Chapter 9:

By the time the other employees started to filter in, Tony had supplied McGee with as many names and places that he could remember and McGee had found another two open murder cases; one with the South Carolina Highway Patrol, their State Police Department, and the other with Maine State Police. Both women were killed the same way, bound and gagged, manual strangulation and bank accounts cleared of all savings. Their husbands were wanted in relation to both murders, Edward Sullivan and Brian Harmon. Both files held photographs of the men in question and there was no doubt both Tony's father. In one he had long flowing blonde hair and the second was a marine cut, died red and with thick dark rimmed glasses and moustache.

Both had become Cold Cases when the trail went cold on these men. Because the occurred back in the seventies and eighties, there was no easy way to match MO's across various police departments. Basically, if it didn't occur in their state there was little they could do to compare cases except by picking up the phone and calling random police departments around the country.

These two cases had been picked up because the cold cases had been updated onto their state directories. While there was a push on the federal level to get as many cold cases and unsolved cases up into a national database, unfortunately the lack of manpower of many of the individual police departments in each state, and across the US, meant that it was truly a hit and miss affair. And of course the priorities were the most recent cases and the most grievous of murders. McGee actually thought it was a miracle they found two just through local search.

When McGee filled Gibbs and Tony in on what he found, Gibbs decided they needed to take this to the next level. "McGee, as soon as Bishop turns up, grab her and Abby and go down to Autopsy. We will meet you down there soon. And not a word to them until I get there."

"What are you going to do?" McGee asked.

"I've been up all night McGee, I need a coffee," he walked away shouting over his shoulder, "You're with me DiNozzo."

They rode down in the elevator silently, Gibbs allowing Tony time with his inner thoughts that must be in absolute turmoil. They walked out of the building and to the coffee cart where Gibbs ordered them both a coffee, even getting Tony the sweet flavoured coffee he seemed so fond of. He then guided them both over to a bench and took a seat. Tony paced back and forwards in front of him until he had enough, "Sit down Tony, you are making me dizzy."

They sipped quietly for a while before Gibbs finally opened the dialogue, "You OK?"

Tony laughed a sarcastic laugh, "Well let me think about that … um NO!"

"And you honestly had no idea of what your father was doing," Gibbs wanted to believe Tony but he had to hear Tony say the words.

"Gibbs I swear I had no idea. I thought that yeah he was a conman and ripped of women but kill them!" He shook his head, still stocked at what he had discovered. "I have spent the last twenty years trying to make amends for what I did … what I thought I did. And I know it could never make up for what happened, but I swore I would never allow anyone to get away with that sort of thing if I was in a position to do something about it. So if you think for a second, I knew about my father was doing and that I would allow that monster to walk around without doing something about it … then you don't know me at all." Tony's voice hitched towards the end of his speech, the emotion still raw and close to the surface.

Gibbs placed his hand on Tony's shoulder and gave it a squeeze, "I believe you Tony."

Tony nodded thanking Gibbs for his trust. He wiped away his tears, "Now what?"

"You said it before, we need to catch him and make sure he gets locked away, but to do that we need proof, and to get proof, we need help."

Tony felt a dread fall over him, "What sort of help?"

"I have one of the best federal investigative teams, do you really think I won't use them to find a serial killer that has been operating for … hell who knows how long he has been doing this."

"So everyone is going to know," Tony said.

"Can't see that we have a choice in that; Do you?"

Tony admitted that he didn't see any alternative. At least using the team he knew and who knew him, he would spend the time in the relative comfort of NCIS headquarters under the never waiving supervision of one Leroy Jethro Gibbs. The alternative was to hand it over to the FBI and spend the rest of his time in a federal prison awaiting trial for identity theft. Hell, they would probably charge him for accessory to murder not to mention withholding evidence of a murder, aiding and abetting a felon … the list went on.

"They're going to hate me."

"They will be surprised, maybe angry, but I don't think they will hate you. I don't, McGee doesn't."

"I hope you're right."

"How about we go and find out."

They arrived down at autopsy to find the team harassing McGee for information on why they are there.

"I can't tell you anything, Gibbs told me to wait."

"Give us a clue Tim," Abby begged.

"Yeah, does it have something to do with why you have been so funny towards Tony the last couple of days?" Ellie asked.

"Why have you been funny to Tony, McGee?" Abby asked punching Tim in the arm. "What has Tony done to you?"

"How about we do as Jethro asked and wait for him to tell us," suggested Dr Mallard from his desk.

"That sounds like good advice to me Ducky," Gibbs said as he breezed into autopsy with Tony trailing behind, shoulders slumped and hands in his pockets.

"Aww, someone needs a hug," Abby went up to Tony and threw her arms around him. He hugged her back, realising that shortly she may never want to show him any form of affection again.

"McGee, show them the files."

"Right." McGee laid the three manila folders that he had been clutching closely to his chest, hiding their contents from the others.

"What do we have here Jethro?" Ducky asked.

"What we have here, Duck, are three files of three women who have all been killed the same way, by the same man."

"Bishop picked up one of the files and started to flick through the papers McGee had printed off from the searches he performed, "Oh, hunting a serial killer … Excellent!" She couldn't hide her excitement as she hopped up on one of the autopsy tables and started to really study the file.

"I assume one of the victims is Navy personnel," Ducky said as he also picked up one of the files.

"Not exactly Duck, which is why we need to do this quickly and quietly."

Abby asked, "Then why are we looking into them if it's isn't an NCIS case? I don't know about you guys by my workload is already unbelievable." She pulled the last file to her and opened it.

"I have a very good reason," Gibbs said, about to explain the reason as best he could.

"Hey, this guy looks familiar," Ellie said, turning the photo of the long blonde haired senior DiNozzo for all to see.

"Oh my God," Abby said grabbing the photo from Bishop, "this guy could be your dad, Tony. A bit younger and with some wicked highlights."

Abby laughed but when she looked at Tony and saw the expression on his face the laughter stopped.

"Oh my," Ducky said, having come across the photos of the red headed, close cut moustachioed version of Tony's father. He looked up also noting the look of misery on Tony's face. "It is your father, isn't it Anthony."

Tony could only nod, unable to speak.

Palmer was the first to beak the shocked silence.

"Wait, I don't understand… how could your dad be a serial killer? I mean; we know him! Surely a serial killer wouldn't want to hang out with a bunch of federal investigators! This is some mistake, surely. I mean… come on!"

"I wish it was Palmer," Gibbs said.

"I suggest you tell us exactly what is going on Jethro, "Ducky suggested.

And so with some help from McGee, in a talk that had more words in it than anyone had ever heard Leroy Jethro Gibbs speak, he explained; starting with McGee's weekend discovery that Tony was living under a false name, through to Tony's mistaken belief that he had killed someone as a teen, to the discovery that senior was not a conman as Tony had always believed, but to the inevitable discovery that he was in fact a serial killer who used multiple identities to remain one step ahead of the law.

Tony had receded to the edge of the room, distancing himself from the others. However, he couldn't distance himself from the looks of shock, horror and disbelief they all shot him at one stage or another throughout the telling. Each look was like a stab to the heart, not only because of how they felt towards him, but because of the guilt he carried for the pain and deceit he had unwillingly but inevitably dealt out to them all.

It was some time before anyone was ready to talk, too busy digesting the enormity of what they had just been told, not only that someone they knew was accused of such heinous crimes, but worse, that their friend … no their brother had lied to them about who he was.

Abby turned to Tony, her arms crossed across her chest, "So if your name isn't Tony, what is it?" She was angry and understandably so.

"Abby, there is more to Tony's story than we told you," McGee said, trying to intervene before Abby's hurt feelings and anger caused her to lash out at Tony, who as far as McGee was concerned was an innocent in this … to a point.

"No, I want to hear it from him," she said pointing in Tony's direction, "I want this … person … to tell me his name, and it had better be the truth because I am angry now, but if I find out you lied to me again I will never forgive you!"

So Tony answered her honestly, "I don't know what my name is."

"How can you not know what your name is. You were what sixteen when you changed your name, are you trying to tell me you can't remember what your name was before that, is everything you have ever said a lie!" she spat out angrily.

"Yes, I remember," Tony said, his voice now echoing Abby's anger, "It was Sean, and before that, I was Mark, before that I was Jason, and before that I was David … or was it Daniel … you see it all starts to get a bit confusing around her because, I was only 9 or 10, hell maybe I was younger … or older … I wouldn't know, because I have no idea how old I am. So what was I up to Oh, yeah Daniel … or David, well I know I was Sebastian when I was about seven because I remember fighting with dad in the car when he told me my new name. You see I didn't like Sebastian … can't blame me really … that name sucks. I liked Michael which I was before that … or even Steven before that … I kind of forget before then, four year olds aren't renown for their ability to remember things." Tony stopped then, his voice catching and his eyes stinging with tears he refused to allow flow.

The look of pity on the faces of his friend just made the fight to stop the tears all that much harder. He turned his back and walked away, as far as he could from his friends to try and compose himself. 'DiNozzo's don't cry' he thought to himself before realising the irony of that mantra he had spoken for nearly thirty years. He had come up with that the day his father had dropped him off at Remmington Academy. He wasn't a DiNozzo … he could cry. He was just worried that if he started he may never stop. The last 24 hours had been so overwhelming he was worried if he allowed a crack to appear it may just bring his whole fragile psyche crashing down around him.

He stood for a moment before feeling a gentle touch on his back. It was Abby. "I'm so sorry Tony, I had no idea."

He nodded, still unable to speak.

"I need to know one thing though and it has to be the truth," green eyes met green eyes, "did you know what your father was? Even a suspicion?"

He shook his head, "I didn't, I swear it," this time he couldn't stop the tears and his voice cracked with emotion.

Abby took the crying man into her arms and held him as he cried, soothing him as best she could.

"I believe you and we will get him and lock him away, not just for those women he killed, but for the little boy he destroyed as well. And Tony?" He looked at her through blurry teary eyes, "I like the name Sebastian."