Detective Anthony DiNozzo smiled at the waitress as he entered the coffee shop to meet Agent Gibbs. Rita had been working at the shop for several years, relying on her meager wages and tips from two different jobs to make ends meet and help put her son through school. Her husband had passed away unexpectedly fifteen years ago, leaving Rita and her son to fend for themselves. She had taken him under her wing and treated him like a son and in turn, Tony looked upon her as the maternal figure that he had been missing ever since he was a young boy.
“Tony!” Rita called to him. “It’s good to see you! Are you feeling better?”
Tony placed a kiss on the waitress’s cheek and then took the loaded tray that she was carrying, placing his file on top of the coffee cups. “What table does this go to?” he asked.
“Table two,” she replied, following him over to the trio that was waiting for their coffee and pie. Rita served the customers and took her tray back. “You didn’t answer my question,” Rita pointed out. “Are you feeling any better? That flu really had a hold of you; I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone ache so badly in my life.”
“I’m doing fine; that soup you made me really did the trick. I uh…actually went back to work today.” Tony felt guilty for lying to Rita, but the last thing he wanted was to get her mixed up in his problems; she had enough on her plate without worrying about him.
“And how did that go?” she pressed.
“Fine,” he lied. “Just fine. Actually, I’m supposed to meet someone here so we can go over a case.”
“Salt and pepper hair? Gruff personality? Eyes that can shoot daggers?”
Tony grinned at the waitress as she described the NCIS agent to a tee. “That would be him; I take it he’s here.”
“Table 9.”
“Ah, the back corner,” Tony recalled. “Figures.”
“He’s on his second cup of coffee and he keeps looking at his watch,” she informed him.
“Probably because I was supposed to meet him fifteen minutes ago.” Tony realized that Gibbs would not be happy with his lack of punctuality, but the delay had been unavoidable. If the agent didn’t like it, he could take it up with Internal Affairs.
“Don’t let me keep you then. Do you want your usual?”
“Please.”
“I’ll bring it right out,” Rita promised.
Tony winked at the older woman. “Thanks. I’ll be over there with the Navy cop.”
As Rita headed to the kitchen, Tony made his way over to the table where Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs was waiting. He pulled out the chair opposite of the other man and swung his leg over the back of the chair as he sat down. Tony was still reserving his judgment on Gibbs; there was something about him that confounded Tony and until he figured out the missing piece of the puzzle, he would make sure to keep his guard up and his mask firmly in place.
“You’re late,” Gibbs growled.
“Sorry about that,” he apologized. “I uh…had something to take care of.”
“Never say you’re sorry; it’s a sign of weakness.”
“What?” Tony had to admit that he was confused by Gibbs’ words; it almost sounded like he was spouting off some kind of ancient proverb.
“Rule 6,” the agent explained.
Tony had no idea what Gibbs was talking about nor did he want to press the issue at the moment. What he wanted was to find a murderer before he killed again; he couldn’t bear the thought of anyone else falling prey to this serial killer. Even after all these years, he still was appalled by the cruelty that humans could inflict on one another and although Tony accepted the fact that he couldn’t rid the world of evil completely, he had to try.
“Here you go, Tony,” Rita announced, her cheerful voice chasing away his dark thoughts. “A cup of coffee with four sugars and two hazelnut creamers and a piece of apple pie, fresh out of the oven.”
“Thanks, Rita.” Tony stuck a folded up bill in her apron.
The waitress pulled out the money and unfolded it to reveal a fifty dollar bill. “Tony, this is too much,” Rita insisted.
“I have to catch up from where I was out sick last week.”
“Tony, I…”
“No arguments; you can use the extra and get Nick something for his birthday.”
Rita leaned down, reciprocating Tony’s earlier actions, and placed a delicate kiss on his cheek. He took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, acknowledging her quiet gratefulness. “Be sure that you tell him happy birthday from me in case I don’t get to call him; I have a feeling that work is going to be a little hectic the next couple of days. I sent him a card but I know how campus mail can be, so make sure he got it.”
“I can’t thank you enough,” Rita whispered, wiping at the tears that threatened to fall down her cheeks.
“You don’t have to thank me; just keep that pie coming,” Tony grinned.
“I’ll have you a few pieces ready for when you leave,” she promised. “I’ve got to get back to work.”
“Okay.”
Tony doctored his coffee and took a sip of the steaming liquid. He tried to ignore the curious stare that he was receiving from the man sitting across from him; Tony resented being placed under the proverbial microscope, especially by this stranger who completely unnerved him. He didn’t appreciate being placed under scrutiny; the past few months of everyone watching and knowing his every aspect of his life had left him exhausted both physically and mentally, stripping his self confidence away layer by layer. Internal affairs, Captain Waters, and many of Baltimore’s finest had made his life a living hell and he was beginning to wonder if he was going to add Gibbs to that ever growing list.
“Is there a problem, Agent Gibbs?” he finally asked as he took a bite of his pie.
“That was a pretty generous tip,” Gibbs observed.
“Rita’s a single mom trying to put her son through school; his birthday is Thursday and she barely has enough to get by much less buy him a birthday present,” he coolly stated. “I know what it’s like to be away from home and feel like you’ve been forgotten; no boy should ever have to go through that.”
“So you regularly give her fifty dollar tips?”
“Why does it matter?”
“It doesn’t; it’s a nice gesture. You obviously…”
“Can we just drop it?” Tony suggested. “We’ve got a lot of work to do.”
“Sure,” Gibbs conceded. “So, what do you have so far?”
Tony handed Gibbs the file that he had accumulated since he had been assigned to the Griffon case. His personal notes and what reports he had been given access to were in the folder; he had done a lot of his own leg work that had resulted in several revelations allowing him to draw his own conclusions about their killer.
“This is everything I’ve got. I think that our suspect is male, possibly anywhere from 25 to 40, blond hair, approximately 6’4”, with some kind of military background. The weapon of choice was a serrated blade, military issue; which he is proficient in using.”
“How did you figure all this out?”
“By the direction of the stab wounds; the perp towers above his victims causing the thrusts to be in a downward motion. There was also a long blond hair on Amy Griffon’s shirt which didn’t belong to any of the other victims; I’m still waiting on the lab results, so technically the blond hair is just a guess, but right now, it’s all I’ve got to go on.”
“What can you tell me about the victims?” Gibbs inquired as he continued to read through the file.
“Seems to be random with the only prerequisite that there are only 3 members in the family, husband, wife, and a daughter; a fake tattoo is placed on the arm of the girl, which fits the MO in two murders in the state of Virginia. I’ve got a friend in the Virginia State Police who’s supposed to be faxing me the copies of the reports.”
“You haven’t received them yet?”
“I was out last week and…” He chastised himself for revealing that tidbit of personal information; Tony certainly didn’t want Gibbs to think that he was taking a vacation while he had an active murder investigation going on; his week away from work had been anything but pleasurable as he recovered from an impromptu meeting between his body and the fists that belonged to several close friends of Captain Waters. “I’ll check my inbox when I go back to the precinct; I’m sure it’s there.”
Gibbs leaned back in his chair and took a sip of coffee; Tony had a feeling that the NCIS agent was going to stick his nose in his business once again.
“You don’t seem like the kind of guy who would up and take a vacation while you still had an unsolved case,” Gibbs stated. “Officer Dayton said that you had been on leave, but didn’t say why.”
“In case you haven’t noticed, Dayton has a big mouth.”
“Believe me, I noticed.” Gibbs was once again glaring at him with those steely orbs which only served to further irritate him. “Are you going to answer my question?”
“Not that’s it any of your business,” Tony seethed, “but it wasn’t my idea.”
“You were placed on leave?” the agent pressed.
“Medical leave.” Why was he allowing this Navy cop to get under his skin? He had enough crap to deal with; he certainly didn’t need to engage in a less than entertaining game of twenty questions with Jethro Gibbs.
“Can we get back to the case?” He realized that he sounded angry and defensive, but Gibbs was trying to get in his mind and Tony resented anyone who took pleasure in playing mind games.
“Sure.”
Tony pulled out another file that contained the pictures of his last crime scene. “You can see the similarities in the wounds between the Griffons and the Milners,” he continued. “The tattoo…”
He was interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone. Glancing at the caller ID, he began to silently curse when he recognized Captain Waters’ name. “I need to take this,” Tony grumbled. “I’ll only be a minute.”
Pushing himself up out of his chair, he stepped outside to take the dreaded phone call. Waters’ had made it his life’s purpose to torment him because of Tony’s accusations which had put the department under investigation. He knew that he had been right going to Internal Affairs with his findings, but there were days that he was starting to regret that decision.
How was he supposed to find a killer when his own department was thwarting him at every turn? Maybe he should just hand the entire investigation over to Gibbs; the agent seemed capable but that wasn’t the problem. He had a deep seated desire to see the murderer brought to justice; he had promised Amy Griffon that day in autopsy that he would find the one responsible for her gruesome death and it was a promise that he intended to keep.
Taking a deep breath, he mentally braced himself for the storm to come. Flipping open his phone, he brusquely answered, “DiNozzo.”
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Gibbs took a sip of his coffee, his gaze alternating between the file before him and the man standing outside the door talking on the phone. Although he had only met Detective Anthony DiNozzo a few hours ago, he had already arrived at the conclusion that the young man was an enigma. It was obvious that DiNozzo was guarded around him, being careful not to reveal anything too personal; the only time the detective allowed his mask to drop was when he was talking to the waitress.
As if on cue, the lady that Tony had referred to as Rita was at his table, refreshing his coffee. She was an attractive woman whose eyes spoke of a hard life that had been thrust upon her unexpectedly; the fine lines of time that graced her features were a testament of all she had endured.
“Can I get you anything else?” Rita asked.
“Just keep the coffee coming.”
“You got it, but I wouldn’t wait too long to ask for a piece of apple pie; it’s going fast.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Gibbs watched her top off Tony’s coffee although it really didn’t need it; his ability to read people told him that she wanted to say something to him and was working up the courage to do so. The agent wouldn’t push her; he would simply bide his time. Her attention was now focused on Tony, who was still on the phone having a heated discussion with whoever was on the other end.
“Do you know who he’s talking to?” she casually inquired.
“No, he didn’t say. He just excused himself and took the call.”
“I hope everything is all right.”
“I’m sure it is.”
The silver haired man motioned for Rita to sit down and join him. “Buy you a cup of coffee?”
Rita shook her head. “No, but I am due for a break; I’d love to get off my feet for a few minutes.” She extended her hand and introduced herself. “My name is Rita Turman.”
Gibbs shook her hand. “Jethro Gibbs.”
He was hoping that he had provided her with the opening that she had been searching for and that she would feel free to share what was on her mind; he was certain that the waitress could provide him some valuable insight into the mind of the detective. Fortunately his hunch played out; she was clearly a woman who refused to let an opportunity to pass her by.
“So, are you Tony’s new partner?” she wanted to know.
He was taken back by the question; she certainly didn’t mince words. “Uh…not exactly. We’re sharing jurisdiction on a case; I’m a federal agent for NCIS.”
“Oh,” Rita sighed. “That’s too bad. I think that you’re just what Tony needs.”
“What do you mean?”
He could sense that she was struggling with how much she should reveal to him, he was after all, a complete stranger. The constant wringing of her hands exacerbated her apparent nervousness. “Tony’s last partner ended up taking his own life a few months ago; ever since then, he’s been on his own,” she began. “It would be nice to know that he had someone watching his back again and believe me, he needs to have someone he can trust.”
“Is there something going on that I should know about?” he questioned. Gibbs had already come to the conclusion that DiNozzo was carrying a heavy burden. He recalled the way Officer Dayton had treated the detective and how Tony had forced himself to remain in control. The agent began to wonder if the tension that he observed was just between Tony and Dayton or if it extended farther into the precinct.
“I don’t know a lot about what’s been going on with Tony at work but I do know that he didn’t have the flu last week; he was in pain and I noticed some bruises on his upper arm. He still thinks I believe that he was sick.”
Gibbs sat back in his chair, contemplating the waitress’s words. “Does he ever give you a hint about what’s happening at work?”
Rita shook her head. “No, he’s as tight lipped as a clam. He’s a good man and I can’t shake the feeling that he’s in some serious trouble. I’m not sure why I’m telling you this; I guess you just have one of those faces that make it easy for people to trust you. Please help him,” she pleaded.
“I’m not sure what I can do,” Gibbs replied. “I doubt he’s going to tell me…”
“I think you might be surprised, Agent Gibbs; once Tony’s convinced that he can trust you, I think he’ll open up to you,” Rita pointed out. “I do know that if something doesn’t give soon, that he’s going to end up hurt or worse and I don’t want to see that happen.”
Gibbs shook his head. “I don’t…”
“Please just think about what I’ve said; he needs someone in his corner. He would be so mad at me if he knew that I had said anything to you; Tony’s a very private person and he keeps his pain private as well. I just can’t stand by and watch him continue on this path; I had to do something.”
Before he could answer her, Rita stood up, picked up her carafe of coffee and pushed in her seat. “I’ve got to get back to work; thank you for listening. You know I consider myself to be a pretty good judge of character and I think that you’re a man of integrity and fairness; don’t disappoint me, Agent Gibbs.”
He was left alone to contemplate her revelations and Gibbs was still uncertain what she expected him to do; if DiNozzo refused to tell him what was going on, then he couldn’t help the detective. Gibbs found himself staring out the window at DiNozzo, who had just ended his conversation and was raking his hand through his hair as frustration radiated from him. Something was definitely weighing on the young man and it was about to take him under.
When Gibbs saw that Tony was coming back inside, he quickly averted his eyes back to the file he had been reading before his discussion with Rita. DiNozzo made his way over to the table and sat back down, his gaze was teeming with anger.
“Everything okay?” Gibbs asked.
Tony scrubbed his face and took a drink of his coffee. “Yeah, everything’s just frickin’ fine.”
There was no mistaking the bitter venom dripping from Tony’s lips. “Anything I can do?”
The detective shook his head. “No. Listen, can we do this a little later? I’ve got something I have to do.”
“Sure.”
“Are you staying in Baltimore or going back home?”
“Going home.” Gibbs took a napkin and wrote down his address. He handed it to the detective who looked at it and promptly tucked it in his pocket. “How about eight tonight? It’ll give me a chance to go over these files some more.”
“Sounds good. I’ll bring those other reports and hopefully the lab report as well.”
“Don’t be late this time,” he warned.
“Trust me Gibbs, being late is the least of my problems. I’ll see you later.”
He watched Tony make his way towards the door, stopping long enough to pick up the to-go bag that Rita had fixed for him. Gibbs saw her lean over the counter and whisper something to DiNozzo, but he couldn’t make out what she had said to him. Tony graced her with a tired grin and a wink as he turned to leave.
There was definitely something going on and whatever it was, Anthony DiNozzo was in over his head. Gibbs reached in his pocket and pulled out his cell phone; he dialed a familiar number and waited for his colleague to answer. “Hey, Pacci; I need a favor. I need you to pull a file on a Detective Anthony DiNozzo, Baltimore PD.”
“Isn’t that the guy you’re working with on the Milner case?” Pacci asked.
“Yep. Drop it off at my house; the door’s unlocked.”
Gibbs hung up, his eyes meeting the worried gaze of Rita. With a slight nod, he gathered up the files and his coffee, hoping that she understood that he was going to do his best to figure out what was going on with DiNozzo. Leaving a generous tip on the table, he left the coffee shop and headed to his car.
As he started the engine and drove off, his thoughts were consumed not by the case, but by one brash detective who seemed to be a magnet for trouble. Gibbs knew that he couldn’t afford to be distracted; he had a case to solve and he owed it to the Milner family to obtain justice for them. However, there was something about Tony DiNozzo that he couldn’t put his finger on; only time would reveal what the detective was hiding. Maybe it was time to do a little digging on his own.
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