Chapter 3
When they arrived, the house was quiet. The door was ajar, and they drew their weapons, senses on high alert. Immediately they flattened themselves against either side of the door. After a nod from Ziva, Tony kicked the door open, and quickly stepped into the house.
"Clear," he called in a low voice, and together they proceeded through the house.
"Oh, God," Tony sighed, when they entered the bedroom. Mrs. Johnson was laying spread eagled on the bed, a knife through her chest.
"Call Gibbs," he told Ziva, "We need the evidence van, and Ducky." She nodded, pulling out her phone and leaving the room.
"He stood there for another moment. She looked just like her daughter. Then he shook himself, slightly disturbed that he was comparing the woman he loved to her dead mother. He sighed and left the room.
Twenty minutes later, Gibbs, McGee, and Ducky arrived at the scene.
"Ziva sketch, McGee shoot, Tony bag ‘n tag," Gibbs ordered needlessly; the team had already begun their work. Ducky leaned over the body carefully.
"What can you tell me Duck?" Gibbs asked the ME.
"Well Jethro, it appears to be suicide, at first glance, but look at the angle of the knife," he pointed before continuing, "In usual suicides, the knife goes in at a downward angle, but this one entered at an upward slant. So whoever killed her was shorter than she was. I'll know more after the autopsy of course."
"Right, thanks Duck," he told his older friend, "Tony, bag ‘n tag the knife and get it to Abby ASAP."
After numerous complaints and after Ducky finally having a word with him, Gibbs relented and gave the team half an hour for lunch. Hearing this, Tony whipped out his cell, and headed for his car. His heart was beating loudly in his chest as he dialed the phone number that was pounded into his head.
Melissa's number: 555-5455
He tried to calm his nerves as it rang, once then twice, and on the third ring, just as he was beginning to wonder if she'd answer, she picked up.
"Hello?" Her voice was so calm, beautiful, and, unsurprisingly, sad.
"Hey, it's um…Tony," he said haltingly. He knew how hard he was falling, when he almost forgot his own name.
"Oh, hey! She said, sounding genuinely pleased to hear from him, "What's up?"
"Well, my boss gave me half an hour for lunch, and you probably don't want to, cause of what happened and all, but I was kind of hoping you'd want to…" God, he was rambling again.
"Lunch with you?" she suggested, thankfully interrupting him.
"Yeah," he said hopefully.
"I'd love to," she said, sounding as though she really meant it.
"Great!" he answered and they chose a restaurant. Score, Tony thought hanging up, here I come.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Carrie is dead, and Tony has a lunch date.