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Pulling the files took five minutes and once that was accomplished she started going through them, making notes of things that could be pertinent to the case. It would have been a hell of a lot easier if she knew how the victim died but she made notes of anything that could be considered a red flag and then kept going until she had everything from the Lieutenant�s duty station to his one run in with JAG a few years earlier to his pre-school teacher�s name memorized. She was just about to go on a coffee run when Tony and McGee stepped off the elevator, both covered in mud and neither looking pleased.
�Nice of you to show up, Kate,� Tony said as he tracked mud over to his desk.
�Janitorial is going to kill you two,� Kate said as she grabbed some towels out of the gym bag she kept behind her desk and tossed them to her co-workers.
�Where the hell were you? I called you when you didn�t show this morning and I just kept getting your voicemail,� Tony said.
Kate was struck by the true concern that she could see in his eyes, despite the fact that he looked like he was ready to strangle her. She had a feeling that was just for McGee�s benefit, though. �Sorry. I fell asleep on the couch and slept through my alarm. My phone died on my way home last night and I didn�t think to charge it. And I guess I turned the ringer off again,� Kate said sheepishly.
McGee stormed off to get changed or possibly to grouse to Abby and Tony dropped the anger fa�ade. �Kate, god knows I�m not the poster boy for promptness and responsibility, but even I make sure my phone is charged and my ringer is on no matter what. Gibbs called me at four in the morning and told me to find you because we had a case and he couldn�t get you on the phone. If I didn�t have to get to the scene I was going to go busting down your door.�
�That�s very sweet and only a little overly Cro-Magnon of you, Tony, and I�m sorry I worried you, but, as you can see, I�m fine. Honest. I was just exhausted yesterday and I barely made it to the couch before I fell asleep,� Kate said honestly. �But, not that I�m saying the impulse isn�t sweet, because, really, I appreciate that you care enough to �bust down my door�, but, if you ever feel the need to check on me or anything like that, just use the key I gave you, okay? I have enough problems with my neighbours without having a crazed man with a gun kicking down my door at four in the morning.�
Tony nodded. �Deal,� he said. He knew that her neighbours hated the hours she kept and the multiple visits by gun-wielding co-workers and enemies alike, and Tony didn�t want to do anything that made life more difficult for Kate. �You�re sure you�re okay?� he asked.