NCIS Season 18 Episode 7 Recap: The First Day

A tow-truck driver finds a murdered Navy officer, David Avila, when she goes to pick up a car. Palmer lost Breena to Covid-19. Avila's car had fingerprints from a recently released inmate, Luis Carter. GIbbs suspects the inmate was involved. Avila was part of a group that helps out ex-cons. Carter took a contact book from Avilar's car. Kasie tells Gibbs she's concerned about Palmer. Bishop and Torres find Carter hiding at a barber shop. Carter said that a rider on a motorcycle shot Avila. Jack seems distracted. Carter says that Avila was the only one there for him. Carter admits that a street gang was after him but shot Avila instead. Gibbs assigns Torres to protect Carter from the gang. Palmer calls Ducky but can't bring himself to talk seriously. Carter lied about talking to his lawyer every week. Torres confronts Carter about lying. Torres threatens to take him back to his old gang. Carter admits he lied because he was calling his daughter who worked at the law firm. But he wants to get free of the gang before he reconnects with her. A gang informant says that Carter got in the way of the gang's "ghost gun" operation. Avila was shot with a ghost gun. Jack says Gibbs should talk to Palmer. Jack admits she's thinking of leaving NCIS. Avila was in the same gang. He was the target. Marcus the barber was in charge of the ghost-gun operation and Avila discovered that. They find the guns at his shop. Gibbs visits Palmer, who tells him he's stuck in denial. After Palmer opens up about how he is feeling, they hug. Torres takes Carter to visit his daughter. GIbbs stages an office memorial for Breena. Gibbs has Palmer read the letter he wrote to her.