“Suspicion” first aired January 16, 2006.

A murder is discovered in a no-tell motel out in the hayseed town of Edenvale. Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) video-conferences with Marine Major Bradley Raines (Mark Derwin), learning that the recently deceased was a high level Marine Intelligence officer, Marine Lt. Rihama Shaheen (Necar Zadegan), putting the killing in NCIS's jurisdiction.

The NCIS team heads to said town, meeting the mother of all cloistered, inbred law enforcement communities run by related good-ole boys, Sherriff Tom Barrett (Brian Howe) and cousin Deputy Tyler Barrett (Jon Curry) with a country cute CSI, Ruby Rae (Lynsey Bartilson) in tow. The NCIS team is necessarily unimpressed, the elitist Special Agent Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) and consummate outsider Mossad Agent Ziva David (Cote de Pablo) shamefully having fun at the good folks' expense.

The NCIS team encounters an overly familiar and faux-helpful colleague in Sherriff Barrett, who takes his sweet country time bringing the team up to date. By the time NCIS Medical Examiner Dr. Ducky Mallard (David McCallum) arrives, the autopsy has already been performed. Then the team is introduced to local CSI Ruby Rae who processed the crime scene. Agent Tim McGee (Sean Murray) strikes up a collegial relationship with Rae, advocating for her to an unimpressed Gibbs.

The sheriff finally gets around to telling the team that he has a suspect, one Masoud Tariq (Cas Anvar) and Iraqi relocation from the American occupation who allegedly met with the Marine Intelligence officer. Tariq currently cannot be found. Gibbs is skeptical. The team discovers that Lt. Shaheen, a Kuwait native, was acting as a linguist for the Marines. Lt. Shaheen apparently drove from Washington DC and checked into the local motel under a pseudonym.

Gibbs sends DiNozzo and Ducky back to headquarters to question the deceased’s superior about what her most current assignment was. Gibbs sends McGee with Rae to re-evaluate the crime scene. Gibbs and Ziva are left to locate the mysterious Tariq. Gibbs and Ziva go to Tariq’s house to have a look around. They find potential bomb making materials in the garage and interference from the local law enforcement.