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“You got anything for us on those samples Ducky sent up, Abby?” Balboa asked as he entered the lab with his SFA.
Abby shook her head. “Not yet. My babies need time to work.”
“How long?”
Abby glanced at the various machines working away. “An hour for the fastest results. A day for the longest ones. You know how it goes.”
Balboa nodded, thanked Abby, and continued up to the bullpen, his SFA trailing behind him. When they arrived in the bullpen, Balboa discovered that not only was his team waiting for him, but so were McGee, Tony, Bishop, and Gibbs. Balboa sighed.
At least they weren’t all clamoring for his attention, but really how was this his life now? Balboa moved to his team, ignoring the fact that the MCRT followed, clearly intending to listen in. He started to explain what Ducky had told them, but hadn’t made it very far before he was interrupted by the sound of the elevator door opening and a big booming voice, questioning, “Anthony DiNozzo, Jr.?”
Almost as one, Balboa’s team and the MCRT swiveled to see who had entered. Tony stepped forward. “That would be me. How can I help you?”
“Ellie DiNozzo?” A small mousy woman asked as she followed the older gentlemen with the booming voice out of the elevator.
Bishop, Tony, and Gibbs exchanged looks at that. Who would be looking for both of them? ”Yes?” Bishop queried, stepping up next to Tony.
“Good. If you could come with us. It will take, but a moment.” The mousy woman smiled as the older gentleman nodded.
“What is this about?” Tony demanded. “We’re in the middle of a case.”
Balboa rolled his eyes, but didn’t contradict Tony. The gentleman exchanged a look with his female counterpart before coughing gruffly. “It’s a private matter.”
Before things could get too out of hand, Gibbs who was already starting to put the puzzle pieces together suggested, “Perhaps we should move this to a conference room.”
The two newcomers exchanged looks before nodding. “That would be acceptable,” the woman murmured.
Gibbs, Bishop, and Tony led the way to one of the conference rooms. With them gone, Balboa tried to refocus his team on the case and the information they had just learned. It was difficult, though, as even Balboa wanted to know what was going on in that conference room.
It wasn’t any of their business he knew, but it wasn’t normal. This case was already abnormal enough that he couldn’t shake the feeling that whatever was going on in that conference room was related to their case somehow. Still they needed to have Fanny Pru brought to interrogation and find out just what she knew about all of this.
He sent the two other agents on his team off to bring Fanny Pru to Interrogation 1, leaving his SFA and him to discuss interrogation strategies. He was delaying actually heading for interrogation, hoping to find out what was going on with Tony and Bishop before starting the interrogation. He just couldn’t shake the feeling that the information would be key in breaking Fanny Pru.
Meanwhile in the conference room, the two strangers had immediately taken seats on one side of the table. Tony and Bishop had sat down across from them, while Gibbs crossed his arms and leaned against the conference room door. No one was getting out of this room until he was satisfied.
The two unknowns set twin briefcases on the table and opened them pulling out documentation before setting the briefcases back on the floor next to them. “I’m Kane Barker of Barker, Presley, and Green. We represent Clive Paddington.”
“Wait. What?” Tony shouted.
Before Tony could expound on the issue, the mousy woman interrupted, “We understand that you have already been dealing with a Fanny Pru and Harold Pride about your inheritance. Is that correct?”
“Yes, Ms…” Tony trailed off.
“Ms. Green, Marta Green.”
Kane took up the explanation, “I’m afraid to tell you that Fanny Pru and Harold Pride are not associated with Clive Paddington in any shape manner or form. We apologize for the inconvenience.”
“In fact, they are not even lawyers,” Marta continued.
“I knew it!” Bishop exclaimed. “They were extremely shady.”
“I too had wondered,” Tony mused. “I knew the quality of firm my uncle would employ and despite their ostensible statements regarding the terms of the inheritance, it didn’t seem likely that their firm had actually been employed by my uncle.”
“We apologize. We just found out about this atrocious misrepresentation or we would have been here sooner,” Kane acknowledged.
“So what really has to be done for me to be able to claim my inheritance, then? I’m not at all sure I trust what Fanny and Harold said on that score.”
“You and Mrs. DiNozzo must remain married for a year as I’m sure you know,” Marta murmured.
Tony nodded. “And?”
“Well normally there would be at least one in home visit to ascertain that this wasn’t just a ploy to inherit the money, given the timing, but given the atrocious behavior of the previous ostensible lawyers, the Paddington family is prepared to waive this requirement, due to the misrepresentation that we should have been more on top of, should you be willing to bring your wife and visit them for a week.”
Tony and Bishop exchanged looks. “Done.”
“Excellent. Please sign the new paperwork, here. The Paddingtons look forward to seeing you before the year is out.”
“Thank you. We look forward to seeing them as well.”
“We must apologize again for everything those disreputable lawyers have done in the Paddington’s name. We hope that their conduct did not infringe on your privacy too much.”
Tony waved it off. “It’s fine. Water under the bridge.”
“We hope this will not reflect badly on the firm. We would definitely like to maintain your business, Anthony DiNozzo, Jr,” Kane held his hand out to shake.
“It was a pleasure doing business with you. I will definitely keep your firm in mind for any future business I might need a lawyer for.” Tony shook first Kane’s and then Marta’s hand firmly before he escorted them out of the NCIS building.