Dead Man Talking (NCIS)

Infobox Television episode
Title = Dead Man Talking
Colour =
Series = NCIS
Season = 1
Episode = 19


Airdate = 27 April 2004
Production = 1x19
Season list = Infobox NCIS season 1 episode list
Episode list = List of "NCIS" episodes
Prev = UnSEALed
Next = Missing

"Dead Man Talking" is the 19^th episode of the drama television series "NCIS".

Plot

When Special Agent Chris Pacci is found dead in an elevator, the NCIS team must re-open a cold case in order to discover the killer. Gibbs takes Pacci's death personally because he had been too busy to help Pacci the day before his death when Pacci had tried to get some advice from him.

When searching Pacci's apartment, Kate and DiNozzo are startled to hear the phone ring. Tony answers it cautiously, only to hear the familiar voice of Agent McGee. Pacci had contacted McGee for access to a cold case file, which McGee had now acquired; the NCIS now knew what Pacci had been investigating: the death of a Lt. Commander Voss in a car crash a few years ago.

Several years ago, Lieutenant Commander Voss was found to have been defrauding the military of several million dollars through a credit card fraud. He was subsequently killed in an automobile accident and the money was never recovered. Meanwhile, in the autopsy, Ducky notices something odd on the X-Ray and is able to extract a digital camera memory card from inside Pacci's body. The pictures on the card show he had been tailing a civilian woman called Amanda Reed, who recently purchased a piece of property that had previously belonged to the Voss family for generations. This is a sufficient coincidence for Gibbs to order a stakeout on the apartment.

The team stake out the apartment, with McGee (who has been drafted in to assist) and DiNozzo taking the first shift. McGee is able to persuade DiNozzo not to leave any practical jokes for Kate on the very sensible grounds that Gibbs would be with her at the time. Gibbs orders a recovery of Amanda Reed's trash, which is then all sent to Abby. When McGee and DiNozzo are left to continue the surveillance, McGee is horrified to see that DiNozzo has gone across to the apartment and made contact with Amanda Reed. Abby, through the electronic surveillance warns him that Gibbs will blame Tim as much as Tony if Tony gets caught. Tony gets back without mishap, and McGee heaves a huge and premature sigh of relief.

Back at NCIS HQ, several pieces of information come to light. Amanda Reed lived close to each of Voss's postings, moving every time that he was transferred: this proves a connection between them. Initially, Kate's suspicion that Voss may not have been the body in the burnt out car seems to be wrong because according to the autopsy report, the DNA matched. However, Gibbs orders Voss's autopsy report and DNA to be re-examined, and Abby realizes that Voss was not in fact the one who was burnt to crisp in the car accident. That body belonged to someone else. Voss's old school friend had fabricated the lab result, and he too was later murdered in a car accident. Gibbs concludes that Voss is still alive and killed Pacci to stop him from exposing the truth. He also realizes that Voss must have known that Pacci was watching him, which means that it is likely Voss is aware of the stakeout.

Seeing a parcel left for Amanda Reed, Tony is determined to find out where it came from. However, as he is looking at the parcel, the door opens and he is caught in the act by Amanda Reed. To cover himself, he makes a play for her and is invited in for coffee. He agrees to meet her in a nearby pub, and goes back to the apartment, only to be caught by Gibbs. Gibbs agrees to let Tony go on the date as an attempt at providing bait to draw out Voss. Tony meets Amanda in the pub, and she is extremely frisky, squeezing his thigh and French kissing him. However, Abby has made a startling discovery. After an analysis of the trash collected from outside Amanda Reed's apartment, Abby realizes that Amanda Reed and Commander Voss are the same person. Gibbs tries to warn Tony, but initially he ignores the call as he gets it on with Amanda. However, when she goes to powder her nose, he phones Gibbs back and gets the shock of his life. When Amanda/Voss returns, Tony pulls a gun on her, but the situation is misinterpreted by the other customers of the pub, who attempt to help her. McGee's attempts to intervene are similarly met with violence from the other customers. Before Amanda/Voss can reach the door, it bursts open to reveal Gibbs, who puts his gun to her head. She is holding the pistol that killed Pacci, and there is a tense moment as she realises that there is no escape. The realization is sufficient for her to make a suicidal attempt to raise the gun, and Gibbs shoots point blank.

As a last act for Pacci, Gibbs goes through Pacci's belongings to ensure there are no unpleasant surprises shipped to his family. He tells the others that it is a service he has always done for his troops when they die. Meanwhile, led by a delighted Kate, the rest of the team rip DiNozzo for having flirted with and kissed a man. He finds that he can't really take it, and runs off with his tail between his legs.