07x16 - Mother's Day


If you stop moving, he'll wake up.

It's almost 2:00 a. m.

He's gonna be hungry again in an hour.

I read about a kid that couldn't sleep unless he was in a moving car.

His parents drove 3, 000 miles in a month.

Sit for five minutes.

I'll take over.

Give me ten.


Stay here. Stay here.



It's gonna be okay.

Help, somebody help!

Oh, my... God!

Neil, come back!


Oh, yeah!

Let me guess: a date.

Let's just say that something very special is happening to... very special Agent Anthony DiNozzo today.

Who are you seeing?



Did not know you were into Asian women.

Kurosawa is a dude.

I certainly did not know you were into Asian dudes.

Akira Kurosawa, who, as I'm sure you are aware, is one of the greatest filmmakers of all time.

He's having a little festival of his films at the Odeon.

Seven samurai and the hidden fortress.

Man movies.

They're great works of art.

This is a great work of art.

Oh, yeah? What do you got there?

New Judy Blume?

I always liked are you there, God? It's me, Margaret.

This, my friend, is the declaration of independence.


Flying colors.

Any colors will do, McGee.

Ah, Timmy. You look a little rough around the edges there.

You up all night playing video games again?

Well, I will admit that maintaining my state-of-the-art status is exhausting.

But you are looking at a man who has his whole apartment wired to a single remote control.


Even the microwave.

Wow. It's like the clapper. Remember that?

Clap on, clap off.

Oh, I am living the dream, baby.

Nah, no clapping yet.

Norfolk. Dead Navy officer.

Hey, uh, boss, do you mind if I grab some coffee real quick?

Yeah, I do. We got no time.

Here, suck on this.

Oh, it does taste like coffee.


Wait, did he just tell me to...

Suck it up, McGee.

Look at this.

Cavalry's arrived.

Who knew homicide in Norfolk meant working with you guys all the time.

Navy town, Navy crimes.

Could be worse, right?

Morning, Agent David.

Good morning, Detective.

Ziva, why don't you get statements.

McGee, physical evidence.

I'm gonna take some photographs, so...

Sorry, boss. Uh...

If there's anything you need, sir, I'm right here.


Three, so far. Couple walking their baby heard it, but didn't see the assailant.

That's the Vic's fiancé over there.

Been there all night, saw it up close.

Not hurt, but rattled pretty bad.

Put that insidious device away, Mr. Palmer.

This is a crime scene, not a chat room.

Sorry, doctor. It's just, it's just, uh, she texted me "yes".



Oh, splendid!


Ah, Jethro.

Palmer's embalmer said yeah, huh?

The little funeral home girl?

Listen, Palmer, girls who work down there in the mortuaries, they like to do it in the dark.

So what you want to do is...

Focus, DiNozzo.

Sorry, boss. Focusing.

It's Navy Captain Joseph Norton.

Lived here in Norfolk.

There's a lot of cash in his wallet.

Well, looks like that ring box is empty there.

Maybe, uh, left the money, took the ring, unless the lady's wearing it.

I don't see a ring around here anywhere.


Well, multiple wounds to the torso.

Significant loss of blood.

As to the time of death...

No need. We got witnesses.

Ah, usually our investigations don't come with such a value-added bonus.

Mr. Palmer, let us prepare the Captain for his final voyage.

Mind if I talk to your witness?

She's yours now. Just keep me in the loop.

So you saw the attacker's face?

No, not really.

It was so dark.

It was very fast.

Ma'am, um, I'd like you to meet, uh, Special Agent Gibbs.


Hey, Joann.

This is a surprise.

You two know each other?

Agent David, Joann Fielding, my mother-in-law.


Kelly's mother.

Kelly's grandmother.

Well, uh, so when was the last time you two saw each other?

The girls' funeral.

All right, McNosy, what do you got?

Well, from what I can gather, Gibbs and Joann Fielding are very estranged.

The woman lost her daughter and her granddaughter.

Now her fiancé died in her arms and her former son-in-law is investigating.

Show some sympathy.

M- maybe she's cursed, like a Kennedy.

Minus the grassy knoll.

I heard about that.

The shooter was really in the book suppository.


That is what I said.

I'm listening.

Hey, boss.

Um, we, uh, just checked the cameras covering the waterfront, nothing caught the suspect.

Which means he probably knew where the cameras were positioned and how to avoid them.

Which means?

He's familiar with the promenade, so we should start questioning the employees, the marina shopkeepers and, you know, the residents.


Captain Joseph I. Norton.

Supply corps, 63 years old, no family.

Six months from retirement, spotless service record.

Never been married. He was about to be.

What about the engagement ring?


This is a copy of the receipt where Norton bought it.

Three carats, grade E, flawless, one minor occlusion.

Track it?

Uh, well, we got a BOLO out on the stone right now, and McCadden is, uh, checking with local fences.

That's good work, DiNozzo.

You heard me.


Your mother-in-law is waiting for you in the conference room.

I'd like to speak to you afterward.

Did you come all the way down here to tell me that, director?

Ziva, that sketch artist comes, you send her up.

McGee, find the weapon. DiNozzo...

Working on that ring, boss.


Yeah, big-time.

He complimented me twice.

Very un-Gibbs.

We better keep an eye on that guy.

Don't you agree, Director?

Is that your decision, Agent DiNozzo?

It's not mine to make, sir.

You got that right.

Thank you.

Still drinking the same old swill, I see.

Keeps my engine running.

How is your father, Jethro?

He's stubborn.

I guess that's a good thing.

How's Mac?

Mac and I divorced about two years after it happened.


On everybody.

It was never ever the same after we lost the girls.

How about you?

You know, you didn't have to go through this alone.

Oh, I called, Joann.

You never called me back.

That is not exactly how I remember it.

What happened last night?

Joe took me to a retirement party for a friend of ours.

Navy admiral.

And then he wanted to walk down by the water.

He said that... he wanted to ask me something.

He proposed to you.


I was looking at the ring on my finger when this... this stranger walked up.

Pulled his gun out.

What'd he look like?

He was white, in his 20s.

Joe just went for that gun... so fast.

I screamed at him and I begged him not to do it.

I wanted to help, but I...

Excuse me.

The, uh, sketch artist is here.

You okay to do this?

I... I want to do anything to help.

This won't take long.

I'll be the judge of that.


I am related to the victim.


SOP is for you to ask me to step aside.

Okay, I'm asking.

Okay, I'm declining.

She was Shannon's mother.

This is another violent crime.

It has to affect you.

Leon, we've all lost people.

It was a long time ago.

Don't give me that BS, Gibbs.

I know what pushes your buttons.

This could be a problem.

Okay, off the record.

Okay, try me.

I need to do this for Shannon.

She would have wanted it.


But if your judgment comes into question even once...

I'll take myself off the case.

No. I will.

We've already decided.

You've already decided.

I don't have a choice, Shannon. I'm a marine.

It's my job.

You're not thinking about this family!

You knew they wanted to transfer you.

It's not my decision.

Mom, don't.

He's taking my girls away from me.

I made a commitment. I have to honor it.

Don't you do this. Please!

Sorry, boss.

Uh... Detective McCadden's here.

You need anything?

You to, uh, to leave.


Looks like everything's here.

What can we do for you, Detective?

Witness statements.

Gibbs signed off on 'em. They're fine.

You sure about that?

Play nice, kiddies.

Plenty of room in the sandbox.

Joann Fielding told us the same thing she told you.

Had the ring on when they were robbed.

You look at her fingers?


Try getting a size 4 ring on there.

What size are you, David? She wouldn't know that.


Every girl knows her ring size, just in case.

Joann said she was wearing it.

You do a gunshot residue test?

Got to be a false positive.

Ms. Fielding was within a foot of the shots that killed her fiancé, she'd be covered in cordite and sulfur from the discharge.

Test would be useless.

Maybe. Maybe not.

All right, sketch artist finished.

Downloading the drawing.

You guys need help with the BOLOs?

Oh, no, I think we've got it covered, Phil.

After you.

All right, what we are doing is running the composite through facial recognition, known felons first.

You're already getting hits?

Get out of here, McCadden.

Happy to.

Who is this?

I told you before.

This is the man that I remember from last night.

That's the man who killed Joseph.

The hell it is.

Oh, Jethro, what do you know?

You weren't even there.

That's not him.

I know what I saw.

Joann, that's Kyle Buckley.

Remember Kyle Buckley?

I went to High School with Kyle Buckley.

This is the face that I saw.

I remember very clearly.

Yeah, so do I.

Kyle Buckley died in a car accident three years ago.

I understand that this is hard on you, so I'm gonna ask you again.

Did you see the guy who did this or not?

All right, here we go.

Sorry about that.

I drive a little bit like a maniac.

Thank you.

This is a nice place you got here.


Yeah. I bet you have some view.

Mm! That sea air!

Uh, do you need me to walk you up?

Oh, no, no, no, I'm... I'm fine.

I just need to get a little rest.

Okay, well, some warm milk, hot bath...

And you'll be fine in no time.

Well, I can tell you're a good man, Agent DiNozzo.

Jethro doesn't trust many people.

Well, i... if you don't mind my asking, I'm just a little curious about...


What was he like when he was young?

You know, I don't think I ever really understood Jethro.

I always liked him a lot.

I was very happy when he and Shannon got married.

We made a very nice family.

Then everything changed.

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to drag all this to the surface.

Oh, trust me. He'll be fine.

Thanks, Tony.


We retrieved Captain Norton's laptop and a few cell phones from his apartment; two of them were burn phones.

Why would a career Navy Captain need a burn phone?

Keep talking.

Cells were purchased in Arizona and used when Norton was still assigned to a carrier battle group operating in Southcom's AOR.

South American aircraft carriers.

Before his transfer to Norfolk.

Who was he calling?

Oh, mostly, uh, Nogales.

It's a border town, half on the U. S. side, half in Mexico.

According to the DEA, a major drug smuggling point for the Reynosa cartel.


Cracked it.

Three different Zurich bank accounts dating back almost 20 years, all of them dormant since Norton transferred to Virginia.

Looks like our Captain was involved in a drug trade, boss. - Ten million bucks.

Tidy little nest egg, but, uh, Captain must have bailed on the drug business.


Because he's not taking Navy trips to south America anymore.

Cartel connections.

Ten years of encrypted e-mails from Mexico.

I don't understand how Norton smuggled drugs out of there when our ships never drop anchor in Mexican ports.

Maybe somebody wanted their money back.

You, uh, smelling for the scent of almonds, doctor?

Perhaps these, uh, bullet tips were laced with cyanide.

It's your cologne, Mr. Palmer.

It is absolutely wretched.

Well, I... I'm just test-driving one for my big date.

I'm also trying out disposable contact lenses.

Well, change is good, Mr. Palmer.

As long as you are the motivation for the change.

Smells like a French whorehouse in here.

Uh, that... that's me.

What are you trying to do, Palmer, raise the dead?

Would you take these up to Ms. Sciuto right away?

And, uh, then use the Hazmat shower.

Yeah, use it twice.

I do hope he doesn't end up with a broken one of these.

Yes, what I believe is the kill shot entered the lower left ventricle.

It traveled in an upward direction, caused a severe aortic rupture.

But that's not why I called you down here.

His entire gastronomic tract is inflamed.

Yes, this is the handiwork of leishmaniasis.

In this case, visceral leishmaniasis.

It's a parasite you get from infected sand flies, found mostly in third world countries.

Like Mexico?


Cool, huh?

It's like a carnival.

If you hit the target, you could win a stuffed animal.

I don't like stuffed animals much.

What do you got, Abs?

Spatter patterns from Joann's coat.

Doesn't match.

I don't think she was standing where she said she was standing when the Captain was killed.

As a matter of fact, I know she wasn't.

I mean, maybe... maybe she got it wrong.

Or she had some sort of post-traumatic stress disorientation.

Yeah, maybe, but what blood came from spatter and what was transferred?

If she was standing behind the Captain when he was struggling with the killer, then the blood spatter would be here on her front left shoulder from this exit wound.

There's nothing there.


It's major mass spec calling.

I love this machine.

If major mass spec were a guy, I would totally marry him and bear his little mini-mass children.

Abby, what am I looking at?

The results from Joann Fielding's fingernail scrapings.

I've never found this much under a living victim's fingernails before.

It's 100% worsted wool fiber with a Scotchgard coating.

It was manufactured in Denton, New Hampshire.

Navy peacoat?

Government issue.

But this one has minute traces of after-burned kerosene, sea foam, and aspirated IP-5 aircraft fuel embedded in the surface.

Sailor on the deck of an aircraft carrier?

On the flight deck, during takeoff.

Okay, flight crew.

That narrows down your suspect list from a few million to like 7, 000.

Well, that doesn't help much, Abs.

I'm not going to leave you with a "doesn't help much" these fibers are specifically from epaulets.

Peacoats don't have epaulets.

Officer bridge coats do.

Beautiful morning.

Member of my own family's been lying to me.

Your story doesn't add up.

Well, maybe your math is wrong.

Listen, the man I loved just died in my arms.

What the hell do you want from me?


A little honesty maybe.

I've always given you respect.

When, uh, Shannon was alive, maybe.

In my family, you have to earn it.

When those girls died, you did nothing.

Did you know that Joe Norton dealt drugs?

That's ridiculous.

I can prove it.

I loved him. I knew him.

How well did you know him?

You know he had millions in the bank?

Drug money from his dealings with the Reynosa cartel... the same men who killed your daughter.

Shut up.

Shannon. Kelly.

Mexico. Norton.

They all have one thing in common, Joann, you.

You! You are the one who took my family away from me.

I'm a marine.

I had orders.

I didn't have a choice. I had to go.

Because of you, they're dead.

I didn't kill them.

But it was still your responsibility.

Why weren't you there to take care of our girls?

This is about the murder of Joseph Norton, Joann.

Well, go do your damn job, Jethro.

Nothing ever stopped you before.

Nothing's going to stop you now.

You want to learn about being a real man, McGee, you gotta study the Japanese samurai.

These guys are like Gibbs with even bigger stones and less to say.

Is that even possible?

Hoo-ah! DiNozzo.

It's me, DiNozzo.

Yeah, boss?

What are you doing?

I... I was, I was just tracking down Norton's deployment history.

Yeah, we're... we're on it.

Boss on his way back?

Stop what you're doing.


He wants us to check some phone records.

On Norton's burn phones?

No, Joann Fielding.

Financial accounts, too.

Any calls to Mexico?

Uh, I went back five years.

Nothing out of the ordinary, except there were plenty of calls to Nogales, Arizona, the U. S. side.


Only one number.

Let me throw it up on the plasma here.

Joann called Martin Hendricks, a retired PD listed as "locater of missing persons."

Joann's looking for somebody.

Based on old checking account statements, she was paying this guy on and off for almost two years, both in the U. S. and across the border.

Hendricks is not cheap, but he does claim a 98% success rate.

How much she spend?

Almost $28, 000.

DiNozzo, get Ziva, head on down to Arizona and talk to him.


Do I have to?

You know, my grandfather retired to Arizona. It's a dry heat.

Oh, my God!


Aren't you hot?

I've been told that before.

I'm talking about temperature.

Okay, stop complaining.

This is what winter feels like in Israel.

Well, we're not in Israel.

We're in the good old U. S. of a, my little immigrant friend, where we like to embrace central air, not melanoma.

I'm gonna knock.

Mr. Hendricks, NCIS.

Federal agents. We need to talk with you.

Something has been broken off inside the lock.

Well, maybe it's the key.

No, a nail.

Someone did not want anyone entering.

Something's not right.

I'm going in.

We're going in.


This guy Hendricks knows how to live.

Or not.

It's like a homemade toaster oven.

Guess we found Hendricks.

Well done.


Not you. Him.

You hired a retired cop in Arizona to work for you.

This is your file.

How is Mr. Hendricks?

Oh, my God.

What happened?

It's just us.

There's no video.

Talk to me.

He's dead.

You connect the dots.

I don't know what you're talking about.

You spent $28, 000 looking for someone who spent a lot of time in Mexico.

Who was that? Norton?


I met him in Baja when I was on vacation.

Then when I came back, I lost his number, so I, uh, I hired Mr. Hendricks to find him.

You took out a bank loan to go on a second date?

Don't patronize me, Jethro.

You see the trail you're leaving?

People are dead.

Dangerous drug dealers are connected.

And you have no idea who you're dealing with.

I am the victim here.

This situation has got your name written all over it.

I don't know exactly what you did or why you did it, but because of Shannon...

I'll give you a chance.

Do you want my help or don't you?

Good luck.

It's open.

You called, Mr. Gibbs?

You want a beer?

Yeah, if you have a slice of cold pizza to go with it.

I think I can handle that.

Crazy day at the office.

Amazing how people keep suing each other even in the... worst economy in years.

Yeah? Better than them killing each other.

Oh, they do that, too, when they lose.


So what's this about?

You made it sound important.

It is.

You still do pro bono work?

If the price is right.


I have someone who... might need your help.

Who is it?

My former mother-in-law.

You're kidding?


And if anybody asks, we never talked.

You okay with that?

Representing your ex-mother-in-law?

"Okay" might be the wrong description.

"Conflicted, " maybe.

All right.

Turn out the lights when you leave.

This may be the worst date I've ever had.

Love is but a sweet embrace, a whispered phrase, a graceful face.

Is that Tennyson?

No, no, Mallard.

There was a poetry competition in school when I was 15.

I took second place.

Very romantic.

I've tried to put you in the mood, Mr. Palmer.

It's a pity your embalmer friend isn't here to see this.

It's very unusual.

Can I bring her after our date?


What'd he die of?

A dry wit.

I am sorry.

He was baked to death.

The bindings that were around his wrists and ankles were there simply to hold him in place.

Extreme thirst can be a significantly painful death.

Mexican cartels.

Yes, they're a little more public with their executions, and certainly more bloody.

What are you thinking?

I thinking that they made an exception in this case.

What do you got, McGee?

Boss, Norfolk sanitation just found Norton's phone from the other night in a marina dumpster.

Somebody tossed it.

You find anything?

Uh, possibly.

There were two calls earlier that day to the same local number, a Lieutenant David Shankton.

According to the VFTP database,

Shankton owns the same make and model handgun that was used to kill Captain Norton.

I can't believe he's dead.

I just saw him at the admiral's retirement dinner.

How well you know Captain Norton?

I've served under him at the supply center for the past four years.

Before that?

We met in the Yucatan down in Mexico over a decade ago.

You and the Captain Margarita amigos?

No, sir, nothing like that.

Before I joined the service, I worked fishing charters. That's how we met.

Captain Norton inspired me to join the Navy.

Mmm, it's a touching story.

You know, we, uh, compared Norton's credit card statements to yours, and you know what we found?

You guys were both in the same town at the same time in Mexico 18 different times.

It's a popular place.

Yeah, Gulf and Reynosa cartels smuggle a lot of drugs out of the Yucatan. You know that?

So what's your point?

Do you own a nine-millimeter, Lieutenant?

I did.

Somebody stole it from my house about a month ago.

I'm sorry. What the heck is going on here?

We think you two had a little partnership.

That's what we think's going on.

Cartel gives you the drugs.

You have a little rendezvous with Norton, and then he brings 'em back to Norfolk, except...

He wasn't really sharing the wealth, was he?

I didn't kill anybody.

You talked to him yesterday.

You knew he'd be at the party, knew that he was gonna propose to Joann.

Do you mind if I just take a look at this?

If the fibers match, it puts you at the murder scene.

Somebody's trying to frame me, all right?

Well, if they are, they're doing a pretty good job of it.

Get the sample to Abby.

Then get over to Joann's. Keep an eye on her.

Boss, this is our guy.

Okay, samples to Abby... on it.

Well, if it isn't M. Allison Hart.

Agent DiNozzo.

You two know each other?

Ms. Fielding is my client.

Oh. Well, you get around.

She doesn't feel safe here.

You all right, Joann?

Yes, Tony. I'll be just fine.

She's been through a very difficult loss and your investigation isn't making things any easier for her.

Well, I'm sorry. Now listen, do you think I could have a word with your client for a second?


Anything you have to say to her, you can now say to me.

Good night, Agent DiNozzo.

This an intervention?

Told me there were cocktails.

You're holding Lieutenant Shankton for Norton's murder.


So you think he did it?


Then why are you holding him?

Evidence says he did it.

He had a similar weapon, had motive.

Plus, he's the only connection we have to the Reynosa cartel, and I want him.

Joann Fielding knew Lieutenant Shankton through her fiancé.

Yeah, and...?

Well, you must know she spent time at Shankton's house.

We think she set him up.

Both men link to the same drug cartel responsible for Shannon and Kelly's deaths.

Really, Leon?

That makes her awfully clever.

My mother-in-law the vigilante.

Go ahead, Gibbs, cross it.

Try me.

I'm just doing my job.

So am I. You want me to step out?


Remember, I said if your judgment should come into question even once...

I'll take myself off this case.

Will you be able to do it?

Arrest her?

With the new information from Abby's report, I decided to take another look.

Three slugs.

One lodged itself in Norton's spine, the other two passed right through. Bilaterally.


Joann... could not have been behind Norton when he tried to disarm his attacker.

There's no way she was on the side of the exit wound.

The actual blood spatter on her was low down around the waist.

She had to have been in front of him and facing him.

I'm sorry, but...

She fired the shots herself, Jethro.

I'm sure of it.

I need to talk to her... alone.



She's my client now.

You're lead on the investigation.

That can work against her best interests.

She's your client because I asked you.

Was your mistake.

By the way, you're out of beer.

Could you please get some light beer?

This crap you drink... ooh, it's doing a number on me.

She's family.

I need to talk to her.

I'll advise my client against it, but it's up to her.

What are you up to, Mr. Gibbs?

You have been defending guilty people for too long.

As long as we battle each other and somebody wins, I have done my job.

And that's okay with you?

You really want to talk to her?


I want some answers. I want the truth.

Law school 101.

Truth's overrated.

Is this your personal torture chamber?

The only person ever tortured down here is me.

Thank you.

I know everything, Joann.

You knew that you couldn't get Shannon and Kelly's real killers, and so you went after Norton.

Guilty by association.

We're not doing this.


That ex-cop you hired to go to Arizona to look for Norton...

The Reynosa cartel... they knew he was snooping around and they killed him.

So you found Norton... you did, and you charmed him and... you killed one man, you framed another, and you... planned it all like a pro.

Really, are you that smart?

I'm just a mother who lost everything she loved.

Shannon and Kelly... Norton didn't kill 'em.

But I know who did.

How'd it feel, hmm?


Oh, Jethro.

The night that he proposed, he was holding me in his arms.

I whispered our girls' names in his ear.

Then I pulled the trigger one, two, three times... and I watched him die.

Nobody ever need know.

You and I both did what we did... for them.

You are under arrest for the murder of Captain Joseph Norton, for tampering with evidence, for interfering with a criminal investigation.

Mr. Gibbs, you just arrested my client illegally and unlawfully.

You interrogated her without proper citation of her Miranda rights, and you coerced a confession.

If you don't release her right away, I will pursue legal action.

The case'll never stick, right?

You just made a very big mistake.


You won.

Did I?

Take care of yourself, Joann.

You, too, Jethro.

Abby, uh...

Matched the fibers from Shankton's coat.

He had the means, the opportunity, about $10 million worth of motive.

Lieutenant's a drug dealer.

He deserves to do time.

Boss, what about your mother-in-law?

Joann Fielding is no longer a suspect or a person of interest in this investigation.


Can we go home now?


Yeah, good night.

If I hurry, maybe I can catch Rashomon.

Hey, guys, guys.

Breena, these are my coworkers.

Everyone, this is Breena.

Life isn't fair.

Hey, guys, pleasure to meet you.

Ziva, McGee, and...

Tony, right?

I... I described you.

Apparently, the details were accurate.

She has a photographic memory.

Jimmy loves me for my mind.

Isn't he the cutest thing ever?