Známý soukromý detektiv najde v jezeře auto pohřešovaného poručíka námořní pěchoty, dědice mnohamilionové firmy. Právě v tuto chvíli se do vyšetřování zapojí NCIS. První důkazy naznačují, že muž byl zastřelen a poté auto s mrtvolou spadlo do jezera. Slavný detektiv se už vidí jako majitel milionové odměny za dopadení vraha. Tím má být bratr oběti. Gibbsovi se však důkazy nezdají a tak vše znovu důkladně prověří. Z vraždy se náhle dle nových důkazů stane autonehoda a slavný detektiv čelí žalobě z manipulace s důkazy...

Tony's cell phone is ringing. The call is from Michelle, for the 23rd time. Tony, sitting at his desk in the squad room, pushes the "no" button with annoyance, refusing to take her call. Within a few seconds, the phone starts ringing again. Kate walks in and wonders why Tony isn't answering his phone. Tony tells Kate he is in hell. Kate wonders if there is money in hell, because Tony owes her $43.86 for lunch this week. Tony says he will pay her if she will only answer the phone for him. Michelle is a crazy ex-girlfriend that Tony hasn't seen since college. "Stalker?" Kate wonders. "More like a stalk-him," Tony replies. Kate doesn't know what to say. Tony suggests telling her that Kate is Tony's wife. Kate gives Tony a look. McGee gets up from his desk and comes over to see what's going on. Tony begs Kate to answer the phone. Michelle has been calling him for 2 days. Tony will definitely pay Kate the money he owes her if she will just do this. Kate sighs and takes the phone. While Kate speaks on the phone, Tony helps himself to lunch. Kate tells Michelle that she is happily married to Tony with 2 kids and that Michelle should stop calling. As she hangs up, Kate holds out her hand for the money. "Pay the lady, probie," Tony says and walks away with his lunch. Now McGee is sighing and reaching for his wallet. Tony beat McGee $40 that he could get Kate to say she was his wife today. Kate is not amused.

Just then Gibbs comes into the squad room, telling Tony to pull the case file on Lt. Brian McAllister. McAllister disappeared two years ago and his family offered a $1,000,000 reward for anyone who could find him. Kate had friends in the Secret Service who used to work that case on the weekends. According to Tony, it's the holy grail for every amateur detective on the east coast. McGee wants to know what happened. "Nothing," Tony tells him. "Cold case." "Not anymore," Gibbs points out as he presses the remote and brings up ZNN on the plasma. As the ZNN reporter begins to interview private investigator Monroe Cooper, Gibbs turns off the TV. McGee is surprised that he would do that but Gibbs just looks at him. McGee rattles off Cooper's press clippings, but Gibbs remains unimpressed. "Do I look like I care, McGee?" he asks, taking a huge slurp of coffee and visibly swallowing before dumping the empty coffee cup in the trash. "Grab your gear! We're going to Black Lake," he informs the team as he collects his gun and strides to the elevator. Everyone quickly follows, Tony rushing back to his desk to grab up his lunch and the case file.

As the team drives to the crime scene, Kate reads from McAllister's file. Tony is eating his lunch and wonders who someone who is set to inherit millions would chose a military career. Gibbs asks if Tony if he thinks money has anything to do with patriotism. No, Tony doesn't. All he means is that if he was rich, he wouldn't do anything. Kate reminds Tony that his folks were loaded and wonders why he is working for the government. "Because they know what their son would do with the money," Gibbs states. "I can't even get an advance on will, Kate," Tony informs her.

Gibbs pounds on the back of the cab and hollers for McGee, who is riding in the rear with all the gear. Gibbs wants information on that "private dick, Cooper." McGee gives his credits and calls him a cross between Columbo and Sherlock Holmes. Gibbs hits a bump in the road, McGee goes flying and so does Tony's lunch. Kate reminds Gibbs that they really should get a seat belt for the passenger in the rear as Tony attempts to reach between Kate's legs. "Hey" she says as she slaps his hand, "what the hell are you doing?" Tony was looking for his fork but Kate assures him that it is not there and smacks him. Gibbs smiles.

At the crime scene, the ZNN news crew is still filming. Gibbs tells Tony to grab the gear and see if McGee is still alive then he and Kate go to coordinate with the local sheriff. Sheriff Lester tells Gibbs that his divers did find a Chrysler convertible, which is the type of car McAllister owned, at the bottom of the lake. Gibbs and Lester agree that they will pull up the car, see what they find, and decide on jurisdiction then. The sheriff is not that impressed with Cooper either. Gibbs asks where he is and the sheriff remarks he is probably off "detectin'" somewhere.

Back at the truck, Tony is trying to hurry McGee up. McGee isn't certain about this, but Tony assures him it is necessary. Tony has convinced McGee to wear a pair of hip wading boots. McGee feels he looks like a dork, Tony assures him he is a dork. McGee has his copy of a book about Cooper along, hoping for an autograph. The lead character in "Celebrity PI" is based on Cooper. Tony has never heard of Cooper or the book and tells McGee "No" and throws the book back in the truck. McGee mumbles that he's not surprised Tony hasn't heard of it "there's no pictures in it." Tony asks him if he said something. "Yeah. I'm not a dork," McGee tells him as he walks and squeaks his way to the crime scene, carrying all the gear. "Whatever you say, Sponge Bob," Tony tells him.

We watch as they haul a car out of the water. Kate identifies the license plate as McAllister's. Gibbs shines a flashlight into the car and sees a skeleton. At that moment Cooper walks up and tells Gibbs that that pile of bones is McAllister. Gibbs tells him he'll wait for his ME's identification. "Oh, of course," Cooper says and extends his hand giving Gibbs his card, "Monroe Cooper." "The man who solves the unsolveable," Gibbs reads from his card. "So you've heard of me," Cooper says. "No, it's on your card," is Gibbs' reply. Cooper says that was his publicist's idea. Gibbs wonders how he traced McAllister to Black Lake. "Leg work, luck, my gut," Cooper tries modesty. "It say that on your card, too?" Gibbs wonders. Cooper chuckles and tells Gibbs that if Gibbs shares information with him, Cooper will return the favor. Cooper wonders if they have a deal. Cooper's policy goes against Gibbs' policy which is "throw people in jail who obstruct my investigations" and Gibbs walks away. "I'll try to keep that in mind," Cooper says.

Back in autopsy, Ducky has the dental records up on the x-ray screen. They are conclusive, the body is McAllister's. Gibbs wonders if Ducky has figured out how he died yet. Since the body was in the water for two years, Ducky will find it difficult to tell. Does Gibbs suspect foul play? Gibbs always suspects everything. "Yes, an admirable trait in an investigator. And also the reason your three marriages ended in divorce," Ducky tells Gibbs, waving the dental card in his face. "Oh, yeah? All these years I thought it was because I was a bastard," Gibbs replies. "Well, of course, that didn't help," Ducky agrees. They both chuckle. Ducky points out a hairline fracture on the frontal lobe, consistent with most vehicle accidents, possibly from contact with the steering column. A tox screen on the bones is impossible, but drugs could be a possibility. Gibbs doesn't like all the possibilities. Ducky's opinion right now is that McAllister met with a tragic accident and drowned. "Keep looking," Gibbs tells Ducky and leaves autopsy.

Ducky picks up McAllister's skull and bounces it in his hands, intoning "alas, poor Yorick." Mr. Palmer comes over to Ducky and asks if he ever met any of Gibbs' wives. "I introduced him to the last one," Ducky tells him. What went wrong, Mr. Palmer wonders. "It's difficult to say, Mr. Palmer. She doesn't talk to me anymore."

In the evidence garage, Abby is examining the car while Kate takes pictures. Tony asks Kate if she knows what movies this reminds him of. Looking at Abby's striped stockings sticking out from under the car Kate guesses The Wizard of Oz. "I'll get you my pretty," Abby cackles in her best Wicked Witch of the West voice. That's not it. Tony means those movies they make you watch in high school, 30 minutes of cops pulling teenagers out of car wrecks. Abby pushes herself out from under the car, exclaiming "Oh my God! I loved those!" Abby starts reciting titles and says she keeps hoping they will be released on DVD. Tony looks at her in amazement and says "yeah, me, too."
Gibbs walks in just then and asks for a report. They found a suitcase in the trunk, packed for a weekend. The dive team will be there in about two hours with the rest of the stuff they found in the debris field. Gibbs squats down near Abby's feet and asks for her report. The brake line is corroded but intact. Abby has found something stuck in the undercarriage. She pulls out a large, dead fish. "Hey, Kate," she hollers. "I've got a present for you" and she rolls back out from under the car. "I think it's one of your ex-boyfriends." Kate snaps pictures of Abby hugging the fish as she lies on the dolly. Tony laughs at the "cold fish" reference. Kate is not amused. From inside the car, McGee calls out that he doesn't think it was an accident. McGee has found a slug in the car's interior.

Back in Abby's lab, she is examining the bullet as Gibbs walks in. Her music is blaring and Gibbs turns it off as he goes by, telling Abby her speakers must be broken. Abby tells Gibbs that was the best part of the song. Gibbs amends his statement to her ears are broken and asks what the divers found. Gibbs hands Abby her Caf-Pow as they move into the larger room of Abby's lab. Abby believes that the divers were paid by the piece. They found just about everything down there, including a Maytag. But they did find a cell phone directly under the car, so Abby is hoping she'll be able to recover something from that. The bullet is from a Colt .45 old-school military version. As to the trajectory, "the bullets entry angle into the side of the door's as obvious as Anna Nicole's implants" Abby tells Gibbs. Gibbs, of course, has no idea who Anna Nicole is. "You know? Married that old guy? Had a TV show? Got fat? Got thin? Got fat? Got thin? Fat? Thin?" The look on Gibbs face is priceless. "Stop" he finally tells her. Abby gets back on point and shows Gibbs the trajectory on her monitor. "Unless he was driving with his feet from the back seat, which is something I have tried but do not recommend," Abby reports. "Abby," Gibbs says sternly. "The round had to have gone through McAllister's body," Abby finishes.

In autopsy, Abby's trajectory animation is up on Ducky's screen. Ducky tells Gibbs it is possible, but if Abby's animation is correct, the bullet passed clean through the thoracic cavity, leaving no evidence. "Hell of shot," is Gibbs' comment. "Yeah," Ducky mumbles as he picks up a magnifying glass to look at a rib. "Vehicle had to have been going over 70 to have ended up where we found it in the lake," Gibbs continues. "Well, at that speed, a bullet passing through the rib cage without so much as glancing a single bone. Hell of a shot, indeed," Ducky concurs. "More like impossible? Thank you, Duck," Gibbs says as he leaves. "Doctor?" Mr. Palmer asks questioningly, not understanding this conversation. "He means the vehicle was stationary when Lt. McAllister was shot, Mr. Palmer," Ducky explains as he continues his microscopic examination of McAllister's bones.

Up in the squad room, Kate is displaying a map of McAllister's last trip on the plasma. It would appear that Lt. McAllister was traveling from his station in Norfolk to his family compound in Shenandoah, Virginia. McAllister was 20 miles from home when he went into the lake. Tony reports on McAllister's family background, mother died in 1993, father died 3 months after McAllister disappeared. The only surviving relative is a brother, Thomas McAllister, who inherited everything. Thomas washed out of Annapolis and was picked up several times for DWI and marijuana possession. Now he owns his own airline.

Right then, an assistant comes in with their lunch. Kate announces that she took the liberty of ordering for everyone, something healthy for a change. She hands Tony and McGee a tofu veggie wrap. Tony sniffs his suspiciously but Kate assures him it is good, she and Abby eat them all the time.

Gibbs hands out assignments, he wants Thomas McAllister interviewed by Tony and Kate. McGee is to talk to Cooper and find out how he found the body. "So we're going to cooperate with him," McGee wonders. "No," Gibbs informs him. "He's going to cooperate with me."

Kate tells the three men she will be right back, she has to run Abby's tofu veggie wrap down to her. They unwrap their wraps. Gibbs takes a sniff of his and rears back in stunned silence. McGee and Tony each take a bite of theirs as Gibbs drops his, untasted, in his garbage can. McGee drops the rest of his in his garbage can. Tony spits out what he had tasted into his garbage can, followed by the rest of it.

Thomas McAllister's airlines is called Beyond First Class. Kate makes fun of this name while Tony likes it. Kate is not surprised at this and calls Tony "Rockefeller." Tony calls her on this, asking if she really thinks money makes that much difference. Kate apologizes, thinking she has upset Tony. She has, but only because she reminded Tony that he no longer has money. "I miss it every single day of my life. So much it makes me want to cry." he tells her. "You're pathetic," she replies. "That's part of my charm," Tony retorts.

Tony and Kate enter the airplane hangar and walk up to a man working on an engine. Tony tells them they're looking for his boss, Thomas McAllister. He responds that they'll have to wait and then asks Kate to pass him the socket wrench. Kate complies, asking if the boss is even there or if he is at a country club somehwere. The man informs him that he is Tom McAllister. Tony identifies them as NCIS agents and Kate asks him if he always works on his own planes. Tom responds only when he can tear himself away from the country club. Kate apologizes for her remark and Tom tells her she would have been right a couple of years ago. They discuss his planes and Tom invites Kate to go along on a test ride on the new one.

Tony brings it back to business, telling Tom he doesn't seem too upset at the loss of his brother. Tom tells Tony he's known for some time. "The first week you expect a ransom note. After a month you pray. After a year, you just know." Kate asks about their last contact, which was three months before the accident. Tony informs Tom that it wasn't an accident, it was murder. Tom is surprised to hear this. Tony asks where Tom was the weekend Brian disappeared. Tom was at home with his father. Tom wonders if he's a suspect and gets the usual "just following up on leads."

Cooper is in the squad room autographing McGee's copy of the book "Celebrity PI." McGee tells Cooper that he is writing a novel himself, and asks if Cooper is really the author of "Celebrity PI." Cooper laughs it off, saying he wouldn't be crawling through swamps looking for reward money if he was a best-selling author. Cooper then tries to pump McGee for information about Gibbs. McGee responds that he thinks Cooper and Gibbs are a lot alike and that one of the character's in McGee's book is based on Gibbs. Cooper hopes Gibbs got a better deal than he did and McGee tells him Gibbs doesn't know yet. At that moment, Gibbs slides up behind McGee and asks what it is that he doesn't know yet. "What a great guy I am, Gibbs!" Cooper tells him.

Gibbs wants to know how Cooper found the wreck. Cooper wants to know what Gibbs find in the wreck. Gibbs asks Cooper how badly he wants the reward money. Since Cooper cannot get the reward money until the murderer is behind bars, Cooper shows Gibbs how he figured out where the car was. Cooper brings out a map and a bunch of weather reports from that weekend. There was a bad storm and Cooper figures that McAllister doubled back and took a different road because his normal route was washed out by the storm. Local residents knew about the other road, but only used it during bad weather. Cooper outlines his theory of who did it, someone who knew the area, the weather, and that McAllister was driving home that day. Gibbs just looks at Cooper.

Kate and Tony get off the elevator and Tony is accusing Kate of being attracted to Tom McAllister. Gibbs just wants a report on their interview. Kate feels that Tom was not involved, Tony that he was hiding something. At this moment, Abby shows up and Gibbs wonders what she has for him. Abby reluctantly tells them that the last three phone calls on the cell phone recovered from the lake where made on the Friday McAllister disappeared and they were all from his brother, Tom. "Sorry, Kate," Abby says.

Down in the evidence garage, Cooper unloads a box of papers, all of his evidence after six months of legwork. He pulls out a cigar and asks Kate "okay to smoke in here, sweetheart?" Kate corrects him "It's Agent Todd" and tells him no, he cannot smoke in a federal office building. Gibbs rummages through the box of papers and asks Cooper if there is any order to them. Cooper points at his temple and tells him it's all up there. And he won't share until Gibbs tells him what was found in the wreck. Gibbs tells him that McAllister was shot and they've recovered the round. Cooper talks aloud, walking through everything that Gibbs and team have all ready figured out. Cooper says they know how. Now do they want to know why?

Just then the elevator door opens and Tony and McGee are visible, arguing about how to get a large bulletin board out of the elevator. McGee wanted to take the legs off, but Tony thought this way would be easier. They keep bumping the board into the walls of the elevator and each other. It seems this is how Cooper works, and he has a 100 percent batting average. How many detectives does Tony know what that kind of record? "You mean besides Gibbs," Tony grunts as they finally manage to get the board out of the elevator.

"Change of plans," Gibbs tells them. "We're doing this upstairs." Gibbs, Kate, and Cooper walk by Tony and McGee and get into the elevator. Kate waves bye-bye as the doors close on them. McGee suggests they should take the stairs. Tony tells McGee that he should have taken the legs off like Tony suggested and Tony is taking the stairs. McGee starts to protest that taking the legs off was his idea, but Tony will not hear of it and walks away, leaving McGee to deal with the board by himself.

Up in the squad room, Cooper is pinning photos and other items to the bulletin board, describing the items as he goes. Mrs. McAllister was into the occult and after her death in 1993, Mr. McAllister became obsessed with contacting her and neglected the family business in order to do so. A psychic named Selena Lockhart managed to convince Mr. Lockhart that she was the means to communicate with his dead wife. McAllister Avionics was nearly bankrupt by 2000 because of all this. "How much money he leave her?" Gibbs wants to know. "You're quick, Gibbs," Cooper admits. "Almost $10 million." The will was changed about 2 weeks after Brian went missing. Tom is still fighting the will. "This is kinda like Anna Nicole," Tony observes. "Who?" Cooper wants to know. "That's what I said," Gibbs agrees. Tony and Kate exchange looks.

Gibbs orders McGee to background Selena Lockhart and find out where she is now. Cooper tells Gibbs that she couldn't have done it. Tom had a plan to save the family business. He wanted them to get out of avionics and into a private airline. Brian didn't agree. Brian was going to take his share of the money out of the family business. Cooper has a copy of a contract dated October 5, the day Brian disappeared, that would have divested all of Brian's money from the family business. "Luckily for the little brother, he didn't sign the contract," Cooper says. "I don't believe in luck," Gibbs responds. "Neither do I," Cooper agrees.

Cooper wants Gibbs to bring Tom McAllister in. He's given them everything. Gibbs is not ready to bring Tom in yet. Civilians do not run NCIS cases. Cooper is tired of waiting, it's been two years. Gibbs isn't done with the case yet. Cooper is looking for a reward, Gibbs is looking for a killer. Cooper assures Gibbs that Thomas McAllister is the killer. "Trust me," he implores Gibbs. "I don't trust anyone either," Gibbs informs him.

Gibbs wants to know how good Kate's rapport is with Thomas McAllister. Tony informs him it's more than a rapport. Gibbs is pleased to hear that. Kate is to call him because they're having dinner tonight. "What if he says no?" Kate asks. "Oh, the way he was looking at you, I think you're gonna be the one saying no," Tony tells her.

McGee has found a business address for Selena Lockhart, she's on a TV talk show set in D.C. Gibbs and Tony are going to interview her. As he leaves, Gibbs tells Cooper "I trust you can find your way out."

As they arrive on the set, Tony asks Gibbs if he believes in psychics. No, he does not. Tony tells of using a psychic on a kidnap case when he was on the Baltimore PD. Led them right to the kid. How does Gibbs explain that? "Simple. She was probably in on it." They walk up to the guard at the set door and identify themselves. Selena is inside, but she is still shooting and they are not allowed in. Gibbs ignores this and walks past the guard and right into the building. They are taping as Tony and Gibbs walk in. It looks like two women talking in front of a backdrop with a large, appreciative audience. It really is two women talking, but in front of a green screen, and the audience is just on tape. Tony wonders if this is how they do the Oprah show. "Never believe what you see on TV," Gibbs tells him.

The moment the director yells cut, Selena stands up and starts complaining about the spelling on the cue cards. The director asks for 10 minutes and says they will reshoot. Selena is financing this pilot herself and cannot afford that. The other woman gets up and announces she will be in craft services. Selena makes a crack aimed at the woman's weight, but she ignores her.

As Gibbs and Tony approach, Selena appears to know their names and where they are from without being told. How can she help them? "You're the psychic. You tell me," is Gibbs' response. "Brian McAllister," she replies. Selena knows where they found the body. Tony is impressed, Gibbs knows everything she said was on the news. Selena told Mr. McAllister Brian was in a cold, dark place. Gibbs tells her Brian was murdered. Selena knows that, Brian told her. Gibbs becomes even more skeptical. Selena is not concerned, Gibbs doesn't have to believe. Tony wants to know if Brian told her who killed him. It doesn't work that way, she informs him. All Selena gets our impressions. Gibbs wonders how Brian felt about his father leaving her all that money. Selena said she didn't ask him. Gibbs is pretty sure he would be pissed off and proceeds to ask where she was when Brian was killed. Selena was hosting a spiritual retreat in Larae Caverns, which, as Tony points out, is only about 15 miles from Blake Lake. Gibbs leans right in to Selena's face, stares at her, and asks her if she can tell what he's thinking now. Selena replies that anyone can tell that and then asks if they can move the discussion outside since Gibbs' energy is disrupting her set.

Gibbs, Selena, and Tony are outside, walking to her trailer. Selena tells them she had nothing to do with Brian's murder, they need to talk with Tom. Why, Gibbs asks her. Because Tom was the black sheep and he hated Brian. As Selena says this, we see her through the scope of a sniper's rifle. Selena assures Gibbs that she is not a murder. They arrive at her trailer and Selena starts to go into the trailer, telling Gibbs that she has over a dozen people who will verify her whereabouts on that weekend. Tony asks for their names and Selena tells him her lawyer will provide them. Selena is standing on the step to her trailer, facing out. We again see a sniper's scope on her face. As Selena tries to dismiss Gibbs, he sees the red dot of the scope on her forehead and slams her to the floor of her trailer. Shots ring out and strike objects in the trailer. "You didn't see that one coming, didja?" Gibbs wonders.

Tony sees a SUV speeding from the set and manages to put at least one round through the rear window of the vehicle. Gibbs comes rushing out with his weapon drawn, asking if Tony got a license plate. Tony did. "That's a good job, Tony," Gibbs gives the rare compliment.

Abby is comparing the two bullets from the latest shooting to the bullet from the wreck. They match. The plates on the SUV came back stolen.

Tony and Gibbs are coming down the stairs into the squad room. Tony is eager to bring Tom McAllister in for questioning. Gibbs points out that McAllister's lawyers make more per hour than Tony makes all week. Tony takes this to mean that he deserves a raise. Gibbs gives him the look and Tony moves on. All they have is circumstantial evidence on McAllister but Tony doesn't see what Kate going on a date with him will get them. Gibbs is going to search McAllister's house will Kate is with him. And if he's the murderer? That's why Tony will be Kate's back-up.

Kate is dressed up for her date and straps her weapon on to her thigh. She walks over to Tony's desk and asks for his opinion on her outfit. Tony is noncommittal. Kate is not going for fine, she's going for hot. So Tony offers to help. He comes from behind his dress, drops her dress straps down onto her arms, musses her hair, and blows in her face several times to get the effect he wants. McGee walks in during this and Gibbs informs him he will be searching McAllister's house with him.

"You two done playing dress-up?" Gibbs wants to know."Done" Tony and Kate say in unison as they scurry back to their desks. Gibbs packs up and starts leaving, telling Kate he wants a com check in 15 minutes. As he walks past her desk he tells her she looked better before Tony helped. Kate quickly grabs her compact and starts putting herself back together.

At the airport, Kate and Tony do a com check and then Kate enters the hangar. Tom is not really dressed to go out, he planned to cook for Kate there. He'd like to talk about Brian.

Meanwhile, McGee and Gibbs are breaking into McAllister's house. McGee remembers the last two times he encountered a locked door. When he was with Tony, Tony threw a rock through a window. Kate climbed in through a second story window. Gibbs grunts and uses lockpicks to open the door.

Back at the hangar, Tom is telling Kate about his family. His parents were eccentric but it wasn't a problem until his mother died. Then his father got really odd. Kate knows about that and Tom realizes she's been checking on him. Kate asks how Brian felt about the psychic and Tom says he didn't. Brian was unaware because he was too busy with his Naval career. He didn't see all the damage the psychic did. "Selena Lockhart," Kate says. Tom realizes she is really checking into the family. Kate tells Tom of the attempt on Selena's life and Tom admits that he thought of killing her more than once. Kate tells Tom that a lot of people think it was him. Tom asks Kate what she thinks. Her answer "Well, I'm here, aren't I?"

Back at McAllister's house, Gibbs and McGee realize they aren't alone. They catch Cooper in the house. Gibbs is not impressed and wants to know what he is doing there. The same thing Gibbs is, Cooper replies. Gibbs has a warrant. And he wants to know what Cooper found. Cooper hopes he's found what will get him the million dollars. Tom McAllister doesn't own a gun, but Mr. McAllister owned quite a few, including a Colt .45 and opens a gun case to show it. Gibbs picks it up and checks to see if it has been recently fired. It has. Gibbs calls Tony and tells him to arrest Tom McAllister. Cooper smiles.

Tom continues to tell Kate about his family, admitting that he called Brian the weekend he disappeared. Tom wanted Brian to come home so they could talk some sense into their father. Kate wonders why he lied to them about that. Because Tom felt responsible for Brian's death. When they found Brian's car in Black Lake, he believed that Brian had finally decided to listen to him. Tom said those back roads were dangerous during the day, much less at night. He originally thought it was an accident, but then when NCIS told him it was murder, only one person stood to gain from Brian's death, Selena Lockhart. Kate reminds him that he stood to gain from Brian's death as well. Kate shows him the contract. Tom shakes his head and tells her that Brian would never have signed that.

Just then we hear Tony's voice telling Thomas McAllister that he is under arrest for the murder of his brother. Tom leans back and says "So I guess dessert is out of the question."

Down in Abby's lab, Kate is pacing while Abby works. Gibbs wonders if Kate is okay. She assures him she is. Gibbs doesn't think she looks fine though. Abby wants overtime for this work because she is missing her cousin's birthday. Abby confirms that the Colt .45 from McAllister's house is the one that killed Brian and shot up the trailer. "Figures," Kate says. "I finally meet a nice guy and he turns out to be a murderer." "Happens to Tony all the time," Abby reassures her. Abby sits down and enviegles Kate to give her a back rub. "And don't short change me this time!" she tells Kate. Kate tells Abby that she wouldn't be so stressed if she didn't drink all that caffeine that Gibbs brought her. But Abby loves all that caffeine!

Gibbs has been wandering around in the back area of Abby's lab, shining his flashlight around. He calls for Abby, telling her he needs her NOW! He wants to know how much time she spent on the car door. Abby tells him what she has done and says she was going to test for metal fatigue and aging in the morning. Gibbs wants it done now, so Abby promises him results in 30 minutes. Gibbs assigns Kate to help.

In the observation room, McGee is complimenting Cooper on catching his man. Cooper tells McGee he's getting old and thinking about retiring. Tony thinks they should get half of the million dollars. "Too bad life isn't fair, DiNozzo," Cooper tells him. They watch as Gibbs and Kate walk into interrogation. Cooper thinks it's about time. In his day they didn't wait two hours to interrogate anyone. "Let me guess," Tony says. "You just beat it out of them." "Yeah, something like that," Cooper agrees.

Tom McAllister tells Gibbs he is innocent and Gibbs tells him he knows that. Kate smiles. Cooper doesn't understand what is going on. Gibbs stands up and tells Tom he is free to go and walks out of the room, leaving Kate behind.

Now Cooper is in the interrogation room. He says it's not bad enough he had to do all the work, now they are arresting him for it? Gibbs agrees they do owe him for finding the wreck, but it wasn't murder. Cooper just laughs at that. Gibbs saw the evidence. Gibbs agrees. The evidence shows that Brian McAllister died in a car accident. The bullet was fired into the vehicle two weeks ago. The metal around the impact area was only recently exposed to water.

McGee's faith in Cooper is slowly dissolving away as he watches Gibbs interrogate him.

Gibbs asks Cooper if he would agree the bullet was fired about two weeks ago. Cooper doesn't understand what that has to do with him. "The reward was offered for finding the lieutenant's killer. In order to collect, you had to manufacture one," Gibbs reminds him. Cooper scoffs and denies it. Gibbs tells him he might have gotten away with it if he could have waited. They would have found the gun eventually. Gibbs wonders what Cooper needed the money for. "Gambling debts? Retirement? Taking those shots at Selena Lockhart? That was overkill. Too bad we caught you putting it back." Cooper doesn't think they can prove it. Gibbs pulls out an instant shooter ID kit. Cooper isn't worried and offers his hands. Gibbs tells him he knows Cooper was smart enough to wear gloves, but that any private dick who solves the un-solvable has to have a trademark and Cooper's is probably that tacky trench coat. That's what Gibbs' tests and that's what shows the gunshot residue. "Good luck trying to collect that million dollars," is Gibbs' parting shot.

In observation, McGee is dumbfounded. Tony tries to comfort him, telling McGee he felt the same way when he found out professional wrestling was fake. McGee cannot believe Cooper was going to frame an innocent man just for the reward. "It's all about the Benjamins," Tony reminds him. "Sometimes. Not always," McGee says as he watches Gibbs handcuff Cooper.

Tom McAllister wonders if Kate is up for dessert. At 2:30am, Kate wonders. Tom knows someplace that is still open. "And where would that be," Kate asks. "New York," Tom replies. "Sometimes it's good to own your own airline." Tony is coming out of the elevator at this and hears New York. Tony loves New York. Kate and Tom just look at him, walk past him, and get in the elevator. "It's a small plane, Tony," Kate tells him. "Maybe next time," Tom says. And the elevator doors close in Tony's face.

We see a plane flying through the air and hear Kate's voice asking Tom if he is Catholic

== osoby ==	== postava ==
Mike Starr (I)	Monroe Cooper

== osoby ==	== postava ==