“Okay so Fry killed Simpkins. But Simpkins never said a thing to the FBI about Fry seeing anything and Lokey had no idea that anyone had turned him in. So why would Lokey’s accomplices go after Fry?”
“Good question Tony. Why go after somebody who can’t pick you out of a crowd? The whole thing makes no sense.”
“When do these things ever make sense?”
“Get Fry booked for the murder, I’m going to walk to the coffee shop and call Fornell. Maybe they know who would be taking pot shots at Fry. If he was even the target.”
“We should also have a look into the owner of the gym.”
“And take a quick skim of the ‘ones that want to kill us’ list too.”
“Yours or the team as a whole’s?”
“Both.”
“Fantastic. I always love it when they’re after us personally.”
“We don’t know that they are.”
“Come on Jethro, it’s us we’re talking about, if there’s so much as a chance they’re after us, they probably are.”
“Seems like. Go get the others scrambling. I intend to demand answers when I get back.”
Despite his declaration of unreasonable expectations Gibbs takes his time at the coffee shop and then calls Fornell.
“Jethro. I was wondering when you were going to call to gloat.”
“Gloat, me? Never Tobias. Besides, it was Tony’s bust. I was at home in bed. Who did the checks and interviews into Simpkins’ background and associates?”
“Sacks did them. Why?”
“Did he do an in depth check on Malcolm Fry?”
“He was present at the ransom drop, Jethro, of course we checked him out.”
“Anybody beside the suspects have a reason to want him dead?”
“It’s not like a nineteen year old is swimming in gambling debts Jethro. Who’d be after him?”
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out.”
“You don’t think it was Flynn and Copley?”
“It doesn’t look like it. They didn’t even know about Fry, it’s unlikely they bothered to shoot at him.”
“You thinking you were the target?”
“Or the gym we were at. Too soon to tell.”
“Worried they’ll try again?”
“Worried that Abbs will guilt herself into a frenzy in the meantime.”
“What does she have to be guilty over?”
“Nothing. She’s got this idea that it’s her job to watch over me. That I can’t take care of myself. She had lightened up since meeting the new boyfriend, but my getting shot has her firmly back in ‘Pop is a hapless moron’ territory.”
“Isn’t that what all little girls think of their father? The part that always amuses me is we’re hapless morons when they’re well and happy, but the moment there’s a sign of trouble we become heroes.”
“Not quite Toby. We’re always morons and heroes. It’s just that which is more important is determined by the situation. Though personally I’ve been ‘the good king’ fairly often lately. But that’s mostly so she can tell horror stories about her ‘wicked step mothers.’”
“You know Diane thought Abby was your piece of tail on the side.”
“I know. But we both know why she might think that, don’t we?”
“In her defense, I thought so too until I found out she worked for you.”
“Just shows your failure to see the big picture. I need to get back to scaring my team…”
“What, the boy toy hasn’t turned you into a warm pile of mush at the office?”
Gibbs just hangs up on him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After setting McGee on background on the gym owner and Ziva on the enemy list, a long one and make no mistake, Tony sits at his desk a minute wondering what angle he should pursue . Then it dawns on him, he dials Abby’s extension. “Hey Abbs, did you ever get around to cross checking the gun licenses and the partial plate from the drive by?”
“It’s still compiling. I did it without putting in a make on the SUV just to be safe. Something about this whole thing bothers me Tony.”
“They winged Bossman Abbs, of course it bothers you. Hell, it bothers Probie.”
“Not that sort of bothering Tony. What kind of an idiot pulls a drive by with a hand gun? Yes one of them shot out the window and then the other one shot at Pop. Tony, tell me the truth: Was this meant as an attack on Pop?”
“We honestly don’t know yet Abbs. I promise I’ll tell you the truth as soon as I have an answer. Call me when you’ve got that list.”
“Will do Tony.”
“Thanks hon.” He hangs up at crosses to Ziva’s desk, “Eliminate anyone with an extensive criminal or military history. As Abby just pointed out only an amateur would pull a drive by using hand guns.”
Before Tony can even get back to his chair Gibbs arrives, coffee in hand. “Report.”
“We just managed to narrow the suspect list based on the fact that they were using hand guns, and we clearly not experienced criminals,” Tony reports.
“Ya think?” Gibbs snaps but Tony doesn’t believe it for a second.
“I think I’ve got something Boss,” McGee pipes up. He receives a raised eyebrow as his only encouragement. “I was looking into the gym owner, Frank Ruck’s background. Eighteen months ago he broke up with his fiancé, a Morgan Falstaff. Three months later he had two restraining orders issued. Against Nathaniel and Austin Falstaff, Morgan’s older brothers. Evidently they had been threatening and harassing Falstaff since the break up. There are a series of minor charges being filed against the Falstaff brothers by Ruck. Eventually they spent four months in county and were released last week.”
“Nice catch McGee,” Gibbs offers evenly, inadvertently impressed that they’d found anything this quickly. “Address? Tony and I will check it out while you two keep going from here.”
When they’re alone in the elevators Tony smirks, “You will have to take one of them out with you and leave me behind at some point you know?”
“I told Jen I’d have you chauffer me around Tony, I intend to enjoy the spoils of my latest war wound.”
“Oh, it’s a war wound now? Yesterday it was barely a scratch. So which is it?”
“A war scratch?” Gibbs tries with a charming smile.
“Your sense of humor sucks Bossman.” He glances over as they get in the card, “What’d you get from rejects-r-us?”
“Fornell’s checks didn’t turn up anything of interest on Fry. And you saw the kid in interrogation, there’s no way he did anything to stick his neck out. Let alone got mixed up with shady characters.”
“Shady? You’re showing your age Jethro.”
“What is it Tony, you miss real head slaps?”
“Love you too Boss.” He shakes his head, “You think this really was a case of wrong place, wrong person, wrong time?”
“It would figure, wouldn’t it? Only we could stumble on a whole new crime investigating something entirely unrelated.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Abby smiles when the phone rings just as she finishes reading her search results, “Hiya Pop.”
“Hello Princess. What have you got for me?”
“The crosscheck on gun registrations against partial plates yielded three names: Lisa Marie Maniski, a real estate broker. Lester Palmarrow, a short order cook. And Austin Falstaff, a garage mechanic.”
“Good work Abbs.”
She pulls up a mass spectrometer report, “I’ve got more. The rounds from the Colt all had a blue powder trace on them. Turns out it was pool chalk. Whoever loaded the gun is probably a pool player.”
“I owe you for this one Baby girl.”
“So take me to Manhattan.”
“When am I going to Manhattan?”
“Um, about that Boss…” Tony interrupts.
“Opps. Talk to you later Pop.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gibbs hangs up and turns bodily to Tony before repeating, “When am I going to Manhattan?”
“I was hoping you would attend the St. Cecelia’s Foundation fundraiser with me on November 19th. No dancing, no PDAs. You’d have to wear a suit, but other than that it’s just walking in with me, mingling a little. Some people will amuse it means what it means, but no one would be able to hold it over us .”
“Tony I’ve told you time and again, a reasonable degree of caution is one thing, paranoia is another. If people find out about us so be it. If it gets us separated at work…we’ll decide how to deal with it. I’m not going to spend my life seconding guessing how I touch you in public.”
“That’s all well and good Jethro but you should understand about St. Cecelia’s Fundraiser, there are routinely senators, congressmen and other high ranking officials in attendance. And oddly enough one or two of them actually know who I am.”
“If you can promise me one thing I promise you I will put on a suit and attend this fundraiser, I’ll even agree to bring Abigail along.”
“What do you need me to promise?”
“That I won’t open the paper and find our picture in it the next day. It would compromise our ability to do our jobs.”
“I promise if anyone catches us on film I will make it clear to the photographer in question that we do not consent to the release on our images. Then I’ll let slip we’re feds. No danger of pictures in the paper.”
“It’s a deal then. Now lets go make some arrests so I can work on my boat tonight.”
“I see how it is, you’d rather spend the night with your boat than with me.”
“You could come home after your ballgame.”
“Wasn’t it you who said we shouldn’t be spending every night together?”
“Strictly speaking we didn’t spend last night together.”
“Sharing the bed with the princess was more than a little mood killing, yes.”
“She would have gone to the guest bedroom had you asked.”
“She needed the sleep. And it wasn’t like it was some unbearable hardship, I just… My family never would have spent a night in the same bed. Hell we had trouble spending a night in the same house.”
“Having met your father I understand that.”
“Okay. Now we need to talk case this last half mile so I can get my game face back on. One of them owns the guns and the SUV. Ruck hurt their sister and they’ve been doing there best to get revenge ever since. So what, they shoot up his gym in hopes of shutting him down? He wasn’t even there from Ziva told me. But if it was just to scare off his customers why wait until the glass breaks to start the second volley, purposely attempting to hurt someone?”
“Maybe it wasn’t what they planned. Maybe one of them questioned what they were doing and hesitated.”
“And then takes aim at the three people standing in the window?”
“Okay. Maybe one of them was more pissed off than the other. Decided that shutting Ruck down wasn’t enough. That whoever was in the gym was collateral damage. And lucky me…”
“You are lucky. Lucky the asshole wasn’t a better shot.”
“Are you and Abbs going to break down every time I get shot at from now on?”
“When we don’t know who or why? Probably.”
“So if I’d been laid up by say your old buddy Chip shot me because he doesn’t like my casting you’d be a picture of calm right now?”
“Once we knew you were okay? More or less. I’d still have to kick Chip’s face in, but you know that’s a given no matter who did this.”
“Just make sure all the injuries occur before we cuff them.”
“Rule 49, I know.”
Gibbs laughs, “I know for a fact I’ve never told you rule 49, as it doesn’t apply to a work situation, and even if I had it wouldn’t be that.”
“I didn’t say it was your rule 49.”
“You have 48 others?”
“Spoilsport.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After a surprisingly easy bust, only a short scramble through the house resulting into Tony giving the elder brother a very satisfying black eye, they take both suspects to the same holding facility that Tony had used the night before.
“Hello again Lieutenant Chesterfield. So nice to see you again,” Tony offers her a charming smile as he guides Nathaniel Falstaff into the interrogation room. Her glare propels him into the room almost as efficiently as the silent weigh of Gibbs’ expectation. “Before we begin here Nathaniel, as a civil you have the right to be informed of the charges against you and as it’s a bit of a list I’m just going to read it so bear with me. Vandalism. Breaking a protection order. Parole violation. Destruction of private property. Assault on a Federal Agent with a deadly weapon. And attempted murder.”
“Assault on a Federal Agent? How is running away from a guy assault, let alone assault with a deadly weapon?”
“This isn’t about your hundred yard dash to the backdoor Nathaniel. It’s about the agent you wounded in your little drive by two days ago.”
“What were feds doing in Frankie’s shop? Is he finally going down?”
Curiosity overrides his anger, “Why would Ruck be going down?”
“He’s a thief. He stole Morgan’s life savings to open that damn gym, then once it was off the ground he dumped her.”
“Did she get her money back?”
“Well, yes.”
“Then Ruck didn’t do anything wrong. And even if he had you shot randomly into a public building. What did you think was going to happen?”
“I shot at a window. In a very precise star pattern designed to break the glass. I’ll cop to the destruction of property but I know I didn’t shoot anyone.”
“Even if you didn’t actually shoot anyone, my partner was shot during your drive by and that makes you equally responsible.” Considering the fact that he has all he needs Tony just leads Nathaniel back to holding freeing up the interrogation room for Gibbs and Austin.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“You’re going to prison for a very long time Austin.”
“On that scumbags say so? Not damn likely.”
“Your guns. Your truck. Your blue chalked fingerprints on the bullets. And your brother gave you up. The charges that are going really put you away are assault with a deadly weapon and attempted murder.”
“Attempted murder? I didn’t try to kill anybody.”
“You fired randomly into a room full of people. You hit one person and missed two others by inches.”
“No I didn’t. Everyone hit the deck when the window shattered.”
“Not until after you had fired. Oh and that Colt fired the bullet that killed a ten year old boy last month.”
“I was in jail. I didn’t kill no kid. I bought that gun off an old cellmate Monday night.”
“What’s the name of this old cellmate?”
“Jesse Copley. We shared a cell in county for about two months right after Nate and I got popped.”
“You’d testify to that?”
“What would I get?”
“We might be able to drop the attempted murder.”
“Deal.”
Gibbs gives a silent nod and leaves the room.
Tony shakes his head as he emerges into the hall, “You just made a deal with the man who shot you.”
“And because I did they’ll be able to tie the gun to a man that killed a child.”
“Always have to be somebody’s hero, don’t you?”
Gibbs shrugs, “I do what I know.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tony laughs and sinks an easy lay-up, “That’s three games to one. Wanna go best of seven or are you humiliated enough for one week?”
“I thought you’d been working all week, why aren’t you too tired to play?”
“Thrill of the chase. We caught three bad guys today and three yesterday.” Then he smirks, “And I’m going home to a warm comfortable bed with a hot body in it.”
“Maybe if I was willing to switch teams I would be too.”
“I doubt it Bran, not with an ugly mug like that.”
He feigns hurt, “That would burn if I didn’t know for a fact I’m prettier than you.”
“In your dreams Brandon. Men and women flock to me. You’re lucky if you don’t get laughed at.”
“Harsh Anthony. You can’t play ball so you talk trash instead?”
“You started it ‘Muffin’.”
“I’d tell you to bite me but I’d be afraid of how you’d take it.”
“Not a chance in hell Bran. You’re too soft for me.”
“I have a six pack to die for man,” Brandon really is defensive this time.
“Wrong kind of soft. I need somebody strong willed, principled, with enough attitude to match me when I get on a tear. You’re too nice.”
“And too straight. You gonna play ball or flirt?”
“I’ve got real skills man, I can do both at once. So what was up with the certainty that I was gonna ditch you?”
“I’ve seen you in relationships, good and bad. I’ve seen you in lust and just playing around. I’d never seen you in love before. The first week or two you were nervous and a little jumpy. The next few sort of distracted. I knew when I saw the hickeys you were really happy this time. Then the next week you call me last minute and cancel our game. I figured it might become something of a pattern. I don’t mind you know. I get it that this is sort of the honeymoon phase and you’re just enjoying it.”
“I am in love, and we are walking around like hormonal teenagers. That doesn’t mean I’d just automatically kill our weekly game. Last week was a work thing. Which happens often. Now stop being such a girl and play Muffin.”
“Them’s fighting words cupcake.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gibbs arrives in the office, coffee in hand to a smirking Ziva, a confused McGee, and no sign of Tony. When he rounds the cubicle wall and spots the package on his desk at least part of the answer becomes apparent. “Is there something I can help you two with?”
“No Boss,” McGee quickly drops his eyes to his computer screen and starts typing. Ziva on the other hand continues to smirk.
Gibbs snickers as he flips the card over and finds a red heart sticker with “LJ” written on it holding the flap down. The card itself is a plain white square, “A little gift to help you keep in mind who loves you. -AM” Opening the box proper reveals easily a twenty-five ounce travel mug and a pound of Jack’s Beans’ Jamaican blue mountain coffee beans. He tucks the note into his pocket and wonders briefly if it’s worth the trouble to commandeer the break room coffee pot for a few minutes…
Almost as if responding to some cue Tony appears just as Gibbs decides office etiquette be damned, “Boy am I glad we aren’t in on this turf war boss. Metro and the FBI are having a pissing contest over how to deal with Falstaff informing on Copley.”
“Next time they can do the work,” Gibbs growls and heads into the break room.
When they’re sure he’s gone McGee murmurs, “You missed it Tony.”
“Missed what?”
“Somebody sent Gibbs coffee. His favorite according to Abby.”
“So?”
“Aren’t you curious who sent it?”
“The same person who gave him the hickey he had yesterday, I would wager,” Ziva throws in moving to join them on their side of the bullpen.
“Good for the Boss, he needs somebody. Maybe he’ll mellow out.”
“Not likely DiNozzo. Now would one of you care to explain to me why you’re discussing my personal life rather than working?”
“I’m pulling cold case files as we speak Boss.”
“Didn’t we get a tip on the Lieutenant Wright murder a while back?”
“Dead end. Knowles was on duty, six guys confirmed his alibi, no way he killed Wright, even if he was responsible for the graffiti.”
“Still, hand me the Wright file.”
“On it Boss,” Tony crosses the small space with the file and breaths deep the scent of good coffee. He returns to his desk and signs, “You like?”
Gibbs answers in kind, “Better than flowers. Thank you.”
Chapter End Notes:
Once again sorry for the lateness.