Gibbs slammed his fist down hard on the elevator emergency button. "Now, Tobias," he said. "You want to tell me what the hell's going on?"
"Before you begin your tirade, Gibbs," Fornell said, holding up his hands, "at least let me tell you that we've avoided getting involved as long as possible."
"Oh, well that's helped a lot," Gibbs said sarcastically. "Would've been nice to know that Burke was an FBI informant two days ago."
"We couldn't tell you. It'd compromise the integrity of the operation."
"I don't give a stuff about the integrity of your operation. I have a dead lieutenant who was ratting out his own company to you and your little black and white suits. Two of your men were there with him that night and they were probably the last ones to see him alive. I want to talk to them!"
"Can't do that, Jethro."
Gibbs smiled. "I can't promise that I won't charge any of your agents with murder."
"They weren't my agents, Gibbs. That's why. We had no one assigned to or questioning Harrison that night. The people you're trying to find aren't FBI."
"Do you know who they were?"
"No more than you. We didn't even get a business card from Keller."
"How did you know about that?"
"NCIS isn't the only one with computer forensics specialists, Jethro." The two men smiled. "I've talked with Jenny," Fornell continued. "We've agreed to split jurisdiction, FBI slash NCIS."
"Well that's kind of a hindrance slash pain-in-my-ass, Tobias. I have a homicide investigation to run. I don't want politics and commercialism wound up in my case."
"You stay out of ours and we'll stay out of yours. But Harrison Burke's murder is now part of our investigation as well. We won't disturb you, you don't disturb us. We get access to your files, you get access to ours."
"Fine," Gibbs said, straightening and flipping the elevator on again.
"Fine," Fornell said.
"Sounds good to me."
"Sounds good to me too."
"Well, I'd say that went well."
"Me too."
- - - -
"We traced the number on the card back to a private security agency, Gibbs," Tony said as Gibbs exited the elevator, Fornell in tow. The three NCIS agents gave the two of them a pained look. None of them knew what went on in that elevator whenever Fornell came to visit, and none of them really ever wanted to know.
Gibbs took a seat behind his desk and flipped a button on his computer screen. He finally turned to look at Tony. "Well that's good DiNozzo. What the hell are you still doing here?"
"Right," Tony mumbled, ripping his coat from behind his chair and opening his locked drawer.
"Take Kate and Burley with you," Gibbs continued. The two other agents began to follow DiNozzo out toward the elevator. "McGee, you're down with Abby. I want the fingerprints pulled from that card." McGee nodded and moved out from behind his desk, walking out toward the back elevator.
"Now, Fornell, sit," Gibbs said.
"I'm not one of your agents, Gibbs," Fornell said with a smile.
"Want to stand?"
Fornell smiled shortly before taking a seat against McGee's desk.
"What information was he providing you with?" Gibbs asked, flipping the lid off the top of his sixth cup of coffee.
Fornell sighed. "Osiris was being threatened with a trivial lawsuit by some embittered investors. Burke was the one assigned to handle the disagreement. His father saw him as the best man for the job. Calm, collected, fair, personable. He was honest. People trusted him."
"The lawsuit might have something to do with his death, then. An angry shareholder."
"Well, the shareholders might be up in arms, but if they knew what he was really up to, I think they'd be complaining to someone else."
"Why's that?"
"Because Harrison Burke came to us. He suspected that there were SEC violations occurring at Osiris."
"So he was a whistle-blower?"
"We were going to give him full immunity in exchange for his testimony. A new life. Witness Protection in New York."
"The suits that Harry was with on the night he was killed were discussing something to do with New York."
"I'm telling you now, Gibbs, those men weren't my agents. Some one must have found out about it. Harrison was sworn to secrecy about his WPP location."
Gibbs sighed. "Why was he doing this, Tobias? To his own company? His own father?"
"He said it was easier."
"Easier than what?"
"Than waking up every morning knowing your entire day was going to be a lie."
Gibbs sat back in his seat and took a sip from his coffee.
Fornell continued. "Harrison was different, Gibbs. Most of these guys we have to hold a gun to their heads. Threaten fines, prison time. But he volunteered. The truth is that we now don't have a case without him. He was supposed to meet with me, personally, the day after he was killed to give me the rest of the documents."
"I want everything he's given you so far."
"Of course." Fornell stood. "You know, the funny thing is that we'd just discovered that Harrison's father had rigged it so that his son would take the fall if the lawsuit went through."
"So that's why he blew the whistle? Tit for tat?"
"No. Harrison never knew about it. I guess he was just trying to do the right thing."
Gibbs cell phone suddenly rang. He fished it from his pocket and flipped it open as it reached his ear. "Yeah? Okay, Abs. Thanks." He repocketed the device. "Abby just got a hit on a fingerprint from the card. A Joseph Sise. Ex-CIA. Works private security now. Ring any bells?"
"None of mine."
- - - -
The letters of his name were inscribed in rich, charcoal lettering into a gold plate above his door. Tony spelled the letters out in his head as he read: J – O – S – E – P – H . . .
He thought that he would probably like one for himself; a nice, gold-plated name tag on his desk back at the office. Something he could show his girlfriends whenever they came to visit. Then he realised that he rarely ever actually did invite girlfriends to the office.
And then Joseph Sise opened his door. And Tony wanted to make damn sure that he never associated himself with a man like Joseph Sise, ever. Even if it was through having the same gold-plated name tag on his desk.
Sise was huge. A muscle billowing suit and tie. His neck was as thick as his head and a flat, shaved bed of dark hair sat atop an otherwise shiny, balding head. "Can I help you?" he asked. His voices sounded as if it could cut steel.
"Agents Todd, DiNozzo and Burley. NCIS," Kate said, flipping up her I.D.. "We'd like to ask you a few questions."
"About what?" Sise said, still obstructing the door.
"We have a fingerprint placing you at the Neon Club on Saturday night," Burley said. "You were meeting with a Lieutenant Harrison Burke. He's now dead."
Sise was silent as he finally pushed the door open a little more so that the three agents could step through.
"What do you want to know?" he asked, taking a seat behind his desk.
"Who else was there with you that night?"
"My partner, Thomas Granger. He's out getting coffee right now. Sorry." Sise smiled condescendinly.
"Why were you there?" Tony asked.
"Assigned to."
"By who?"
"My employer," Sise snarled.
"We can do this the easy way or we can do it the hard way," Burley remarked. "I'm sure you know the drill. And really, the three of us don't want the paperwork."
Sise smiled and his eyes narrowed patronisingly. "For federal agents, I would've thought you'd done a little research before you came to question me."
"We're sorry the cell phones at NCIS don't process as quickly as those at the CIA," Kate snarled.
Sise inhaled deeply and leaned back in his chair. "I'm contracted to the Saturn Network for the time being. Roy Stein."
"And what were you talking to Harry Burke about that night?" Burley asked.
"I was assigned to uncover what was going on over at Osiris. Stein had heard rumours about a lawsuit and with the merger taking place soon, he wanted to try and work it to his advantage. I followed Burke for close to two months, mostly in the Washington area. He had a series of clandestine meetings with an individual."
"And what did you suspect?"
"That he might be selling research from Osiris to the competition. I told Stein and he wanted in. It was then that I found out that he was in negotiations with the FBI. I've got a few friends there that let me in on the case."
"Did you ask him about it that night?"
"He confirmed his FBI status. I told him that I knew about New York, and the lawsuit. I let him know that Stein was willing to pay him big money for information. Stein and I figured seeing as though he was already skipping town, the kid would have nothing to lose anyway."
"So he agreed? He wanted the money?" Kate asked.
"No, that was the funny thing. Guess he didn't want to feel even more guilty than he already was for crossing his father."
"Did Senator Burke ever catch on to his informant status?" Tony asked.
"Not as far as we know. Or the FBI. Harrison did everything he could to hide it. The last thing he wanted was his father knowing was that he was going to lose another child to another name."
"So what happened after you'd finished talking?"
"We walked him out the back and said our goodbyes."
"No argument?"
"No."
"Was there anyone else outside in the alley when you left him?"
"A few clubbers collapsing in the gutters, I think. No one that looked too suspicious. Although I remember a green pick up parked in the corner. Couldn't see anyone inside. It was odd. Looked like a truck that belonged on a farm, not outside a nightclub."
"And that was it?" Kate asked.
"That was the last time I saw him. I wasn't contracted to kill him, agents. So I didn't."
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