NCIS (2003–…): Season 7, Episode 5 - Code of Conduct - full transcript
Teenage neighbors find the body of a Marine, LCpl. Korby, who apparently committed suicide by carbon monoxide; Gibbs and company investigate; Ducky promptly says that the death was not by suicide, and he soon sees irregularities. Ducky elaborates on his hypothesis against suicide, and Abby adds details. Korby was a practical joker whose pranks often displeased others; some of his tricks had caused problems within his outfit, and his fellow Marines had taken action. Tony consistently believes that Korby's wife killed him; he eventually starts to arrest her, but Gibbs stops him. Gibbs, Tony, and McGee put the right pieces together, and they bust the person responsible. Finally, Tony experiences a dental problem.
(boys whooping like chimps)
BOY:
Here we go!
BOY 2:
Nice!
BOY:
Yeah, man.
BOY 2:
Dude, give me another one.
Hey, let me get this.
Let me get this.
(laughing): He's gonna be
cleaning this up for days.
Hey, hey, somebody's coming!
Run! Run! Run!
Oh, man! Let's go!
I got the bag!
Go, go!
Come on, come on,
get down, get down.
Looks like we're clear.
I love Halloween.
Me, too.
(rock music blaring in car)
Hey, isn't that
Korby's car?
Sounds like he's
rockin' out.
It's late.
GI Jokester must be getting lit
up in there.
You guys thinkin'
what I'm thinkin'?
- Oh, yeah.
- Uh-huh.
Let's crash his party.
Dude, dude.
Is he asleep?
Hey, dude must be
baked out of his mind.
What is this?
He's not smoking.
What?
Mr. Korby?
# #
TONY:
Now, listen, no gerrymandering.
If I win this thing,
I want to see the money.
(chuckles) That's not
a personal insult, Jerry.
Just keep the competition clean,
you know what I'm sayin'?
You'd better add 42
destruction-of-property, one
arson and, uh, let's make it
two indecent exposures.
That's my final tally.
And I will talk to you tomorrow.
Who was that?
Old buddy of mine
from Baltimore PD.
Doing a little Larceny Lotto.
Larceny Lotto?
It's an old
Halloween tradition.
Everyone throws 200 bucks
into the kitty.
Tries to guess the number of
disturbance calls
on Mischief Night, which is
the night before Halloween.
And then, of course,
Halloween itself.
Tony, you hate Halloween.
Anyway, it's a lot of money,
and I like money.
That is why someone kept ringing
my doorbell and running off.
When I was a kid on base
at Alameda,
we called it "Devil's Night."
I remember one year
we put the
base commander's bedroom
furniture on a tarmac.
You know it takes less
than a tenth of a second
for the engine of an F-18
to move a BarcaLounger 300 feet.
Good memories.
Ring-N-Runs, Dine-N-Ditch...
GIBBS:
Lock-N-Load.
Got a dead Marine.
Agent David, you're driving.
(clicks tongue)
McGEE: Victim is Marine
Lance Corporal James Korby.
He just got back
from his third tour
of Afghanistan three days ago.
Family?
Lives here with his wife
and stepdaughter.
Local LEOs are trying
to track them down.
No obvious signs
of struggle inside the car.
No blood.
Looks like a suicide.
Looks can be deceiving,
Agent David.
There's no way that man killed
himself in that car, Jethro.
Jacking that one up
from beyond the arc, Duck.
I can barely see
that far.
Carboxyhemoglobin does not
require closer inspection.
If carbon monoxide had been
the cause of that man's death,
his skin would be cherry red,
which it isn't, ergo...
Body was staged.
To look like a suicide.
(quietly):
Yeah.
BOY:
Korby lived for Mischief Night.
He was the king
of practical jokes.
I guess that makes you
the Princes of Pranks.
Are we in trouble?
Not unless
you killed him.
(clears throat)
I'll handle the questions
here, probie. Thank you.
We were talking about Korby.
Guy was awesome.
Came up with new practical jokes
every Halloween.
Nothing dangerous.
I mean, no razor blades.
He'd freeze all kinds of stuff,
blow things up.
It was funny.
And illegal.
And you are?
Ted Rodgers.
Live across the street.
First he drove us crazy
with his pranks.
Now he dies
in the driveway.
Well, it sounds like you got
a problem in your neighborhood,
Mr. Rodgers.
That's a nice sweater,
by the way.
Boys, we are going
to need that videotape.
Yes, you can use it to document
what these punks did last night.
We're only interested
in what happened
to Lance Corporal Korby.
Thank you.
You got a time
of death, Duck?
This can't be true.
I mean, the heat
from the exhaust fumes should
raise his body temperature,
but he's curiously cold.
Frigid, in fact.
It's a mystery
to be solved
by examination later.
(creepy mechanical laughter)
TONY:
Whoa-oa-oa-oa!
It must be Korby's
Joke Lab.
And possibly our crime scene.
Signs of a struggle.
How can you tell?
This place is a mess.
Pranksters don't break
their own stuff.
Well, he's certainly in rigor.
Guess we should
lay him down.
Unless he's
going to drive.
(laughs)
Zombie.
It's Halloween and we...
- Come on!
- I'm sorry.
(Ioud cracking)
What was that?
Sounded like it came
from inside the body.
Push him down flat,
Mr. Palmer.
(cracking continues)
Duck?
No idea.
Even if he was in
full rigor,
he wouldn't be brittle.
Forceps, Mr. Palmer.
- (crack)
- Oh!
It's odd, indeed.
Thank you.
Let's see, now.
Is that glass?
No, it's part of his throat.
Look, it-it's
frozen solid.
What could get something
that cold? Dry ice?
Or liquid nitrogen.
Either way, I think you found
your cause of death.
(chuckles) Oh, yeah.
67 on the tally of disturbances.
Tony, how about we focus
on a crime
in ourjurisdiction?
(chuckles)
Thrill me, McGoblin.
Lance Corporal James Korby.
A joker with
no criminal record
and one big blemish
on his service record.
Bumped back in rank
for dereliction of duty.
Explains why he's
a 37-year-old lance corporal.
This is his wife Sara Korby.
Oh...
(chuckles)
He didn't kill himself.
How do you know?
Because nobody
married to her
kills themselves.
She's way too attractive
for him.
The wife did it.
Should we even bother
investigating
or just go ahead
and arrest her?
Oh, I like where you're
going with that, McGee.
Do you have any idea where
the wife was last night, Tony?
(chuckling):
No.
Do you?
Yes. I just got off the phone
with the Seabright Hotel and Spa
in Virginia Beach, where
Korby's wife was checked in.
- And?
- And she and Korby's
stepdaughter are on their way in
to I.D. the body.
And?
And what?
She spent the night
alone in a hotel,
three days after her husband
gets back from the Middle East?
(chuckles) Probies.
The wife did it.
You always say that.
Well, it's almost always true.
Excuse me.
I'm Sara Korby.
Yes, you are.
Now, Mrs. Korby,
your husband was alone
last night, is that right?
Uh, yes.
Halloween was his
favorite time of year.
Practical jokes were
his passion.
Um...
I was in Virginia Beach.
I spent the night
at a friend's.
Until the police broke it up.
STEPDAUGHTER:
Party was over anyway.
Right.
I noticed you have quite
the setup in your garage.
Oh, James would spend days
in there this time of year.
A couple years back,
we made a deal;
he would spend Halloween
working on his projects, and I
would spend the night at a spa.
I didn't want
to go this year,
'cause he'd just
gotten back, but...
Uh, James didn't mention
any problems, did he?
Fights, disagreements,
that kind of thing?
No.
Everything seemed fine.
He had a car pick me up,
drive me to Virginia Beach.
Rachel,
he was your stepfather?
James and Sara are
both my stepparents.
My mom died when I was little.
SARA:
I married
Rachel's father
five years ago.
He was killed in Iraq.
Wow. I'm sorry.
Everyone liked James,
even if they didn't get
his sense of humor.
Speaking of
no sense of humor,
what about your neighbor
Ted Rodgers?
A few days ago,
when he realized that James
was back from Afghanistan,
they had some words about
my husband's idea of fun.
Ted complained about everything.
Yeah, I picked up on that.
DUCKY: Interesting date for
such a ghoulish demise.
It's a cool way to go.
Cool as in "cold."
I'm sorry.
You're not taking pleasure
out of the method
of our victim's death,
are you, Mr. Palmer?
No, of course not.
It's just like what
you said... very...
Halloween-y.
Just reminds me of a few pranks
I'm not too proud of.
Then perhaps you
should refrain
from discussing them.
Then what can we discuss, Duck?
Confirmation
of my earlier hypothesis,
to wit... courtesy of Abby...
manner of death was indeed the
ingestion of liquid nitrogen...
a colorless,
odorless substance
which is so cold
that when it comes
into contact with
warm organic material,
it literally boils.
Yeah, you see here,
for instance.
This is our stomach stand-in.
Mr. Palmer?
With pleasure, Doctor.
(clears throat)
(crackling)
Mm-hmm.
What's also important to note
is that Korby's throat
had previous scar tissue
from before he was killed.
- Meaning?
- No idea.
Abby's working on that now.
What we do know is that Korby
ingested enough nitrogen
to freeze his internal organs,
but technically,
that was not the cause of death.
What was?
Breathing.
The nitrogen gas
entered his lungs,
essentially suffocating him.
Thank you, Mr. Palmer.
So he didn't die
right away.
He lived on for several minutes.
Based on the rate of thaw
and the condition
of the body,
I'd estimate that
the time of death
was somewhere between
10:00 and midnight.
Whoa!
PALMER:
Whoops. Heh. Sorry.
That's cold.
I got it.
I got it. I'll just,
uh, clean this up.
How much did
he ingest, Duck?
A single gulp would suffice.
Likely he was force-fed.
Or he was caught off guard.
Either way, it was no accident.
Certainly not a suicide.
Look at this... two-ply,
double roll top tuck with
a 30-foot vertical climb.
That kid has got an arm.
Perfect drapeage.
It's good trunk-to-top
ratio as well.
It's very impressive.
I do not see
the humor or the art.
It's a cultural thing.
Tony will tell you.
Who are you calling?
Right. Thanks.
Having the wife's
file sent over.
Does your gut ever give you
a stomachache, Tony?
Keep snickering while I'm
over here breaking the case.
Everyone is breaking the case.
You brought us coffee?
Nope.
(sniffs)
It's apple cider.
Yep.
Happy Halloween!
(laughs)
Break's over.
Run it.
Yes. Uh, we are still
scrubbing the video
from the kids, boss.
ZIVA:
Multiple neighbors
have filed complaints
against Korby.
But only one neighbor has filed
multiple complaints.
Ted Rodgers lives
across the street.
I still think the wife is...
Wow, this has got
some back bite.
A little peppery,
a hint of clove,
and really...
Rodgers... you two... go.
RODGERS:
There's no candy here!
NCIS!
We don't want candy!
Speak for
yourself, David.
Open up, or we'll
send the kids in.
Very convincing nerd outfit.
This is how I dress for work.
You're going to work now?
I work at home.
I'm a commodities trader...
Asian markets.
This is the start
of my business day.
Your porch light's on.
Means you have candy...
that's standard
Halloween etiquette.
That's better.
Now, let's talk.
About what?
About the three police reports
you filed against James Korby.
Over the years, his antics have
cost me a lot of time and money.
Shaving cream
in my mailbox,
food coloring in my pool.
I don't care if he was a hero
in Afghanistan.
On this block, he was
a pain in the ass.
Girlfriend in college got
a restraining order against you.
So I'm guessing there's a temper
under that cardigan.
ZIVA:
We have a witness
who says you confronted
Korby yesterday.
Given the history
between you two...
Are you accusing me of murder?
No, we're just asking you
really nicely
if you did it.
So, Mr. Rodgers, did you
kill your neighbor?
No.
Where were you last night
between 10:00 p.m. and midnight?
Online, live, in front
of the camera on my computer
with our office in Shanghai.
Every minute.
I don't trust a guy who doesn't
give candy to kids.
BOTH:
Trick or treat!
RODGERS:
Oh, great.
(sighs)
TONY: Energy drinks.
Just what this holiday needed.
Their parents are
going to love that.
(Iock clicks)
Hey, Abby.
(spooky howling, laughter)
Welcome to the random
factory, Gibbs.
Most of Korby's
prank stuff,
it's motion sensor-activated,
so until I get a chance
to process it all,
you need to move very slowly.
(howling, laughter stop)
No costumes this year, Abbs?
Oh. After last year's
Jonas Brothers debacle,
Vance banned the costumes.
McGee, skinny jeans,
it didn't work.
What do you got?
A car...
at the scene of the crime.
It's only a glimpse, but
the time stamps indicate that
it was taken around the time
of death... 11:13 p.m.
You get a plate?
No. No visual on the driver.
But when I enhance the image,
I did manage to get this.
It's a livery number.
From the Quantico Marine Base
motor pool.
Vehicles can only
be signed out...
By a Marine.
- Nice work, Abbs.
- Wait, wait!
(spooky howling, laughter)
There's more.
(howling, laughter stop)
Sample from our
dead Marine's stomach.
I expected to find
liquid nitrogen, of course,
but I did not expect
to find traces
of turpentine, acetone
and benzene in his flesh.
Paint thinner?
Yeah.
Liquid nitrogen killed him
last night,
but it wasn't the cause of
his ulcerated stomach lining.
Someone tried to poison
him before last night.
When?
According
to the chemical levels,
he ingested the paint thinner
two months ago.
While he was still overseas.
Whoever tried to kill
Lance Corporal Korby
in Afghanistan...
Finished it here.
Aw, what's the matter, McGee?
No one come to your door?
I think I deserve
a treat.
McGEE:
Hey!
Why is that?
Because the wife did it,
probie.
The stepdaughter, Rachel,
is from a previous marriage.
But Sara Korby
has been married
three times!
All Marines, all dead,
all with juicy life
insurance payouts.
Once is a tragedy,
twice a coincidence,
three times is a pattern.
We're talking about
a black ops widow.
Tony, the first two husbands
died in the line of duty...
giving you no reason to suspect
she had anything to do
with the third one's death.
- Well, I got...
- Evidence?
Not to speak of, boss.
Then stop speaking.
GIBBS:
McGee.
According to base
motor pool records,
the car we're looking for is
still missing from the livery.
No sign of anyone
checking it out.
Boss, I am gonna find that car.
Hello.
GIBBS: Korby's tour
in Afghanistan...
his file, where is it?
Central Command
hasn't declassified
the after-action report yet.
Unit's only been
back 72 hours.
Just waiting for the report.
Wait faster.
ZIVA:
Thanks.
Korby's squad leader
just arrived at the gate.
All right, come on.
You're with me.
It says here you're up for
a promotion, Sergeant Barnes.
Yes, sir.
So was Lance
Corporal Korby.
You did not give him
a very good recommendation.
"Korby has, at times,
proven to be difficult
"to discipline.
A detriment to unit
cohesion and morale."
I also said Korby
was a dedicated,
courageous,
hard-working Marine.
Even in battle, he was
a practical joker, no?
Yes, ma'am.
Right. What's funny in boot camp
isn't always funny
in a live-fire zone.
Two schools of thought
in battle.
Some marines like to keep
their focus... head on a swivel.
Yeah, some like
to keep it loose,
keep from cracking.
Half the guys loved Korby.
The other half, not so much.
What about you?
As their squad leader,
it was my job
to keep the peace
between the two.
Well, someone got
mad enough at Korby
to slip him a dose of paint
thinner... almost killed him.
Korby was ill
a few days.
Thought it was a stomach virus.
Never said anything
about being poisoned.
Where were you two nights ago?
Finishing up
debriefing paperwork.
Never left the base.
Who in the unit had the biggest
problem with Korby?
No one in particular, sir.
Okay.
Then we investigate them all.
(whispers):
Put a hold on all promotions.
Mm-hmm.
It's gonna get ugly.
Sir.
Private David Singer.
He and Korby had a falling out.
Didn't come from me.
- One, two, three.
- TROOPS: One!
One, two, three.
TROOPS:
Two!
- One, two, three.
- TROOPS: Three!
One, two, three.
Let's go! Let's do it!
Go, go, go! Do it! Do it!
Private David Singer?
Yeah.
GIBBS:
NCIS.
Why don't you take a break.
Maybe take a shower.
Whoof!
We hear that you and
Lance Corporal Korby
had a falling-out in Kandahar?
Korby showed me the ropes.
We had some laughs at first,
but things aren't
so funny in Afghanistan,
and I told him as much.
That's all.
Well, not quite all.
Korby's dead.
Where were you two nights ago?
In Norfolk, visiting a friend.
Does this friend live
on a street corner
and deal pharmaceuticals out
of a paper bag, by any chance?
I'm not on the juice,
if that's what you're implying.
It's all natural.
Don't let it scare you.
Alibi have a name?
Those things on the
side of your head work?
The man asked you a question.
Although short-term memory loss
and shrunken testicles
are a sign...
Have you ever been shot at?
Once or twice.
People were getting
blown up over there,
and Korby's saran-wrapping
guys into their cots.
And what's your point?
Some of us didn't
appreciate it...
his stupid pranks.
But none of us killed him.
No one would have
taken it that far.
Yeah? How far did it go?
Chris Norton...
high school buddy.
That's who I was with
the other night.
Boss.
Still working on getting
those paper files,
but I did have a chat
with Central Command
in Afghanistan up in MTAC.
Don't brag, McGee,
it's unbecoming.
Talk.
I was able to put together a
brief history of Korby's unit.
It's not good.
They had multiple transfer
requests, complaints.
They were deemed "not combat-
ready" two different times.
Unit was in chaos.
Korby's distractions
were more serious
than his squad leader
lead us to believe.
This started two months ago.
- After Korby was poisoned.
- And before that,
only exemplary remarks
about the unit.
Citations, promotions.
They were on
their third tour.
It was a well-oiled machine.
What would make
a Marine unit fall apart?
Lack of discipline.
Yep. Or too much.
18,000 breaths a day.
It's hardly surprising what
ends up in one's lungs.
Bacteria, insects...
Guess we'll have to wait and see
what our dead Marine inhaled.
Ah, Jethro.
Take those up to Abby,
would you, please, Mr. Palmer?
Yes, Doctor.
I'm glad you're here.
- Body was beaten, Duck.
- I found evidence
of multiple contusions
and abrasions.
Usually, I do my autopsies
from the outside in,
but, uh, due to the frosty
circumstances here,
I was forced
to reverse the process.
When?
Well, based on the healing
of this rib fracture here,
I'd say that those injuries
were probably sustained
before he was poisoned
the first time.
- Afghanistan.
- Mm.
Attackers avoided
vital organs?
Correct. There were no blows
on the kidneys or spleen.
Tried to teach him a lesson.
Tried to hurt him without
really hurting him?
You've seen this before,
I presume?
Yeah. Code Red.
Somebody gave Korby a beat-down
before moving on to poison.
Someone?
(wry laugh)
There are traces of bruising
on his wrists and ankles.
Additionally,
subdural contusions
suggest that at least
four assailants
delivered a myriad of blows.
These patterns tell me that
this was more than just someone.
Whole squad wanted
this guy gone, Duck.
Where are we going?
Mobile campfire.
DiNozzo lesson du jour:
Think on Your Feet.
Go.
Still looking for
the mystery car.
Stop.
Probies, talk louder.
I can hear you in there.
(Ioudly): Tony, McGee has been
here for six years.
I have been here for four.
I know you're enjoying this,
but we are agents.
So could you please
stop calling us...
Problem, probie?
You've been an agent
for all of one week.
Your Mossad liaison days
are over. DiNozzo!
Mobile campfire.
Ah, dead Marine prankster
whose, uh, mischief
sparked a beat-down
in Afghanistan,
courtesy of his entire squad.
Our only evidence is
a vehicle from the Quantico
motor pool
at the scene of the crime.
We have not found the car or
any record of who signed it out.
We were able to track down
the addresses of each Marine
who was on Korby's unit
in the area
the night of the murder...
six hits.
McGee, take Ziva with you.
This guy was a genius.
He chronicled all
of his exploits
on his phone... it's like
a master's course.
600 pizzas delivered
to the battalion CP.
He reassembled a Humvee
inside the Officer's Club.
If only I had the
appropriate time and space
to use the bounty of
ideas in front of me.
The case, Abbs.
The case.
I finished processing everything
from Korby's garage.
Still no murder weapon.
Which means the killer
either kept it...
Or they dumped it.
And probably nearby.
And certainly
with traces of nitrogen.
So I alerted
the local waste management
to be on the lookout
for hazardous materials.
And the fire department's
HAZMAT team is searching
the entire neighborhood.
A lot of manpower.
A four-block radius
and more than 60 homes.
Can I have my Caf-POW! now?
Palmer!
No more refills.
I just came to, uh,
return the surplus nitrogen.
(computer beeping)
Okay...
it's the results
from the substance
that you and Ducky found
in the dead Marine's lungs.
It's odd.
Traces of chicken stock,
coffee beans, cocoa...
Lunch.
Yeah, but I didn't
find traces of any
of this food in his stomach.
The nitrogen gas
must have carried
the particles
into the lungs.
There could have been
food residue on the inside
of the container
the killer used
to administer
the liquid nitrogen.
Like a lunchbox?
Thinking, like, a thermos.
You know, perfect size,
insulated.
It's discreet.
Palmer, you're a genius.
The killer probably used Korby's
coffee thermos to poison him.
Now I can tell the HAZMAT
team what to look for.
That's great work, Abbs.
- Both of you.
- PALMER: Aah!
Ladies.
Cleaning up
the crime scene?
Sweeping away old memories.
(sighs) You sure you want
to throw these away?
(sighs)
Yup.
What can I do for you,
Agent DiNozzo?
I was just wondering if your
husband ever talked about
what happened overseas.
You know, other
Marines in his squad?
No.
No? Never talked to you about
getting beat up or poisoned?
Hmm. Well, that's interesting.
I guess you two
didn't talk much, then.
What are you implying?
You've lost three husbands.
All three had life
insurance policies.
- Meaning?
- Well, you seem to be attracted
to men who have a hard
time staying alive, Sara.
I'm attracted to men
with dignity and honor
who put themselves
in harm's way for their country.
I grew up
in a military family.
I fell in love
with men who served.
Two of them died doing it.
I've given a lot.
I've taken very little.
Well, half-a-million-dollar
payout
on the two previous policies,
plus another $250,000
from Korby's.
You can understand my
skepticism... it's adding up.
My husband didn't complain.
He didn't dwell
on negative things.
He chose to celebrate life.
He tried to make others smile.
I loved him for that.
Excuse me, Mrs. Korby?
Private Singer.
Do I need to make
introductions, or...
- you two already...
- Just paying my respects.
- Okay.
- That a problem?
No.
Ma'am,
me and your husband,
we had our issues,
but we served together.
He saved my ass
a time or two.
I'm sorry.
Thank you, Private.
Are we finished?
Yeah.
Excuse me.
Sky falling?
Wife might be telling the truth.
So, yeah.
Your killer instinct was wrong.
Temporarily misguided.
What did my probie
sandwich find out?
Well, we interviewed
every member of Korby's squad,
including two in Bethesda,
and they all admit
Korby's pranks
caused problems...
But denied having
knowledge of the Code Red
or the poisoning in Afghanistan.
They were covering
for each other.
Taking a break, DiNozzo?
No, boss. Just looking
at the sprinkler system.
Ooh, the sign-out log
from the company command post
on base... that's
a nice job, boss.
Page 28.
ZIVA: Korby's squad leader,
Sergeant Barnes, lied to us.
He did sign off the base
the night of the murder.
That's not all
Barnes lied about.
I just the after-action
reports from Kandahar.
The promotion Barnes was
looking forward to
was already denied.
"Unsatisfactory leadership."
When?
Three months ago,
while serving in Afghanistan.
Just before
Korby was poisoned.
And the unit went bonkers.
Find him.
(lively accordion music playing)
Ah...
Germans.
Fun-Ioving bunch.
Care to oompah?
There's Barnes.
Yes, there he is.
Herr Barnes.
We need to speak to you.
Excuse me one second.
Can we do this some other time?
- Uh... let me check. Ziva?
- No.
No. See? We can't do it
another time. Achtung, baby.
- Come on; let's go.
- Look, this is important.
I need to talk to these guys.
Yeah, yeah, come on.
(glass shatters)
(grunts)
TONY:
Whoa, whoa, whoa. NCIS.
Settle down, gentlemen.
Well done, probie.
Fraulein.
Danke schoen.
Beer's on him.
Sorry about that.
ZIVA: You certainly
made an impression.
Korby cost you a promotion.
So you poisoned him.
When that didn't work,
you finished the job here.
Company log,
night of the murder.
You signed out.
Man up, Marine.
I did it for him.
- Who?
- Korby.
He was a great
Marine, but...
What happened?
We had incoming fire
in a warehouse outside Herat,
when I turn to see
Korby's flak jacket on fire.
Gave away our position.
Barely got out of there.
One of his jokes?
Faulty flare casing.
An accident.
Nobody saw it that way.
Thought one of his gags
almost got us all killed.
They sent him a message.
I knew about
the Code Red.
Thought it would help
put Korby straight,
for his own good.
But...
he was still Korby.
So you poisoned him?
I put a drop of paint thinner
in his coffee... a drop.
I wanted to get him
shipped home on medical leave.
I did it for him,
for the unit,
before someone
really got hurt.
I did it to save him.
Somehow the guys found out
what I'd done and...
And they lost respect
for their leader.
The unit fell apart.
Night of the murder.
A barmaid at a club in Fairfax.
She'll confirm
I was there all night,
getting face time
with my seniors.
Trying to get my promotion
back on track.
That's not gonna happen.
TONY:
Oh, hey, boss.
Listen, is there any more
of that apple cider?
'Cause I found it
de-cider-ly delicious.
Barnes's alibi checks out.
He was at the strip club
till 2:00 am... they have him
on security cameras.
I still maintain that the wife's
holding something back.
Marine vehicle was
at the scene, DiNozzo.
That does suggest a Marine.
ZIVA: None of the
motor pool logs have
a record of which Marine
checked out the car.
Just that it left the base.
Boss, well,
it's not about the car,
but I have been
running financials
on every member
of Korby's unit
looking for inconsistencies.
- Yeah, and you got one?
- Yep. Private David Singer.
TONY: He told us
he was in Norfolk
with a friend
the night of the murder.
McGEE: Yeah, well, he's got
a credit card charge
in Virginia Beach
that night.
The charge was for a
room-service delivery
- of champagne and caviar.
- GIBBS: Where?
Seabright Hotel and Spa.
TONY:
That's the hotel
where Korby's wife
was staying.
Private Singer.
Sorry to keep you
out of the gym.
Don't worry, you'll have
plenty of time to work out
when you're in prison.
The hell you talking about?
Keeping somebody
like Mrs. Korby happy
takes a lot of reps, huh?
You and the widow
licking champagne
off each other's toes down
there in Virginia Beach.
Then you took a little detour,
decided to kill Korby.
The hotel valet has the car
you borrowed from Quantico
checked out all night.
You did bring it back
in the morning, though.
Innocent man usually
explains himself,
and the guilty ones object.
You might even fall
into the third category:
the guy who covers
for his lover.
Okay.
If Tony's right
about the wife,
I will never live it down.
TONY: Whoo-hoo!
It's getting pretty ripe
in that room.
He's about to flip
on the wife.
McGEE:
He doesn't have to.
Pulled Korby's
credit card records.
According to Abby,
the garden hose
and duct tape were brand-new,
but there's no record
of Korby actually
purchasing them.
Cash?
The wife's credit card
was used one week ago
at a hardware store
to purchase two items:
garden hose
and a roll of duct tape.
GIBBS:
Well, bring her in.
I cannot believe it.
Hm.
Know about your affair
with Private Singer.
He told you?
No, he didn't have to.
TONY: Fancy hotel,
sounds of the ocean,
caviar and champagne.
Singer thought he was in for
a treat, but you tricked him.
You used him.
No.
You gave Singer
the hose and tape,
told him to make it
look like a suicide.
He drove from the hotel
to your house;
he killed your husband.
(sighs)
David wasn't
at the house that night.
I was.
TONY: You drove Singer's
car to your house
and killed your husband?
No.
I couldn't go through
with it, the affair.
I couldn't cheat on James.
I didn't have my own car,
I'd been dropped off
by the service at the hotel,
so I borrowed David's.
I drove back home
to tell my husband
the truth, but I just...
sat in front of the house
and I lost my nerve.
So I left.
I went back
to the hotel
and I broke it off with David.
Yeah, well, I don't think
he got the message.
TONY: So you admit to being
at the scene of the crime
at the time of death?
I did not kill my husband.
It's the truth.
I swear to you.
TONY:
Well, now you get
to convince a jury
of your peers.
That would be a jury
of tall, leggy,
blonde bombshells.
Why don't you stand up?
You're under arrest
for the murder of Lance
Corporal James Korby.
No.
No, you're not.
DiNozzo...
evidence garage, now.
- Hey, McGee.
- Yeah, boss?
Footage of the Marine car.
Let me pull it up.
Rewind it.
GIBBS:
There, freeze it.
Can you clean that up?
Let's see.
It's a car parked
on the street.
Boss, that's Korby's car.
Nice.
You don't have
to say anything...
about me being right.
About the wife.
Okay.
DiNozzo, driver's side.
Come on.
Uh, boss?
Get in.
Okeydokey.
(grunts)
The seat is too far forward.
Exactly.
The seat has been in that
position since the murder.
GIBBS:
Car was parked in the street
when the footage
of the Marine car
was captured by those kids.
But when Korby was
found dead in the car...
The car was parked
in his driveway.
Pull all financial records
from the death
of Sara's second husband.
Sara?
I got your text.
I was just gonna go for a run.
She couldn't make it.
Well, then why
did she text me?
She didn't.
What's that?
The thermos we found in
your friend's trash can.
The friend you were with
the night of the murder.
Traces of liquid
nitrogen in there.
I don't understand.
Everybody was so drunk
at the party,
I guess they didn't
see you slip out
for a little while, did they?
Found your prints.
We also know that,
uh, you bought
the hose and the tape using
Sara's credit card last week.
Clerk I.D.'d your photo.
You tried to frame
your stepmother
for your stepfather's murder.
Dutiful daughter
delivers a thermos
of "cocoa" to stepdaddy.
But he's too preoccupied
to notice what's in it
- until it's too late.
- No.
No. Why would I do that?
James and Sara were all I had.
Except for your trust fund.
Your biological father left it
to you when he died in Iraq.
TONY: Sara has control
of the trust fund
until your 25th birthday,
but if she's behind bars,
then you would get
your inheritance
a little earlier, huh?
All $200,000 of it.
Add Korby's
life insurance policy...
TONY:
That's another 250 grand.
You're all set.
Go to college,
buy yourself a fast car,
maybe a little pad
on the beach.
But wait five years?
That's an eternity to a pretty
little party girl like you.
With them, it was an eternity.
You have no idea.
A stepfather who acts like
a juvenile delinquent.
A stepmother who marries
anything in a uniform.
You saw her.
She uses men.
She used my dad.
Your dad died
serving his country.
What's going to happen
to my money?
It's yours in five years.
It's gonna go a long way
in the prison gift shop.
Morning, Ziva.
Good morning.
Coffee?
Oh, thank you.
Mmm.
All right.
My keyboard is not working.
Agh! Abby...
I love Halloween.
And what's not to love?
Pranks...
Halloween is officially
my favorite holiday.
And you are looking
at this year's
Larceny Lotto Winner.
So you're buying us
lunch today, or?
I didn't keep the money,
McNopoly.
Gave it to charity...
urban youth group.
My gut is not-for-profit.
You know, Tony,
I've been thinking,
and, um, I would like
to acknowledge my place
as a new agent,
and your place as...
Your superior in every way?
Yes.
But for my sanity, could
you not call me "probie"?
I say it with love.
And if I refuse?
You are senior field
agent, and I am...
entirely at your mercy.
Well, as you should be.
Mmm!
Mm-hmm! Mmm!
(chuckles)
BOY:
Here we go!
BOY 2:
Nice!
BOY:
Yeah, man.
BOY 2:
Dude, give me another one.
Hey, let me get this.
Let me get this.
(laughing): He's gonna be
cleaning this up for days.
Hey, hey, somebody's coming!
Run! Run! Run!
Oh, man! Let's go!
I got the bag!
Go, go!
Come on, come on,
get down, get down.
Looks like we're clear.
I love Halloween.
Me, too.
(rock music blaring in car)
Hey, isn't that
Korby's car?
Sounds like he's
rockin' out.
It's late.
GI Jokester must be getting lit
up in there.
You guys thinkin'
what I'm thinkin'?
- Oh, yeah.
- Uh-huh.
Let's crash his party.
Dude, dude.
Is he asleep?
Hey, dude must be
baked out of his mind.
What is this?
He's not smoking.
What?
Mr. Korby?
# #
TONY:
Now, listen, no gerrymandering.
If I win this thing,
I want to see the money.
(chuckles) That's not
a personal insult, Jerry.
Just keep the competition clean,
you know what I'm sayin'?
You'd better add 42
destruction-of-property, one
arson and, uh, let's make it
two indecent exposures.
That's my final tally.
And I will talk to you tomorrow.
Who was that?
Old buddy of mine
from Baltimore PD.
Doing a little Larceny Lotto.
Larceny Lotto?
It's an old
Halloween tradition.
Everyone throws 200 bucks
into the kitty.
Tries to guess the number of
disturbance calls
on Mischief Night, which is
the night before Halloween.
And then, of course,
Halloween itself.
Tony, you hate Halloween.
Anyway, it's a lot of money,
and I like money.
That is why someone kept ringing
my doorbell and running off.
When I was a kid on base
at Alameda,
we called it "Devil's Night."
I remember one year
we put the
base commander's bedroom
furniture on a tarmac.
You know it takes less
than a tenth of a second
for the engine of an F-18
to move a BarcaLounger 300 feet.
Good memories.
Ring-N-Runs, Dine-N-Ditch...
GIBBS:
Lock-N-Load.
Got a dead Marine.
Agent David, you're driving.
(clicks tongue)
McGEE: Victim is Marine
Lance Corporal James Korby.
He just got back
from his third tour
of Afghanistan three days ago.
Family?
Lives here with his wife
and stepdaughter.
Local LEOs are trying
to track them down.
No obvious signs
of struggle inside the car.
No blood.
Looks like a suicide.
Looks can be deceiving,
Agent David.
There's no way that man killed
himself in that car, Jethro.
Jacking that one up
from beyond the arc, Duck.
I can barely see
that far.
Carboxyhemoglobin does not
require closer inspection.
If carbon monoxide had been
the cause of that man's death,
his skin would be cherry red,
which it isn't, ergo...
Body was staged.
To look like a suicide.
(quietly):
Yeah.
BOY:
Korby lived for Mischief Night.
He was the king
of practical jokes.
I guess that makes you
the Princes of Pranks.
Are we in trouble?
Not unless
you killed him.
(clears throat)
I'll handle the questions
here, probie. Thank you.
We were talking about Korby.
Guy was awesome.
Came up with new practical jokes
every Halloween.
Nothing dangerous.
I mean, no razor blades.
He'd freeze all kinds of stuff,
blow things up.
It was funny.
And illegal.
And you are?
Ted Rodgers.
Live across the street.
First he drove us crazy
with his pranks.
Now he dies
in the driveway.
Well, it sounds like you got
a problem in your neighborhood,
Mr. Rodgers.
That's a nice sweater,
by the way.
Boys, we are going
to need that videotape.
Yes, you can use it to document
what these punks did last night.
We're only interested
in what happened
to Lance Corporal Korby.
Thank you.
You got a time
of death, Duck?
This can't be true.
I mean, the heat
from the exhaust fumes should
raise his body temperature,
but he's curiously cold.
Frigid, in fact.
It's a mystery
to be solved
by examination later.
(creepy mechanical laughter)
TONY:
Whoa-oa-oa-oa!
It must be Korby's
Joke Lab.
And possibly our crime scene.
Signs of a struggle.
How can you tell?
This place is a mess.
Pranksters don't break
their own stuff.
Well, he's certainly in rigor.
Guess we should
lay him down.
Unless he's
going to drive.
(laughs)
Zombie.
It's Halloween and we...
- Come on!
- I'm sorry.
(Ioud cracking)
What was that?
Sounded like it came
from inside the body.
Push him down flat,
Mr. Palmer.
(cracking continues)
Duck?
No idea.
Even if he was in
full rigor,
he wouldn't be brittle.
Forceps, Mr. Palmer.
- (crack)
- Oh!
It's odd, indeed.
Thank you.
Let's see, now.
Is that glass?
No, it's part of his throat.
Look, it-it's
frozen solid.
What could get something
that cold? Dry ice?
Or liquid nitrogen.
Either way, I think you found
your cause of death.
(chuckles) Oh, yeah.
67 on the tally of disturbances.
Tony, how about we focus
on a crime
in ourjurisdiction?
(chuckles)
Thrill me, McGoblin.
Lance Corporal James Korby.
A joker with
no criminal record
and one big blemish
on his service record.
Bumped back in rank
for dereliction of duty.
Explains why he's
a 37-year-old lance corporal.
This is his wife Sara Korby.
Oh...
(chuckles)
He didn't kill himself.
How do you know?
Because nobody
married to her
kills themselves.
She's way too attractive
for him.
The wife did it.
Should we even bother
investigating
or just go ahead
and arrest her?
Oh, I like where you're
going with that, McGee.
Do you have any idea where
the wife was last night, Tony?
(chuckling):
No.
Do you?
Yes. I just got off the phone
with the Seabright Hotel and Spa
in Virginia Beach, where
Korby's wife was checked in.
- And?
- And she and Korby's
stepdaughter are on their way in
to I.D. the body.
And?
And what?
She spent the night
alone in a hotel,
three days after her husband
gets back from the Middle East?
(chuckles) Probies.
The wife did it.
You always say that.
Well, it's almost always true.
Excuse me.
I'm Sara Korby.
Yes, you are.
Now, Mrs. Korby,
your husband was alone
last night, is that right?
Uh, yes.
Halloween was his
favorite time of year.
Practical jokes were
his passion.
Um...
I was in Virginia Beach.
I spent the night
at a friend's.
Until the police broke it up.
STEPDAUGHTER:
Party was over anyway.
Right.
I noticed you have quite
the setup in your garage.
Oh, James would spend days
in there this time of year.
A couple years back,
we made a deal;
he would spend Halloween
working on his projects, and I
would spend the night at a spa.
I didn't want
to go this year,
'cause he'd just
gotten back, but...
Uh, James didn't mention
any problems, did he?
Fights, disagreements,
that kind of thing?
No.
Everything seemed fine.
He had a car pick me up,
drive me to Virginia Beach.
Rachel,
he was your stepfather?
James and Sara are
both my stepparents.
My mom died when I was little.
SARA:
I married
Rachel's father
five years ago.
He was killed in Iraq.
Wow. I'm sorry.
Everyone liked James,
even if they didn't get
his sense of humor.
Speaking of
no sense of humor,
what about your neighbor
Ted Rodgers?
A few days ago,
when he realized that James
was back from Afghanistan,
they had some words about
my husband's idea of fun.
Ted complained about everything.
Yeah, I picked up on that.
DUCKY: Interesting date for
such a ghoulish demise.
It's a cool way to go.
Cool as in "cold."
I'm sorry.
You're not taking pleasure
out of the method
of our victim's death,
are you, Mr. Palmer?
No, of course not.
It's just like what
you said... very...
Halloween-y.
Just reminds me of a few pranks
I'm not too proud of.
Then perhaps you
should refrain
from discussing them.
Then what can we discuss, Duck?
Confirmation
of my earlier hypothesis,
to wit... courtesy of Abby...
manner of death was indeed the
ingestion of liquid nitrogen...
a colorless,
odorless substance
which is so cold
that when it comes
into contact with
warm organic material,
it literally boils.
Yeah, you see here,
for instance.
This is our stomach stand-in.
Mr. Palmer?
With pleasure, Doctor.
(clears throat)
(crackling)
Mm-hmm.
What's also important to note
is that Korby's throat
had previous scar tissue
from before he was killed.
- Meaning?
- No idea.
Abby's working on that now.
What we do know is that Korby
ingested enough nitrogen
to freeze his internal organs,
but technically,
that was not the cause of death.
What was?
Breathing.
The nitrogen gas
entered his lungs,
essentially suffocating him.
Thank you, Mr. Palmer.
So he didn't die
right away.
He lived on for several minutes.
Based on the rate of thaw
and the condition
of the body,
I'd estimate that
the time of death
was somewhere between
10:00 and midnight.
Whoa!
PALMER:
Whoops. Heh. Sorry.
That's cold.
I got it.
I got it. I'll just,
uh, clean this up.
How much did
he ingest, Duck?
A single gulp would suffice.
Likely he was force-fed.
Or he was caught off guard.
Either way, it was no accident.
Certainly not a suicide.
Look at this... two-ply,
double roll top tuck with
a 30-foot vertical climb.
That kid has got an arm.
Perfect drapeage.
It's good trunk-to-top
ratio as well.
It's very impressive.
I do not see
the humor or the art.
It's a cultural thing.
Tony will tell you.
Who are you calling?
Right. Thanks.
Having the wife's
file sent over.
Does your gut ever give you
a stomachache, Tony?
Keep snickering while I'm
over here breaking the case.
Everyone is breaking the case.
You brought us coffee?
Nope.
(sniffs)
It's apple cider.
Yep.
Happy Halloween!
(laughs)
Break's over.
Run it.
Yes. Uh, we are still
scrubbing the video
from the kids, boss.
ZIVA:
Multiple neighbors
have filed complaints
against Korby.
But only one neighbor has filed
multiple complaints.
Ted Rodgers lives
across the street.
I still think the wife is...
Wow, this has got
some back bite.
A little peppery,
a hint of clove,
and really...
Rodgers... you two... go.
RODGERS:
There's no candy here!
NCIS!
We don't want candy!
Speak for
yourself, David.
Open up, or we'll
send the kids in.
Very convincing nerd outfit.
This is how I dress for work.
You're going to work now?
I work at home.
I'm a commodities trader...
Asian markets.
This is the start
of my business day.
Your porch light's on.
Means you have candy...
that's standard
Halloween etiquette.
That's better.
Now, let's talk.
About what?
About the three police reports
you filed against James Korby.
Over the years, his antics have
cost me a lot of time and money.
Shaving cream
in my mailbox,
food coloring in my pool.
I don't care if he was a hero
in Afghanistan.
On this block, he was
a pain in the ass.
Girlfriend in college got
a restraining order against you.
So I'm guessing there's a temper
under that cardigan.
ZIVA:
We have a witness
who says you confronted
Korby yesterday.
Given the history
between you two...
Are you accusing me of murder?
No, we're just asking you
really nicely
if you did it.
So, Mr. Rodgers, did you
kill your neighbor?
No.
Where were you last night
between 10:00 p.m. and midnight?
Online, live, in front
of the camera on my computer
with our office in Shanghai.
Every minute.
I don't trust a guy who doesn't
give candy to kids.
BOTH:
Trick or treat!
RODGERS:
Oh, great.
(sighs)
TONY: Energy drinks.
Just what this holiday needed.
Their parents are
going to love that.
(Iock clicks)
Hey, Abby.
(spooky howling, laughter)
Welcome to the random
factory, Gibbs.
Most of Korby's
prank stuff,
it's motion sensor-activated,
so until I get a chance
to process it all,
you need to move very slowly.
(howling, laughter stop)
No costumes this year, Abbs?
Oh. After last year's
Jonas Brothers debacle,
Vance banned the costumes.
McGee, skinny jeans,
it didn't work.
What do you got?
A car...
at the scene of the crime.
It's only a glimpse, but
the time stamps indicate that
it was taken around the time
of death... 11:13 p.m.
You get a plate?
No. No visual on the driver.
But when I enhance the image,
I did manage to get this.
It's a livery number.
From the Quantico Marine Base
motor pool.
Vehicles can only
be signed out...
By a Marine.
- Nice work, Abbs.
- Wait, wait!
(spooky howling, laughter)
There's more.
(howling, laughter stop)
Sample from our
dead Marine's stomach.
I expected to find
liquid nitrogen, of course,
but I did not expect
to find traces
of turpentine, acetone
and benzene in his flesh.
Paint thinner?
Yeah.
Liquid nitrogen killed him
last night,
but it wasn't the cause of
his ulcerated stomach lining.
Someone tried to poison
him before last night.
When?
According
to the chemical levels,
he ingested the paint thinner
two months ago.
While he was still overseas.
Whoever tried to kill
Lance Corporal Korby
in Afghanistan...
Finished it here.
Aw, what's the matter, McGee?
No one come to your door?
I think I deserve
a treat.
McGEE:
Hey!
Why is that?
Because the wife did it,
probie.
The stepdaughter, Rachel,
is from a previous marriage.
But Sara Korby
has been married
three times!
All Marines, all dead,
all with juicy life
insurance payouts.
Once is a tragedy,
twice a coincidence,
three times is a pattern.
We're talking about
a black ops widow.
Tony, the first two husbands
died in the line of duty...
giving you no reason to suspect
she had anything to do
with the third one's death.
- Well, I got...
- Evidence?
Not to speak of, boss.
Then stop speaking.
GIBBS:
McGee.
According to base
motor pool records,
the car we're looking for is
still missing from the livery.
No sign of anyone
checking it out.
Boss, I am gonna find that car.
Hello.
GIBBS: Korby's tour
in Afghanistan...
his file, where is it?
Central Command
hasn't declassified
the after-action report yet.
Unit's only been
back 72 hours.
Just waiting for the report.
Wait faster.
ZIVA:
Thanks.
Korby's squad leader
just arrived at the gate.
All right, come on.
You're with me.
It says here you're up for
a promotion, Sergeant Barnes.
Yes, sir.
So was Lance
Corporal Korby.
You did not give him
a very good recommendation.
"Korby has, at times,
proven to be difficult
"to discipline.
A detriment to unit
cohesion and morale."
I also said Korby
was a dedicated,
courageous,
hard-working Marine.
Even in battle, he was
a practical joker, no?
Yes, ma'am.
Right. What's funny in boot camp
isn't always funny
in a live-fire zone.
Two schools of thought
in battle.
Some marines like to keep
their focus... head on a swivel.
Yeah, some like
to keep it loose,
keep from cracking.
Half the guys loved Korby.
The other half, not so much.
What about you?
As their squad leader,
it was my job
to keep the peace
between the two.
Well, someone got
mad enough at Korby
to slip him a dose of paint
thinner... almost killed him.
Korby was ill
a few days.
Thought it was a stomach virus.
Never said anything
about being poisoned.
Where were you two nights ago?
Finishing up
debriefing paperwork.
Never left the base.
Who in the unit had the biggest
problem with Korby?
No one in particular, sir.
Okay.
Then we investigate them all.
(whispers):
Put a hold on all promotions.
Mm-hmm.
It's gonna get ugly.
Sir.
Private David Singer.
He and Korby had a falling out.
Didn't come from me.
- One, two, three.
- TROOPS: One!
One, two, three.
TROOPS:
Two!
- One, two, three.
- TROOPS: Three!
One, two, three.
Let's go! Let's do it!
Go, go, go! Do it! Do it!
Private David Singer?
Yeah.
GIBBS:
NCIS.
Why don't you take a break.
Maybe take a shower.
Whoof!
We hear that you and
Lance Corporal Korby
had a falling-out in Kandahar?
Korby showed me the ropes.
We had some laughs at first,
but things aren't
so funny in Afghanistan,
and I told him as much.
That's all.
Well, not quite all.
Korby's dead.
Where were you two nights ago?
In Norfolk, visiting a friend.
Does this friend live
on a street corner
and deal pharmaceuticals out
of a paper bag, by any chance?
I'm not on the juice,
if that's what you're implying.
It's all natural.
Don't let it scare you.
Alibi have a name?
Those things on the
side of your head work?
The man asked you a question.
Although short-term memory loss
and shrunken testicles
are a sign...
Have you ever been shot at?
Once or twice.
People were getting
blown up over there,
and Korby's saran-wrapping
guys into their cots.
And what's your point?
Some of us didn't
appreciate it...
his stupid pranks.
But none of us killed him.
No one would have
taken it that far.
Yeah? How far did it go?
Chris Norton...
high school buddy.
That's who I was with
the other night.
Boss.
Still working on getting
those paper files,
but I did have a chat
with Central Command
in Afghanistan up in MTAC.
Don't brag, McGee,
it's unbecoming.
Talk.
I was able to put together a
brief history of Korby's unit.
It's not good.
They had multiple transfer
requests, complaints.
They were deemed "not combat-
ready" two different times.
Unit was in chaos.
Korby's distractions
were more serious
than his squad leader
lead us to believe.
This started two months ago.
- After Korby was poisoned.
- And before that,
only exemplary remarks
about the unit.
Citations, promotions.
They were on
their third tour.
It was a well-oiled machine.
What would make
a Marine unit fall apart?
Lack of discipline.
Yep. Or too much.
18,000 breaths a day.
It's hardly surprising what
ends up in one's lungs.
Bacteria, insects...
Guess we'll have to wait and see
what our dead Marine inhaled.
Ah, Jethro.
Take those up to Abby,
would you, please, Mr. Palmer?
Yes, Doctor.
I'm glad you're here.
- Body was beaten, Duck.
- I found evidence
of multiple contusions
and abrasions.
Usually, I do my autopsies
from the outside in,
but, uh, due to the frosty
circumstances here,
I was forced
to reverse the process.
When?
Well, based on the healing
of this rib fracture here,
I'd say that those injuries
were probably sustained
before he was poisoned
the first time.
- Afghanistan.
- Mm.
Attackers avoided
vital organs?
Correct. There were no blows
on the kidneys or spleen.
Tried to teach him a lesson.
Tried to hurt him without
really hurting him?
You've seen this before,
I presume?
Yeah. Code Red.
Somebody gave Korby a beat-down
before moving on to poison.
Someone?
(wry laugh)
There are traces of bruising
on his wrists and ankles.
Additionally,
subdural contusions
suggest that at least
four assailants
delivered a myriad of blows.
These patterns tell me that
this was more than just someone.
Whole squad wanted
this guy gone, Duck.
Where are we going?
Mobile campfire.
DiNozzo lesson du jour:
Think on Your Feet.
Go.
Still looking for
the mystery car.
Stop.
Probies, talk louder.
I can hear you in there.
(Ioudly): Tony, McGee has been
here for six years.
I have been here for four.
I know you're enjoying this,
but we are agents.
So could you please
stop calling us...
Problem, probie?
You've been an agent
for all of one week.
Your Mossad liaison days
are over. DiNozzo!
Mobile campfire.
Ah, dead Marine prankster
whose, uh, mischief
sparked a beat-down
in Afghanistan,
courtesy of his entire squad.
Our only evidence is
a vehicle from the Quantico
motor pool
at the scene of the crime.
We have not found the car or
any record of who signed it out.
We were able to track down
the addresses of each Marine
who was on Korby's unit
in the area
the night of the murder...
six hits.
McGee, take Ziva with you.
This guy was a genius.
He chronicled all
of his exploits
on his phone... it's like
a master's course.
600 pizzas delivered
to the battalion CP.
He reassembled a Humvee
inside the Officer's Club.
If only I had the
appropriate time and space
to use the bounty of
ideas in front of me.
The case, Abbs.
The case.
I finished processing everything
from Korby's garage.
Still no murder weapon.
Which means the killer
either kept it...
Or they dumped it.
And probably nearby.
And certainly
with traces of nitrogen.
So I alerted
the local waste management
to be on the lookout
for hazardous materials.
And the fire department's
HAZMAT team is searching
the entire neighborhood.
A lot of manpower.
A four-block radius
and more than 60 homes.
Can I have my Caf-POW! now?
Palmer!
No more refills.
I just came to, uh,
return the surplus nitrogen.
(computer beeping)
Okay...
it's the results
from the substance
that you and Ducky found
in the dead Marine's lungs.
It's odd.
Traces of chicken stock,
coffee beans, cocoa...
Lunch.
Yeah, but I didn't
find traces of any
of this food in his stomach.
The nitrogen gas
must have carried
the particles
into the lungs.
There could have been
food residue on the inside
of the container
the killer used
to administer
the liquid nitrogen.
Like a lunchbox?
Thinking, like, a thermos.
You know, perfect size,
insulated.
It's discreet.
Palmer, you're a genius.
The killer probably used Korby's
coffee thermos to poison him.
Now I can tell the HAZMAT
team what to look for.
That's great work, Abbs.
- Both of you.
- PALMER: Aah!
Ladies.
Cleaning up
the crime scene?
Sweeping away old memories.
(sighs) You sure you want
to throw these away?
(sighs)
Yup.
What can I do for you,
Agent DiNozzo?
I was just wondering if your
husband ever talked about
what happened overseas.
You know, other
Marines in his squad?
No.
No? Never talked to you about
getting beat up or poisoned?
Hmm. Well, that's interesting.
I guess you two
didn't talk much, then.
What are you implying?
You've lost three husbands.
All three had life
insurance policies.
- Meaning?
- Well, you seem to be attracted
to men who have a hard
time staying alive, Sara.
I'm attracted to men
with dignity and honor
who put themselves
in harm's way for their country.
I grew up
in a military family.
I fell in love
with men who served.
Two of them died doing it.
I've given a lot.
I've taken very little.
Well, half-a-million-dollar
payout
on the two previous policies,
plus another $250,000
from Korby's.
You can understand my
skepticism... it's adding up.
My husband didn't complain.
He didn't dwell
on negative things.
He chose to celebrate life.
He tried to make others smile.
I loved him for that.
Excuse me, Mrs. Korby?
Private Singer.
Do I need to make
introductions, or...
- you two already...
- Just paying my respects.
- Okay.
- That a problem?
No.
Ma'am,
me and your husband,
we had our issues,
but we served together.
He saved my ass
a time or two.
I'm sorry.
Thank you, Private.
Are we finished?
Yeah.
Excuse me.
Sky falling?
Wife might be telling the truth.
So, yeah.
Your killer instinct was wrong.
Temporarily misguided.
What did my probie
sandwich find out?
Well, we interviewed
every member of Korby's squad,
including two in Bethesda,
and they all admit
Korby's pranks
caused problems...
But denied having
knowledge of the Code Red
or the poisoning in Afghanistan.
They were covering
for each other.
Taking a break, DiNozzo?
No, boss. Just looking
at the sprinkler system.
Ooh, the sign-out log
from the company command post
on base... that's
a nice job, boss.
Page 28.
ZIVA: Korby's squad leader,
Sergeant Barnes, lied to us.
He did sign off the base
the night of the murder.
That's not all
Barnes lied about.
I just the after-action
reports from Kandahar.
The promotion Barnes was
looking forward to
was already denied.
"Unsatisfactory leadership."
When?
Three months ago,
while serving in Afghanistan.
Just before
Korby was poisoned.
And the unit went bonkers.
Find him.
(lively accordion music playing)
Ah...
Germans.
Fun-Ioving bunch.
Care to oompah?
There's Barnes.
Yes, there he is.
Herr Barnes.
We need to speak to you.
Excuse me one second.
Can we do this some other time?
- Uh... let me check. Ziva?
- No.
No. See? We can't do it
another time. Achtung, baby.
- Come on; let's go.
- Look, this is important.
I need to talk to these guys.
Yeah, yeah, come on.
(glass shatters)
(grunts)
TONY:
Whoa, whoa, whoa. NCIS.
Settle down, gentlemen.
Well done, probie.
Fraulein.
Danke schoen.
Beer's on him.
Sorry about that.
ZIVA: You certainly
made an impression.
Korby cost you a promotion.
So you poisoned him.
When that didn't work,
you finished the job here.
Company log,
night of the murder.
You signed out.
Man up, Marine.
I did it for him.
- Who?
- Korby.
He was a great
Marine, but...
What happened?
We had incoming fire
in a warehouse outside Herat,
when I turn to see
Korby's flak jacket on fire.
Gave away our position.
Barely got out of there.
One of his jokes?
Faulty flare casing.
An accident.
Nobody saw it that way.
Thought one of his gags
almost got us all killed.
They sent him a message.
I knew about
the Code Red.
Thought it would help
put Korby straight,
for his own good.
But...
he was still Korby.
So you poisoned him?
I put a drop of paint thinner
in his coffee... a drop.
I wanted to get him
shipped home on medical leave.
I did it for him,
for the unit,
before someone
really got hurt.
I did it to save him.
Somehow the guys found out
what I'd done and...
And they lost respect
for their leader.
The unit fell apart.
Night of the murder.
A barmaid at a club in Fairfax.
She'll confirm
I was there all night,
getting face time
with my seniors.
Trying to get my promotion
back on track.
That's not gonna happen.
TONY:
Oh, hey, boss.
Listen, is there any more
of that apple cider?
'Cause I found it
de-cider-ly delicious.
Barnes's alibi checks out.
He was at the strip club
till 2:00 am... they have him
on security cameras.
I still maintain that the wife's
holding something back.
Marine vehicle was
at the scene, DiNozzo.
That does suggest a Marine.
ZIVA: None of the
motor pool logs have
a record of which Marine
checked out the car.
Just that it left the base.
Boss, well,
it's not about the car,
but I have been
running financials
on every member
of Korby's unit
looking for inconsistencies.
- Yeah, and you got one?
- Yep. Private David Singer.
TONY: He told us
he was in Norfolk
with a friend
the night of the murder.
McGEE: Yeah, well, he's got
a credit card charge
in Virginia Beach
that night.
The charge was for a
room-service delivery
- of champagne and caviar.
- GIBBS: Where?
Seabright Hotel and Spa.
TONY:
That's the hotel
where Korby's wife
was staying.
Private Singer.
Sorry to keep you
out of the gym.
Don't worry, you'll have
plenty of time to work out
when you're in prison.
The hell you talking about?
Keeping somebody
like Mrs. Korby happy
takes a lot of reps, huh?
You and the widow
licking champagne
off each other's toes down
there in Virginia Beach.
Then you took a little detour,
decided to kill Korby.
The hotel valet has the car
you borrowed from Quantico
checked out all night.
You did bring it back
in the morning, though.
Innocent man usually
explains himself,
and the guilty ones object.
You might even fall
into the third category:
the guy who covers
for his lover.
Okay.
If Tony's right
about the wife,
I will never live it down.
TONY: Whoo-hoo!
It's getting pretty ripe
in that room.
He's about to flip
on the wife.
McGEE:
He doesn't have to.
Pulled Korby's
credit card records.
According to Abby,
the garden hose
and duct tape were brand-new,
but there's no record
of Korby actually
purchasing them.
Cash?
The wife's credit card
was used one week ago
at a hardware store
to purchase two items:
garden hose
and a roll of duct tape.
GIBBS:
Well, bring her in.
I cannot believe it.
Hm.
Know about your affair
with Private Singer.
He told you?
No, he didn't have to.
TONY: Fancy hotel,
sounds of the ocean,
caviar and champagne.
Singer thought he was in for
a treat, but you tricked him.
You used him.
No.
You gave Singer
the hose and tape,
told him to make it
look like a suicide.
He drove from the hotel
to your house;
he killed your husband.
(sighs)
David wasn't
at the house that night.
I was.
TONY: You drove Singer's
car to your house
and killed your husband?
No.
I couldn't go through
with it, the affair.
I couldn't cheat on James.
I didn't have my own car,
I'd been dropped off
by the service at the hotel,
so I borrowed David's.
I drove back home
to tell my husband
the truth, but I just...
sat in front of the house
and I lost my nerve.
So I left.
I went back
to the hotel
and I broke it off with David.
Yeah, well, I don't think
he got the message.
TONY: So you admit to being
at the scene of the crime
at the time of death?
I did not kill my husband.
It's the truth.
I swear to you.
TONY:
Well, now you get
to convince a jury
of your peers.
That would be a jury
of tall, leggy,
blonde bombshells.
Why don't you stand up?
You're under arrest
for the murder of Lance
Corporal James Korby.
No.
No, you're not.
DiNozzo...
evidence garage, now.
- Hey, McGee.
- Yeah, boss?
Footage of the Marine car.
Let me pull it up.
Rewind it.
GIBBS:
There, freeze it.
Can you clean that up?
Let's see.
It's a car parked
on the street.
Boss, that's Korby's car.
Nice.
You don't have
to say anything...
about me being right.
About the wife.
Okay.
DiNozzo, driver's side.
Come on.
Uh, boss?
Get in.
Okeydokey.
(grunts)
The seat is too far forward.
Exactly.
The seat has been in that
position since the murder.
GIBBS:
Car was parked in the street
when the footage
of the Marine car
was captured by those kids.
But when Korby was
found dead in the car...
The car was parked
in his driveway.
Pull all financial records
from the death
of Sara's second husband.
Sara?
I got your text.
I was just gonna go for a run.
She couldn't make it.
Well, then why
did she text me?
She didn't.
What's that?
The thermos we found in
your friend's trash can.
The friend you were with
the night of the murder.
Traces of liquid
nitrogen in there.
I don't understand.
Everybody was so drunk
at the party,
I guess they didn't
see you slip out
for a little while, did they?
Found your prints.
We also know that,
uh, you bought
the hose and the tape using
Sara's credit card last week.
Clerk I.D.'d your photo.
You tried to frame
your stepmother
for your stepfather's murder.
Dutiful daughter
delivers a thermos
of "cocoa" to stepdaddy.
But he's too preoccupied
to notice what's in it
- until it's too late.
- No.
No. Why would I do that?
James and Sara were all I had.
Except for your trust fund.
Your biological father left it
to you when he died in Iraq.
TONY: Sara has control
of the trust fund
until your 25th birthday,
but if she's behind bars,
then you would get
your inheritance
a little earlier, huh?
All $200,000 of it.
Add Korby's
life insurance policy...
TONY:
That's another 250 grand.
You're all set.
Go to college,
buy yourself a fast car,
maybe a little pad
on the beach.
But wait five years?
That's an eternity to a pretty
little party girl like you.
With them, it was an eternity.
You have no idea.
A stepfather who acts like
a juvenile delinquent.
A stepmother who marries
anything in a uniform.
You saw her.
She uses men.
She used my dad.
Your dad died
serving his country.
What's going to happen
to my money?
It's yours in five years.
It's gonna go a long way
in the prison gift shop.
Morning, Ziva.
Good morning.
Coffee?
Oh, thank you.
Mmm.
All right.
My keyboard is not working.
Agh! Abby...
I love Halloween.
And what's not to love?
Pranks...
Halloween is officially
my favorite holiday.
And you are looking
at this year's
Larceny Lotto Winner.
So you're buying us
lunch today, or?
I didn't keep the money,
McNopoly.
Gave it to charity...
urban youth group.
My gut is not-for-profit.
You know, Tony,
I've been thinking,
and, um, I would like
to acknowledge my place
as a new agent,
and your place as...
Your superior in every way?
Yes.
But for my sanity, could
you not call me "probie"?
I say it with love.
And if I refuse?
You are senior field
agent, and I am...
entirely at your mercy.
Well, as you should be.
Mmm!
Mm-hmm! Mmm!
(chuckles)