NCIS (2003–…): Season 18, Episode 2 - Everything Starts Somewhere - full transcript
The discovery of a murder victim in the NCIS garage brings back memories of Gibbs and Ducky's first meeting.
[camera shutter clicking]
[siren whoops]
STAMOS:
Witnesses said the Mercedes
was driving on the wrong side
of the road.
Vic swerved to avoid him.
Where's the driver?
At the ER.
I just got a page
from the hospital.
The other driver's
injuries were minimal.
No-no sign of intoxication.
The deceased was
a civilian accountant at DoD.
Handles Navy payroll.
And it looks like he made
an unauthorized withdrawal.
STAMOS:
What's a Navy accountant doing
with a bag full of cash
and a .45?
MAGNUS:
I cantell you
he appears to be
suffering from something
called LEOPARD syndrome.
Oh, here it comes.It's an acronym
for a rare genetic disease.
Note the unusually large
freckling around the face--
lentigines,
as they're called.
Very, very rare.
We're gonna need a statement
from the other driver.
STAMOS:
I'll bring him in.
Are we charging him?Maybe manslaughter?
He wasn't drunk, but...
he still killed someone.
Or not.
Doc?
I got multiple stab wounds.
Looks like a switchblade,
maybe a small hunting knife.
He was probably bleeding
for hours before the crash.
This man didn't die
from the accident.
He was murdered.
[thumping nearby]
Someone's in the trunk.
[thumping continues]MAN [muffled]:
Hello?
Someone let me out of here!
Hello?
It's okay.
Everything's fine.
What's your name, Marine?
Gibbs, sir.
Sergeant Leroy Jethro Gibbs.
♪
[elevator bell dings]
Hope no one has any plans
this weekend.
We are going out.
I have plans
every weekend.Yeah, and I'm
just finishing up the case
for that kidnapping.
Sorry. Attendance is mandatory.
Oh, what's up, man?
I haven't seen you this excited
since, uh...
um... nerd things.
Dude,
it is the 20th anniversary
of the day I decided
to become an NCIS agent.
Oh, okay. That is a big deal.
I'm in, brah.
Wow. Me, too.
Me, three, assuming I'm invited.
Course. No,
but the question is,
do I invite Gibbs?
Ooh, man, is that
a trick question?
No. See, here's the thing.
Obviously,
I want him to come, right?
But every time we ask him
to go anywhere, he says no.
So I've been thinking
maybe if I don'tinvite Gibbs,
you know...
How long have you
been overthinking this?
Counting yesterday?
My advice: if you really want
Gibbs to come, just ask him.
GIBBS:
Ask me what?
Um, well, boss,
I'm taking out some of the team
this weekend, for drinks,
and I was wondering...
Have fun.
[soft laughter]
Grab your gear.
We got a body.
Boss, you sure
you don't want to come?
I'd love to have you.
GIBBS:
Uh, maybe next time.
Just so you know,
it's-it's my anniversary.
McGee, I'm about done
with anniversaries for the year.
BISHOP:
Hey, uh,
so where's the body?In our basement.
JIMMY: If the body's
still warm, it means
he's been here 12 hours or less.
But once Lenny
the Liver Probe
does his magic, I'll be able
to be more specific.
Who is he?Uh, no idea.
We were...
waiting for you
before we looked for a wallet.
Well, an A-plus to you
for following protocol.
[beeps]
Palmer.Yeah?
Wallet.Oh, right, yeah.
All right,
our mystery guest is...
NCIS Special Agent
Ronald Calloway
of the Carolina office.
McGEE:
Must have been part
of that interoffice exchange
last week.
Call Carolina. Let 'em know.Okay.
What do you
think happened?Well, based
on petechial hemorrhaging,
I'd say he
asphyxiated about...
nine hours ago.
How?
I'm not sure.
No signs of strangulation.
Clearly didn't drown.
Looks like he burned
that notebook over there.
Maybe that had something to do
with his death.
It's not likely.
I-I really shouldn't speculate
any further
until we get Agent Calloway here
into autopsy.Thanks.
Whoever he really is,
that was SAC at Carolina--
there is
no Special Agent Calloway
at their office
or at any NCIS office.
The credentials are fake.
Run his prints.
JIMMY:
That's gonna be tough.
His fingerprints
have been burned off.
What was this guy doing
down here?
McGEE:
So, Torres said
the security sweeps
are almost done--
no sign of any bombs.
You check the roof?
Yeah, and everyone in the
building's been accounted for.
We're pretty sure
he was alone.
All right, I think
we need to put a pin
in this evacuation
for now.
But as soon as
you find out
who that man was,
I want to know.You heard him.
All right. Well,
we don't have any I.D., but...
According to the sign-in log,
the intruder entered
the building last night.
McGEE:
Wandered around
for a little bit...
BISHOP:
Then he went
into the subbasement.
Why'd he do that?Well, I have a theory.
I think he might have been
trying to hack into our network.
See, his body was found
next to the main
interconnect hub.
That's what connects up
every NCIS office in the world.
What was he after?
No clue. I mean,
the only thing we found on him
besides his I.D. was
that notebook.And he burned it.
I guess he didn't want us
to see what was inside.But obviously,
somebody's targeting us.
Find out who.
[whispers]:
Hey.
Hmm?
So, I did find
something out.
Why didn't you tell Gibbs?
Because it's about Gibbs.
I think I know what
he was talking about
when he said he was done
with anniversaries.
Yeah, that was weird, huh?
I didn't realize, last week
it was his and Shannon's
wedding anniversary.
Oh. Yeah.
That's tough.I know.
For him to even mention it...
I know.Well,
then we really should try
to get him to come out
for drinks with us.I agree.
What we need is a ringer.
Someone with
sweet little doe eyes
that Gibbs
can't say no to.
JIMMY:
You want me to do what?
Oh, come on, McGee.
The guy never comes out
for drinks with us. And...
Oh, that is so sad.
Yeah, of course.
No, I mean, I'll try.
It's just, getting Gibbs to
commit to a social engagement's
like trying to find Waldo
blindfolded.
How could you not know
who Waldo is?
GIBBS:
Who's Waldo?
Uh, actually,
it's Where's Waldo?
Okay. Where is Waldo?
[chuckles]
Maybe I should just tell you
how our victim died.
It was a severe asthma attack.
I extracted these mucus plugs
from his airways.
It's a hallmark sign of
an asthmatic asphyxiation.
Also, based on the tox screen
that Kasie sent down,
I'm fairly confident the attack
was triggered by mold spores
from his basement,
so, Gibbs,
his death was a fluke.
And you should totally come out
for drinks with us
on Sunday.
My, that was smooth.
Segues aren't my strong suit.
[chuckles]
But I really think that
you would like...
Hearing more about
how this guy died.
Yeah, that makes sense.
Uh, Gibbs,
the thing is,
this man shouldn't have died.
With asthma this bad, I'm sure
he was prescribed an inhaler
at some point; I'm just not sure
why he wasn't carrying it.
Because it could help I.D. him
if he was caught.
Guess anyone who burns off
their fingerprints
doesn't want to be identified.
But... Kasie got a hit
on his DNA anyway.
So, our bad guy's name is...
Zucado.
Maurice Zucado.
I can see why he didn't want
to be identified.
Gibbs, he's not
just a bad guy.
He is a really bad guy.
In fact, he comes from...
A whole family of bad guys.
Wait. You know him?
I had a run-in with his cousin.
Years ago.
[phone ringing]SCOTT: Gibbs?
That's with two B's, right?Yes, sir.
Well, you're lucky to be alive,
Gibbs With Two B's.
Any idea who threw you
in that trunk?
He didn't exactly
introduce himself.
His real name was
Rinaldi Zucado.
Goes by Ringo.
Sound familiar?
No.The Zucados are a class act.
Four cousins who never met a law
they wouldn't break.
B&E, assault, murder.
Used to be five.
We think the other four ate him.
Uh-huh.
Looks like Ringo
used an alias
to get an accounting job
at DoD.
Then gave himself a bonus.
You sure you don't know
anything about it?
I'm sure.
How about this?
GIBBS:
Maybe a... a key?
Thinking hotel.
Yeah, but we can't
find the hotel.
Hoping you can
give us a lead.
Maybe start with
how you ended up
in a trunk in D.C. when
your file says you're stationed
at Lejeune.
No, sir, not anymore.
I was just accepted to
scout sniper school.
Then you took a wrong turn.
This year's scouts report
to Pendleton.
So why are you in D.C.?
Pit stop.
We're here for
a buddy's wedding.
"We"?
My girlfriend, Shannon.
She gets here
in a few days.
I'm here early because
I'm in the wedding.
I was out looking
for a suit
when this guy runs up behind me
and sticks a gun in my ear.
Forced me into the trunk,
took off driving.
He forced you,Marine?
There were civilians around.
Didn't want to risk it.
Noble.
But a gamble.
If it wasn't for
that idiot driving
on the wrong side
of the road,
you might be the one
in our morgue.
[elevator bell dings]
And now you got a chance
to say thank you.
Looks like he's back
from the hospital to
give his statement.
I'm just saying,
if Americans want to drive
on the wrong side of the road,
they should put up bloody signs
at every intersection
to remind the rest
of the civilized world.
Mr. Mallard.
Actually, Dr. Mallard.
Well, former doctor.
Sergeant Gibbs.
Former trunk.
Ah.
I owe you a drink.
Well, that depends.
How do you feel about scotch?
I'd feel better about bourbon.
Sold.
[laughing]
Yes, well,
that would be fantastic.
Ah, just the man
I wanted to see.
Yes, I had a wonderfully
productive lunch yesterday
with the historians
from the DEA and CIA.
And we had this...Zucados are back.
I beg your pardon?
You heard me, Duck.
Well, how do you know?Because
one of them is laying downstairs
in our morgue.
I believe the apropos phrase is
"just when we thought
we were out..."
So, is Gibbs a yes or a
no for drinks on Sunday?
No, unfortunately,
it was a bust.
Jimmy had a good idea, though.
He thinks that
we should fake
a crime scene, right?
Trick Gibbs...[clears throat]
McGee.
Come on, let's go.Oh. Okay.
Well, as you know,
our intruder's
real name was Maurice Zucado.TORRES:
He's been in and out
of jail his whole life.
But one of his crimes
seems particularly relevant now,
especially if we're
going with a hacker theory.
BISHOP:
About four years ago, Maurice
got a job at a phone
company and was arrested
six months later
for breaking into their system.
So he definitely has
hacker skills.
What was he looking for?
I'm sure Zucado knows.
What's that?
Jonny Zucado.
Who's Jonny Zucado?
His cousin.
Jonny was in charge of the crew.
If there's a Zucado
breaking the law,
Jonny's involved.
Find him.
Okay.Hey, Gibbs, so,
there's this new bar
down by Lakewood,
and, uh, they have bourbon
that's smooth...Jonny Zucado.
Get me something.Sir.
Boss, I got something.
It's a construction company
that's under investigation
by the Carolinas
Field Office
on bribery
and obstruction of justice
charges.
Well, this Zucado guy
easily could have sent
his cousin to hack
into our system,
see how much we know.
Bring him in.
Jonny went into hiding
the day Carolina
filed charges against him.
He's gonna be tough to find.
You got a problem with tough?
[chuckles]:
Well, no, boss, but...
But I do have a question.
How'd you know...
to even look for this guy?
DUCKY:
Sorry I'm late.
I finally found a rental home
for Mother and me.
This one's furnished.
I just signed the lease.
So, the boat's
stuck in the bottle,
and you can never get it out.
What's the point?
It's a beastly little Victorian
Mother will hate
but you would probably love.
There's a basement perfect...
Oh, walk and talk. I'm thirsty.Oh.
Yeah. When you said
you wanted to buy me a drink,
I didn't realize
we'd spend the next three days
hitting every pub
in the city.
Well, I have to say,
getting to know you
has been a fascinating
case study in fortitude
and mettle.[chuckles]
U.S. Marine Corps
must be proud to have you.
Feeling's mutual.[chuckles]
Succinctly put. You're a man
of few words, aren't you?
Well, you do
all the talking.Well,
let's talk about this wedding
suit you've been lugging around.
Can I take a peek?
What do you think?
I think you are
about to find out
just how much this girlfriend
of yours actually loves you.
Speaking of, when
do you pick her up?
Her bus gets in from
Stillwater today, does it not?
Her bus does.
She doesn't.
Why? What happened?
Oh, my. Ah.
[chuckles]
That explains
the day drinking.
What's my excuse?
Jethro, I'm so very sorry.
Did she give you a reason?
She didn't end it. I did.
W-Wait, wait, wait, wait.
I don't understand.
This is the girl
you called your soul mate,
and suddenly, you decide you...
You didn't break up with her
over the phone, did you?
Would you prefer
I let her get on a bus
and come all the way down here?
A proper gentleman
would have gone to her.
I'm buying the drinks today.
Nobody's drinking today.
Jonny Zucado
wants to talk to you.
He's not related to a Ringo
by any chance?
Now.
Maurice, get the car.
[inhales]
[elevator bell dings]
After talking with Ducky,
I think we figured out
a way we can track this
Jonny Zucado guy.
Now, Jonny may have
gone into hiding
to avoid the charges
against him,
but his pacemaker did not.
Zucado was implanted
with one exactly like this
when he was treated for
atrial fibrillation last year.
Can you track it, Kasie?
Well, sort of.
Every day, it phones home
to Zucado's doctor
on a cellular frequency.
Now, the next time the pacemaker
connects, I should be able
to triangulate his location
off the cell tower.
Now, Jonny Zucado,
he can run from the long arm
of the law, but he cannot hide
from the medium-sized arms
of Kasie Hines.
Oh, Jethro.
Did you ever think
you'd see that face again?
Well, I was hoping not.KASIE:
After I heard
about the run-in
you two had back in the day
with this Zucado guy,
I looked up
your old NIS case file.
What did I do?
It's not you.
It's him.
Jonny Zucado
was the one that got away.
And it seems
that his reappearance
is dredging up old memories
that are...
better left unremembered.
[grunts]
Let's try this again.
What did my cousin Ringo say
before he died?
[siren wailing in distance]
The only Ringo I know is the one
who wrote "Octopus's Garden."
[chuckles softly]
[grunts]
[spits]
Give me the thing from Freckles.
"I was out
"looking for a suit
when a guy ran up
behind me and stuck a gun
in my ear." That sound familiar?
Because that's what
you told that cop.
Is there anything else
not in the report?
My cousin Ringo
stole something from me.
Something very,
very valuable.
And I need to know
if he told those NIS cops
about it.
You have the report.
You need me to
read it to you?
Wait, wait, wait, wait,
wait, wait, wait.
Your cousin died
shortly after the car crash
from multiple stab wounds.
I attempted to
save his life,
but he'd lost too much blood
from those stab wounds.
Yeah.
That was kind of the point.
The thing is
he didn't have a chance
to tell
those NIS agents anything.
He was dead
long before they arrived.
I'm telling the truth.
Okay.
I believe you.
And thank you so much
for that information.
We're done here.
[gun clicks]
You kill us,
they will never stop
looking for you.
Won't be the cops
that find you.
It will be the Marines.
[gun clicks]KASIE: Damn.
Semper Fi.
Baby Gibbs played
that one right.
Zucado let us live,
but with a warning.
He said if we told anyone
about what had happened,
well, we'd regret it.
But you told NIS anyway. Right?
Wrong.
Gibbs wanted to, but I tried
to persuade him otherwise.
[computer chimes]
Oh, I got something.
We just got a ping
on his location,
but not from his pacemaker.
From his regular cell phone.
He just turned it on.
We found him.
Hey.
Hey.
So this is the guy that broke
both of Gibbs's arms.Hmm?
I heard from the motor pool
it was both his legs.
Well, apparently even adults
can play telephone.
Either way, I would not
miss this for the world.
Mm-mm. Payback is a bitch.
You got old.
Try wiser. Sit down.
I have to say, this, uh,
police harassment thing
surprised me.
I didn't take you for the kind
of guy who held grudges.
So, why am I here?
We caught your cousin trying
to hack our computer system.
So what's that got
to do with me?
You bribed a government official
to land a construction contract.
Allegedly.
You're not gonna win in court.
You are going away
for a long time.
Oh, I see.
You think I sent my cousin in
to steal your files,
hoping I'd have
an advantage at trial.
Yeah, that's right.[laughs]
Well, I wish I'd thought
of that.
Would have been a lot less risky
than what I did instead.
You got no right to hold me.
I've got an arrest warrant.
Right. For the bribery charges.
Well... except I'd, uh, update
my files if I were you.
[knock on door]
Uh-oh, that can't be good.
Boss, I know about Rule 22.
I'm sorry, but...
Oh, just tell him.
What, McGee?
The bribery charges
against me have been dropped.
An hour ago.
Carolina just confirmed it.
You couldn't get me
40 years ago...
...and you ain't gonna
get me now.
Reunions are fun, aren't they?
Yeah, well, we were caught
off guard as well
when we heard that
Zucado's case was dismissed.
All right, Lynne, thank you.
Give my regards to Makenna.
Zucado buying judges now?
Judge had no choice.
The star witness in the trial
just turned up dead.
There's no case without him.I want that body.
Why?
Because you know
as well as I do
Zucado killed him.Well, that may be, but...
It's why he came out
of hiding, Leon.
He knew that witness was dead.
There's only one way
he could know about that.
It's not our case.
The bribery occurred
on Carolina's turf.
Bribery?
Hell, we get him on murder.
He admitted it.
It's not our case.It is,
Leon.
Zucado's cousin broke
into our office,
trying to hack their way
into the Carolina NCIS network.
That makes it our case.
All right.
I will call Carolina back and
see if they'll send us the body.
But I want something, too,
Gibbs.
I want you to chill out.
Ever since
the name Zucado popped back up,
you've been off your game.
I tried to talk
to Dr. Mallard,
but for the first time
since D-Day,
he hasn't had anything to say.
Something going on
between you two?
Why are we going
through your back door?
Because they might
be watching us.
Where's your phone?
Through there.
Nice wainscoting.
"Wainscoting"?
What kind of Marine are you?
And who are you phoning?
Agent Scott at NIS.
Not a good idea.
Why not?
Because that psychopath
has copies
of the statements we gave them.
Zucado has a mole
in the building.
And if you call Agent Scott
and tell him what happened,
Zucado could find out.
[hangs up receiver]
Hell, for all we know,
Scott could be the mole.
If we're smart...
We find out
who the mole is
before we
go to NIS.
Not what I was going to say.
We're not agents.
Then we go after Zucado
ourselves.
Are you trying
to get us killed, man?
Oh. I know what it is.
What?
You haven't been yourself
since you ended things
with your girlfriend.
Haven't been myself?
Any twonk off
the street can see
that you've been moping
around like a lovesick teen.
Not to mention
oozing with guilt.
For what?Don't you think
your girl deserves
a proper explanation
for why you ended
things so abruptly?
I gave her an explanation.
No, you gave
her an excuse.
Sniper school is
on the other side of the country
and a long-distance relationship
would be too tough.
It would.
You got a problem with tough,
Sergeant?
'Cause it seems to me
that you're running.
Says the guy who moved across
an ocean to become an ex-doctor.
This isn't about me.
It's about why the guy
who was so afraid of a girl
is so willing to risk his life
chasing a killer.
Trying to find
some stupid NIS mole
when it could be any...
What?
I know who the mole is.
[sizzling]
Hope you don't mind
that I let myself in,
but there's only so many times
a man will knock
before he tries the door.
That's actually
an old Mallard
family proverb.
[chuckles]
Fine.
Let's cut the small talk.
I'm worried
about you, Jethro.
I'm fine.
No, you are not fine.
You should go
and talk to
Agent Sloane.
Oh, yeah? 'Bout what?
You're letting
a 40-year-old grudge
get under your skin.
That what I'm doing?
Well, have you considered
letting McGee
take point
on the Zucado case?
I'm not walking away from this.
[chuckling]:
Jethro...
Doc,
I took your advice before.
I didn't go
after Zucado.
I'm not backing down again.
[chuckles] Well, if you
had gone after Zucado
40 years ago,
you'd be dead.
Yeah.
I would be.
Is that the way
you want history to unfold?
You'd never have married
Shannon,
never had Kelly, you'd never...
You'd never have lost them.
[sighs] I see.
Your grudge
isn't with Zucado.
It's with me.
No.
They're the best thing that
ever happened to me, you know?
Shannon and Kelly.
I don't blame you.
I owe you.
You gave me
time with them.
Time's all we have.
Indeed it is.
But Shannon and Kelly aren't
your only family.
[phone vibrates]
Carolina has sent over
the dead witness
from the Zucado
bribery case.
I think I'll go
and see if
Dr. Palmer needs any help.
JIMMY:
The deceased is
a 50-year-old male,
whose cause of death
has previously
been determined to be...
Blunt force trauma
to the cranium.
Not bad from 12 feet away.
I've had practice.
And I read
the Carolina M.E.'s report.
I thought perhaps
you might need some assistance.
Mi autopsia es su autopsia.
Have you found anything
to tie this witness's murder
to Jonny Zucado?Not yet.
I am curious
about one thing, though.
What's that?
How long
we're gonna pretend
that you're down here to assist
in an autopsy
when you have yet
to take off your jacket,
much less scrub in.
That's embarrassing.
I won't tell anyone.
He's dead.
Pretty sure you're safe.
My patients were
not always dead.
I used to save lives.
But after all the death
I witnessed
in the Jalozai
refugee camp in
Afghanistan, well...
I found I didn't trust myself
to work on a living patient.
You know, I almost
gave up the medical
profession altogether,
after that.
Really?
What made you decide to stay?
Oddly enough,
it had a lot to do
with the Zucados.
Hey, Doc.
Hi, Mike.
Well, I must admit
that I don't get a lot
of requests for, uh,
tours down in Autopsy
very often.
But I'm more than happy
to extend
the professional courtesy,
Doctor.
You must see some fascinating
causes of death down here.
Uh, true.
Though, uh, pro tip?
I consider my real job
to bring closure
to the families of the victims.
Might I be able to see
the victim from mine?
Well, that depends.
On?
How long we're going to pretend
that you came down here
for a simple tour.
Yes, you're right.
I haven't been entirely honest
about why I'm here.
So you and Gibbs
think that there's a mole
inside the building
feeding Jonny Zucado
information?
Yes, but first I need
to confirm something
on the body of Zucado's cousin--
the one I ran off the road.
One Ringo Zucado coming up.
Thank you.
Yes.
After our accident, when I was
attempting to save
his life, I noticed
that he appeared to be suffering
from LEOPARD syndrome.
You notice the large freckling.
Yeah. Caught that, too.
Uh, he also had stenosis,
confirming the diagnosis.
Wh-Where's this going?
Last time I was in the building,
I passed a construction worker
who also had
the same freckling
typical of LEOPARD syndrome.
I didn't think much
at the time, but...
That's a hell of a coincidence.
It's an extremely rare
genetic condition.
Given the odds, that
construction worker has to be
related to the Zucados.
That's got to be the mole.
You think you can
still identify that worker?
I never forget a face.
Not a problem.
JIMMY:
We've got a problem.
And it is a big one.
What sort of
a problem?
I just found ice crystal
artifacts
throughout the derma cells
of our dead witness there.
Look at the back
of his arms.
Freezer burn.
Yeah.
Based on this tissue damage,
I'd say that the star witness
against Jonny Zucado
spent some time in a freezer
before they finally
dumped his body.
I'd put his death
at about eight days ago.
And that is a
problem because...
Well, Zucado
had this witness killed
a week ago.
There'd be absolutely no reason
for his cousin
to risk breaking into NCIS
just to hack some case files.
So... what was
his cousin Maurice
really doing in this building?
Bomb squad's doing another sweep
of the entire Navy Yard.
He wasn't planting
a bomb.
We know the cousin was here
doing something in the building.
We just don't know what.
Which is why I
asked you down here.
I have been working on
the notebook our intruder tried
to burn
in the basement.
As it turns out, ink burns
at a different
rate than paper.
So I scanned the crispy critter.Bottom line?
Well, I was able to partially
reconstruct one of the pages.
It's a map of the building.
Cuz wasn't trying to hack us.
I think he was looking
for something in the building.
What?
No idea, but I got a lead
on who drew this for him.
I pulled a handwriting sample
and compared it
to every single
Zucado I could find.
You got a match.I did indeed.
Your mapmaker is
another Zucado cousin,
Emilio.
But apparently,
everybody calls him...
Freckles.
I've heard that name before.
Give me the thing from Freckles.
Pick him up.
How many cousins does
Jonny Zucado have?
Four.
Used to be five.
Supposedly,
the other four ate him.
To be honest,
I'm having trouble
keeping them all straight.
Okay, Freckles.
We know you made
this map for Jonny Zucado.
TORRES: And we know
your cousins used it
to get inside
our building.
What we don't know is why.
Okay,
I'll talk.If you want to spend
the rest of your life...
I'm sorry, what?
Well, that was easy.
Yeah, I-I didn't
want to do it.
J-Jonny made me.
S-Said if I didn't,
he'd kill me.
But if you give me protection,
I'll tell you everything.
Okay. Let's hear it.
It all started 40 years ago,
when Jonny dragged me
into his office
and told me our cousin Ringo
stole something from him.
Something worth a lot of money.
Apparently, your guys at NIS
got ahold of it
after some car crash
and Jonny wanted me
to get it back.
So they slipped me
into this painting crew
working in the building.
Took me a few days
to figure out
how to get
into the evidence locker,
but I finally got in.
The problem was
getting back out with it.
So I went back to work.
Then I noticed this blond guy
pointing me out to some agent.
Somehow, Blondie made me.
So, I stashed the keycard
and I got the hell
out of there. I mean,
I moved away, cut ties,
and never looked back.
Well, we have a map
that says otherwise.
I had no choice.
I ran into one of Jonny's goons
in Cancun last month.
Jonny said if I told him
how to find the keycard,
he might, mightlet me live.
That's why I drew the map.
Wait, so are you saying
that the keycard
is still in this building?
How should I know?
I just know where I stashed it.
And where is that?
[loud buzzing]
Yeah!
Come on, baby!
Oh, yeah!
There it is.
Yeah.
DUCKY: I just left
Agent Torres.
quite a story to tell.McGEE: Flashlight?
BISHOP:
Yeah, well, after
you I.D.'d him
to Agent Scott
back in 1980...Thanks.
Freckles hid
the keycard behind
a piece of drywall
that was being patched
so he wouldn't
be caught with it.
Wasn't a hotel key.
Was a key to a Swiss
safety deposit box.
Apparently,
Cousin Ringo
embezzled millions
from the Navy.
Zucado didn't like
being cut out,
so he tried
to kill Ringo.
Yeah, they fought.
Ringo got away.
Well, that must be
when he carjacked you.
He was running away from Zucado.
BISHOP:
Until you ran him
off the road.
And that is how the keycard
ended up back at NIS.
Yep. Found something!
[exhales]
YOUNG DUCKY:
Yes, Mother.
I will pick you up
from the airport tomorrow.
No, not in a limo.
[speaking indistinctly]
Yes. Right.
Bye, Mother!
Goodness' sake.[door opens, closes]
What are you doing?
Uh, cooking you
a bon voyage meal
before you leave for California.
Steaks in the oven?
You mad at me?
I don't have a grill.
No, but you got
one hell of a fireplace.
Is this, like,
some American thing?
'Cause it sounds
fairly gross.
No.
It's a...
Jackson Gibbs thing.
My dad.
Don't knock it...
...till you try it.
Oh, well, thank you
for using your fingers.
Oh, for goodness' sake.
[exhales]
I still can't believe
Zucado walked away a free man.
Not enough proof to convict him.
Dr. Magnus
must have missed something.
As M.E., surely he
should've been able to find
some physical evidence
tying Zucado to the stabbing.
Yeah?
Why don't you give it a try?
[chuckles]
I'm not a doctor anymore.
Mm, no,
this is different.
M.E.s don't save the living.
They help the dead find peace.
Besides,
you'd have a captive audience
for all of your stories.
[chuckles]
You join NIS,
you might get another shot
at Zucado.
Second chances are important.
But not guaranteed,
Jethro.
Especially involving
matters of the heart.
Really?
We're doing this again?
Why did you really end it
with your girlfriend?
Sniper school
only lasts 11 weeks.
Then you could
come home to her.
Then I'll leave again.
Stationed who knows where.
And what if one day
I don't come home?
She gets a folded-up flag
instead?
Seems like you're basing life
decisions on a whole lot of ifs.
What do you want from me?
The truth.
You're scared.
Of what?
Love?
No. Losing love.
I think you're walking away
before you get hurt.
I think you're more affected
by my breakup than I am.
Because I know
what you don't.
Love is never gonna come easy.
Yes, it is scary
and it's messy
as hell,
but it cannot be
optional.
So when true love
does come along,
you need to fight
to hold on to it.
You need to... climb
into that bottle with that ship
and put a cork in it.
Because it may never
come round again.
What was her name?
Maggie.
What happened?
Believe it or not,
there are some stories
even I won't tell.
Do not make the same mistakes
I made, Jethro.
You're a good man.
And I do hope
we cross paths again.
I got a feeling we might.
Oh, I can't wait to hear this.
What new crime
am I being accused of now?
Oh, uh, not a new one.
You're under arrest.
For the murder
of Rinaldi Zucado.
Ringo?
[laughs]
That was 40 years ago.
We exhumed his body.
And, as it turns out,
DNA has a half-life of
over 500 years.
And guess whose DNA we found
under Ringo's fingernails
the day he was murdered.
Reunions are fun, aren't they?
[handcuffs clicking]Call my lawyer.
Call him!
♪
[line ringing]
SHANNON:
Hello?
Hey, it's me.
Don't hang up.
Shannon? Are you there?
What do you want?
I, uh, I only have a few days
before I ship out.
And your point?
Uh, I've been doing
some thinking.
Uh, a lot of thinking.
And I'd like to
ask you a question
before I leave.
What kind of question?
The kind that a gentleman
doesn't ask over the phone.
I'll see you in five hours.
♪
[line ringing]
McGee!
Hey, boss. Everything okay?
[crowd chatter over phone]Yeah. Everything's fine.
Uh, you guys still out
for drinks?
Oh, yeah.
And then some.
Why? You need us to come back?
No. No, no.
So...?
So... I was just, uh,
wondering how long
you were gonna be there.
Thought I'd stop by.
McGee?
Gibbs is coming, baby!
[others cheering]
Captioning sponsored by
CBS
and TOYOTA.
[siren whoops]
STAMOS:
Witnesses said the Mercedes
was driving on the wrong side
of the road.
Vic swerved to avoid him.
Where's the driver?
At the ER.
I just got a page
from the hospital.
The other driver's
injuries were minimal.
No-no sign of intoxication.
The deceased was
a civilian accountant at DoD.
Handles Navy payroll.
And it looks like he made
an unauthorized withdrawal.
STAMOS:
What's a Navy accountant doing
with a bag full of cash
and a .45?
MAGNUS:
I cantell you
he appears to be
suffering from something
called LEOPARD syndrome.
Oh, here it comes.It's an acronym
for a rare genetic disease.
Note the unusually large
freckling around the face--
lentigines,
as they're called.
Very, very rare.
We're gonna need a statement
from the other driver.
STAMOS:
I'll bring him in.
Are we charging him?Maybe manslaughter?
He wasn't drunk, but...
he still killed someone.
Or not.
Doc?
I got multiple stab wounds.
Looks like a switchblade,
maybe a small hunting knife.
He was probably bleeding
for hours before the crash.
This man didn't die
from the accident.
He was murdered.
[thumping nearby]
Someone's in the trunk.
[thumping continues]MAN [muffled]:
Hello?
Someone let me out of here!
Hello?
It's okay.
Everything's fine.
What's your name, Marine?
Gibbs, sir.
Sergeant Leroy Jethro Gibbs.
♪
[elevator bell dings]
Hope no one has any plans
this weekend.
We are going out.
I have plans
every weekend.Yeah, and I'm
just finishing up the case
for that kidnapping.
Sorry. Attendance is mandatory.
Oh, what's up, man?
I haven't seen you this excited
since, uh...
um... nerd things.
Dude,
it is the 20th anniversary
of the day I decided
to become an NCIS agent.
Oh, okay. That is a big deal.
I'm in, brah.
Wow. Me, too.
Me, three, assuming I'm invited.
Course. No,
but the question is,
do I invite Gibbs?
Ooh, man, is that
a trick question?
No. See, here's the thing.
Obviously,
I want him to come, right?
But every time we ask him
to go anywhere, he says no.
So I've been thinking
maybe if I don'tinvite Gibbs,
you know...
How long have you
been overthinking this?
Counting yesterday?
My advice: if you really want
Gibbs to come, just ask him.
GIBBS:
Ask me what?
Um, well, boss,
I'm taking out some of the team
this weekend, for drinks,
and I was wondering...
Have fun.
[soft laughter]
Grab your gear.
We got a body.
Boss, you sure
you don't want to come?
I'd love to have you.
GIBBS:
Uh, maybe next time.
Just so you know,
it's-it's my anniversary.
McGee, I'm about done
with anniversaries for the year.
BISHOP:
Hey, uh,
so where's the body?In our basement.
JIMMY: If the body's
still warm, it means
he's been here 12 hours or less.
But once Lenny
the Liver Probe
does his magic, I'll be able
to be more specific.
Who is he?Uh, no idea.
We were...
waiting for you
before we looked for a wallet.
Well, an A-plus to you
for following protocol.
[beeps]
Palmer.Yeah?
Wallet.Oh, right, yeah.
All right,
our mystery guest is...
NCIS Special Agent
Ronald Calloway
of the Carolina office.
McGEE:
Must have been part
of that interoffice exchange
last week.
Call Carolina. Let 'em know.Okay.
What do you
think happened?Well, based
on petechial hemorrhaging,
I'd say he
asphyxiated about...
nine hours ago.
How?
I'm not sure.
No signs of strangulation.
Clearly didn't drown.
Looks like he burned
that notebook over there.
Maybe that had something to do
with his death.
It's not likely.
I-I really shouldn't speculate
any further
until we get Agent Calloway here
into autopsy.Thanks.
Whoever he really is,
that was SAC at Carolina--
there is
no Special Agent Calloway
at their office
or at any NCIS office.
The credentials are fake.
Run his prints.
JIMMY:
That's gonna be tough.
His fingerprints
have been burned off.
What was this guy doing
down here?
McGEE:
So, Torres said
the security sweeps
are almost done--
no sign of any bombs.
You check the roof?
Yeah, and everyone in the
building's been accounted for.
We're pretty sure
he was alone.
All right, I think
we need to put a pin
in this evacuation
for now.
But as soon as
you find out
who that man was,
I want to know.You heard him.
All right. Well,
we don't have any I.D., but...
According to the sign-in log,
the intruder entered
the building last night.
McGEE:
Wandered around
for a little bit...
BISHOP:
Then he went
into the subbasement.
Why'd he do that?Well, I have a theory.
I think he might have been
trying to hack into our network.
See, his body was found
next to the main
interconnect hub.
That's what connects up
every NCIS office in the world.
What was he after?
No clue. I mean,
the only thing we found on him
besides his I.D. was
that notebook.And he burned it.
I guess he didn't want us
to see what was inside.But obviously,
somebody's targeting us.
Find out who.
[whispers]:
Hey.
Hmm?
So, I did find
something out.
Why didn't you tell Gibbs?
Because it's about Gibbs.
I think I know what
he was talking about
when he said he was done
with anniversaries.
Yeah, that was weird, huh?
I didn't realize, last week
it was his and Shannon's
wedding anniversary.
Oh. Yeah.
That's tough.I know.
For him to even mention it...
I know.Well,
then we really should try
to get him to come out
for drinks with us.I agree.
What we need is a ringer.
Someone with
sweet little doe eyes
that Gibbs
can't say no to.
JIMMY:
You want me to do what?
Oh, come on, McGee.
The guy never comes out
for drinks with us. And...
Oh, that is so sad.
Yeah, of course.
No, I mean, I'll try.
It's just, getting Gibbs to
commit to a social engagement's
like trying to find Waldo
blindfolded.
How could you not know
who Waldo is?
GIBBS:
Who's Waldo?
Uh, actually,
it's Where's Waldo?
Okay. Where is Waldo?
[chuckles]
Maybe I should just tell you
how our victim died.
It was a severe asthma attack.
I extracted these mucus plugs
from his airways.
It's a hallmark sign of
an asthmatic asphyxiation.
Also, based on the tox screen
that Kasie sent down,
I'm fairly confident the attack
was triggered by mold spores
from his basement,
so, Gibbs,
his death was a fluke.
And you should totally come out
for drinks with us
on Sunday.
My, that was smooth.
Segues aren't my strong suit.
[chuckles]
But I really think that
you would like...
Hearing more about
how this guy died.
Yeah, that makes sense.
Uh, Gibbs,
the thing is,
this man shouldn't have died.
With asthma this bad, I'm sure
he was prescribed an inhaler
at some point; I'm just not sure
why he wasn't carrying it.
Because it could help I.D. him
if he was caught.
Guess anyone who burns off
their fingerprints
doesn't want to be identified.
But... Kasie got a hit
on his DNA anyway.
So, our bad guy's name is...
Zucado.
Maurice Zucado.
I can see why he didn't want
to be identified.
Gibbs, he's not
just a bad guy.
He is a really bad guy.
In fact, he comes from...
A whole family of bad guys.
Wait. You know him?
I had a run-in with his cousin.
Years ago.
[phone ringing]SCOTT: Gibbs?
That's with two B's, right?Yes, sir.
Well, you're lucky to be alive,
Gibbs With Two B's.
Any idea who threw you
in that trunk?
He didn't exactly
introduce himself.
His real name was
Rinaldi Zucado.
Goes by Ringo.
Sound familiar?
No.The Zucados are a class act.
Four cousins who never met a law
they wouldn't break.
B&E, assault, murder.
Used to be five.
We think the other four ate him.
Uh-huh.
Looks like Ringo
used an alias
to get an accounting job
at DoD.
Then gave himself a bonus.
You sure you don't know
anything about it?
I'm sure.
How about this?
GIBBS:
Maybe a... a key?
Thinking hotel.
Yeah, but we can't
find the hotel.
Hoping you can
give us a lead.
Maybe start with
how you ended up
in a trunk in D.C. when
your file says you're stationed
at Lejeune.
No, sir, not anymore.
I was just accepted to
scout sniper school.
Then you took a wrong turn.
This year's scouts report
to Pendleton.
So why are you in D.C.?
Pit stop.
We're here for
a buddy's wedding.
"We"?
My girlfriend, Shannon.
She gets here
in a few days.
I'm here early because
I'm in the wedding.
I was out looking
for a suit
when this guy runs up behind me
and sticks a gun in my ear.
Forced me into the trunk,
took off driving.
He forced you,Marine?
There were civilians around.
Didn't want to risk it.
Noble.
But a gamble.
If it wasn't for
that idiot driving
on the wrong side
of the road,
you might be the one
in our morgue.
[elevator bell dings]
And now you got a chance
to say thank you.
Looks like he's back
from the hospital to
give his statement.
I'm just saying,
if Americans want to drive
on the wrong side of the road,
they should put up bloody signs
at every intersection
to remind the rest
of the civilized world.
Mr. Mallard.
Actually, Dr. Mallard.
Well, former doctor.
Sergeant Gibbs.
Former trunk.
Ah.
I owe you a drink.
Well, that depends.
How do you feel about scotch?
I'd feel better about bourbon.
Sold.
[laughing]
Yes, well,
that would be fantastic.
Ah, just the man
I wanted to see.
Yes, I had a wonderfully
productive lunch yesterday
with the historians
from the DEA and CIA.
And we had this...Zucados are back.
I beg your pardon?
You heard me, Duck.
Well, how do you know?Because
one of them is laying downstairs
in our morgue.
I believe the apropos phrase is
"just when we thought
we were out..."
So, is Gibbs a yes or a
no for drinks on Sunday?
No, unfortunately,
it was a bust.
Jimmy had a good idea, though.
He thinks that
we should fake
a crime scene, right?
Trick Gibbs...[clears throat]
McGee.
Come on, let's go.Oh. Okay.
Well, as you know,
our intruder's
real name was Maurice Zucado.TORRES:
He's been in and out
of jail his whole life.
But one of his crimes
seems particularly relevant now,
especially if we're
going with a hacker theory.
BISHOP:
About four years ago, Maurice
got a job at a phone
company and was arrested
six months later
for breaking into their system.
So he definitely has
hacker skills.
What was he looking for?
I'm sure Zucado knows.
What's that?
Jonny Zucado.
Who's Jonny Zucado?
His cousin.
Jonny was in charge of the crew.
If there's a Zucado
breaking the law,
Jonny's involved.
Find him.
Okay.Hey, Gibbs, so,
there's this new bar
down by Lakewood,
and, uh, they have bourbon
that's smooth...Jonny Zucado.
Get me something.Sir.
Boss, I got something.
It's a construction company
that's under investigation
by the Carolinas
Field Office
on bribery
and obstruction of justice
charges.
Well, this Zucado guy
easily could have sent
his cousin to hack
into our system,
see how much we know.
Bring him in.
Jonny went into hiding
the day Carolina
filed charges against him.
He's gonna be tough to find.
You got a problem with tough?
[chuckles]:
Well, no, boss, but...
But I do have a question.
How'd you know...
to even look for this guy?
DUCKY:
Sorry I'm late.
I finally found a rental home
for Mother and me.
This one's furnished.
I just signed the lease.
So, the boat's
stuck in the bottle,
and you can never get it out.
What's the point?
It's a beastly little Victorian
Mother will hate
but you would probably love.
There's a basement perfect...
Oh, walk and talk. I'm thirsty.Oh.
Yeah. When you said
you wanted to buy me a drink,
I didn't realize
we'd spend the next three days
hitting every pub
in the city.
Well, I have to say,
getting to know you
has been a fascinating
case study in fortitude
and mettle.[chuckles]
U.S. Marine Corps
must be proud to have you.
Feeling's mutual.[chuckles]
Succinctly put. You're a man
of few words, aren't you?
Well, you do
all the talking.Well,
let's talk about this wedding
suit you've been lugging around.
Can I take a peek?
What do you think?
I think you are
about to find out
just how much this girlfriend
of yours actually loves you.
Speaking of, when
do you pick her up?
Her bus gets in from
Stillwater today, does it not?
Her bus does.
She doesn't.
Why? What happened?
Oh, my. Ah.
[chuckles]
That explains
the day drinking.
What's my excuse?
Jethro, I'm so very sorry.
Did she give you a reason?
She didn't end it. I did.
W-Wait, wait, wait, wait.
I don't understand.
This is the girl
you called your soul mate,
and suddenly, you decide you...
You didn't break up with her
over the phone, did you?
Would you prefer
I let her get on a bus
and come all the way down here?
A proper gentleman
would have gone to her.
I'm buying the drinks today.
Nobody's drinking today.
Jonny Zucado
wants to talk to you.
He's not related to a Ringo
by any chance?
Now.
Maurice, get the car.
[inhales]
[elevator bell dings]
After talking with Ducky,
I think we figured out
a way we can track this
Jonny Zucado guy.
Now, Jonny may have
gone into hiding
to avoid the charges
against him,
but his pacemaker did not.
Zucado was implanted
with one exactly like this
when he was treated for
atrial fibrillation last year.
Can you track it, Kasie?
Well, sort of.
Every day, it phones home
to Zucado's doctor
on a cellular frequency.
Now, the next time the pacemaker
connects, I should be able
to triangulate his location
off the cell tower.
Now, Jonny Zucado,
he can run from the long arm
of the law, but he cannot hide
from the medium-sized arms
of Kasie Hines.
Oh, Jethro.
Did you ever think
you'd see that face again?
Well, I was hoping not.KASIE:
After I heard
about the run-in
you two had back in the day
with this Zucado guy,
I looked up
your old NIS case file.
What did I do?
It's not you.
It's him.
Jonny Zucado
was the one that got away.
And it seems
that his reappearance
is dredging up old memories
that are...
better left unremembered.
[grunts]
Let's try this again.
What did my cousin Ringo say
before he died?
[siren wailing in distance]
The only Ringo I know is the one
who wrote "Octopus's Garden."
[chuckles softly]
[grunts]
[spits]
Give me the thing from Freckles.
"I was out
"looking for a suit
when a guy ran up
behind me and stuck a gun
in my ear." That sound familiar?
Because that's what
you told that cop.
Is there anything else
not in the report?
My cousin Ringo
stole something from me.
Something very,
very valuable.
And I need to know
if he told those NIS cops
about it.
You have the report.
You need me to
read it to you?
Wait, wait, wait, wait,
wait, wait, wait.
Your cousin died
shortly after the car crash
from multiple stab wounds.
I attempted to
save his life,
but he'd lost too much blood
from those stab wounds.
Yeah.
That was kind of the point.
The thing is
he didn't have a chance
to tell
those NIS agents anything.
He was dead
long before they arrived.
I'm telling the truth.
Okay.
I believe you.
And thank you so much
for that information.
We're done here.
[gun clicks]
You kill us,
they will never stop
looking for you.
Won't be the cops
that find you.
It will be the Marines.
[gun clicks]KASIE: Damn.
Semper Fi.
Baby Gibbs played
that one right.
Zucado let us live,
but with a warning.
He said if we told anyone
about what had happened,
well, we'd regret it.
But you told NIS anyway. Right?
Wrong.
Gibbs wanted to, but I tried
to persuade him otherwise.
[computer chimes]
Oh, I got something.
We just got a ping
on his location,
but not from his pacemaker.
From his regular cell phone.
He just turned it on.
We found him.
Hey.
Hey.
So this is the guy that broke
both of Gibbs's arms.Hmm?
I heard from the motor pool
it was both his legs.
Well, apparently even adults
can play telephone.
Either way, I would not
miss this for the world.
Mm-mm. Payback is a bitch.
You got old.
Try wiser. Sit down.
I have to say, this, uh,
police harassment thing
surprised me.
I didn't take you for the kind
of guy who held grudges.
So, why am I here?
We caught your cousin trying
to hack our computer system.
So what's that got
to do with me?
You bribed a government official
to land a construction contract.
Allegedly.
You're not gonna win in court.
You are going away
for a long time.
Oh, I see.
You think I sent my cousin in
to steal your files,
hoping I'd have
an advantage at trial.
Yeah, that's right.[laughs]
Well, I wish I'd thought
of that.
Would have been a lot less risky
than what I did instead.
You got no right to hold me.
I've got an arrest warrant.
Right. For the bribery charges.
Well... except I'd, uh, update
my files if I were you.
[knock on door]
Uh-oh, that can't be good.
Boss, I know about Rule 22.
I'm sorry, but...
Oh, just tell him.
What, McGee?
The bribery charges
against me have been dropped.
An hour ago.
Carolina just confirmed it.
You couldn't get me
40 years ago...
...and you ain't gonna
get me now.
Reunions are fun, aren't they?
Yeah, well, we were caught
off guard as well
when we heard that
Zucado's case was dismissed.
All right, Lynne, thank you.
Give my regards to Makenna.
Zucado buying judges now?
Judge had no choice.
The star witness in the trial
just turned up dead.
There's no case without him.I want that body.
Why?
Because you know
as well as I do
Zucado killed him.Well, that may be, but...
It's why he came out
of hiding, Leon.
He knew that witness was dead.
There's only one way
he could know about that.
It's not our case.
The bribery occurred
on Carolina's turf.
Bribery?
Hell, we get him on murder.
He admitted it.
It's not our case.It is,
Leon.
Zucado's cousin broke
into our office,
trying to hack their way
into the Carolina NCIS network.
That makes it our case.
All right.
I will call Carolina back and
see if they'll send us the body.
But I want something, too,
Gibbs.
I want you to chill out.
Ever since
the name Zucado popped back up,
you've been off your game.
I tried to talk
to Dr. Mallard,
but for the first time
since D-Day,
he hasn't had anything to say.
Something going on
between you two?
Why are we going
through your back door?
Because they might
be watching us.
Where's your phone?
Through there.
Nice wainscoting.
"Wainscoting"?
What kind of Marine are you?
And who are you phoning?
Agent Scott at NIS.
Not a good idea.
Why not?
Because that psychopath
has copies
of the statements we gave them.
Zucado has a mole
in the building.
And if you call Agent Scott
and tell him what happened,
Zucado could find out.
[hangs up receiver]
Hell, for all we know,
Scott could be the mole.
If we're smart...
We find out
who the mole is
before we
go to NIS.
Not what I was going to say.
We're not agents.
Then we go after Zucado
ourselves.
Are you trying
to get us killed, man?
Oh. I know what it is.
What?
You haven't been yourself
since you ended things
with your girlfriend.
Haven't been myself?
Any twonk off
the street can see
that you've been moping
around like a lovesick teen.
Not to mention
oozing with guilt.
For what?Don't you think
your girl deserves
a proper explanation
for why you ended
things so abruptly?
I gave her an explanation.
No, you gave
her an excuse.
Sniper school is
on the other side of the country
and a long-distance relationship
would be too tough.
It would.
You got a problem with tough,
Sergeant?
'Cause it seems to me
that you're running.
Says the guy who moved across
an ocean to become an ex-doctor.
This isn't about me.
It's about why the guy
who was so afraid of a girl
is so willing to risk his life
chasing a killer.
Trying to find
some stupid NIS mole
when it could be any...
What?
I know who the mole is.
[sizzling]
Hope you don't mind
that I let myself in,
but there's only so many times
a man will knock
before he tries the door.
That's actually
an old Mallard
family proverb.
[chuckles]
Fine.
Let's cut the small talk.
I'm worried
about you, Jethro.
I'm fine.
No, you are not fine.
You should go
and talk to
Agent Sloane.
Oh, yeah? 'Bout what?
You're letting
a 40-year-old grudge
get under your skin.
That what I'm doing?
Well, have you considered
letting McGee
take point
on the Zucado case?
I'm not walking away from this.
[chuckling]:
Jethro...
Doc,
I took your advice before.
I didn't go
after Zucado.
I'm not backing down again.
[chuckles] Well, if you
had gone after Zucado
40 years ago,
you'd be dead.
Yeah.
I would be.
Is that the way
you want history to unfold?
You'd never have married
Shannon,
never had Kelly, you'd never...
You'd never have lost them.
[sighs] I see.
Your grudge
isn't with Zucado.
It's with me.
No.
They're the best thing that
ever happened to me, you know?
Shannon and Kelly.
I don't blame you.
I owe you.
You gave me
time with them.
Time's all we have.
Indeed it is.
But Shannon and Kelly aren't
your only family.
[phone vibrates]
Carolina has sent over
the dead witness
from the Zucado
bribery case.
I think I'll go
and see if
Dr. Palmer needs any help.
JIMMY:
The deceased is
a 50-year-old male,
whose cause of death
has previously
been determined to be...
Blunt force trauma
to the cranium.
Not bad from 12 feet away.
I've had practice.
And I read
the Carolina M.E.'s report.
I thought perhaps
you might need some assistance.
Mi autopsia es su autopsia.
Have you found anything
to tie this witness's murder
to Jonny Zucado?Not yet.
I am curious
about one thing, though.
What's that?
How long
we're gonna pretend
that you're down here to assist
in an autopsy
when you have yet
to take off your jacket,
much less scrub in.
That's embarrassing.
I won't tell anyone.
He's dead.
Pretty sure you're safe.
My patients were
not always dead.
I used to save lives.
But after all the death
I witnessed
in the Jalozai
refugee camp in
Afghanistan, well...
I found I didn't trust myself
to work on a living patient.
You know, I almost
gave up the medical
profession altogether,
after that.
Really?
What made you decide to stay?
Oddly enough,
it had a lot to do
with the Zucados.
Hey, Doc.
Hi, Mike.
Well, I must admit
that I don't get a lot
of requests for, uh,
tours down in Autopsy
very often.
But I'm more than happy
to extend
the professional courtesy,
Doctor.
You must see some fascinating
causes of death down here.
Uh, true.
Though, uh, pro tip?
I consider my real job
to bring closure
to the families of the victims.
Might I be able to see
the victim from mine?
Well, that depends.
On?
How long we're going to pretend
that you came down here
for a simple tour.
Yes, you're right.
I haven't been entirely honest
about why I'm here.
So you and Gibbs
think that there's a mole
inside the building
feeding Jonny Zucado
information?
Yes, but first I need
to confirm something
on the body of Zucado's cousin--
the one I ran off the road.
One Ringo Zucado coming up.
Thank you.
Yes.
After our accident, when I was
attempting to save
his life, I noticed
that he appeared to be suffering
from LEOPARD syndrome.
You notice the large freckling.
Yeah. Caught that, too.
Uh, he also had stenosis,
confirming the diagnosis.
Wh-Where's this going?
Last time I was in the building,
I passed a construction worker
who also had
the same freckling
typical of LEOPARD syndrome.
I didn't think much
at the time, but...
That's a hell of a coincidence.
It's an extremely rare
genetic condition.
Given the odds, that
construction worker has to be
related to the Zucados.
That's got to be the mole.
You think you can
still identify that worker?
I never forget a face.
Not a problem.
JIMMY:
We've got a problem.
And it is a big one.
What sort of
a problem?
I just found ice crystal
artifacts
throughout the derma cells
of our dead witness there.
Look at the back
of his arms.
Freezer burn.
Yeah.
Based on this tissue damage,
I'd say that the star witness
against Jonny Zucado
spent some time in a freezer
before they finally
dumped his body.
I'd put his death
at about eight days ago.
And that is a
problem because...
Well, Zucado
had this witness killed
a week ago.
There'd be absolutely no reason
for his cousin
to risk breaking into NCIS
just to hack some case files.
So... what was
his cousin Maurice
really doing in this building?
Bomb squad's doing another sweep
of the entire Navy Yard.
He wasn't planting
a bomb.
We know the cousin was here
doing something in the building.
We just don't know what.
Which is why I
asked you down here.
I have been working on
the notebook our intruder tried
to burn
in the basement.
As it turns out, ink burns
at a different
rate than paper.
So I scanned the crispy critter.Bottom line?
Well, I was able to partially
reconstruct one of the pages.
It's a map of the building.
Cuz wasn't trying to hack us.
I think he was looking
for something in the building.
What?
No idea, but I got a lead
on who drew this for him.
I pulled a handwriting sample
and compared it
to every single
Zucado I could find.
You got a match.I did indeed.
Your mapmaker is
another Zucado cousin,
Emilio.
But apparently,
everybody calls him...
Freckles.
I've heard that name before.
Give me the thing from Freckles.
Pick him up.
How many cousins does
Jonny Zucado have?
Four.
Used to be five.
Supposedly,
the other four ate him.
To be honest,
I'm having trouble
keeping them all straight.
Okay, Freckles.
We know you made
this map for Jonny Zucado.
TORRES: And we know
your cousins used it
to get inside
our building.
What we don't know is why.
Okay,
I'll talk.If you want to spend
the rest of your life...
I'm sorry, what?
Well, that was easy.
Yeah, I-I didn't
want to do it.
J-Jonny made me.
S-Said if I didn't,
he'd kill me.
But if you give me protection,
I'll tell you everything.
Okay. Let's hear it.
It all started 40 years ago,
when Jonny dragged me
into his office
and told me our cousin Ringo
stole something from him.
Something worth a lot of money.
Apparently, your guys at NIS
got ahold of it
after some car crash
and Jonny wanted me
to get it back.
So they slipped me
into this painting crew
working in the building.
Took me a few days
to figure out
how to get
into the evidence locker,
but I finally got in.
The problem was
getting back out with it.
So I went back to work.
Then I noticed this blond guy
pointing me out to some agent.
Somehow, Blondie made me.
So, I stashed the keycard
and I got the hell
out of there. I mean,
I moved away, cut ties,
and never looked back.
Well, we have a map
that says otherwise.
I had no choice.
I ran into one of Jonny's goons
in Cancun last month.
Jonny said if I told him
how to find the keycard,
he might, mightlet me live.
That's why I drew the map.
Wait, so are you saying
that the keycard
is still in this building?
How should I know?
I just know where I stashed it.
And where is that?
[loud buzzing]
Yeah!
Come on, baby!
Oh, yeah!
There it is.
Yeah.
DUCKY: I just left
Agent Torres.
quite a story to tell.McGEE: Flashlight?
BISHOP:
Yeah, well, after
you I.D.'d him
to Agent Scott
back in 1980...Thanks.
Freckles hid
the keycard behind
a piece of drywall
that was being patched
so he wouldn't
be caught with it.
Wasn't a hotel key.
Was a key to a Swiss
safety deposit box.
Apparently,
Cousin Ringo
embezzled millions
from the Navy.
Zucado didn't like
being cut out,
so he tried
to kill Ringo.
Yeah, they fought.
Ringo got away.
Well, that must be
when he carjacked you.
He was running away from Zucado.
BISHOP:
Until you ran him
off the road.
And that is how the keycard
ended up back at NIS.
Yep. Found something!
[exhales]
YOUNG DUCKY:
Yes, Mother.
I will pick you up
from the airport tomorrow.
No, not in a limo.
[speaking indistinctly]
Yes. Right.
Bye, Mother!
Goodness' sake.[door opens, closes]
What are you doing?
Uh, cooking you
a bon voyage meal
before you leave for California.
Steaks in the oven?
You mad at me?
I don't have a grill.
No, but you got
one hell of a fireplace.
Is this, like,
some American thing?
'Cause it sounds
fairly gross.
No.
It's a...
Jackson Gibbs thing.
My dad.
Don't knock it...
...till you try it.
Oh, well, thank you
for using your fingers.
Oh, for goodness' sake.
[exhales]
I still can't believe
Zucado walked away a free man.
Not enough proof to convict him.
Dr. Magnus
must have missed something.
As M.E., surely he
should've been able to find
some physical evidence
tying Zucado to the stabbing.
Yeah?
Why don't you give it a try?
[chuckles]
I'm not a doctor anymore.
Mm, no,
this is different.
M.E.s don't save the living.
They help the dead find peace.
Besides,
you'd have a captive audience
for all of your stories.
[chuckles]
You join NIS,
you might get another shot
at Zucado.
Second chances are important.
But not guaranteed,
Jethro.
Especially involving
matters of the heart.
Really?
We're doing this again?
Why did you really end it
with your girlfriend?
Sniper school
only lasts 11 weeks.
Then you could
come home to her.
Then I'll leave again.
Stationed who knows where.
And what if one day
I don't come home?
She gets a folded-up flag
instead?
Seems like you're basing life
decisions on a whole lot of ifs.
What do you want from me?
The truth.
You're scared.
Of what?
Love?
No. Losing love.
I think you're walking away
before you get hurt.
I think you're more affected
by my breakup than I am.
Because I know
what you don't.
Love is never gonna come easy.
Yes, it is scary
and it's messy
as hell,
but it cannot be
optional.
So when true love
does come along,
you need to fight
to hold on to it.
You need to... climb
into that bottle with that ship
and put a cork in it.
Because it may never
come round again.
What was her name?
Maggie.
What happened?
Believe it or not,
there are some stories
even I won't tell.
Do not make the same mistakes
I made, Jethro.
You're a good man.
And I do hope
we cross paths again.
I got a feeling we might.
Oh, I can't wait to hear this.
What new crime
am I being accused of now?
Oh, uh, not a new one.
You're under arrest.
For the murder
of Rinaldi Zucado.
Ringo?
[laughs]
That was 40 years ago.
We exhumed his body.
And, as it turns out,
DNA has a half-life of
over 500 years.
And guess whose DNA we found
under Ringo's fingernails
the day he was murdered.
Reunions are fun, aren't they?
[handcuffs clicking]Call my lawyer.
Call him!
♪
[line ringing]
SHANNON:
Hello?
Hey, it's me.
Don't hang up.
Shannon? Are you there?
What do you want?
I, uh, I only have a few days
before I ship out.
And your point?
Uh, I've been doing
some thinking.
Uh, a lot of thinking.
And I'd like to
ask you a question
before I leave.
What kind of question?
The kind that a gentleman
doesn't ask over the phone.
I'll see you in five hours.
♪
[line ringing]
McGee!
Hey, boss. Everything okay?
[crowd chatter over phone]Yeah. Everything's fine.
Uh, you guys still out
for drinks?
Oh, yeah.
And then some.
Why? You need us to come back?
No. No, no.
So...?
So... I was just, uh,
wondering how long
you were gonna be there.
Thought I'd stop by.
McGee?
Gibbs is coming, baby!
[others cheering]
Captioning sponsored by
CBS
and TOYOTA.