NCIS (2003–…): Season 9, Episode 19 - The Good Son - full transcript
While on liberty in Baltimore, Maryland, two sailors of the US Navy find the body of a buddy, a boatswain's mate second-class, who died from a stab wound; the Baltimore PD soon finds a suspect, who is not only a mechanic at a nearby automotive shop but also a brother-in-law of Vance, the director of the NCIS; Gibbs and company investigate. McGee learns that a second sailor failed to return from liberty; Tony and Ziva meet another shipmate; Ducky says that the victim took part in a fight several hours before he died; Tony and Ziva meet also a girlfriend and yet another shipmate. McGee finds a lie, Gibbs pursues it, and Vance and Gibbs have a chat; Vance's wife shows much anger, but she gets over it. Abby produces good stuff, McGee gets a good tip, then Gibbs, Tony, and Ziva make a good bust. Abby solves the case, then Vance gets a confession, and Gibbs and Tony take the bad guy into custody. Vance learns how to play a game.
[MAN GRUNTS]
- Dang, you gain weight, Hill?
- Oh, it's too much beer.
[HILL HICCUPS]
Puke on me
and I'll leave you right here.
All right.
Adams?
Yo, Adams, come on, man.
Get up. You hear me?
Come on, man, I'm not gonna drag both
y'all's sorry asses back to the ship.
Adams, come on,
we're back by 0600.
[GASPS]
[WHISPERS] It's been over an hour
and still not one word.
I know. It's heaven.
ZIVA:
I'm worried, McGee.
What if he's sick?
He'd be whining.
He always whines when he's sick.
You two really suck at whispering.
Believe it or not, I can hear you.
And I'm not sick.
Every once in a while,
I just need to power down, be still.
Reflect on this little trip
through the cosmic rip.
I need to find my deep calm.
- Yeah, he's sick.
- [IN NORMAL VOICE] Yeah, heh.
Let's check for a fever.
What is this?
Last year's
performance appraisal review, ha!
How did you get this?
The NCIS fairy
left it under my pillow.
- What do you think?
- You stole it?
Aah, ooh, McGee, Gibbs wrote
something in the comment section.
"Agent DiNozzo displays
exemplary skills,
heh, though he can be too talkative
in the field."
If by "too talkative,"
he means you never shut up.
Heh. Well, I think Gibbs
was being a bit too gracious.
After ten years, he doesn't know
this is how I work?
I thought it was a mild case
of Tourette's.
- Heh.
- It's my process.
You guys know that.
It's how I focus, you know.
I talk it out.
Talkative. Huh!
Coming from a functional mute,
that's rich.
Maybe I should dial it back.
Get...
Get my quiet on. Ha!
I think you're, uh, overreacting
a bit, Tony.
I'll kill the next
performance appraisal.
Next time he writes down in his little
margin here, "DiNozzo: Professional.
DiNozzo: Focused. DiNozzo..."
Too much yabba-yabba.
Sorry, boss, I was just...
Suppressing the "yabba."
Good. Grab your gear.
Got a dead petty officer in Baltimore.
So now it's "too much yabba-yabba?"
When did that happen?
In the womb, would be my guess.
ZIVA: Any chance we may bump
into your old coworkers?
Or even Wendy, perhaps.
Wendy and I decided
to leave it alone for now.
- Really?
- Turns out OI' Blue Eyes was wrong.
Love isn't always lovelier
the second time around.
In fact, it's kind of painful
and strange.
GIBBS: Yabba.
- Enough chitchat. Man's gotta work.
[SIREN WAILS]
[OFFICER SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY
OVER RADIO]
GIBBS:
McGee.
McGEE: Wallet was found
near the body. No cash.
Victim is Caleb Adams, 23,
petty officer second class
on the DD-350 Hagen,
a destroyer docked for liberty
at Chesapeake Bay.
Check for surveillance in the area.
Those two with him?
They found him this way.
I'm still getting the details.
- Duck?
- Abrasions on his hands and face
indicate the possibility of a fight,
which was ended
by this single stab wound.
- Ugly.
- That's it, Tony? Only one word?
No wisecracks about wayward sailors
on shore leave?
No obscure On the Town
references?
Is that a movie?
ZIVA: I understand that sailors often
refer to this liberty
as their annual
beer-and-crabs week.
Not those kind of crabs, Ziva.
Aah! There's the Tony we know
and love.
Boss, Baltimore P.D.'s
got a suspect in custody.
Got a 911 call
about Petty Officer Adams
before the sailors found him.
Came from an auto repair shop
two blocks away.
Said they found a mechanic there
trying to wash blood
off his hands and jacket.
[POLICE SIREN WAILS]
OFFICER:
Got the suspect's jacket.
TONY:
Lot of blood, boss.
Is this your jacket?
Look, I'm being railroaded here.
What's your name?
Michael Thomas.
You got a lawyer to call,
Mr. Thomas?
No, I wanna call someone else.
They've got this all wrong, Leon.
Just do what they say, Michael.
I'll take him to Processing.
Your wife's kid brother?
- He's my family too, Gibbs.
- Then you'll be recusing yourself.
- For what reason?
- He's a murder suspect, Leon.
Those are your rules, not mine.
I'm well aware, Gibbs, but as long
as he's your suspect, I'm going too.
Gibbs, give us a minute.
Is that a problem?
All right, just tell me.
Tell me you didn't do this.
Leon, no.
I was just trying to help the guy.
And you didn't know Petty Officer
Adams? You'd never met him?
Never seen him before this morning.
Hand to God.
Look, the cops got it all wrong.
You know I would never do this.
You gotta believe me.
You believe me, right?
- Yeah.
- Ah.
But it's not me you need
to worry about.
Oh, please, just don't tell Jackie.
And it's not your sister either.
Gibbs is my best agent.
Convince him. Tell him the truth.
Everything will be okay.
Minute's up.
No record. This your first arrest?
Yeah, first and only.
I'm a good person, Agent Gibbs.
Ask Leon.
I'm not asking him. I'm asking you.
MICHAEL:
I just meant he knows who I am.
He knows I'd never kill anybody.
GIBBS: Cops say they found you
with blood on your hands.
Trying to stop that kid
from bleeding to death.
You were acting skittish.
You couldn't get your story straight.
They wouldn't let me talk.
I tried to tell them what happened.
They wouldn't listen.
They just assumed I was lying.
Okay.
I'm listening. Talk.
I was headed into work on 57th.
Today was my day to open up the shop
so I took the 5 a.m. Bus into town.
Just got off and headed down
State Street and that's when I heard...
It was awful.
Sounded like a dying animal.
And then I got to the corner.
And that's when I saw him.
And he was lying there on his side
and, uh, there was all this blood and...
But he was still alive.
- What time was that?
- It was just after 5:30.
Okay, then what?
Well, he reached out his hand,
like he was asking for help.
And I tried to apply pressure
to the wound.
It was too late. He was gone.
GIBBS:
When did you call 911?
I called from my cell
on the way to work.
About a quarter to 6.
GIBBS:
You left him there?
MICHAEL:
I felt bad, but I had to leave.
GIBBS: Man was dead?
- Yeah.
My boss gets mad if I'm late.
I need this job, Agent Gibbs.
Did you tell the 911 operator
that Petty Officer Adams was dead?
Gave them the location, my name,
the address where I was at.
Any other witnesses there
at the scene?
Just me.
That's why I called as soon as I could.
I didn't wanna leave him
out there alone.
You ever watch someone die?
Not me.
And now I can't stop seeing his face.
You know, his eyes.
I swear I'll never forget his eyes
as long as I live.
MICHAEL [ON RECORDING]:
He wasn't breathing. I saw him die.
There was blood.
- Oh, God.
MAN: Okay, sir, calm down.
Tell me where he was.
I need an address.
MICHAEL: In an alley off of 57th.
You gotta send someone out there.
MAN: We will, but I need you to stay
on the line with me, okay?
- Call came in at 5:47 this morning.
- Tracks with Michael's account.
- Sounded upset.
- Connection to the victim?
None that I can find. I searched
e-mail accounts and phone records
for both Michael Thomas
and Petty Officer Adams.
No communication between them.
Michael's boss said Adams
was never a customer at the shop.
- Background.
- Petty Officer Caleb Adams.
Joined the Navy
right out of high school.
Had two overseas deployments
and a spotless record.
CO called him a bright
and hardworking man.
Assigned to the Hagen destroyer
in 2010.
Adams was one of 215 sailors
off the ship last night for liberty.
TONY: Tracking down others
with him, but we do have this.
He called someone named Meredith
Bilson five times in five hours.
The last call came in at 4:34 a.m.
That's an hour before his death.
Location?
Manager at her last known address
says she hasn't lived there in months.
[PHONE RINGS]
- Keep looking. What else?
- Checking account shows one charge.
At Sposare's Pizza in Baltimore
just before 3 a.m.
Pizza and beer.
That's a hell of a last meal, right, bo...?
Go.
Boss, we may have a situation.
That was the ship's commander.
All 215 sailors reported back
for duty this morning.
All except Petty Officer Adams
and this man:
[COMPUTER BEEPING]
Twenty-one-year-old
Petty Officer Brian Smith from Virginia.
Maybe a second victim.
LEON:
Or maybe involved.
- No way to know that yet.
- Figure it out.
Go on.
MAN: Hey, I'm just grateful
for this time of year.
Liberty Week, the sales almost
double my regular day.
But you do not remember ever seeing
Petty Officer Adams this morning?
No. It's a real shame about that kid,
but, no, I never saw him.
I mean, heh, look around.
Not exactly easy telling them apart,
you know.
I think it was Mae West who said:
"You've seen one sailor's anchor,
you've seen them all."
No, I just kind of meant that
it gets hectic in here, heh.
You know, all of them in here at once,
a bunch of them all yelling for service.
Anyone get out of control?
Start a fight?
No, nothing like that.
No, no. These are all good kids.
I never had any trouble.
Are you guys here about Caleb?
I'm Seaman Robert Epplund.
We're on the Hagen together.
You knew Petty Officer Adams?
We were friends, yeah.
I just found out what happened.
I can't believe it.
He was doing fine
when I saw him last night.
- What time was that?
- Uh... Like 11 or so.
His crew was the first section
off for liberty.
We were the second.
He was in a great mood.
He was gonna see his girlfriend,
like, totally in love with her.
Kept saying she was the one, heh.
The one's name wouldn't happen
to be Meredith Bilson, would it?
Yeah, that's her.
Does she know?
- We'll stay in touch. Thank you.
- Thanks.
The director has always been
very protective of his family.
That should come as no surprise.
No, it's not just that. It's something else.
Can't put my finger on it.
And you're worrying
that whatever it is
may prevent the director
from seeking the truth?
It's not him, doc. It's me.
Family or not.
- I gotta do my job.
- You have news, Dr. Mallard?
- I was just about to brief Agent Gibbs.
- Good. Let's hear it.
DUCKY:
Well, as suspected,
Petty Officer Adams' death
was caused by a single stab wound.
The knife perforated his spleen
and stomach,
resulting in
massive internal bleeding.
The angle of the blade suggests
that he was attacked from the front.
- Straight on.
- He was face-to-face with his killer.
- Knew the person. They were familiar.
- Not necessarily.
Prints that we managed to lift from the
body are being analyzed as we speak.
Was there anything unique
about the weapon?
Not that I could see.
No, the edges of the wound
were precise and clean,
with no evidence of a serrated blade.
Ms. Sciuto is performing
further tests on the tissue.
- What about the bruises, Duck?
DUCKY: Ah.
They're informative, actually.
They had begun to change color
and that tells me
that the fight occurred several hours
before his death.
He fought with someone
other than his killer?
It's possible.
It's also possible that the...
Killer came back to finish the job.
LEON:
Thank you.
[BELL DINGS]
- Michael didn't do it, Gibbs.
- I never said he did.
And despite my ties to him,
I won't try and sway this investigation.
I never said that either.
[PHONE RINGS]
Hey, honey.
Yeah, I'm sorry I didn't call you back.
No, I don't think I'm gonna
make it home for dinner.
Looks like it's gonna
be a late one here tonight.
Yeah. No, no, everything's fine.
Just a lot going on.
Back-to-back meetings.
Yeah.
I love you too.
It's complicated.
Family, Leon.
Always is.
So you think my chattiness
is annoying?
I think you asking me about
your chattiness nonstop
for the past 20 minutes
is annoying, yes.
Wanna know who else thought
my chattiness was annoying? Wendy.
[ZIVA SCOFFS]
She said it made me sound nervous
and insecure.
- Like that's even possible.
- Stop it, Tony.
It was one little comment Gibbs made,
okay? Nothing more.
And as for Wendy,
I believe you were right
to turn the book on that relationship.
Turn the page. Close the book.
But, yeah, I guess I was.
Oh.
- Meredith Bilson?
- Who are you?
Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo.
This is Agent David, NCIS.
We need to talk to you about your
boyfriend, Petty Officer Caleb Adams.
- Is something wrong?
- May we come in?
Uh, I'm sorry. I can't right now.
MAN:
Hey, Meredith.
- Petty Officer Brian Smith?
- Yeah.
There's a whole ship full of people
looking for you.
May wanna put a shirt on.
You're coming with us.
Stay with her.
Stop!
[BRIAN PANTING]
[TONY GRUNTS]
- Look out!
WOMEN: Oh, ugh.
TONY:
I said stop!
[BOTH GRUNTING]
Hey, I know a dead guy
with bruises just like yours.
Look at it.
Oh, is that a little tough to look at?
Here, how about this one?
Maybe a closer shot.
I didn't do that. It wasn't me.
Says the guy who just ran
two blocks to get away.
- I can explain everything, all right?
- Oh, you can?
Well, thank goodness for that.
Because finding you in the dead guy's
girlfriend's apartment
with your pants around your ankles
doesn't exactly scream innocent.
In my business, it's called motive.
Think I killed him for Meredith?
People kill for a lot less.
I woke up around 6
and Brian was pounding on my door.
Said he and Caleb got into a fight.
Was that fight about you?
I didn't wanna tell Caleb
over the phone,
but he called right after he got off
the ship and he wanted to come over.
I said no.
- What time was that?
- Just after 11:30, I think.
I told him I was sorry.
I didn't mean to hurt him,
but I couldn't help how I felt.
I told him I was in love with Brian.
And he...
...Iost it.
Next thing I know, Caleb's
dragging me behind some store.
Starts pounding on me.
I fought back a little bit
and finally I pushed him off me.
Then I ran.
Never saw him again.
Then where'd you go?
Walked around for a while,
cleared my head.
Got to Meredith's around 6.
That was seven hours after the fight.
You just walked around
clearing your head?
Caleb was my best friend, all right?
I would never hurt him.
We grew up together.
Went fishing every weekend.
We were practically brothers.
Look, I know I'm a bad person
for betraying Caleb that way.
But I didn't kill him.
The last time Caleb called,
he was rambling,
saying that he was gonna
win me back, buy me a ring.
He sounded so out of it.
He was slurring
like he'd been drinking.
Caleb hardly ever drank.
And that was the last time
you spoke?
I can't believe I'm never gonna hear
his voice again.
Meredith, look at me.
Do you think Brian killed Caleb?
No, of course not.
But...
I washed it.
- What?
- Brian's shirt.
There was a lot of blood.
I asked him if it was from the fight.
He wouldn't answer me.
I got scared.
He was acting so crazy.
I didn't know what to do.
I washed it.
I'm so sorry.
Doesn't look good
for our shirtless wonder.
His alibi is definitely shaky,
but we also cannot ignore the fact
that she washed his bloody shirt.
- To be young and in love.
- Ah.
McGee, any surveillance video
from near the crime scene yet?
No, but I got something else.
Come here.
It's about Michael Thomas
and it's not good.
Oh, as if Gibbs isn't in a tough
enough place with the director.
Turns out that Michael has a record
as a juvenile.
I got a hit on a charge in Maryland
from 1996. Records were sealed.
Come on, let's not panic, okay?
Kids do stupid stuff.
May not mean anything.
- Well, it depends on the charge.
- Assault with a deadly weapon.
[ZIVA GRUNTS]
Well, that goes beyond stupid.
Agent Gibbs. Is Leon coming too?
Assault with a deadly weapon?
You left that one out
the last time we talked.
Uh...
Well, I was just a dumb kid
who didn't know any better.
I mean, it wasn't that big of a deal.
You put someone in the hospital.
I'd say that was a big deal.
What's this got to do with anything?
One, you lied to me. Two,
you have the potential for violence.
Yeah, when I was 14 years old.
Look, I admit, I had some tough times
as a kid, you know.
And I made a mistake. I lashed out.
But I learned from it and I moved on.
It never happened again.
- What else don't I know?
- I told you everything, Agent Gibbs.
I didn't do this.
Why can't you just accept that?
Because a young man is dead
and I can't accept anything yet.
All right, that's enough.
Michael, don't say another word.
You should be focusing your energy
on real evidence.
- Real suspects.
- Michael is a suspect.
The person you need to be worried
about is Petty Officer Brian Smith.
UA after the crime,
fight with the victim...
I thought you were gonna
let me do my job.
I'm not satisfied
with the job you're doing.
- It's not about me. You know that.
- I'm not just gonna stand by
and let you grill him about something
that happened 16 years ago.
He lied to me, Leon.
What's more important is you let him.
That's not true.
His records were sealed.
It still matters.
I told you it was complicated.
More than complicated.
Why the kid gloves?
LEON:
Stand down.
Michael was 8
when Jackie and I met.
Both parents passed away.
The kid was struggling.
I filled a void.
I tried to steer him right.
Leon, it's tough
taking things like that on.
Yeah, and it wasn't always easy.
But I got him into private school.
I got him into counseling.
He was lost for a long time, Gibbs,
and now he's finally finding his way.
And the last thing he needs
is people giving up on him.
- People like you?
- Yeah.
I've come a long way with him.
I'm not about to give up on him now.
[PHONE RINGS]
ABBY [OVER PHONE]: Gibbs.
- Yeah, Abby, I'm on my way.
- Talk to me, Abs.
- Hi.
Wow, Director Vance.
What a surprise.
I mean, not like a surprise.
I mean, I know you have
a special interest in this case
because your family member
is involved.
No, that is not what I meant.
I am sure that your brother-in-law
isn't involved in anything at all.
LEON:
Ms. Sciuto,
just proceed as if
this were any other case.
Of course. Yes, sir.
So we know that the killer struck
Petty Officer Adams hard and fast.
The wound is 4 inches in length
and 5 inches in depth.
The knife was stuck in once
to the abdomen.
The killer thrust it in deep
and then tilted it up and pulled it out.
- What's the weapon?
- A 5-inch boning knife like this one.
It's the favorite of avid fishermen
everywhere.
The wound pattern matches
the blade's design.
But that's not all that matches.
The only prints on the body belong
to none other than...
[COMPUTER BEEPS]
LEON:
Petty Officer Brian Smith.
You have your guy.
That's a good thing, right?
Hey, DiNozzo.
Search Petty Officer Smith's
belongings.
[ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]
The weapon's a fishing knife.
I want Michael released
into my custody.
You need to keep him close, Leon.
I'm taking him home tonight.
[RACING SOUNDS
PLAYING ON TV]
Hey, Dad.
All right, kids,
that's enough of that for now.
Somebody here wants to say hello.
- Hey.
- Uncle Michael.
Ha, ha. What's up, man?
Unh, unh! Poof!
Wow, my favorite little kids
are not so little anymore.
- Are you staying long this time?
- He's not staying.
Kayla, Jared, go get ready for bed.
I'll be there in a minute.
I want him out of my house now.
The only time you ever go
over my head
- is because of Michael.
LEON: Calm down.
JACKIE: What problem
are you bailing him out of now?
- It was a misunderstanding.
- Always is.
He was trying to do the right thing.
He ended up a murder suspect.
- A murder suspect?
- We have the killer in custody.
- He didn't do it.
- Of course he didn't.
But how does he get into
these messes in the first place?
With you dragged into it?
- This is different.
- Is it?
His whole life's been
one bad decision after another,
knowing you're gonna be there
to save the day.
People change.
JACKIE:
You have fathered him long enough.
When are you gonna let him stand up
on his own two feet?
He's getting ready
to open a repair shop, Jackie.
His repair shop.
And two years ago,
he was gonna finish college.
A year before that,
he was selling that miracle drink.
Well, at least he's trying, Jackie.
He's come a long way
from where he was.
You do not need to remind me
where he was.
You know that I love him
and I always will.
And I have to let him go.
And I just... I don't...
I just wish you would too, you know?
Why do I have to be married
to such a good man?
[LEON CHUCKLES]
Who I'm still mad at.
He will just stay the night, Jackie.
- And he's out by morning.
- Yes.
GIBBS:
Abs?
- Abby.
- Gibbs.
[GRUNTS]
Unh, sorry I woke you.
I woke you.
I woke you first when I called you.
You spent the night here?
Yeah, Tony found the knife in question
in Petty Officer Smith's sea bag.
And I kind of got on a roll testing it
and the next thing I knew,
the sun was coming up.
- Was it worth it?
- Totally.
I mean, even through my little
windows, the light was just gorgeous.
Abs, I haven't had my coffee yet.
Ooh, right. The knife.
So it tested positive for blood,
but in the trout family.
These scales that are lodged in the
handle suggest rainbow or steelhead.
No blood from Adams.
Means Petty Officer Smith
- wasn't our killer.
- But somebody is.
And, you know, it's probably somebody
that we don't even know yet.
Or someone we do.
Abs, you stayed here overnight trying
to clear Vance's brother-in-law?
Well, the director's like family.
I mean, you'd want me to do
the same for you.
Tox results.
ABBY:
Low doses of methaqualone.
Downers. Ludes. Disco biscuits.
Very retro, but making a comeback.
It was just enough to impair
Petty Officer Adams' motor skills.
I mean, these babies can
increase your sex drive,
but it also can cause drowsiness
and slurred speech,
low heart rate, vomiting.
Ah, well, so much for the sex part.
So the question is
who slipped it to him, and where?
Well, test everyone
who was on liberty that night.
- Can I borrow McGee to help?
- Absolutely.
[ALL LAUGH]
And I swear,
your grandma got these crazy eyes
and took off after your mom
like a cat chasing a mouse.
- Ooh, I can still see them eyes.
MICHAEL: Oh.
- Would Grandma have chased us?
- Yeah, she sure would have.
No, she'd be spoiling you guys
every chance she got. Right, Jack?
Yes, Michael, she would.
Hey, thanks for letting me stay.
- Well, the kids miss seeing you.
- I miss them.
Just gonna let the old man sleep
through the party, huh?
Uncle Mike's got great stories, Dad.
- You finish your paper?
BOY: Yep.
- Nine whole pages, single-spaced.
- Nice.
Uncle Mike fixed the dishwasher.
- Oh, just a loose valve. No big deal.
- Well, I appreciate that, Mr. Fix-It.
But let's go. It's my day
to drop the kids off at school.
- Can Uncle Mike come?
- Well, he's coming to work with me,
so I guess that's the plan,
if that's still the plan.
Up to you.
There are a few things around here
that need repairing.
All right, kids, go get your things
for school. I'll be at the car.
- Michael.
BOY: I call front seat.
GIRL: Come on, my turn, Jared.
You had it yesterday.
Now, you're released into my custody
until this case is solved, Michael.
So if I let you stay,
you do understand, you can't leave.
Yeah, of course.
I'll do whatever you want.
That's the least I owe you.
And listen, I'm, uh...
I'm sorry again
for putting you through this.
After today, this is all behind us.
And you can get back to focusing
on your repair shop.
- You find a space?
- Got a few I'm looking at.
I'm gonna pay you back every dime,
you know. With interest.
And free repairs for life.
Hey, tell your man Gibbs
I'll miss him.
You lay off Special Agent Gibbs.
This hasn't been easy on him.
Eh, I don't like
the way he looks at me.
[CHUCKLES]
He looks at everybody like that.
Where is he, Leon?
According to my morning brief,
you recovered a knife from the suspect.
It came back negative.
It's not our weapon.
- Then what next?
- Could Michael be a flight risk?
LEON: He's with his sister.
He's not about to fly anywhere.
Agents David, DiNozzo, anything?
Abby found drugs in
Petty Officer Adams' system
that probably impaired him
before he died.
Abby and McGee
are testing sailors to see...
[PHONE RINGS]
- There they are. Video conference.
- Ziva, put it up.
Hi, Ziva... Whoa, hi, everybody.
What's the latest?
Out of 215 sailors on shore leave,
three of them tested positive
for some kind of sedative.
ABBY: Too soon to know
if it was the same drug,
but if I was a betting man...
Interview them there. Find out if any of
them were with Adams before he died.
McGEE: On it, boss.
- Over and out.
I love to say that, heh.
All right, keep me in the loop.
Like I could keep you out of it, Leon.
I was in this bar.
You know, having fun,
but thinking about where to head next.
A bunch of guys were heading to this,
you know,
gentlemen's club across town.
- Go on.
- Well, we hear this guy
just bragging about how he just won
a ton of cash playing blackjack.
I'd never been to Vegas,
much less a casino,
so I figured, what the hell?
Let's make it rain.
Bad idea, huh?
I lost every dime of liberty pay
inside an hour.
- Who was this guy?
- Who knows?
Actually, I heard it from a friend
who heard it from somebody else.
The night was a blur.
I swear, that's the last time
I ever gamble this messed up.
- Where was this casino?
- It wasn't a casino.
It was in a crappy little game
in the back of a pizza place.
Hey, NCIS is back.
How many slices can I get you,
gentlemen?
Where's the game?
Whoa, you can't go back there.
[ALL GASP]
NCIS.
Do not move.
Okay, look,
I admit to hosting the game.
But it was all in good fun.
I mean, all this nonsense about
drugging anybody, that's just crazy.
Found this in the cabinet
next to the oregano.
Try again.
All right, what can I say?
I'm not proud.
But times are tough.
I mean, who doesn't need
a little extra cash?
Cash?
Off the backs of young sailors
serving their country on liberty
in a crooked game?
Hey, the game itself is not crooked.
We deal straight.
There ain't no sleight of hand here.
Just a little shot of this crap
to give you the edge.
Heh! What?
They don't comp drinks in Vegas?
You're not Vegas, Marty.
This is a drug. It's not a drink.
- This kid died playing your game.
- Oh, no. No way.
One of these pills,
it'll make you woozy.
But it never killed anybody.
Never.
Tell me about that night.
Ugh, the kid was breaking our hearts,
telling us about his girlfriend
dumping him.
You know,
saying how much he had to win
in order to buy her
an engagement ring.
We kept saying
that he should just forget about her,
but, no, he just kept playing.
Until you stole all his money.
I thought about giving
some of it back.
Yeah, that's right.
But then that kid, he just went nuts.
Flipped the table over
and he just ran out.
- Where?
- How should I know?
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
Hate to break rule 22, boss,
but his lawyer's here.
Then I'm done talking.
Oops.
Got the same story
from the blackjack dealer.
If what he says is even half true,
Petty Officer Adams
could have left that game
and picked a fight
with the first person that he saw.
Could be anyone.
Thoughts?
Well, with no security cameras
at the pizzeria,
Ziva and McGee
are checking neighboring stores.
Yeah, I know that.
I asked you your thoughts.
My thoughts?
I thought you didn't like my process.
My yabba-yabba.
Doesn't mean I don't depend on it.
Oh.
Well, in that case,
pizza guys are slimeballs.
Thin crust beats deep dish
every time.
And every suspect in this case
has an answer for everything,
- but one of them's gotta be lying.
- Yeah? Which one?
I don't know. It's gonna take
a little more yabba-yabba.
Good.
Go help Ziva and McGee.
I gotta see a lady about a card game.
- Anything, Abs?
- Four decks scanned, two to go.
Naturally there's no shortage
of fingerprints.
GIBBS: IDs?
- Mostly sailors.
And the blackjack dealer, of course.
He touched every card.
You know, it would help to know if
I was looking for someone specifically.
Yeah.
Just keep looking.
That the best you got, McGee?
Well, the only surveillance
of the pizzeria
was from a rooftop
across the street.
Lucky us, all the video files
were corrupted.
ZIVA: But we believe
this is Petty Officer Adams,
based on the time
he's seen leaving the pizzeria
and the direction he's headed.
- Anyone else?
- There's this man.
Left a few frames before.
Who is he?
Well, we still don't have a clear shot
of his face yet, director.
Wait. In the window.
Is that a reflection?
Enhance it, McGee.
ZIVA:
He appears to be a civilian.
The sailor said a guy bragged to him
about winning money.
TONY: A ton of it. Only he was too
impaired to remember who it was.
ZIVA:
The game was rigged.
- No one won a ton of money.
- That would make that winner a shill.
Somebody who's in on the con,
lying to recruit players.
It's as good as it gets, boss.
ABBY:
Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs.
- Director.
- Abs, what?
I got a hit on the prints.
The person is in NCIS custody.
Leon.
[RACING SOUNDS
PLAYING ON TV]
MICHAEL:
You're cheating. How do you brake?
[ALL CHUCKLE]
Oh, man. I know that look.
Hey, homework starts as soon as
they're done kicking my butt.
Babe, I didn't see the harm.
Dinner's almost ready.
You and the kids can start it
without us.
Come on. Come on, come on.
Uh...
It's my fault, not theirs, you know.
I pushed them into playing.
Yeah, you're good at that.
Why'd you do it?
The card game.
The kid you found dying
in the street.
How about not lying to me
for once in your life?
I was trying to get out from under.
These guys, they had my money.
Whose money?
The money for the shop?
The money you loaned me,
it wasn't enough.
Well, I thought maybe if I can double it,
maybe triple it...
Behind a pizza place?
A small outfit like that,
I couldn't believe I lost it all.
Couldn't ask you for more,
so they made me a deal.
Bring some fresh meat to the table
and I can get you your money back.
Why, Michael? Why?
You were doing so good.
I tried to make it right, Leon.
On my own two feet.
But watching that poor kid
lose his last dime...
I couldn't take it. I got out of there.
And he came after you.
Yeah, he blamed me
for, uh, bringing him into the game.
He said I ruined his life,
ruined his chances
of ever getting back with his girl.
Then he pulled a knife, you know,
he came at me hard.
I tried to get away, but he just kept
coming at me, you know.
Everything happened so fast, Leon.
Next thing I know, he's...
He's face down
and the knife's in my hand.
It was an accident.
I didn't mean to kill him.
- But you did.
- Yeah, I know.
Believe me, I know.
I watched him die right in front of me.
But I'm gonna spend the rest of my life
making up for it.
You know? If you can help me out,
I promise I'm gonna make it up to you
and the whole damn world.
Hand to God.
I will.
I will help you, Michael.
More than
I've ever helped you before.
JACKIE:
No, please.
Not in the house.
I'm sorry, Jackie.
Me too, Mike.
I was so close with him, Gibbs.
- He was becoming a good man.
- It's not your fault.
You didn't fail, Leon.
It's just time to let go.
When's Uncle Mike coming back?
Not for a while, son.
Come on, kids. Let's leave
your dad be for a few minutes.
Oh, boy.
[WHIMPERS]
I'm sorry I played Xbox
before doing my homework.
But it wasn't Uncle Mike's fault.
I know, son. It's okay.
Jared?
Will you show me how to play this?
- Sure, Dad.
- Come here.
- Dang, you gain weight, Hill?
- Oh, it's too much beer.
[HILL HICCUPS]
Puke on me
and I'll leave you right here.
All right.
Adams?
Yo, Adams, come on, man.
Get up. You hear me?
Come on, man, I'm not gonna drag both
y'all's sorry asses back to the ship.
Adams, come on,
we're back by 0600.
[GASPS]
[WHISPERS] It's been over an hour
and still not one word.
I know. It's heaven.
ZIVA:
I'm worried, McGee.
What if he's sick?
He'd be whining.
He always whines when he's sick.
You two really suck at whispering.
Believe it or not, I can hear you.
And I'm not sick.
Every once in a while,
I just need to power down, be still.
Reflect on this little trip
through the cosmic rip.
I need to find my deep calm.
- Yeah, he's sick.
- [IN NORMAL VOICE] Yeah, heh.
Let's check for a fever.
What is this?
Last year's
performance appraisal review, ha!
How did you get this?
The NCIS fairy
left it under my pillow.
- What do you think?
- You stole it?
Aah, ooh, McGee, Gibbs wrote
something in the comment section.
"Agent DiNozzo displays
exemplary skills,
heh, though he can be too talkative
in the field."
If by "too talkative,"
he means you never shut up.
Heh. Well, I think Gibbs
was being a bit too gracious.
After ten years, he doesn't know
this is how I work?
I thought it was a mild case
of Tourette's.
- Heh.
- It's my process.
You guys know that.
It's how I focus, you know.
I talk it out.
Talkative. Huh!
Coming from a functional mute,
that's rich.
Maybe I should dial it back.
Get...
Get my quiet on. Ha!
I think you're, uh, overreacting
a bit, Tony.
I'll kill the next
performance appraisal.
Next time he writes down in his little
margin here, "DiNozzo: Professional.
DiNozzo: Focused. DiNozzo..."
Too much yabba-yabba.
Sorry, boss, I was just...
Suppressing the "yabba."
Good. Grab your gear.
Got a dead petty officer in Baltimore.
So now it's "too much yabba-yabba?"
When did that happen?
In the womb, would be my guess.
ZIVA: Any chance we may bump
into your old coworkers?
Or even Wendy, perhaps.
Wendy and I decided
to leave it alone for now.
- Really?
- Turns out OI' Blue Eyes was wrong.
Love isn't always lovelier
the second time around.
In fact, it's kind of painful
and strange.
GIBBS: Yabba.
- Enough chitchat. Man's gotta work.
[SIREN WAILS]
[OFFICER SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY
OVER RADIO]
GIBBS:
McGee.
McGEE: Wallet was found
near the body. No cash.
Victim is Caleb Adams, 23,
petty officer second class
on the DD-350 Hagen,
a destroyer docked for liberty
at Chesapeake Bay.
Check for surveillance in the area.
Those two with him?
They found him this way.
I'm still getting the details.
- Duck?
- Abrasions on his hands and face
indicate the possibility of a fight,
which was ended
by this single stab wound.
- Ugly.
- That's it, Tony? Only one word?
No wisecracks about wayward sailors
on shore leave?
No obscure On the Town
references?
Is that a movie?
ZIVA: I understand that sailors often
refer to this liberty
as their annual
beer-and-crabs week.
Not those kind of crabs, Ziva.
Aah! There's the Tony we know
and love.
Boss, Baltimore P.D.'s
got a suspect in custody.
Got a 911 call
about Petty Officer Adams
before the sailors found him.
Came from an auto repair shop
two blocks away.
Said they found a mechanic there
trying to wash blood
off his hands and jacket.
[POLICE SIREN WAILS]
OFFICER:
Got the suspect's jacket.
TONY:
Lot of blood, boss.
Is this your jacket?
Look, I'm being railroaded here.
What's your name?
Michael Thomas.
You got a lawyer to call,
Mr. Thomas?
No, I wanna call someone else.
They've got this all wrong, Leon.
Just do what they say, Michael.
I'll take him to Processing.
Your wife's kid brother?
- He's my family too, Gibbs.
- Then you'll be recusing yourself.
- For what reason?
- He's a murder suspect, Leon.
Those are your rules, not mine.
I'm well aware, Gibbs, but as long
as he's your suspect, I'm going too.
Gibbs, give us a minute.
Is that a problem?
All right, just tell me.
Tell me you didn't do this.
Leon, no.
I was just trying to help the guy.
And you didn't know Petty Officer
Adams? You'd never met him?
Never seen him before this morning.
Hand to God.
Look, the cops got it all wrong.
You know I would never do this.
You gotta believe me.
You believe me, right?
- Yeah.
- Ah.
But it's not me you need
to worry about.
Oh, please, just don't tell Jackie.
And it's not your sister either.
Gibbs is my best agent.
Convince him. Tell him the truth.
Everything will be okay.
Minute's up.
No record. This your first arrest?
Yeah, first and only.
I'm a good person, Agent Gibbs.
Ask Leon.
I'm not asking him. I'm asking you.
MICHAEL:
I just meant he knows who I am.
He knows I'd never kill anybody.
GIBBS: Cops say they found you
with blood on your hands.
Trying to stop that kid
from bleeding to death.
You were acting skittish.
You couldn't get your story straight.
They wouldn't let me talk.
I tried to tell them what happened.
They wouldn't listen.
They just assumed I was lying.
Okay.
I'm listening. Talk.
I was headed into work on 57th.
Today was my day to open up the shop
so I took the 5 a.m. Bus into town.
Just got off and headed down
State Street and that's when I heard...
It was awful.
Sounded like a dying animal.
And then I got to the corner.
And that's when I saw him.
And he was lying there on his side
and, uh, there was all this blood and...
But he was still alive.
- What time was that?
- It was just after 5:30.
Okay, then what?
Well, he reached out his hand,
like he was asking for help.
And I tried to apply pressure
to the wound.
It was too late. He was gone.
GIBBS:
When did you call 911?
I called from my cell
on the way to work.
About a quarter to 6.
GIBBS:
You left him there?
MICHAEL:
I felt bad, but I had to leave.
GIBBS: Man was dead?
- Yeah.
My boss gets mad if I'm late.
I need this job, Agent Gibbs.
Did you tell the 911 operator
that Petty Officer Adams was dead?
Gave them the location, my name,
the address where I was at.
Any other witnesses there
at the scene?
Just me.
That's why I called as soon as I could.
I didn't wanna leave him
out there alone.
You ever watch someone die?
Not me.
And now I can't stop seeing his face.
You know, his eyes.
I swear I'll never forget his eyes
as long as I live.
MICHAEL [ON RECORDING]:
He wasn't breathing. I saw him die.
There was blood.
- Oh, God.
MAN: Okay, sir, calm down.
Tell me where he was.
I need an address.
MICHAEL: In an alley off of 57th.
You gotta send someone out there.
MAN: We will, but I need you to stay
on the line with me, okay?
- Call came in at 5:47 this morning.
- Tracks with Michael's account.
- Sounded upset.
- Connection to the victim?
None that I can find. I searched
e-mail accounts and phone records
for both Michael Thomas
and Petty Officer Adams.
No communication between them.
Michael's boss said Adams
was never a customer at the shop.
- Background.
- Petty Officer Caleb Adams.
Joined the Navy
right out of high school.
Had two overseas deployments
and a spotless record.
CO called him a bright
and hardworking man.
Assigned to the Hagen destroyer
in 2010.
Adams was one of 215 sailors
off the ship last night for liberty.
TONY: Tracking down others
with him, but we do have this.
He called someone named Meredith
Bilson five times in five hours.
The last call came in at 4:34 a.m.
That's an hour before his death.
Location?
Manager at her last known address
says she hasn't lived there in months.
[PHONE RINGS]
- Keep looking. What else?
- Checking account shows one charge.
At Sposare's Pizza in Baltimore
just before 3 a.m.
Pizza and beer.
That's a hell of a last meal, right, bo...?
Go.
Boss, we may have a situation.
That was the ship's commander.
All 215 sailors reported back
for duty this morning.
All except Petty Officer Adams
and this man:
[COMPUTER BEEPING]
Twenty-one-year-old
Petty Officer Brian Smith from Virginia.
Maybe a second victim.
LEON:
Or maybe involved.
- No way to know that yet.
- Figure it out.
Go on.
MAN: Hey, I'm just grateful
for this time of year.
Liberty Week, the sales almost
double my regular day.
But you do not remember ever seeing
Petty Officer Adams this morning?
No. It's a real shame about that kid,
but, no, I never saw him.
I mean, heh, look around.
Not exactly easy telling them apart,
you know.
I think it was Mae West who said:
"You've seen one sailor's anchor,
you've seen them all."
No, I just kind of meant that
it gets hectic in here, heh.
You know, all of them in here at once,
a bunch of them all yelling for service.
Anyone get out of control?
Start a fight?
No, nothing like that.
No, no. These are all good kids.
I never had any trouble.
Are you guys here about Caleb?
I'm Seaman Robert Epplund.
We're on the Hagen together.
You knew Petty Officer Adams?
We were friends, yeah.
I just found out what happened.
I can't believe it.
He was doing fine
when I saw him last night.
- What time was that?
- Uh... Like 11 or so.
His crew was the first section
off for liberty.
We were the second.
He was in a great mood.
He was gonna see his girlfriend,
like, totally in love with her.
Kept saying she was the one, heh.
The one's name wouldn't happen
to be Meredith Bilson, would it?
Yeah, that's her.
Does she know?
- We'll stay in touch. Thank you.
- Thanks.
The director has always been
very protective of his family.
That should come as no surprise.
No, it's not just that. It's something else.
Can't put my finger on it.
And you're worrying
that whatever it is
may prevent the director
from seeking the truth?
It's not him, doc. It's me.
Family or not.
- I gotta do my job.
- You have news, Dr. Mallard?
- I was just about to brief Agent Gibbs.
- Good. Let's hear it.
DUCKY:
Well, as suspected,
Petty Officer Adams' death
was caused by a single stab wound.
The knife perforated his spleen
and stomach,
resulting in
massive internal bleeding.
The angle of the blade suggests
that he was attacked from the front.
- Straight on.
- He was face-to-face with his killer.
- Knew the person. They were familiar.
- Not necessarily.
Prints that we managed to lift from the
body are being analyzed as we speak.
Was there anything unique
about the weapon?
Not that I could see.
No, the edges of the wound
were precise and clean,
with no evidence of a serrated blade.
Ms. Sciuto is performing
further tests on the tissue.
- What about the bruises, Duck?
DUCKY: Ah.
They're informative, actually.
They had begun to change color
and that tells me
that the fight occurred several hours
before his death.
He fought with someone
other than his killer?
It's possible.
It's also possible that the...
Killer came back to finish the job.
LEON:
Thank you.
[BELL DINGS]
- Michael didn't do it, Gibbs.
- I never said he did.
And despite my ties to him,
I won't try and sway this investigation.
I never said that either.
[PHONE RINGS]
Hey, honey.
Yeah, I'm sorry I didn't call you back.
No, I don't think I'm gonna
make it home for dinner.
Looks like it's gonna
be a late one here tonight.
Yeah. No, no, everything's fine.
Just a lot going on.
Back-to-back meetings.
Yeah.
I love you too.
It's complicated.
Family, Leon.
Always is.
So you think my chattiness
is annoying?
I think you asking me about
your chattiness nonstop
for the past 20 minutes
is annoying, yes.
Wanna know who else thought
my chattiness was annoying? Wendy.
[ZIVA SCOFFS]
She said it made me sound nervous
and insecure.
- Like that's even possible.
- Stop it, Tony.
It was one little comment Gibbs made,
okay? Nothing more.
And as for Wendy,
I believe you were right
to turn the book on that relationship.
Turn the page. Close the book.
But, yeah, I guess I was.
Oh.
- Meredith Bilson?
- Who are you?
Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo.
This is Agent David, NCIS.
We need to talk to you about your
boyfriend, Petty Officer Caleb Adams.
- Is something wrong?
- May we come in?
Uh, I'm sorry. I can't right now.
MAN:
Hey, Meredith.
- Petty Officer Brian Smith?
- Yeah.
There's a whole ship full of people
looking for you.
May wanna put a shirt on.
You're coming with us.
Stay with her.
Stop!
[BRIAN PANTING]
[TONY GRUNTS]
- Look out!
WOMEN: Oh, ugh.
TONY:
I said stop!
[BOTH GRUNTING]
Hey, I know a dead guy
with bruises just like yours.
Look at it.
Oh, is that a little tough to look at?
Here, how about this one?
Maybe a closer shot.
I didn't do that. It wasn't me.
Says the guy who just ran
two blocks to get away.
- I can explain everything, all right?
- Oh, you can?
Well, thank goodness for that.
Because finding you in the dead guy's
girlfriend's apartment
with your pants around your ankles
doesn't exactly scream innocent.
In my business, it's called motive.
Think I killed him for Meredith?
People kill for a lot less.
I woke up around 6
and Brian was pounding on my door.
Said he and Caleb got into a fight.
Was that fight about you?
I didn't wanna tell Caleb
over the phone,
but he called right after he got off
the ship and he wanted to come over.
I said no.
- What time was that?
- Just after 11:30, I think.
I told him I was sorry.
I didn't mean to hurt him,
but I couldn't help how I felt.
I told him I was in love with Brian.
And he...
...Iost it.
Next thing I know, Caleb's
dragging me behind some store.
Starts pounding on me.
I fought back a little bit
and finally I pushed him off me.
Then I ran.
Never saw him again.
Then where'd you go?
Walked around for a while,
cleared my head.
Got to Meredith's around 6.
That was seven hours after the fight.
You just walked around
clearing your head?
Caleb was my best friend, all right?
I would never hurt him.
We grew up together.
Went fishing every weekend.
We were practically brothers.
Look, I know I'm a bad person
for betraying Caleb that way.
But I didn't kill him.
The last time Caleb called,
he was rambling,
saying that he was gonna
win me back, buy me a ring.
He sounded so out of it.
He was slurring
like he'd been drinking.
Caleb hardly ever drank.
And that was the last time
you spoke?
I can't believe I'm never gonna hear
his voice again.
Meredith, look at me.
Do you think Brian killed Caleb?
No, of course not.
But...
I washed it.
- What?
- Brian's shirt.
There was a lot of blood.
I asked him if it was from the fight.
He wouldn't answer me.
I got scared.
He was acting so crazy.
I didn't know what to do.
I washed it.
I'm so sorry.
Doesn't look good
for our shirtless wonder.
His alibi is definitely shaky,
but we also cannot ignore the fact
that she washed his bloody shirt.
- To be young and in love.
- Ah.
McGee, any surveillance video
from near the crime scene yet?
No, but I got something else.
Come here.
It's about Michael Thomas
and it's not good.
Oh, as if Gibbs isn't in a tough
enough place with the director.
Turns out that Michael has a record
as a juvenile.
I got a hit on a charge in Maryland
from 1996. Records were sealed.
Come on, let's not panic, okay?
Kids do stupid stuff.
May not mean anything.
- Well, it depends on the charge.
- Assault with a deadly weapon.
[ZIVA GRUNTS]
Well, that goes beyond stupid.
Agent Gibbs. Is Leon coming too?
Assault with a deadly weapon?
You left that one out
the last time we talked.
Uh...
Well, I was just a dumb kid
who didn't know any better.
I mean, it wasn't that big of a deal.
You put someone in the hospital.
I'd say that was a big deal.
What's this got to do with anything?
One, you lied to me. Two,
you have the potential for violence.
Yeah, when I was 14 years old.
Look, I admit, I had some tough times
as a kid, you know.
And I made a mistake. I lashed out.
But I learned from it and I moved on.
It never happened again.
- What else don't I know?
- I told you everything, Agent Gibbs.
I didn't do this.
Why can't you just accept that?
Because a young man is dead
and I can't accept anything yet.
All right, that's enough.
Michael, don't say another word.
You should be focusing your energy
on real evidence.
- Real suspects.
- Michael is a suspect.
The person you need to be worried
about is Petty Officer Brian Smith.
UA after the crime,
fight with the victim...
I thought you were gonna
let me do my job.
I'm not satisfied
with the job you're doing.
- It's not about me. You know that.
- I'm not just gonna stand by
and let you grill him about something
that happened 16 years ago.
He lied to me, Leon.
What's more important is you let him.
That's not true.
His records were sealed.
It still matters.
I told you it was complicated.
More than complicated.
Why the kid gloves?
LEON:
Stand down.
Michael was 8
when Jackie and I met.
Both parents passed away.
The kid was struggling.
I filled a void.
I tried to steer him right.
Leon, it's tough
taking things like that on.
Yeah, and it wasn't always easy.
But I got him into private school.
I got him into counseling.
He was lost for a long time, Gibbs,
and now he's finally finding his way.
And the last thing he needs
is people giving up on him.
- People like you?
- Yeah.
I've come a long way with him.
I'm not about to give up on him now.
[PHONE RINGS]
ABBY [OVER PHONE]: Gibbs.
- Yeah, Abby, I'm on my way.
- Talk to me, Abs.
- Hi.
Wow, Director Vance.
What a surprise.
I mean, not like a surprise.
I mean, I know you have
a special interest in this case
because your family member
is involved.
No, that is not what I meant.
I am sure that your brother-in-law
isn't involved in anything at all.
LEON:
Ms. Sciuto,
just proceed as if
this were any other case.
Of course. Yes, sir.
So we know that the killer struck
Petty Officer Adams hard and fast.
The wound is 4 inches in length
and 5 inches in depth.
The knife was stuck in once
to the abdomen.
The killer thrust it in deep
and then tilted it up and pulled it out.
- What's the weapon?
- A 5-inch boning knife like this one.
It's the favorite of avid fishermen
everywhere.
The wound pattern matches
the blade's design.
But that's not all that matches.
The only prints on the body belong
to none other than...
[COMPUTER BEEPS]
LEON:
Petty Officer Brian Smith.
You have your guy.
That's a good thing, right?
Hey, DiNozzo.
Search Petty Officer Smith's
belongings.
[ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]
The weapon's a fishing knife.
I want Michael released
into my custody.
You need to keep him close, Leon.
I'm taking him home tonight.
[RACING SOUNDS
PLAYING ON TV]
Hey, Dad.
All right, kids,
that's enough of that for now.
Somebody here wants to say hello.
- Hey.
- Uncle Michael.
Ha, ha. What's up, man?
Unh, unh! Poof!
Wow, my favorite little kids
are not so little anymore.
- Are you staying long this time?
- He's not staying.
Kayla, Jared, go get ready for bed.
I'll be there in a minute.
I want him out of my house now.
The only time you ever go
over my head
- is because of Michael.
LEON: Calm down.
JACKIE: What problem
are you bailing him out of now?
- It was a misunderstanding.
- Always is.
He was trying to do the right thing.
He ended up a murder suspect.
- A murder suspect?
- We have the killer in custody.
- He didn't do it.
- Of course he didn't.
But how does he get into
these messes in the first place?
With you dragged into it?
- This is different.
- Is it?
His whole life's been
one bad decision after another,
knowing you're gonna be there
to save the day.
People change.
JACKIE:
You have fathered him long enough.
When are you gonna let him stand up
on his own two feet?
He's getting ready
to open a repair shop, Jackie.
His repair shop.
And two years ago,
he was gonna finish college.
A year before that,
he was selling that miracle drink.
Well, at least he's trying, Jackie.
He's come a long way
from where he was.
You do not need to remind me
where he was.
You know that I love him
and I always will.
And I have to let him go.
And I just... I don't...
I just wish you would too, you know?
Why do I have to be married
to such a good man?
[LEON CHUCKLES]
Who I'm still mad at.
He will just stay the night, Jackie.
- And he's out by morning.
- Yes.
GIBBS:
Abs?
- Abby.
- Gibbs.
[GRUNTS]
Unh, sorry I woke you.
I woke you.
I woke you first when I called you.
You spent the night here?
Yeah, Tony found the knife in question
in Petty Officer Smith's sea bag.
And I kind of got on a roll testing it
and the next thing I knew,
the sun was coming up.
- Was it worth it?
- Totally.
I mean, even through my little
windows, the light was just gorgeous.
Abs, I haven't had my coffee yet.
Ooh, right. The knife.
So it tested positive for blood,
but in the trout family.
These scales that are lodged in the
handle suggest rainbow or steelhead.
No blood from Adams.
Means Petty Officer Smith
- wasn't our killer.
- But somebody is.
And, you know, it's probably somebody
that we don't even know yet.
Or someone we do.
Abs, you stayed here overnight trying
to clear Vance's brother-in-law?
Well, the director's like family.
I mean, you'd want me to do
the same for you.
Tox results.
ABBY:
Low doses of methaqualone.
Downers. Ludes. Disco biscuits.
Very retro, but making a comeback.
It was just enough to impair
Petty Officer Adams' motor skills.
I mean, these babies can
increase your sex drive,
but it also can cause drowsiness
and slurred speech,
low heart rate, vomiting.
Ah, well, so much for the sex part.
So the question is
who slipped it to him, and where?
Well, test everyone
who was on liberty that night.
- Can I borrow McGee to help?
- Absolutely.
[ALL LAUGH]
And I swear,
your grandma got these crazy eyes
and took off after your mom
like a cat chasing a mouse.
- Ooh, I can still see them eyes.
MICHAEL: Oh.
- Would Grandma have chased us?
- Yeah, she sure would have.
No, she'd be spoiling you guys
every chance she got. Right, Jack?
Yes, Michael, she would.
Hey, thanks for letting me stay.
- Well, the kids miss seeing you.
- I miss them.
Just gonna let the old man sleep
through the party, huh?
Uncle Mike's got great stories, Dad.
- You finish your paper?
BOY: Yep.
- Nine whole pages, single-spaced.
- Nice.
Uncle Mike fixed the dishwasher.
- Oh, just a loose valve. No big deal.
- Well, I appreciate that, Mr. Fix-It.
But let's go. It's my day
to drop the kids off at school.
- Can Uncle Mike come?
- Well, he's coming to work with me,
so I guess that's the plan,
if that's still the plan.
Up to you.
There are a few things around here
that need repairing.
All right, kids, go get your things
for school. I'll be at the car.
- Michael.
BOY: I call front seat.
GIRL: Come on, my turn, Jared.
You had it yesterday.
Now, you're released into my custody
until this case is solved, Michael.
So if I let you stay,
you do understand, you can't leave.
Yeah, of course.
I'll do whatever you want.
That's the least I owe you.
And listen, I'm, uh...
I'm sorry again
for putting you through this.
After today, this is all behind us.
And you can get back to focusing
on your repair shop.
- You find a space?
- Got a few I'm looking at.
I'm gonna pay you back every dime,
you know. With interest.
And free repairs for life.
Hey, tell your man Gibbs
I'll miss him.
You lay off Special Agent Gibbs.
This hasn't been easy on him.
Eh, I don't like
the way he looks at me.
[CHUCKLES]
He looks at everybody like that.
Where is he, Leon?
According to my morning brief,
you recovered a knife from the suspect.
It came back negative.
It's not our weapon.
- Then what next?
- Could Michael be a flight risk?
LEON: He's with his sister.
He's not about to fly anywhere.
Agents David, DiNozzo, anything?
Abby found drugs in
Petty Officer Adams' system
that probably impaired him
before he died.
Abby and McGee
are testing sailors to see...
[PHONE RINGS]
- There they are. Video conference.
- Ziva, put it up.
Hi, Ziva... Whoa, hi, everybody.
What's the latest?
Out of 215 sailors on shore leave,
three of them tested positive
for some kind of sedative.
ABBY: Too soon to know
if it was the same drug,
but if I was a betting man...
Interview them there. Find out if any of
them were with Adams before he died.
McGEE: On it, boss.
- Over and out.
I love to say that, heh.
All right, keep me in the loop.
Like I could keep you out of it, Leon.
I was in this bar.
You know, having fun,
but thinking about where to head next.
A bunch of guys were heading to this,
you know,
gentlemen's club across town.
- Go on.
- Well, we hear this guy
just bragging about how he just won
a ton of cash playing blackjack.
I'd never been to Vegas,
much less a casino,
so I figured, what the hell?
Let's make it rain.
Bad idea, huh?
I lost every dime of liberty pay
inside an hour.
- Who was this guy?
- Who knows?
Actually, I heard it from a friend
who heard it from somebody else.
The night was a blur.
I swear, that's the last time
I ever gamble this messed up.
- Where was this casino?
- It wasn't a casino.
It was in a crappy little game
in the back of a pizza place.
Hey, NCIS is back.
How many slices can I get you,
gentlemen?
Where's the game?
Whoa, you can't go back there.
[ALL GASP]
NCIS.
Do not move.
Okay, look,
I admit to hosting the game.
But it was all in good fun.
I mean, all this nonsense about
drugging anybody, that's just crazy.
Found this in the cabinet
next to the oregano.
Try again.
All right, what can I say?
I'm not proud.
But times are tough.
I mean, who doesn't need
a little extra cash?
Cash?
Off the backs of young sailors
serving their country on liberty
in a crooked game?
Hey, the game itself is not crooked.
We deal straight.
There ain't no sleight of hand here.
Just a little shot of this crap
to give you the edge.
Heh! What?
They don't comp drinks in Vegas?
You're not Vegas, Marty.
This is a drug. It's not a drink.
- This kid died playing your game.
- Oh, no. No way.
One of these pills,
it'll make you woozy.
But it never killed anybody.
Never.
Tell me about that night.
Ugh, the kid was breaking our hearts,
telling us about his girlfriend
dumping him.
You know,
saying how much he had to win
in order to buy her
an engagement ring.
We kept saying
that he should just forget about her,
but, no, he just kept playing.
Until you stole all his money.
I thought about giving
some of it back.
Yeah, that's right.
But then that kid, he just went nuts.
Flipped the table over
and he just ran out.
- Where?
- How should I know?
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
Hate to break rule 22, boss,
but his lawyer's here.
Then I'm done talking.
Oops.
Got the same story
from the blackjack dealer.
If what he says is even half true,
Petty Officer Adams
could have left that game
and picked a fight
with the first person that he saw.
Could be anyone.
Thoughts?
Well, with no security cameras
at the pizzeria,
Ziva and McGee
are checking neighboring stores.
Yeah, I know that.
I asked you your thoughts.
My thoughts?
I thought you didn't like my process.
My yabba-yabba.
Doesn't mean I don't depend on it.
Oh.
Well, in that case,
pizza guys are slimeballs.
Thin crust beats deep dish
every time.
And every suspect in this case
has an answer for everything,
- but one of them's gotta be lying.
- Yeah? Which one?
I don't know. It's gonna take
a little more yabba-yabba.
Good.
Go help Ziva and McGee.
I gotta see a lady about a card game.
- Anything, Abs?
- Four decks scanned, two to go.
Naturally there's no shortage
of fingerprints.
GIBBS: IDs?
- Mostly sailors.
And the blackjack dealer, of course.
He touched every card.
You know, it would help to know if
I was looking for someone specifically.
Yeah.
Just keep looking.
That the best you got, McGee?
Well, the only surveillance
of the pizzeria
was from a rooftop
across the street.
Lucky us, all the video files
were corrupted.
ZIVA: But we believe
this is Petty Officer Adams,
based on the time
he's seen leaving the pizzeria
and the direction he's headed.
- Anyone else?
- There's this man.
Left a few frames before.
Who is he?
Well, we still don't have a clear shot
of his face yet, director.
Wait. In the window.
Is that a reflection?
Enhance it, McGee.
ZIVA:
He appears to be a civilian.
The sailor said a guy bragged to him
about winning money.
TONY: A ton of it. Only he was too
impaired to remember who it was.
ZIVA:
The game was rigged.
- No one won a ton of money.
- That would make that winner a shill.
Somebody who's in on the con,
lying to recruit players.
It's as good as it gets, boss.
ABBY:
Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs.
- Director.
- Abs, what?
I got a hit on the prints.
The person is in NCIS custody.
Leon.
[RACING SOUNDS
PLAYING ON TV]
MICHAEL:
You're cheating. How do you brake?
[ALL CHUCKLE]
Oh, man. I know that look.
Hey, homework starts as soon as
they're done kicking my butt.
Babe, I didn't see the harm.
Dinner's almost ready.
You and the kids can start it
without us.
Come on. Come on, come on.
Uh...
It's my fault, not theirs, you know.
I pushed them into playing.
Yeah, you're good at that.
Why'd you do it?
The card game.
The kid you found dying
in the street.
How about not lying to me
for once in your life?
I was trying to get out from under.
These guys, they had my money.
Whose money?
The money for the shop?
The money you loaned me,
it wasn't enough.
Well, I thought maybe if I can double it,
maybe triple it...
Behind a pizza place?
A small outfit like that,
I couldn't believe I lost it all.
Couldn't ask you for more,
so they made me a deal.
Bring some fresh meat to the table
and I can get you your money back.
Why, Michael? Why?
You were doing so good.
I tried to make it right, Leon.
On my own two feet.
But watching that poor kid
lose his last dime...
I couldn't take it. I got out of there.
And he came after you.
Yeah, he blamed me
for, uh, bringing him into the game.
He said I ruined his life,
ruined his chances
of ever getting back with his girl.
Then he pulled a knife, you know,
he came at me hard.
I tried to get away, but he just kept
coming at me, you know.
Everything happened so fast, Leon.
Next thing I know, he's...
He's face down
and the knife's in my hand.
It was an accident.
I didn't mean to kill him.
- But you did.
- Yeah, I know.
Believe me, I know.
I watched him die right in front of me.
But I'm gonna spend the rest of my life
making up for it.
You know? If you can help me out,
I promise I'm gonna make it up to you
and the whole damn world.
Hand to God.
I will.
I will help you, Michael.
More than
I've ever helped you before.
JACKIE:
No, please.
Not in the house.
I'm sorry, Jackie.
Me too, Mike.
I was so close with him, Gibbs.
- He was becoming a good man.
- It's not your fault.
You didn't fail, Leon.
It's just time to let go.
When's Uncle Mike coming back?
Not for a while, son.
Come on, kids. Let's leave
your dad be for a few minutes.
Oh, boy.
[WHIMPERS]
I'm sorry I played Xbox
before doing my homework.
But it wasn't Uncle Mike's fault.
I know, son. It's okay.
Jared?
Will you show me how to play this?
- Sure, Dad.
- Come here.