The scene starts when NCIS gets a call about a marine's leg found in the dumpster. When NCIS arrived the leg was on the stairs since the man who found the leg threw it once he realized it was a leg. Gibbs was angry because the patrol was smiling about the leg dropping at the stairs, and Gibbs told him there was nothing funny about a marine's severed leg. Ducky told Gibbs to find him a liver in the leg since he was insisting about the time of death; however, Ducky says it was dead for less than 24 hours.

Back in the lab, the severed leg has a metal splint in the uncle and NCIS traces to the surgeon who said the marine was Thomas Dorn and informed NCIS that he died two years ago. However, according to Ducky the leg was dead for less than 24 hours.

Meanwhile, Dinozzo is pressing Kate about her tattoo since she said she had one and that Dinozzo's belief about people with tattoo is game for anything which Kate isn't.

Their investigation of the marine leads them to the doctor where the marine died. She confirmed that the marine had a heart attack and since she was a coroner she did not think an autopsy was needed. The body was cremated as per instructions of her half-sister.

After a DNA test was done to the severed leg, they found out it was the real Thomas and the dead marine as told by the doctor was a fake. The supposedly half-sister identified it wrongly so she and her brother who was alive then would be able to get the money from the insurance.

Gibbs while investigating has already downed 6 cups of coffee and Ducky pointed out it wasn't even noon. NCIS went to the house of the half-sister and found out she married the dead marine since he did not know he was her half-sister. Inside the house, Dinozzo heard someone and the found the old doctor who cremated the supposedly marine who had a heart attack. They learned she was the mother of the half-sister.

Before the story ends, Dinozzo gets a kick since Gibbs and Abby knew about the tattoo of Kate and it wasn't a rose on the butt as she says it is.