A Desperate Man - Recap

The scene opens with a young couple looking at a run-down apartment. The realtor says that the area is going to be great in a few years. However, as they round the corner, they find a dead woman lying on the ground. Meanwhile, Tony teases Tim and he says that it was Maxine. Tony says that he needs human affection. Ziva comes up behind Tony and tells Tim that she needs a favor. She says that she needs him to block a number. Tony realizes that it is to CI Ray who she is avoiding. Ray calls, but Ziva ignores it. She says that she will forward him the number. Ray calls Tony and he takes the call. Tony asks Ziva if she wants a couple’s massage. Ziva laughs and says that Ray would never call Tony, but he says that he just did. The phone rings again and it is private. She tells Tim to ignore. Gibbs comes in and says that Ray already called him too, but they have bigger problems. He says that they have a dead Medical Officer that they have to deal with.

The NCIS team arrives on scene and Tim takes pictures. Tim says that the bullets are in the wall. Maya Burris is the victim. Ducky comes up and says that there is minimum blood loss. Jimmy is talking to the realtor and Ducky calls him over. He says that he hasn’t talked to her in a long time. Ducky says that Maya died hours ago. Nick Burris, Maya’s husband comes up. He is a Detective. Nick’s partner, Flowers, tells the NCIS team that he can’t guarantee that Nick will stay away. The team tells Gibbs the history of Maya and says that she was in the Navy and that she was working as a Medical Officer. Nick comes in drunk and demands some answers. They take him to the conference room and he says that he was supposed to meet with Maya after she got back from the Middle East. He says that Maya could handle herself at work and says that she was proud of her work. He says that he can’t believe that this happened and that she was such a good person. He says that whoever did this, they need to pay. Gibbs says that they will do what they can. He says that they better or else, he will do it instead.

Meanwhile, Jimmy and Ducky are examining Maya’s body. Jimmy says that it is sad that her husband has to go through this. Ducky asks if Jimmy is getting cold feet with his own vows coming up. He says that he isn’t and that it is just weird. Ducky says that this is the most wonderful time of his life and hopes that he only has to do it once. Gibbs comes up and Ducky says that someone took a lot to clean it up. He says that this murder was done by someone with a mindset of one who knows about this and that it was someone with law enforcement knowledge and how to cover it. Tim and Tony talk again and Tony says that he was on his couch and says that he has been looking for love. Ziva overhears him talk about her lack of romance and tells him that he shouldn’t talk. Gibbs comes in and Tony tells him that Nick had a life insurance policy and that he has been spending the money before. They realize that Maya’s trip to the Middle East was for personal reasons possibly. Gibbs tells the team to look into it.

Gibbs goes up to Abby, who is recreating the crime scene. She says that she thinks that the shots didn’t come where they think and that the killer was by the window. She says that the groupings of bullets would be different. She says that the killer killed from another building. Tony and Ziva walk around the crime scene and he asks what happened with her and Ray. She says that he wasn’t into her anymore. She says that he is not reliable. She says that it brought her back when she was young when Ray isn’t there for her. They see a light in the building and check it out. When they get into the building they tell the person to stop where they are. However, the stranger runs. Tony and Ziva catch up to him and find that the person is Nick Burris. They take him back to the station and he wants to know why he is there. Gibbs comes in asks why Nick was there. He says that he was trying to solve the case. Gibbs shows the boat. He says that Maya bought it because it was their dream to live on a boat. Gibbs asks if she spent money like this and he says that she hasn’t. Nick says that their relationship was great. Ziva says that it is confirmed that Maya bought the boat. Gibbs says that they need to track down her Commander.

They get on the phone with U.S. Ambassador James Ealy and he says that they are still in shock over there. He says that Maya worked with officials in the Middle East. He says that he didn’t know of any surveillance and all she talked about was getting home to her husband. However, later they find Maya meeting with a man and it isn’t friendly. Nick calls and Gibbs tells Tony to ignore it. However, Tony tells him that he will handle it. Tony meets with Nick and he says that Nick needs to trust that they are doing the best they can. He says that he has been working for a while and that the longer you work, the more you have to disconnect yourself. Tony tells Nick that he needs to let himself grieve and let them do their work. Nick gives Tony a piece of paper. It has Ray’s name. Tony calls Ziva and tells her that they need to talk to Ray. She says that she will go alone. Later, Ziva goes up to Ray and says that they need to talk to Maya. He says that she ran interference for them. She asks who the man was with whom she was traveling with. He says that they don’t know. He goes up to her and says that he is sorry that he got caught up with work and she says that it is too late. However, he says that he loves her and asks her to marry him. She tells him to get up and he says that he applied for desk duty. He says that he wants to be with her.

Tony comes up to Ziva and asks if Ray got on his knee. She asks how he knew and Tony says that it is “guy code” not to tell. She tells him that she didn’t technically say yes yet. Tony says that if it is right, then it will happen. Gibbs comes in and tells him that he should get ready for a wedding and Gibbs tells Ziva that he is happy for her. Abby comes in and says that she has some information. It is on the DX 1200, a high-grade security system and that it is possible that Maya was looking into the Sauli Revolutionary Corpse (SRC), a terrorist group. They realize that there is one place they haven’t looked at. They go to Maya’s boat and Nick tells them that he doubts that Maya is hiding anything. Tony finds a box. They open it to find information on the SRC. They see that Maya was in it deep. Gibbs goes back to Abby and she says that Maya has a lot to say. She says that Maya was back in the Middle East with Barry Norton. He was fraternizing with the SRC and sold them government secrets. They realize that Barry has motive, means and opportunity.

Ziva talks to Ray and Tony hears her. She tells Tony that Ray rented a jet to go to Miami to tell his parents. He says that he is happy for her. Gibbs talks to Tim who tells him that they have a hit on Barry’s car and says that it was involved in an accident. They bring in Barry’s car and Tim says that he was pronounced dead. Abby says that Barry’s breaks were tampered with. Tony says that the SRC put a hit on Barry. They look at calls made in the time Barry was in the Middle East. Ziva sees a number that she recognizes. She walks off and tells Gibbs that she has to do something. She goes to Abby and tells her to pull up voicemails from a few months back. She cross references them with Barry’s phone. The number was from the same place. She goes up to Ray at the jet. He asks where her bags are and she punches him. She says that it was him who killed Maya and then he covered it up. Ray says that Barry was his target and that it was a mistake. He says that now that Barry is dead, he can go back to being the man he used to be, the man Ziva fell in love with. She tells him that “that” man is dead. She walks away.

She gets into the car with Gibbs and says that Ray is done and that he is not going to be working for the Federal Government anymore. He asks what he can do and she says that he needs to drive. Tony comes up to Ziva and says that it is alright to ask for help from him with the tech stuff. He says that she shouldn’t beat herself up over this thing with Ray. He says that she will find the right person. She says that children and marriage are not her plan for now and says that she is content. Nick comes in and asks who the killer was. Ziva says that his name is Ray Cruz and says that he won’t hurt anyone ever again. Nick says that the Navy cops aren’t too bad and asks how long Tony and Ziva have been together. Ziva and Tony say that they are just co-workers and really good friends. Nick tells them to hold on to that and cherish each other. They look at one another and the episode ends.

Written By David Sibert

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