can make a connection. They need to request it first, find out when he's available and the Director is currently dealing with a call so it'll take time."
Gibbs took a sip from her cup and grimaced, hastily handing it back. "That's not coffee."
"I don't drink coffee," Morgan replied, giving him a look. "Doctors said no energy drinks until stitches are out next week. Also suggested cutting back so… hot chocolate," she replied, taking a sip of the drink herself as he turned to McGee.
"I've put in a request for Finn's bank records, earning statements, and medical records."
"Night wasn't a total loss. Ground radar picked up a shovel about ten feet from the gravesite where Morgan said. Already sent it to Abby," Tony added and Gibbs started for the lab, calling out behind him.
"With me, Frost."
"Yes, boss," Morgan replied, leaving Russell where he was, and once the two were gone, the team looked at one another.
"How long before we start placing bets?" Tony asked, drawing Ziva's gaze.
"Bets on what?"
"How long before those two start…" Tony made a kissy face and McGee snorted.
"Really, Tony? Look who we're talking about here."
"I give it a month," Tony hummed, making McGee pause to think about it.
"Three."
Ziva scoffed. "Seriously? You two are placing bets on what? How long before they're dating?"
"You're right, Ziva. We should be more specific," Tony replied, tapping his chin in thought. "One month before one of them asks the other out and added bonus if Gibbs asks first."
"I can deal with that," McGee agreed. "But three months for me and Morgan asks first."
"Oh, come on," Ziva drawled and Tony shot her a smirk.
"You're the one who said they've been eyeing each other. Come on, Ziva. I'm betting fifty."
"I'll match that," McGee agreed and Ziva narrowed her eyes before nodding.
"All right. Fifty it is. Gibbs asks and I give it two weeks but I'm not betting on them actually going on a date. Two weeks before Gibbs asks her. Who knows what goes on in her head."
"That's a good point," Tony muttered, nodding himself. "All right. We'll stick with that then. Just asking the other out. Whether they accept or not we'll leave up to the Gods."
Ziva rolled her eyes but dropped it for now. Her concern was how long before the rest of the department found out and when Gibbs would. It certainly was a risky bet.
"Do you see something Abs?" Gibbs questioned upon entering the lab and finding Abby facing the photo of the crime scene.
"Beauty. I mean it's tragic, but if you were to see this tableau in a museum, you'd swear it was a brilliant commentary on the human condition," Abby replied, earning a hum from Morgan as Gibbs raised a brow.
"What? A corpse staring at the TV set?"
"It says it all."
"Well, it doesn't say who put him there, or why?"
"That's for us to find out," Abby chirped before gasping. "You shaved your mustache! I liked you with a little hair on your face."
"I've still got my eyebrows," Gibbs teased, making her smile and even Morgan cracked a small one at the joke.
"Good point. I found Finn's blood, hair, and fingerprints on the plastic. So he was probably wrapped in it. But I didn't find any other prints on the plastic or the shovel."
"Any chance of grabbing the gravedigger's sweat off the handle?"
"After being underground, it's unlikely. Strange case, huh? I had this friend once who used to display roadkill in his living room. He got an NEA grant—"
"Abby?"
She stopped her story and moved toward a computer. "Next I analyzed the soil. It's compost material, rocks, and small sticks. Nothing's over an inch long. That indicates it was processed through a screen."
"Pretty clean for dirt," Gibbs commented but Morgan spoke up.
"If the place was relandscaped, it's expected. It'll tell us the time of death though, won't it?"
Abby nodded with a grin. "I sent the acidity levels to Ducky. I then inventoried Finn's personal items."
"Got anything with a date on it?" Gibbs asked.
"Nope, sorry. No credit card or purchase receipts. I guess he was a cash guy. I mean, if you can call a guy with thirty-one dollars and seventy-one cents a cash guy. His clothes were Dockers from Sears. No judgments. The shirts are large, the shoes are off-brand. And his underwear are boxer briefs, like you wear, Gibbs."
Morgan choked on her hot chocolate, stepping away as Gibbs gave Abby a look.
"You're fishing, Abs."
"So, are they regular boxers? Trunks? Bikinis? Nothing?" She asked as he started to walk toward autopsy and hooked a hand around Morgan's arm to bring her as well.
"Don't die on me yet, Morgan."
"S-Sorry. I just didn't expect—" Morgan paused though, eyeing him as he took her drink and trashed it for her. "When did you start calling me Morgan?"
He glanced back at her with a raised brow. "It's your name, isn't it?"
She went to point out that he usually called her Frost but he was already walking into autopsy, trying to leave her behind.
"How'd the Lance Corporal die, Doctor?" Gibbs asked once he stepped in as Morgan caught up behind him.
"How he died may take a while. Try when did he die?" Ducky suggested.
"That's my next question."
"That I can answer," Ducky said before catching sight of Palmer behind Gibbs telling him to buy them time for the results on the computer. "It's a tricky calculation. One has to factor in temperature, soil acidity, and the variety and volume of insects who now call Lance Corporal Finn home."
"Give me a round number," Gibbs replied and Palmer finally spoke up.
"92 days with a three percent margin of error."
"It would appear you deserted before you died," Ducky hummed to the corpse before the door opened and Ziva stepped in.
"Gibbs, Lance Corporal Finn's fiancée is upstairs. She saw a report in the local news last night."
"How, Doctor?" Gibbs asked Ducky once more.
"As soon as I know, you'll know."
On the way back upstairs, Ziva filled Morgan and Gibbs in on the fiancée.
"Her name is Siri Albert. She's twenty-five. Lives in Manassas and works as a physical therapist."
Tony stepped into the hall then; the group pausing outside the doors to the conference room.
"Finn's fiancée is here. I put her in the conference room."
"You did? I did!" Ziva argued.
"No, I did."
"His fiancée?"
"Yeah, his fiancée."
"Tall, light brown hair?"
Tony frowned. "Redhead."
The group opened the door and leaned in to find two women seated in the conference room. Morgan took one look and glanced at Tony.
"You're lucky they didn't immediately start fighting."
"No kidding."
Gibbs and Ziva took Siri to talk with her in the conference room while Rebecca was moved to the bullpen where Tony, McGee, and Morgan were doing the same. Both women claimed to regularly get mail from the Lance Corporal but while Siri was a quiet, more mousy woman, Rebecca was more than ready to start something.
"Is she saying that she's engaged to Jimmy, too? 'Cause if that's true, he'd better hope he's dead or else I'll kill him," Rebecca spat and Tony continued the questioning.
"When did you last see Lance Corporal Finn?"
"Six months ago, before he left for Iraq."
"How'd you meet?"
"At a bar two years ago. I was there with some girlfriends, and when I got up to go to the lady's room, he blocked my path. Said he couldn't keep his eyes off of me," Rebecca recalled with a smile as McGee raised a brow.
"And that worked?"
"What worked is that when we talked, he had something to say. Most guys won't shut up about their online war games. But this guy, he had seen real action. And I was feeling patriotic that night. So I invited him to come home with me. The sex was fantastic."
"Women want different things, McGee," Morgan informed him. "Some like gamers, some like smarts, some like personality, and some just like sex."
"Right…"
"When did you two get engaged?" Tony asked.
"A week before he left."
"Did he ever ask for anything?" Morgan cut in. "Gifts, money."
Rebecca eyed her but nodded. "Yeah. He asked for thirty thousand for some gambling debt. Look, I didn't give him the money… I loaned it to him."
"So you drew up a legal document?" McGee asked and she huffed.
"No, but we had an oral agreement. I mean, he promised to pay me back… with interest! I mean, I maxed out all of my cards! So you better find that money!"
Morgan got up with a small grimace and nodded to Tony. "I'll go let Gibbs know."
Tony nodded as she walked out and nearly ran into Gibbs in the hall.
"Sorry," she apologized. "Rebecca was getting scammed by the Lance Corporal. Any chance Siri was the same?"
Gibbs nodded. "Thirty thousand dollars in the hole for supposed gambling debt. We're going to get a DNA sample and compare it to what can be recovered from his underwear. Might give us something."
Morgan hummed, glancing back toward the bullpen. "Rebecca might not be willing to."
"We need that sample."
Morgan reached up and dragged a hand through her hair. "I'll grab her a water, I guess."
"Is she paranoid or guilty?" Gibbs asked before she could walk off and Morgan wrinkled her nose.
"She's just pissed, I think. No one expects to find out you've not only lent money to someone possibly scamming you but also that he was doing the same with another woman."
"Soon as she touches that water bottle have Tony go back with her to her apartment to get Finn's stuff. Don't wait for a warrant."
"Yes, boss," Morgan replied and she soon returned to the bullpen with the water for Rebecca, letting Tony know what he'd need to do just as Ziva brought Siri in so she could be escorted out.
"I'll grab my coat. Wait at the elevator," Ziva informed her and stepped away while Siri moved to the elevator.
Morgan had half a second to sit down before Rebecca was suddenly on her feet and on her way to Siri. "Oh, no."
"Hey, you! Where's my money?" Rebecca snapped at Siri. "Yeah, you! Did you and Jimmy spend it?"
"Please get away from me. I don't know you," Siri said, taking a step back as Morgan got up from her desk, seeing the fight that was about to happen.
"I am Jimmy's fiancée," Rebecca said proudly, making Siri's eyes widen.
"James loved me!"
"He used you."
"You liar!"
Morgan caught up then as Tony stood and pointed over at them when the two women launched themselves at each other.
"Chick fight!"
Morgan grabbed Siri—who was on top of Rebecca on the ground—but was quick to lose her hold when Siri struggled and swung a hard elbow back into her gut. Morgan sucked in a sharp breath, taking a few steps back from the ensuing fight as Gibbs moved in and hauled Siri to her feet; practically throwing the woman into the elevator when it opened. Ziva stepped in with her and Gibbs threw the woman's shoe in before the door closed. He then hauled Rebecca to her feet and called over Tony.
"Tony, take her home. Now."
"Yes, boss," Tony said quickly, grabbing his coat as well and hurrying over to take Rebecca, giving Morgan a glance where she was leaning up against the wall; doubled over and muttering curses under her breath.
Gibbs headed over to her though and Tony shot McGee a smug look from the elevator when he did.
"Morgan. Hey, you good?" Gibbs asked, placing a hand on her shoulder and earning a glare in return from the woman.
"Does it look like I'm good? Fucking women," she spat, straightening up slightly and pulling her hand away from her side to see blood spotting her shirt. "Shit."
"You popped your stitches," Gibbs noted, grabbing her elbow lightly. "Come on. I'll take you to Ducky."
"I don't need an escort."
"Never said you did," he replied calmly, knowing she was in pain. "But he might have a cause of death by now. Might be worth looking into."
There was a whine and Morgan looked down at Russell who'd hurried over at seeing her hurt again. Morgan sighed but held up a hand.
"No. Stay. Can't take you everywhere, Rus. McGee can watch you for the moment."
McGee nodded from where he'd poked out of the bullpen and pocketed his phone before heading over to lead Russell back. Gibbs hit the button for the elevator again and once it arrived he lightly pulled Morgan in. She grimaced and leaned against the wall of the elevator, pulling up her shirt and checking the bandages on her side before uttering more curses and dropping her head back against the wall. Gibbs glanced away from her toned abdomen and toward the floors the elevator was taking them to until they reached the lower one where autopsy was and they stepped out.
"Got a live one for you, Duck," he chimed upon entering the room and Ducky looked away from his microscope in surprise.
"Morgan. Popped your stitches already?"
Morgan scowled at him as she stepped in with her hand wrapped back around her side. "Not my fault, Ducky. Our victim was apparently a scammer with multiple fiancées who just had a fight outside the elevator."
"Multiple fiancées?" Ducky hummed. "Well, then…" he cleared his throat and pat one of the empty tables. "Go ahead and have a lie down, Morgan. I'll get those stitches fixed for you quick."
Morgan grunted, carefully pulling herself up onto the table and lying back with her arm tucked under her head as Gibbs leaned against the table beside it, folding his arms in wait.
"Have you figured out when this guy died yet, Doctor?"
"As I told you, when I know, you'll know," Ducky informed him as he grabbed his sutures and headed over to Morgan with fresh gloves and free of the apron he'd worn while dealing with the deceased.
"Know faster."
"Shaving off your mustache has brought back your usual impatience," Ducky commented, earning a snort of amusement from Morgan before she winced when he removed her bandage and began to remove the broken stitches.
"Good. That means I'm doing my job," Gibbs commented, eyes not leaving Morgan as Ducky worked and the man nodded toward the CAT scans up on the board not too far away.
"I do have a potential cause of death but it's by no means airtight. There's a fracture just, uh…" He paused, glancing at Morgan who just waved him off and letting him step away to show Gibbs where he found it. "Just there. The brain revealed an epidural hematoma, verified by this CAT scan. Though it's far from massive. Statistically, it's only fatal in about seventeen percent of cases."
"Blunt force trauma?" Gibbs questioned as Ducky went back and cleaned Morgan's injury; making her expression pinch in pain slightly.
"Most likely. We're looking at a baseball bat or golf club. Perhaps wielded by a disgruntled fiancée."
"They were working on the house too," Morgan added, glancing at Gibbs as he eyed her. "Could be a two-by-four or something in the home."
"He's got no connection to the house though."
"Except being buried on the property and then propped up inside it," she retorted, closing her eyes and trying to relax as Ducky started restitching her injury. "If it was a message for someone, then they had to know who'd be showing. He was scamming two women, why not one more?"
Gibbs headed over, tapping a finger on the table by her head and drawing her gaze toward him. "You think the real estate agent has something to do with it?"
"I think it's possible," she replied. "We haven't looked into it either. If the message was for her then it's possible the other women found out or her husband did. We haven't found the murder scene but it wouldn't surprise me if it's somewhere in that house." She glanced at Ducky. "Would his injury have bled a lot?"
"Not more than a cut would," Ducky noted, checking over his work. "Wouldn't be a big pool of blood though. The fracture was rather small in comparison to some other injuries I've seen from disgruntled women."
"Something tells me I don't want to know those stories," Morgan grumbled, making him chuckle.
"Well, if you ever change your mind I'll be happy to tell you," he replied, giving her shoulder a pat. "All patched up. Do stay out of fights for a while, Morgan. Your physician won't be pleased if you tear your stitches multiple times."
Gibbs reached over and helped her upright, earning a small glance from her but nothing more as she nodded at Ducky's comment and picked at her bloodied shirt.
"You got a spare?" Gibbs asked and she nodded.
"Should do, but it's a gym shirt. My other is—"
"I'll give you mine," he replied, not seeing Ducky glancing at the two behind them as Morgan hopped off the table gingerly.
"Gibbs, I don't—"
"Take it, Morgan," he pressed as they headed to the elevator. "I've got that meeting in MTAC. Head upstairs and look into the real estate agent and see about checking the home again. We'll have to wait for Tony and Ziva to return though."
She grunted in agreement and once back upstairs, Gibbs handed her a spare white button-up from his desk. He held it out to her, giving her a pointed look and she sighed but took it; stepping away to change out of the one she was wearing, as he watched her go for a second before a smirk trickled onto his face and he headed into MTAC.
"Do you see it yet?" Abby asked, showing McGee the photo of the dead man and the TV.
"No."
"Keep looking!"
"Abby, I've been staring at this thing for five minutes. I don't see anything that I would consider to be art," he said. "Have you figured out what you're adding to the bet?"
Abby hummed. "What bets are there so far?"
"Three months with Morgan asking for me. Tony said a month with Gibbs asking. Ziva said two weeks with Gibbs. Palmer said three weeks with Morgan and Ducky said Gibbs by the end of this case," McGee rattled off, giving her a glance. "Did he see something when they came down here that we don't know about?"
"Dunno. I haven't seen them but I say… a week and Gibbs totally asks first."
"I'll add you to the list," McGee noted, before giving her a smug look. "Did you hear about Gibbs breaking up a chick fight?"
"I can't believe I missed that!" Abby complained but McGee held up his phone.
"Well, I've got good news. Guess what is now playing on McGee TV?"
"I hug and kiss technology," Abby cheered as they watched the footage. "Oh, meow. Which one's Siri?"
"The one Gibbs is pulling off the other girl for hitting Morgan."
"It's always good to have a face to put with genetic material. Morgan was okay, right?"
McGee nodded. "Tore her stitches so Gibbs took her to Ducky. Did you get a match on her off Finn's clothing?"
"Yeah, but not just her. There's a party in Finn's pants. I found genetic material from two distinct females."
"Siri and…"
"The mystery woman."
"That would explain why Rebecca refused a cheek swab. Told us she hadn't seen him in six months. Though Morgan nearly had her DNA from a water bottle but Siri showed up first and then they fought."
"Play it again," Abby said with a grin.
"Plus, Rebecca's got a lot of anger in her."
"Oh, I wouldn't assume Siri is innocent," Abby noted, surprising him.
"Why not?"
"Look at the fight. Siri initiates it. She may not be as sweet as she looks," Abby noted as the video showed Gibbs pulling Siri off. "This is my favorite part."
"Which part?" Gibbs asked, having walked in while they were distracted, making them both jump.
Abby quickly relayed what she'd found to him and he and McGee went down to the evidence garage to see what Ziva and Tony found. There wasn't much and since neither had come back with the engagement rings, Tony offered to go back out with McGee to collect those and any other gifts they'd been given by the Lance Corporal. It was when she and Gibbs were heading back to the elevator that the real estate agent called to complain about not being able to show the house.
"She wants to have a word with my supervisor," Ziva huffed and Gibbs held out a hand for the phone.
He took it and Ziva half expected him to just hang it up but he brought it up to his ear.
"Mrs. Carvell, would you be willing to come down to NCIS to get your cheek swabbed?"
Ziva looked surprised at what he was asking but obviously, the response wasn't a positive one.
"Then, we will get a warrant for it and the next time you call my agent, I'll have you charged with impeding an investigation and we'll get it that way," Gibbs replied before hanging up the phone and handing it back.
"You suspect the real estate agent?"
"Frost does," he replied with a shrug, earning a look from Ziva.
"Uh-huh. Following her gut now, are we?"
Gibbs shot her a look in return. "Got any better ideas, Agent David?"
"Nope. Just found it interesting, is all." She paused for a moment before deciding to press her luck. "You and Morgan have been pretty close lately."
Gibbs rolled his eyes as the elevator opened. "Do your job, Ziva. Worry about your money later."
Ziva gaped. This was a problem. Gibbs knew about the bet. She wasn't sure how she would explain things to Tony, but the moment she stepped into the bullpen, the thought flew from her mind. Morgan was standing by her desk, frowning lightly as she worked at rolling up the sleeves of a white dress shirt that was a bit too big. Ziva immediately made the connection and before she could stop herself, spoke up.
"Is that Gibbs's shirt?"
Morgan turned to her and scowled. "He refused to let me wear my spare gym shirt."
Ziva went to say something more, then changed her mind and sat at her desk. Ducky might win this one…
"Why would somebody unbury a body?" Tony chimed, reading what Ziva had typed up on the screen in the bullpen; the team unable to help but continually sneak glances at Morgan.
They all knew it was Gibbs's shirt she wore now and after Ziva had informed them that Gibbs knew about the bet they were all beginning to change their minds about what they expected to happen between the two.
"I can answer that," Tony continued, pulling his gaze away from Morgan when she felt him staring and glanced in his direction with a frown. "To send a message. Like 'Hi, I'm dead.' 'Never get engaged to two women at the same time.'"
"It would be easier to just rent a billboard," Ziva argued before Morgan spoke up.
"Not if it was a personal message."
"Personal how?" Tony asked and Morgan shot him a look.
"Am I the only one questioning the location?"
"You mean the house?"
Morgan nodded, leaning back and bringing an arm across her chest to adjust the sleeves again—which kept slipping down further than she'd like after she'd rolled them up.
"Why that house? Why bury him in that yard? Why that day?" Morgan questioned, giving the team a look. "I'm betting the message was sent to the real estate agent."
"So, you think she's involved?"
"He scammed two women, why not more?" She shrugged, leaning forward to return to her work. "I tried looking into her but I can't do much without her DNA."
Ziva hummed. "Gibbs tried to ask when she called and she refused. We're working on a warrant. Second question."
"Where's the money?" Tony read off the screen. "Ah! Maybe in Siri's engagement ring. I've got to bring this down to Abby."
He headed over to Ziva and showed her the ring, making her crack a small smirk.
"I can save you the elevator trip."
She grabbed his hand and started exhaling on the ring, making him hum.
"Oh, that's nice."
"It's creating condensation. On a real diamond, that evaporates immediately."
"It's staying," Tony noticed.
"Because it's a fake."
"Give it one more try just to be sure."
"I'm not blowing on you again!" She snapped. "Question three."
"Why buy a shovel?" Tony read.
"Oops. No, sorry."
"Why bury a shovel? Yeah, I have no answer to that idea. But here, how about this one."
He reached over and typed his own question, confusing Ziva.
"Who is Darkman?" She read as he hummed.
"That is the question. Liam Neeson in the nineteen-ninety cult classic directed by Sam Raimi about a mentally unstable scientist who seeks revenge in—"
"You left out, 'Who shot Rebecca?'" Gibbs commented as he stepped into the bullpen, silencing Tony's movie rant.
"That was my next question," Ziva pointed out, giving Tony a look.
"Siri claims she was out walking at the time of the shooting. No witnesses. GSR test came back negative," he informed the team.
"Even if Siri shot Rebecca, I don't think she killed Finn. I saw her face when she saw his body," Ziva explained.
"If Siri is innocent, she'd assume that Rebecca's guilty and she'd seek revenge."
"Shooting somebody is broad daylight is just dumb."
"Well, you're not thinking like a jealous woman, Ziva," Gibbs pointed out as McGee walked in with a box.
"They're keeping Rebecca in the hospital overnight. She lost a lot of blood, but the wound was through and through," he informed them.
"Anything on the shooter?" Gibbs asked.
"Said she didn't get a good look at her."
"How'd she know it was a her?" Tony pointed out.
"Rebecca said she heard a female voice at the door. When she opened it, bang."
"Siri."
Morgan snorted. "If she was shot at the door, then there would've been blood in the entryway and she would've been on the floor or leaving bloody handprints as she stumbled about, not sitting on the couch."
"I agree," McGee hummed. "When I went back to search Rebecca's place, I found this between couch pillows."
He brought a box over and opened it up to reveal a pistol that would soon be on its way to evidence.
"Rebecca shot herself," Gibbs noted.
"I think so. She lost a lot today. Her fiancé, her life savings."
"Her respect," Ziva chimed.
"Could have been a failed suicide attempt."
"Or a bit for sympathy," Tony added as Ziva added another possibility.
"Or an attempt to escape discovery that she had sex with Finn the day he died."
"Or a way to try and pin her injury and the shooting on Siri for revenge," Morgan mused. "Jealous women do stupid shit."
"What's your gut tell you, boss?" Tony asked and Gibbs glanced at McGee.
"Take your shirt off."
"There we go," Tony hummed, glancing at McGee who was rather confused.
"Well, I know it's kind of messy…"
"Your shirt, McGee. Take it off now."
He hesitated only a moment longer before removing the shirt as Morgan chimed in.
"Do you need an evidence bag?"
"I got one," Gibbs replied, pulling one out from his desk for McGee to drop his shirt in. "Take it down to Abby. Or would you rather wait for a search warrant?"
"Rebecca's DNA," McGee said, understanding now, and he turned to Tony. "I need to borrow one of your shirts."
"Are you afraid all that white might burn out Abby's corneas?" Tony teased.
"Do not make me walk around like this all day. Come on, help me out."
"Could always ask Gibbs like Morgan did."
"Careful, Tony," Ziva warned as Morgan glared at him. "You are poking the sleeping lion."
"Sleeping bear, Ziva," he corrected, offering Morgan an innocent smile before turning back to McGee. "All right. I can't resist a damsel in distress. Here. Take this. I'll get a fresh one."
He took off the shirt he was wearing, making McGee grimace slightly as Ziva smirked.
"Wow, it's just like Chippendale's… without the bow ties or muscles."
Gibbs shook his head as he climbed the stairs to go meet with the Director, stepping in and finding her typing up an email.
"Give me a second. I just have to finish this email to Kofi Annan."
"Kofi can wait," he replied lightly and she took off her glasses and sighed softly.
"What is it, Jethro?"
"The Finn case."
"Yes? You're lost on this one?"
"Puzzled," he admitted. "They barely knew Finn, yet they let him move in. Loaned him money."
"They trusted a man who took advantage of them. If you're in a relationship and the other person is keeping secrets, how would you know?" She informed him.
"You'd know," he pointed out and she shook her head.
"I didn't."
"Who lied to you?" He questioned with a frown.
"You did," she reminded him in disbelief. "Not exactly lied, but you just didn't tell me the whole truth either."
"You're comparing me to Finn?" He accused, leaning on her desk.
"I'm just saying that you can be involved with someone without fully knowing them. How could you not tell me about your family?"
He moved away from the desk with a huff. "Finish your email."
"You wanted my advice. Just don't be too hard on the fiancées. Finn duped them," she said, stopping him at the door. "And I shouldn't have brought up the past. I know you had your reasons for not wanting to talk about it. Morgan just brought me the information while you were in the hospital."
"Morgan did?" He questioned and seeing that she might have spilled something she shouldn't, she stood.
"Gibbs, she did it to try and help you. She'd been in your position before and—"
He stormed out though, slamming the door as the Director sighed, dropping into her chair and dragging a hand over her face.
"Dammit."
"Frost!" Gibbs half shouted as he started down the stairs, not even looking at the bullpen as he headed for the elevator.
Morgan looked up in surprise before hesitantly leaving her desk as Tony whistled.
"Someone's in trouble."
She ignored him and followed Gibbs into the elevator, half expecting them to head to autopsy or Abby's lab but as soon as the elevator started to move, Gibbs hit the emergency stop button. Silence settled over the elevator for a moment before Morgan shifted slightly and opened her mouth to speak, but Gibbs cut her off.
"You looked into me."
She closed her mouth and pursed her lips, staying silent as he turned to her with a scowl; betrayed and furious.
"Who did you tell?" He demanded.
"Just the Director," she informed him, voice calm but quiet, which was unusual for her.
"You had no right to look into my personal life," he said sharply, practically tasting the betrayal of his trust when he'd just started to—Not now. "If I wanted to discuss that sort of thing with you, I would have."
He didn't miss the way Morgan's jaw tightened, giving away that she knew he wouldn't have told anyone which was entirely true. Not even the Director or Ducky or anyone else knew about the family he'd had. He wanted to keep it that way, but if Morgan told the Director, then she undoubtedly told someone else. Now, he had to decide what to do.
He turned away from Morgan to face the front of the elevator again, reaching out and starting it up. "You're on desk duty from now until I decide what to do with you."
Morgan's hand snapped out and hit the emergency stop though, drawing his angry gaze toward her as she faced him.
"I want to talk," she said quietly.
"We're done talking."
"Then, I'm going to talk and you can decide whether or not to listen," she snapped, grinding her teeth for a moment before cooling the hint of anger that had built up. "I wasn't going to tell anyone. I looked it up because you were in the hospital with no memories—"
"That's no excuse."
"I know!" She shouted, making him glare at her as she lowered her voice begrudgingly. "I know that it's no excuse and I was going to tell you as soon as you got your memories back. I don't care if you fire me or whatever for this. I know it was a breach of privacy and I was just going to ignore what I found but the Director knew you. Properly knew you and I've been in your position."
He took a threatening step forward. "You don't know me."
She didn't back down though. "You think I don't know that?" She spat. "But when I was caught by Al-Qaeda—When I was fuckin' tortured for a year and finally got back home, I was in a coma in the hospital for a month. I relived every damn second of that shit and when I woke up I wished I forgot everything like you did. I wish I had someone there to help me through what I was spending every moment in that hospital reliving. All I had was a damn dog. So, sorry that I thought having someone there to help you deal with your pain would be good for you. Sorry that I gave the Director something to help you get your life back because you at least have people who care about you."
"What, so you didn't care about me?" Gibbs questioned, the words tasting foul in his mouth because he knew she did.
He was just angry and upset.
"You didn't even fucking remember me," she said in return. "How was I supposed to walk in there and help you with anything? I don't know you, remember? I gave that information to the Director because she did. She could help you and I was fully prepared to deal with the consequences of what I did but not like this. You want to be pissed? Fine. Be angry with me all you want but you better damn well listen to my side because I'm sick and tired of people ignoring it."
The two glared at one another for a moment longer before Morgan turned and started the elevator again. Nothing was said as it drifted back up toward the main floor and before the doors opened, Morgan spoke.
"I'm going home early. My paperwork is on my desk. The contractor will meet you at the house tomorrow at 08:00 to take you through the work done in the last three months. I'll stay at my desk and once the case is over, I'll put in for some time off so you can make your decision."
She stepped out as soon as the doors were opened and the two pointedly ignored the way Tony and the others split apart and hurried back to their desks. The team looked between their two obviously angry coworkers but didn't say anything as Morgan grabbed her things, called Russell, and left. Gibbs sat at his desk and started to go back to work as a tense silence settled over the bullpen before he couldn't stand it and slammed a hand on the desk. The team jumped as he stood, grabbing his coat and bag, saying nothing to the rest of the team as he left to head home himself; mixed emotions churning in his gut over what had happened.