NCIS s16e20 Episode Script
Hail & Farewell
1 Brinkman, Gilvary, you're on the clock.
You want to chitchat, do it on your own time.
- Yeah, you got it, boss.
- Yo, Stutkowski, slow down! This isn't the Daytona 500.
Geez, every morning.
The hell? Whoa, cut it.
Cut it! (sighs) Whoa! Oh, my God! NCIS 16x20 Hail & Farewell  All right, time check.
Three minutes, 38 seconds.
- Almost go time.
- Yeah.
Those seats are as good as ours.
Seats? What seats? Hello? I'm talking here.
Shh.
You're distracting us.
Comic-Con badges go on sale in Three minutes, 24 seconds.
Oh, yeah, isn't that that nerd convention where losers dress up like elves or whatever? (scoffs) Well, technically yes, but it's more than that.
Yeah, so much more, you have no idea.
And this year's Con is gonna be epic.
McGEE: For the 50th anniversary, they announced they're gonna have a secret, surprise guest panelist.
BISHOP: Mm-hmm.
We made a few calls, and we found out who it might be.
You ready for this? So ready.
- George freakin' Lucas.
- Ha! Oh, yeah.
Who? What do you mean who? Are you kidding? Uh Star Wars, American Graffiti, THX 1138.
Oh, yeah, those are movies, right? Oh, God, it hurts.
(sighs) Nick, how do you not know this? I don't know, I think it's because I have a life.
- Yeah, a sheltered one.
- We don't have time to deal with your cinematic shortcomings right now.
You got that right.
Grab your gear.
Got a dead Marine in Arlington.
Ooh, but badges go on sale in 95 seconds.
Yeah, it seems like Gibbs doesn't care about Greg Lucas.
BISHOP/McGEE: George! McGEE: You're the person in charge here, Mr.
Lewis? Yeah, I'm the foreman.
But my crew had nothing to do with this.
We broke ground on this site just yesterday.
Building what? The entire plot's being turned into luxury condos.
What was here before? Nothing.
The land's been vacant for almost 20 years.
What time did you discover the remains? 7:45 a.
m.
The body you know who it is? Not yet.
GIBBS: Identification? No military I.
D.
, name tag, dog tag or wallet.
- Where is Palmer? - Stuck in traffic.
He should be here any minute.
But I doubt he'd be able to give us a time of death.
I mean, this Marine has been dead for years.
At least 18.
How do you know that? She doesn't have any Global War on Terror ribbons.
Oh.
(siren wailing) Well, should narrow it down in the missing persons database.
Gibbs? Widen the perimeter.
I want all of this bagged and processed.
JIMMY: You know, today's technology is advancing at such a fast rate that a few years is equivalent to a lifetime.
Case in point cell phones.
These are not just for making phone calls anymore.
Oh, no.
No, no.
I can, uh-- I can video chat with Breena and Victoria.
And I can stream a show, download music, film a video, read a book.
Ah, we've accomplished so much, yet we still can't figure out how to make the DMV a pleasant experience.
Make an appointment online.
You can do that? Wait, you know how to do that? All right, moving on.
Luckily for us, our victim's remains were discovered before they were damaged by the excavator.
I just sent here uniform up to Kasie for analysis.
Cause of death? Well, these several cracked ribs here do indicate a struggle, but the fatal blow came in the back of the skull here.
But the really interesting part comes when we look at the victim's teeth.
I ran the serial number on a surgical implant for her left canine incisor.
And, Gibbs, I got a hit.
Meet our victim, Major Ellen Wallace.
NEWSCASTER: Breaking news out of D.
C.
, Department of Defense officials have confirmed that among the casualties in the attack was Marine Major Ellen Wallace.
We'll continue to bring you more information as it comes in.
- That's impossible.
- That's exactly my point.
Ellen Wallace was not a missing person.
In fact, DoD listed her as killed in action in The Pentagon, on 9/11.
Then how did her perfectly intact remains find their way to a shallow grave some 12 miles away? How much? (scoffs) That's highway robbery.
Fine.
I hate to play this card, but you owe me.
No, no, I'm not threatening you.
Oh, okay, well, I guess we'll see.
Mm-hmm.
Tell Mom I said hi.
(grunts) What got you in a twist? Comic-Con badges sold out, and every ticket broker or connection I have is 1,500 a pop.
Dollars? For a convention? Who'd pay that? I would, if I had that kind of cash.
Guess what.
You don't need it.
Why? What have you heard? Delilah scored three VIP badges.
- No.
- I am totally serious.
Aah! Yeah.
Wow.
You know, just being near you two, I can feel my cool factor dropping.
Give me an update.
- Let's go.
- All right.
Our victim is Ellen Wallace, 38 years old, a major in the Marine Corps Public Affairs division, stationed out of the Pentagon.
Wallace was listed as KIA when her office was struck by Flight 77 on 9/11.
Some victims' remains were never recovered in the attacks, and she was thought to have been one of them.
Her death gathered media attention because she's the daughter of General James Wallace.
Guy's a military legend.
He led missions in Vietnam, Lebanon, Liberia and Iraq.
BISHOP: Not to mention serving as an advisor to the White House after his retirement in 2007.
Yeah, I got it.
Get back to her.
TORRES: Well, we now know that her remains were not in the Pentagon.
She wasn't in the building.
Well, where was she killed? We don't know that yet.
Why was she killed? Well, we don't know that yet, either.
Suspects? Well, we don't have those.
Find out! Track her final movements.
Who saw her last? Do your damn jobs! Wh-What was that about? AMY: Of course I remember that day.
When you cheat death, the details tend to stick with you.
You worked with Major Ellen Wallace back in 2001, Miss Tano? Yeah.
A lifetime ago.
I was just a green junior officer back then, and Ellen was my department head.
She took me under her wing, encouraged me.
I regret never having thanked her for that.
When was the last time you saw her? Oh, the night of September 10, 2001.
We both attended a command-wide "Hail and Farewell" dinner at a restaurant in Georgetown.
Did anything seem out of the ordinary to you? No, not really.
I mean, I could tell Ellen was distracted.
I assumed it was work-related since she left the party early to go back to the Pentagon.
- What time was that? - 8:30.
Like I said, the details stuck with me.
Did she ever mention ever having issues with anyone? No, not directly.
Well, I did hear that she had a complicated relationship with her ex-fiancé.
So you never saw her in the office the morning of 9/11? No.
We were both scheduled to attend a briefing at 1000 hours, but I got rear-ended on my way in and I was running late.
That inconvenience ended up saving my life.
When the plane struck the Pentagon, our offices were directly hit and no one else in my division survived.
TORRES: Why would the DoD think that she was in the building at the time of the attack? Because Ellen was at work at 0730 every morning, and her car was found on the premises.
Where else could she have been? Last I heard, General Wallace was retired.
I suppose, technically speaking, but a Marine never really retires.
How long's he been a guest lecturer at the Academy? I brought him on about three years ago.
He's a favorite among midshipmen.
There's a tremendous amount that they can learn from someone as experienced as the general.
Sounds like you know him well.
Had the pleasure of serving under his command many years ago.
Owe my career to the man.
He's like family, which is why I am concerned.
I witnessed the toll the death of his daughter took on him back in 2001.
He shouldn't have to suffer through that pain again.
No one should, General.
The military has rules and the military gives orders, but what happens when those two are in direct conflict with one another? Combat scenario number 67: you're deployed to a combat zone when your convoy comes upon a group of possible Taliban insurgents.
They haven't engaged you, but your gut is telling you that things are going to go south, and fast.
Do you let rules dictated in some handbook override your instincts, or do you take action? Ticktock, ladies and gentlemen.
Your enemies could be seconds away from killing you.
Do you strike first? GIBBS: Negative.
Only after the enemy has engaged does a U.
S.
service member take offensive measures.
Regulations also say you have the right to take appropriate actions to defend yourself.
Hesitation could cost you your life.
Yeah, but suspicion isn't fact, it's fear.
Break the rules of engagement, you've already lost.
Right answer.
I should see you all writing that down.
Should've known NCIS wouldn't show up here to deliver good news.
Occupational hazard, General.
While I appreciate you telling me in person, Gibbs, I can't say that makes it any easier to hear.
Give it to me straight.
What happened to my daughter? The investigation's ongoing.
We're looking into it.
You're looking into it? Someone murdered my little girl and has gotten away with it for the past 18 years.
- I want him found.
- General.
I'm on it.
Of all my regrets in life, not having more time for Ellen is at the top of the list.
You know what my last words to her were? "We'll talk later, I'm running late.
" When was that? The night of September 10th in the Pentagon.
I passed by her office on my way out around 2300 hours.
Not being late to drinks with a colleague was more important than talking to my own daughter.
- Regret is a - Yeah.
It's a son of a bitch.
(sighs) You see this through to the end, Gibbs.
No matter what.
Understood.
These are the most disorganized bins I have ever seen.
I could go full Marie Kondo on these.
Okay, you're a little too excited about some dusty containers.
Oh! Floppy disks.
Cool! Ooh, look who's a little "too excited" now.
- Oh, come on.
These things are relics.
Ugh.
(inhales, exhales) I feel just like Dr.
Grant when he first sees the Brachiosaurus in Jurassic Park.
You mean Brontosaurus? Uh, no.
You don't want to go toe-to-toe with me on some JP trivia.
(sighs) This is sad, isn't it? I mean, the contents of these bins are all that's left of Ellen Wallace, and they were just sitting in a storage unit.
- Ah, well, they say you can learn a lot about someone based on what they leave behind.
Wonder what we'll learn from her things.
Uh, well, how about the identity of her ex-fiancé? - Oh, yeah, that's a start.
- Mm-hmm.
KASIE: Wait, is that Gibbs? And a hot Gibbs? Yeah, Gibbs didn't just know Ellen Wallace, he was engaged to her.
Do you agree with the Pentagon's decision to prevent women from serving on the front lines? As a Marine, it is my duty to serve my country and to follow the orders of my chain of command.
That being said, it's been my experience that there is no gender distinction when it comes to the capabilities and courage of our military service members.
I believe that any Marine who meets the physical and mental qualifications deserves the same consideration.
Equal rights are not special rights.
She was engaged to Gibbs? How could Gibbs not tell us that he was engaged to the victim? Are you kidding? Gibbs never talks about his personal life.
Hmm.
We only find out about it when it's part of a case.
Hold up.
This has happened before? Exhibit A.
BISHOP: Ah, the Gibbs' wives club.
Uh I'm sorry, Gibbs was married four times? What, does he have a marriage punch card and the fifth one is free? BISHOP: He had to know that we would figure it out.
Do we tell him we know, or do we wait for him to say that he knows that we know? Since we don't know if it's relevant to the case yet, we leave it alone, for now.
- Agreed.
- Agreed.
Ooh.
Incoming.
(Bishop clears throat) Hey, Gibbs.
What do we know? On the night of September 10, 2001, Ellen was seen at a command-wide Hail and Farewell in Georgetown by her former coworker Amy Tano.
Now, Tano said Ellen left around 2030 hours for the Pentagon.
TORRES: This was confirmed by General Wallace.
He said he saw Ellen in her office at 2300 hours that night.
So far, he's the last person to have seen Ellen alive.
GIBBS: Bishop, Torres, verify Pentagon access codes, 9/10, 9/11.
Pinpoint when she left the building.
On it.
McGee, look into her phone records.
Find out who she was communicating with.
Boss, is that all? Is there nothing more you want to tell me? No.
Okay.
(keyboard clicking) (Taylor laughs) Hey, did we say something funny? Oh, no, I just, um, I thought that you asked me to piece together the corrupted data of a security system that was definitely destroyed 18 years ago.
Yeah.
That is what we're asking.
I'm sorry, um Do you have any idea how complex that request is? Like, let alone the specialized manpower that would be needed to get it to you by by when? 24 hours.
48 hours.
No.
At first, I thought this was funny, but this is just annoying.
TORRES: How about an incentive, to expedite things? Like what, Freckles? Three VIP badges to Comic-Con.
- What? - What? What? W-What? Um (clears throat) If you're scamming me right now, I will put you on a watch list so fast.
100% legit.
What do you say? No, no, no.
Hold on.
That-- we're not Deal.
Done.
Yes.
Ooh! Call you when I have something.
(laughs) (inhales sharply) You are in for a world of hurt.
KASIE: Not finding anything in Ellen Wallace's home phone records.
Just a bunch of AOL dial-up connections.
Ooh.
Now, that is something I haven't said in years.
Any luck with her office line? Nope.
Nothing yet.
How about cell phone records? Didn't have one.
Ah.
A disinterest in mobile technology.
Well, that's at least something she had in common with Gibbs.
Well, they weren't commonplace in 2001 like they are today.
Ugh.
Tell me about it.
You know, I had a six-year-old run right into me while he was texting last week? So I told him to put the phone down and go play.
Man, you know, he stepped on my foot and told me to shut up.
Just, the whole "joy of children" concept, just lost on me.
Earth to McGee.
What? Did you find something? Um, I'm not sure.
(computer beeps) Ooh.
Hold that thought.
That is the blood analysis from Ellen Wallace's uniform.
Uh, McGee? We got a problem.
There were two separate blood profiles found on her clothing.
Jimmy said there were signs of a struggle.
The second profile could be the killer's.
Yeah, I really hope not, because it's a match to Gibbs.
How'd his blood get on her uniform? You do realize what this means.
Yeah, I'd get the knife from Gibbs before interrogating him, if I were you.
Why are you looking at me? I'm not going in there.
Good luck, Bishop.
Oh, no, nice try.
No, I've cheated death a few too many times recently.
Show us how it's done, McGee.
No.
Pass.
You're senior field agent.
Which is exactly why I should be supervising and observing Gibbs' questioning.
Oh, for the love of God.
SLOANE: Okay.
You know how this goes, Gibbs, so let's skip the interrogation dance and get this over with, shall we? Gladly.
Tell me about your relationship with Ellen Wallace.
She was an ex.
You mean, uh, ex-fiancée.
Ex is an ex.
How'd you meet? (exhales) Complicated.
Why did you break it off? More complicated.
Did it end on good terms? Does it ever? Good point.
It's like watching John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors at Wimbledon.
That is the whitest thing I've ever heard.
Why hide that you knew the victim? It wasn't relevant.
Your blood at the crime scene makes it relevant.
Look, Gibbs, come on, work with me here.
'Cause I sure as hell know you didn't kill Major Wallace.
Then why am I sitting here? Because we need answers that only you can give.
Like how did your blood get on Ellen's uniform? (grunts) ELLEN: Oh.
Let me see.
(sighs) Oh, that's gonna stain.
It's a good thing I was here, otherwise this hand might be a goner.
(chuckles) (chuckles) There.
That should do it.
You'll get my bill in the mail.
SLOANE: Were you with Ellen when she died? No.
When was the last time you two had contact? Two months prior to 9/11.
Satisfied? You didn't catch it, did you? I asked why you broke it off and you didn't correct me.
It's interesting.
All of your previous failed relationships have one thing in common.
Your exes all ended things.
But that wasn't the case with Ellen.
She was different, wasn't she? Tell me why.
Uh, Gibbs? - Move, McGee.
- Can't do that, boss.
Your interrogation's not over.
- Yes, it is.
- No, it's not.
It's over when you quit lying to us.
You said you hadn't had contact with Ellen in two months.
I've got phone records that show that she made a two-minute call to your house the last night she was seen alive.
So what'd you two talk about? I said we didn't.
You know that's not good enough, boss.
Hell it ain't.
You're off the case.
What did you say? I said you're off the case.
Go home, Gibbs.
(exhales) Is staring at this helping? Just running through things in my head.
How about verbalizing them? - With you? - Mm-hmm.
Sure, I can do that.
You know why? Because I respect the people that I work with.
Unlike some people.
Ah, "some people" being Gibbs.
16 years.
Gibbs has known me for 16 years and he still doesn't trust me.
- I don't know about that.
I mean, I understand that Gibbs likes being a closed book, I get that, okay? But I'm trying to help him and he refuses to be honest with me.
Did I mention the 16 years part? - You did.
- Good, 'cause it bears repeating.
- Mm.
- More like 16 and a half.
Hey, Tim, you have every right to feel frustrated, but you got one thing wrong.
Gibbs does trust you.
- (scoffs) - More than anyone, think about it.
This case is personal for him.
Would he have left if he didn't trust you? Listen, we all deal with things differently.
Gibbs' way isn't perfect, but it gets him through and he I know, I know.
He's got to get there on his own.
- Precisely.
But that doesn't mean you can't lead him in the right direction.
BISHOP: Wait, it's been less than 24 hours.
How do you have something already? Looks like my incentive worked.
Three tickets to loser-con, as promised.
Ooh-ho-ho-ho.
Yeah, this helped, but I am also just good at my job.
That's, like, why they pay me the big GS-14 bucks, so 14? What do you mean, 14? How do you have a higher pay grade than me? You're not even old enough to rent a car.
Uh, no, but I could just buy one, so BISHOP: Okay.
- Can we get back on track here? - Mm-hmm.
- What'd you find? - Yeah, so because most of the Pentagon's systems were damaged during the terror attack, I was able to access an encrypted file; it was on an old backup server and it was last updated at 0800 the morning of 9/11.
So does it list Ellen Wallace entering and exiting the building? - Yeah.
Uh, we have her scanning in at 2200 hours the night of September 10th, and there is no record of her ever leaving.
Maybe she, uh, left and forgot to scan out.
That's not possible.
The Pentagon's points of entry are all one-for-ones, so can't get in or out without scanning your I.
D.
So, according to our logs, Ellen Wallace should have still been inside the building the morning of 9/11.
But she wasn't.
Mm-mm, because her body was moved.
Ellen was killed inside the Pentagon that night and then taken off-site.
So, our killer has to be someone who worked in the building with her.
How many? That's 18,482.
Ooh.
But it does eliminate one suspect.
Thought I locked the door.
I know how to use my knife, too.
Since you've been ignoring my calls, thought I would come down here and tell you that you've been cleared as a suspect.
Not that any of us thought you were guilty.
Just enough to throw me off the case.
You got yourself thrown off the case.
I did exactly what you would do.
Unless, of course, you burned more of those rules that I should know about? You know, I don't get it.
After all these years, after everything we've been through I'm still here with you.
- Ah, it's your choice.
- No, that's not gonna work on me, Gibbs.
You think that we don't know why you keep us at a distance? It's not a mystery.
Get to the point, McGee.
Ellen was important to you, but we can't solve this case unless you tell us everything that happened.
- I already did.
- No, you didn't.
You didn't tell us about the conversation you had with her the night she was killed.
Now, whatever Ellen said during that call could point us to who was after her.
And I'm not leaving till I get an answer, Gibbs.
What did you two talk about? We didn't talk! (exhales) (phone ringing) (beeps) ELLEN: Jethro, it's me.
I know we haven't spoken since well, it's been a while.
I've thought a lot about you.
Wondered how you were doing.
Something's come up.
It's important.
We need to talk.
If you're there, pick up.
Please.
(beeps) GIBBS: I didn't answer the phone.
And I didn't call her back either.
Why not? I thought that she wanted to talk about us.
She was asking for me to help.
Asking for my help.
I didn't pick up the damn phone.
Boss, you didn't kill Ellen.
I didn't save her, either.
Maybe I could have.
Then don't make the same mistake twice.
Ellen still needs your help, boss.
So do we.
(sighs) Oh, please don't crash.
Oh, please don't crash, please don't crash.
Hold the phone.
Is that an IBM ThinkPad 240X? You've seen one of these things before? I had one of these.
Like 20 years ago.
Oh, this baby came fully loaded with 64 megs of RAM, an Intel Celeron 300 Pentium III processor that clocked in at 500 megahertz And look.
(laughs) I mean, come on.
That is the flying toaster screensaver.
You don't seem nearly as excited about this.
I was.
Two hours and multiple system crashes ago.
Oh, did the victim's laptop give us anything? Oh, I found a private e-mail address Ellen had been using on the side.
To do what? Well, the only thing she was using this account for was to communicate meet-up times and locations with another user named EyesnEars257.
"East Potomac Park at noon.
" Now, that e-mail was sent September 10, 2001, the day our victim was last seen alive.
Okay, so are you able to find out the identity of her mystery contact? Not on this thing.
No.
(exhales) Time to watch the magic happen.
Secret e-mail address, clandestine rendezvous Ellen Wallace, what were you mixed up in? Oh, and it crashed.
Am I being recorded? You have to tell me if this is being recorded.
It's the law.
You seem a little paranoid, Mr.
Morrison.
I'm a journalist who was grabbed out of his office by two federal agents and brought into an interrogation room.
Paranoia is warranted in this situation.
All right, I didn't grab, I guided.
And this is a conference room, not interrogation.
You tell us what we need to know and you won't be seeing the real thing.
TORRES: Does the username "EyesnEars257" ring a bell? It was my old e-mail log-in.
I used that account as a tip line back when I first got started in investigative reporting.
Haven't accessed it in 15 years.
What was your connection to Ellen Wallace? Ellen? What's this all about? You first.
Ellen and I worked together on an investigation.
Into what? A 1998 attack in Kosovo.
Rebel soldiers were blamed for the deaths of multiple civilians, but I found a Marine eyewitness who said it was the fault of U.
S.
forces.
Ellen was helping me track down my source after he went MIA.
Investigating Marines wasn't part of her job.
Her interest in the case was personal.
The Marine who commanded the U.
S.
forces in Kosovo was General James Wallace.
Wait.
She was digging up dirt on her own father? Ellen was determined to know the truth.
Even if that meant exposing the general as a war criminal.
You're not insinuating that the general had something to do with his own daughter's death? I'm not here to enroll.
I'm not gonna stand here and let him disrespect Daniel, give us the room.
It's fine.
I'll handle this.
Hmm.
You always were as subtle as a freight train, Gibbs.
Kosovo.
1998.
Multiple civilian casualties.
I'm familiar with the incident.
Were U.
S.
forces responsible? I never would've given an order like that, and if I had, I wouldn't have lied about it.
That's not what I asked, General.
At first, I brushed off those rumors as baseless chatter, but when that reporter told me the Marine eyewitness account, I began to suspect there was more to it.
You asked Ellen to investigate what happened.
She was the only one I could trust.
If my Marines were involved, I wanted to know the truth, not some redacted statement from the White House.
I never would've gotten Ellen involved if I thought for a second she'd be in any danger.
It's been 18 years since I saw her face, 18 years since I heard her voice, but the time doesn't matter.
Losing a child, it's not a wound that ever heals, is it? No.
Even after you called off the engagement, she never said an ill word about you.
I've always liked you, Gibbs, but, um, you didn't deserve my daughter.
Agreed.
Then give me an explanation because it all never made any sense.
I know you loved Ellen, so why did you cut and run like you did? Because I loved her.
And that never ends well.
- Yo, this is gonna take forever.
- Hey, come on, we're making progress.
- You know how long it's gonna take to go through 18,000 Pentagon employees? Nope, not all, just the 8,233 employees that were in the building the evening of September 10th up to the next morning.
So take that defeatist energy somewhere else.
Not defeatist, it's realistic.
Uh, well, maybe you'd have a more optimistic disposition if you expanded your wardrobe palette beyond the colors of black, distressed black, and gray-black.
Hey, you don't tweak a Picasso.
(laughs) I am sorry, did you just compare yourself to a work of art? Yes.
Yes, I did.
(chuckles) Uh, hold on one second, I know this name.
Can you look up the service record for Daniel Kent, Brigadier General Kent, the current commandant at the Academy.
In 2001 he worked as a military aide to General James Wallace.
Prior to 2001? Uh, in 1998, Kent served in Kosovo, in the unit Ellen Wallace was investigating.
Ooh, now we're talking.
Security says he scanned into the Pentagon at 2330 hours on September 10th, then scanned out at 0239 hours on 9/11.
That's enough time to kill Ellen, remove her body from the building, and bury her.
Yeah, well, I'm about to complete the clue trifecta.
According to his old pay stubs, in 2001, Kent lived in a building two blocks from where Ellen's body was buried.
How's my disposition now, baby? I hope you are both enjoying this because I'm gonna have both of your badges by the end of the day.
Then I guess we better hurry, right, McGee? Yeah, where should we start? Well, he seems like a smart guy, so I say we, uh, we just lay out what we think happened between him and Ellen Wallace that night.
Hypothetically speaking, of course.
Stop us if we go too fast for you.
Kosovo, 1998, you and a few Marines mistakenly kill civilians during a raid.
Which you then covered up from your chain of command.
You thought you were in the clear, until you caught wind that Ellen Wallace was investigating it.
You panic.
You confront her in her office, then you kill her and bury her by your old apartment.
All the evidence left behind in the Pentagon was destroyed when the plane struck the next morning.
And you got to get away with murder for the last 18 years.
That is quite the tale, but all hypothetical, as you said.
You don't have any evidence, and I haven't confessed to anything.
Nope, not yet.
(knocking on door) He's all yours, boss.
 As predicted, Kent caved.
Yup, Gibbs only took five minutes and a few sentences before he got Kent to admit to killing Ellen.
The man's a master.
Good news, good news! I bring you all good news! All right, Jimmy, nothing's ever that good.
(chuckles) Oh, yeah? How about, uh, six all-access passes to Comic-Con? - Who is the man? (chuckles) - Seriously? Who? What? When? How? Let's just say I'm friends with a certain relative of Stan Lee, and she was kind enough to give us the hookup.
Jimmy, we owe you big time, man.
This July, the four of us, plus Breena and Delilah, are gonna be fully immersed in the comic, science-fiction, fantasy experience.
(grunts) Oh, yeah, so I have plans that day.
Oh, come on, what plans? Not sure yet.
(stammers) So how 'bout, uh, how 'bout Gibbs? You think that maybe he'd want to be our sixth, or? Yeah, Gibbs in cosplay, that's-that's an image.
Yeah.
Uh, Gibbs with pointy ears.
I don't think that's his scene.
Don't be too sure.
With Gibbs, you never know.
 You following me? I knew you'd be here.
 I was trying to do the right thing for her but she still ended up here.
I regret that choice.
A few more steps, boss.
Â
You want to chitchat, do it on your own time.
- Yeah, you got it, boss.
- Yo, Stutkowski, slow down! This isn't the Daytona 500.
Geez, every morning.
The hell? Whoa, cut it.
Cut it! (sighs) Whoa! Oh, my God! NCIS 16x20 Hail & Farewell  All right, time check.
Three minutes, 38 seconds.
- Almost go time.
- Yeah.
Those seats are as good as ours.
Seats? What seats? Hello? I'm talking here.
Shh.
You're distracting us.
Comic-Con badges go on sale in Three minutes, 24 seconds.
Oh, yeah, isn't that that nerd convention where losers dress up like elves or whatever? (scoffs) Well, technically yes, but it's more than that.
Yeah, so much more, you have no idea.
And this year's Con is gonna be epic.
McGEE: For the 50th anniversary, they announced they're gonna have a secret, surprise guest panelist.
BISHOP: Mm-hmm.
We made a few calls, and we found out who it might be.
You ready for this? So ready.
- George freakin' Lucas.
- Ha! Oh, yeah.
Who? What do you mean who? Are you kidding? Uh Star Wars, American Graffiti, THX 1138.
Oh, yeah, those are movies, right? Oh, God, it hurts.
(sighs) Nick, how do you not know this? I don't know, I think it's because I have a life.
- Yeah, a sheltered one.
- We don't have time to deal with your cinematic shortcomings right now.
You got that right.
Grab your gear.
Got a dead Marine in Arlington.
Ooh, but badges go on sale in 95 seconds.
Yeah, it seems like Gibbs doesn't care about Greg Lucas.
BISHOP/McGEE: George! McGEE: You're the person in charge here, Mr.
Lewis? Yeah, I'm the foreman.
But my crew had nothing to do with this.
We broke ground on this site just yesterday.
Building what? The entire plot's being turned into luxury condos.
What was here before? Nothing.
The land's been vacant for almost 20 years.
What time did you discover the remains? 7:45 a.
m.
The body you know who it is? Not yet.
GIBBS: Identification? No military I.
D.
, name tag, dog tag or wallet.
- Where is Palmer? - Stuck in traffic.
He should be here any minute.
But I doubt he'd be able to give us a time of death.
I mean, this Marine has been dead for years.
At least 18.
How do you know that? She doesn't have any Global War on Terror ribbons.
Oh.
(siren wailing) Well, should narrow it down in the missing persons database.
Gibbs? Widen the perimeter.
I want all of this bagged and processed.
JIMMY: You know, today's technology is advancing at such a fast rate that a few years is equivalent to a lifetime.
Case in point cell phones.
These are not just for making phone calls anymore.
Oh, no.
No, no.
I can, uh-- I can video chat with Breena and Victoria.
And I can stream a show, download music, film a video, read a book.
Ah, we've accomplished so much, yet we still can't figure out how to make the DMV a pleasant experience.
Make an appointment online.
You can do that? Wait, you know how to do that? All right, moving on.
Luckily for us, our victim's remains were discovered before they were damaged by the excavator.
I just sent here uniform up to Kasie for analysis.
Cause of death? Well, these several cracked ribs here do indicate a struggle, but the fatal blow came in the back of the skull here.
But the really interesting part comes when we look at the victim's teeth.
I ran the serial number on a surgical implant for her left canine incisor.
And, Gibbs, I got a hit.
Meet our victim, Major Ellen Wallace.
NEWSCASTER: Breaking news out of D.
C.
, Department of Defense officials have confirmed that among the casualties in the attack was Marine Major Ellen Wallace.
We'll continue to bring you more information as it comes in.
- That's impossible.
- That's exactly my point.
Ellen Wallace was not a missing person.
In fact, DoD listed her as killed in action in The Pentagon, on 9/11.
Then how did her perfectly intact remains find their way to a shallow grave some 12 miles away? How much? (scoffs) That's highway robbery.
Fine.
I hate to play this card, but you owe me.
No, no, I'm not threatening you.
Oh, okay, well, I guess we'll see.
Mm-hmm.
Tell Mom I said hi.
(grunts) What got you in a twist? Comic-Con badges sold out, and every ticket broker or connection I have is 1,500 a pop.
Dollars? For a convention? Who'd pay that? I would, if I had that kind of cash.
Guess what.
You don't need it.
Why? What have you heard? Delilah scored three VIP badges.
- No.
- I am totally serious.
Aah! Yeah.
Wow.
You know, just being near you two, I can feel my cool factor dropping.
Give me an update.
- Let's go.
- All right.
Our victim is Ellen Wallace, 38 years old, a major in the Marine Corps Public Affairs division, stationed out of the Pentagon.
Wallace was listed as KIA when her office was struck by Flight 77 on 9/11.
Some victims' remains were never recovered in the attacks, and she was thought to have been one of them.
Her death gathered media attention because she's the daughter of General James Wallace.
Guy's a military legend.
He led missions in Vietnam, Lebanon, Liberia and Iraq.
BISHOP: Not to mention serving as an advisor to the White House after his retirement in 2007.
Yeah, I got it.
Get back to her.
TORRES: Well, we now know that her remains were not in the Pentagon.
She wasn't in the building.
Well, where was she killed? We don't know that yet.
Why was she killed? Well, we don't know that yet, either.
Suspects? Well, we don't have those.
Find out! Track her final movements.
Who saw her last? Do your damn jobs! Wh-What was that about? AMY: Of course I remember that day.
When you cheat death, the details tend to stick with you.
You worked with Major Ellen Wallace back in 2001, Miss Tano? Yeah.
A lifetime ago.
I was just a green junior officer back then, and Ellen was my department head.
She took me under her wing, encouraged me.
I regret never having thanked her for that.
When was the last time you saw her? Oh, the night of September 10, 2001.
We both attended a command-wide "Hail and Farewell" dinner at a restaurant in Georgetown.
Did anything seem out of the ordinary to you? No, not really.
I mean, I could tell Ellen was distracted.
I assumed it was work-related since she left the party early to go back to the Pentagon.
- What time was that? - 8:30.
Like I said, the details stuck with me.
Did she ever mention ever having issues with anyone? No, not directly.
Well, I did hear that she had a complicated relationship with her ex-fiancé.
So you never saw her in the office the morning of 9/11? No.
We were both scheduled to attend a briefing at 1000 hours, but I got rear-ended on my way in and I was running late.
That inconvenience ended up saving my life.
When the plane struck the Pentagon, our offices were directly hit and no one else in my division survived.
TORRES: Why would the DoD think that she was in the building at the time of the attack? Because Ellen was at work at 0730 every morning, and her car was found on the premises.
Where else could she have been? Last I heard, General Wallace was retired.
I suppose, technically speaking, but a Marine never really retires.
How long's he been a guest lecturer at the Academy? I brought him on about three years ago.
He's a favorite among midshipmen.
There's a tremendous amount that they can learn from someone as experienced as the general.
Sounds like you know him well.
Had the pleasure of serving under his command many years ago.
Owe my career to the man.
He's like family, which is why I am concerned.
I witnessed the toll the death of his daughter took on him back in 2001.
He shouldn't have to suffer through that pain again.
No one should, General.
The military has rules and the military gives orders, but what happens when those two are in direct conflict with one another? Combat scenario number 67: you're deployed to a combat zone when your convoy comes upon a group of possible Taliban insurgents.
They haven't engaged you, but your gut is telling you that things are going to go south, and fast.
Do you let rules dictated in some handbook override your instincts, or do you take action? Ticktock, ladies and gentlemen.
Your enemies could be seconds away from killing you.
Do you strike first? GIBBS: Negative.
Only after the enemy has engaged does a U.
S.
service member take offensive measures.
Regulations also say you have the right to take appropriate actions to defend yourself.
Hesitation could cost you your life.
Yeah, but suspicion isn't fact, it's fear.
Break the rules of engagement, you've already lost.
Right answer.
I should see you all writing that down.
Should've known NCIS wouldn't show up here to deliver good news.
Occupational hazard, General.
While I appreciate you telling me in person, Gibbs, I can't say that makes it any easier to hear.
Give it to me straight.
What happened to my daughter? The investigation's ongoing.
We're looking into it.
You're looking into it? Someone murdered my little girl and has gotten away with it for the past 18 years.
- I want him found.
- General.
I'm on it.
Of all my regrets in life, not having more time for Ellen is at the top of the list.
You know what my last words to her were? "We'll talk later, I'm running late.
" When was that? The night of September 10th in the Pentagon.
I passed by her office on my way out around 2300 hours.
Not being late to drinks with a colleague was more important than talking to my own daughter.
- Regret is a - Yeah.
It's a son of a bitch.
(sighs) You see this through to the end, Gibbs.
No matter what.
Understood.
These are the most disorganized bins I have ever seen.
I could go full Marie Kondo on these.
Okay, you're a little too excited about some dusty containers.
Oh! Floppy disks.
Cool! Ooh, look who's a little "too excited" now.
- Oh, come on.
These things are relics.
Ugh.
(inhales, exhales) I feel just like Dr.
Grant when he first sees the Brachiosaurus in Jurassic Park.
You mean Brontosaurus? Uh, no.
You don't want to go toe-to-toe with me on some JP trivia.
(sighs) This is sad, isn't it? I mean, the contents of these bins are all that's left of Ellen Wallace, and they were just sitting in a storage unit.
- Ah, well, they say you can learn a lot about someone based on what they leave behind.
Wonder what we'll learn from her things.
Uh, well, how about the identity of her ex-fiancé? - Oh, yeah, that's a start.
- Mm-hmm.
KASIE: Wait, is that Gibbs? And a hot Gibbs? Yeah, Gibbs didn't just know Ellen Wallace, he was engaged to her.
Do you agree with the Pentagon's decision to prevent women from serving on the front lines? As a Marine, it is my duty to serve my country and to follow the orders of my chain of command.
That being said, it's been my experience that there is no gender distinction when it comes to the capabilities and courage of our military service members.
I believe that any Marine who meets the physical and mental qualifications deserves the same consideration.
Equal rights are not special rights.
She was engaged to Gibbs? How could Gibbs not tell us that he was engaged to the victim? Are you kidding? Gibbs never talks about his personal life.
Hmm.
We only find out about it when it's part of a case.
Hold up.
This has happened before? Exhibit A.
BISHOP: Ah, the Gibbs' wives club.
Uh I'm sorry, Gibbs was married four times? What, does he have a marriage punch card and the fifth one is free? BISHOP: He had to know that we would figure it out.
Do we tell him we know, or do we wait for him to say that he knows that we know? Since we don't know if it's relevant to the case yet, we leave it alone, for now.
- Agreed.
- Agreed.
Ooh.
Incoming.
(Bishop clears throat) Hey, Gibbs.
What do we know? On the night of September 10, 2001, Ellen was seen at a command-wide Hail and Farewell in Georgetown by her former coworker Amy Tano.
Now, Tano said Ellen left around 2030 hours for the Pentagon.
TORRES: This was confirmed by General Wallace.
He said he saw Ellen in her office at 2300 hours that night.
So far, he's the last person to have seen Ellen alive.
GIBBS: Bishop, Torres, verify Pentagon access codes, 9/10, 9/11.
Pinpoint when she left the building.
On it.
McGee, look into her phone records.
Find out who she was communicating with.
Boss, is that all? Is there nothing more you want to tell me? No.
Okay.
(keyboard clicking) (Taylor laughs) Hey, did we say something funny? Oh, no, I just, um, I thought that you asked me to piece together the corrupted data of a security system that was definitely destroyed 18 years ago.
Yeah.
That is what we're asking.
I'm sorry, um Do you have any idea how complex that request is? Like, let alone the specialized manpower that would be needed to get it to you by by when? 24 hours.
48 hours.
No.
At first, I thought this was funny, but this is just annoying.
TORRES: How about an incentive, to expedite things? Like what, Freckles? Three VIP badges to Comic-Con.
- What? - What? What? W-What? Um (clears throat) If you're scamming me right now, I will put you on a watch list so fast.
100% legit.
What do you say? No, no, no.
Hold on.
That-- we're not Deal.
Done.
Yes.
Ooh! Call you when I have something.
(laughs) (inhales sharply) You are in for a world of hurt.
KASIE: Not finding anything in Ellen Wallace's home phone records.
Just a bunch of AOL dial-up connections.
Ooh.
Now, that is something I haven't said in years.
Any luck with her office line? Nope.
Nothing yet.
How about cell phone records? Didn't have one.
Ah.
A disinterest in mobile technology.
Well, that's at least something she had in common with Gibbs.
Well, they weren't commonplace in 2001 like they are today.
Ugh.
Tell me about it.
You know, I had a six-year-old run right into me while he was texting last week? So I told him to put the phone down and go play.
Man, you know, he stepped on my foot and told me to shut up.
Just, the whole "joy of children" concept, just lost on me.
Earth to McGee.
What? Did you find something? Um, I'm not sure.
(computer beeps) Ooh.
Hold that thought.
That is the blood analysis from Ellen Wallace's uniform.
Uh, McGee? We got a problem.
There were two separate blood profiles found on her clothing.
Jimmy said there were signs of a struggle.
The second profile could be the killer's.
Yeah, I really hope not, because it's a match to Gibbs.
How'd his blood get on her uniform? You do realize what this means.
Yeah, I'd get the knife from Gibbs before interrogating him, if I were you.
Why are you looking at me? I'm not going in there.
Good luck, Bishop.
Oh, no, nice try.
No, I've cheated death a few too many times recently.
Show us how it's done, McGee.
No.
Pass.
You're senior field agent.
Which is exactly why I should be supervising and observing Gibbs' questioning.
Oh, for the love of God.
SLOANE: Okay.
You know how this goes, Gibbs, so let's skip the interrogation dance and get this over with, shall we? Gladly.
Tell me about your relationship with Ellen Wallace.
She was an ex.
You mean, uh, ex-fiancée.
Ex is an ex.
How'd you meet? (exhales) Complicated.
Why did you break it off? More complicated.
Did it end on good terms? Does it ever? Good point.
It's like watching John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors at Wimbledon.
That is the whitest thing I've ever heard.
Why hide that you knew the victim? It wasn't relevant.
Your blood at the crime scene makes it relevant.
Look, Gibbs, come on, work with me here.
'Cause I sure as hell know you didn't kill Major Wallace.
Then why am I sitting here? Because we need answers that only you can give.
Like how did your blood get on Ellen's uniform? (grunts) ELLEN: Oh.
Let me see.
(sighs) Oh, that's gonna stain.
It's a good thing I was here, otherwise this hand might be a goner.
(chuckles) (chuckles) There.
That should do it.
You'll get my bill in the mail.
SLOANE: Were you with Ellen when she died? No.
When was the last time you two had contact? Two months prior to 9/11.
Satisfied? You didn't catch it, did you? I asked why you broke it off and you didn't correct me.
It's interesting.
All of your previous failed relationships have one thing in common.
Your exes all ended things.
But that wasn't the case with Ellen.
She was different, wasn't she? Tell me why.
Uh, Gibbs? - Move, McGee.
- Can't do that, boss.
Your interrogation's not over.
- Yes, it is.
- No, it's not.
It's over when you quit lying to us.
You said you hadn't had contact with Ellen in two months.
I've got phone records that show that she made a two-minute call to your house the last night she was seen alive.
So what'd you two talk about? I said we didn't.
You know that's not good enough, boss.
Hell it ain't.
You're off the case.
What did you say? I said you're off the case.
Go home, Gibbs.
(exhales) Is staring at this helping? Just running through things in my head.
How about verbalizing them? - With you? - Mm-hmm.
Sure, I can do that.
You know why? Because I respect the people that I work with.
Unlike some people.
Ah, "some people" being Gibbs.
16 years.
Gibbs has known me for 16 years and he still doesn't trust me.
- I don't know about that.
I mean, I understand that Gibbs likes being a closed book, I get that, okay? But I'm trying to help him and he refuses to be honest with me.
Did I mention the 16 years part? - You did.
- Good, 'cause it bears repeating.
- Mm.
- More like 16 and a half.
Hey, Tim, you have every right to feel frustrated, but you got one thing wrong.
Gibbs does trust you.
- (scoffs) - More than anyone, think about it.
This case is personal for him.
Would he have left if he didn't trust you? Listen, we all deal with things differently.
Gibbs' way isn't perfect, but it gets him through and he I know, I know.
He's got to get there on his own.
- Precisely.
But that doesn't mean you can't lead him in the right direction.
BISHOP: Wait, it's been less than 24 hours.
How do you have something already? Looks like my incentive worked.
Three tickets to loser-con, as promised.
Ooh-ho-ho-ho.
Yeah, this helped, but I am also just good at my job.
That's, like, why they pay me the big GS-14 bucks, so 14? What do you mean, 14? How do you have a higher pay grade than me? You're not even old enough to rent a car.
Uh, no, but I could just buy one, so BISHOP: Okay.
- Can we get back on track here? - Mm-hmm.
- What'd you find? - Yeah, so because most of the Pentagon's systems were damaged during the terror attack, I was able to access an encrypted file; it was on an old backup server and it was last updated at 0800 the morning of 9/11.
So does it list Ellen Wallace entering and exiting the building? - Yeah.
Uh, we have her scanning in at 2200 hours the night of September 10th, and there is no record of her ever leaving.
Maybe she, uh, left and forgot to scan out.
That's not possible.
The Pentagon's points of entry are all one-for-ones, so can't get in or out without scanning your I.
D.
So, according to our logs, Ellen Wallace should have still been inside the building the morning of 9/11.
But she wasn't.
Mm-mm, because her body was moved.
Ellen was killed inside the Pentagon that night and then taken off-site.
So, our killer has to be someone who worked in the building with her.
How many? That's 18,482.
Ooh.
But it does eliminate one suspect.
Thought I locked the door.
I know how to use my knife, too.
Since you've been ignoring my calls, thought I would come down here and tell you that you've been cleared as a suspect.
Not that any of us thought you were guilty.
Just enough to throw me off the case.
You got yourself thrown off the case.
I did exactly what you would do.
Unless, of course, you burned more of those rules that I should know about? You know, I don't get it.
After all these years, after everything we've been through I'm still here with you.
- Ah, it's your choice.
- No, that's not gonna work on me, Gibbs.
You think that we don't know why you keep us at a distance? It's not a mystery.
Get to the point, McGee.
Ellen was important to you, but we can't solve this case unless you tell us everything that happened.
- I already did.
- No, you didn't.
You didn't tell us about the conversation you had with her the night she was killed.
Now, whatever Ellen said during that call could point us to who was after her.
And I'm not leaving till I get an answer, Gibbs.
What did you two talk about? We didn't talk! (exhales) (phone ringing) (beeps) ELLEN: Jethro, it's me.
I know we haven't spoken since well, it's been a while.
I've thought a lot about you.
Wondered how you were doing.
Something's come up.
It's important.
We need to talk.
If you're there, pick up.
Please.
(beeps) GIBBS: I didn't answer the phone.
And I didn't call her back either.
Why not? I thought that she wanted to talk about us.
She was asking for me to help.
Asking for my help.
I didn't pick up the damn phone.
Boss, you didn't kill Ellen.
I didn't save her, either.
Maybe I could have.
Then don't make the same mistake twice.
Ellen still needs your help, boss.
So do we.
(sighs) Oh, please don't crash.
Oh, please don't crash, please don't crash.
Hold the phone.
Is that an IBM ThinkPad 240X? You've seen one of these things before? I had one of these.
Like 20 years ago.
Oh, this baby came fully loaded with 64 megs of RAM, an Intel Celeron 300 Pentium III processor that clocked in at 500 megahertz And look.
(laughs) I mean, come on.
That is the flying toaster screensaver.
You don't seem nearly as excited about this.
I was.
Two hours and multiple system crashes ago.
Oh, did the victim's laptop give us anything? Oh, I found a private e-mail address Ellen had been using on the side.
To do what? Well, the only thing she was using this account for was to communicate meet-up times and locations with another user named EyesnEars257.
"East Potomac Park at noon.
" Now, that e-mail was sent September 10, 2001, the day our victim was last seen alive.
Okay, so are you able to find out the identity of her mystery contact? Not on this thing.
No.
(exhales) Time to watch the magic happen.
Secret e-mail address, clandestine rendezvous Ellen Wallace, what were you mixed up in? Oh, and it crashed.
Am I being recorded? You have to tell me if this is being recorded.
It's the law.
You seem a little paranoid, Mr.
Morrison.
I'm a journalist who was grabbed out of his office by two federal agents and brought into an interrogation room.
Paranoia is warranted in this situation.
All right, I didn't grab, I guided.
And this is a conference room, not interrogation.
You tell us what we need to know and you won't be seeing the real thing.
TORRES: Does the username "EyesnEars257" ring a bell? It was my old e-mail log-in.
I used that account as a tip line back when I first got started in investigative reporting.
Haven't accessed it in 15 years.
What was your connection to Ellen Wallace? Ellen? What's this all about? You first.
Ellen and I worked together on an investigation.
Into what? A 1998 attack in Kosovo.
Rebel soldiers were blamed for the deaths of multiple civilians, but I found a Marine eyewitness who said it was the fault of U.
S.
forces.
Ellen was helping me track down my source after he went MIA.
Investigating Marines wasn't part of her job.
Her interest in the case was personal.
The Marine who commanded the U.
S.
forces in Kosovo was General James Wallace.
Wait.
She was digging up dirt on her own father? Ellen was determined to know the truth.
Even if that meant exposing the general as a war criminal.
You're not insinuating that the general had something to do with his own daughter's death? I'm not here to enroll.
I'm not gonna stand here and let him disrespect Daniel, give us the room.
It's fine.
I'll handle this.
Hmm.
You always were as subtle as a freight train, Gibbs.
Kosovo.
1998.
Multiple civilian casualties.
I'm familiar with the incident.
Were U.
S.
forces responsible? I never would've given an order like that, and if I had, I wouldn't have lied about it.
That's not what I asked, General.
At first, I brushed off those rumors as baseless chatter, but when that reporter told me the Marine eyewitness account, I began to suspect there was more to it.
You asked Ellen to investigate what happened.
She was the only one I could trust.
If my Marines were involved, I wanted to know the truth, not some redacted statement from the White House.
I never would've gotten Ellen involved if I thought for a second she'd be in any danger.
It's been 18 years since I saw her face, 18 years since I heard her voice, but the time doesn't matter.
Losing a child, it's not a wound that ever heals, is it? No.
Even after you called off the engagement, she never said an ill word about you.
I've always liked you, Gibbs, but, um, you didn't deserve my daughter.
Agreed.
Then give me an explanation because it all never made any sense.
I know you loved Ellen, so why did you cut and run like you did? Because I loved her.
And that never ends well.
- Yo, this is gonna take forever.
- Hey, come on, we're making progress.
- You know how long it's gonna take to go through 18,000 Pentagon employees? Nope, not all, just the 8,233 employees that were in the building the evening of September 10th up to the next morning.
So take that defeatist energy somewhere else.
Not defeatist, it's realistic.
Uh, well, maybe you'd have a more optimistic disposition if you expanded your wardrobe palette beyond the colors of black, distressed black, and gray-black.
Hey, you don't tweak a Picasso.
(laughs) I am sorry, did you just compare yourself to a work of art? Yes.
Yes, I did.
(chuckles) Uh, hold on one second, I know this name.
Can you look up the service record for Daniel Kent, Brigadier General Kent, the current commandant at the Academy.
In 2001 he worked as a military aide to General James Wallace.
Prior to 2001? Uh, in 1998, Kent served in Kosovo, in the unit Ellen Wallace was investigating.
Ooh, now we're talking.
Security says he scanned into the Pentagon at 2330 hours on September 10th, then scanned out at 0239 hours on 9/11.
That's enough time to kill Ellen, remove her body from the building, and bury her.
Yeah, well, I'm about to complete the clue trifecta.
According to his old pay stubs, in 2001, Kent lived in a building two blocks from where Ellen's body was buried.
How's my disposition now, baby? I hope you are both enjoying this because I'm gonna have both of your badges by the end of the day.
Then I guess we better hurry, right, McGee? Yeah, where should we start? Well, he seems like a smart guy, so I say we, uh, we just lay out what we think happened between him and Ellen Wallace that night.
Hypothetically speaking, of course.
Stop us if we go too fast for you.
Kosovo, 1998, you and a few Marines mistakenly kill civilians during a raid.
Which you then covered up from your chain of command.
You thought you were in the clear, until you caught wind that Ellen Wallace was investigating it.
You panic.
You confront her in her office, then you kill her and bury her by your old apartment.
All the evidence left behind in the Pentagon was destroyed when the plane struck the next morning.
And you got to get away with murder for the last 18 years.
That is quite the tale, but all hypothetical, as you said.
You don't have any evidence, and I haven't confessed to anything.
Nope, not yet.
(knocking on door) He's all yours, boss.
 As predicted, Kent caved.
Yup, Gibbs only took five minutes and a few sentences before he got Kent to admit to killing Ellen.
The man's a master.
Good news, good news! I bring you all good news! All right, Jimmy, nothing's ever that good.
(chuckles) Oh, yeah? How about, uh, six all-access passes to Comic-Con? - Who is the man? (chuckles) - Seriously? Who? What? When? How? Let's just say I'm friends with a certain relative of Stan Lee, and she was kind enough to give us the hookup.
Jimmy, we owe you big time, man.
This July, the four of us, plus Breena and Delilah, are gonna be fully immersed in the comic, science-fiction, fantasy experience.
(grunts) Oh, yeah, so I have plans that day.
Oh, come on, what plans? Not sure yet.
(stammers) So how 'bout, uh, how 'bout Gibbs? You think that maybe he'd want to be our sixth, or? Yeah, Gibbs in cosplay, that's-that's an image.
Yeah.
Uh, Gibbs with pointy ears.
I don't think that's his scene.
Don't be too sure.
With Gibbs, you never know.
 You following me? I knew you'd be here.
 I was trying to do the right thing for her but she still ended up here.
I regret that choice.
A few more steps, boss.
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