Crimin4l Numb3rs: Learning

by Valerie Vancollie

valeriev84 at hotmail dot com


Characters: Ian Edgerton, David, Megan, Colby

Rating: PG

Summary: Edgerton briefs the L.A. team on the brothers Eppes.

Spoilers: None

Timeline: This drabble takes place after Conversation.


"The thing to take away from this session is that we are dealing with two highly intelligent men," Ian Edgerton declared, looking at the L.A. office agents. "The brothers Eppes don't make many mistakes, and they never, never make the same one twice."

"They killed that cop in Illinois," David argued. "That was a huge mistake."

"True, but we can't prove it was them. We can't conclusively prove that they have committed any crime, which is why they are still free."

"How do you know they are guilty at all?" someone inquired.

"The trail of crime that follows them, for one," Ian replied, showing a map of the country with a line cutting a random path from Quantico to L.A.. "This marks their route as we've determined it, and this," a series of dots appeared along the line, "marks the crimes they are suspected of.

"Also, anyone who's spoken with Don Eppes will be in no doubt of his guilt, though he will never explicitly incriminate himself."

"It's a game to him," Megan stated. "He is confident to the point of arrogance and is toying with us."

"With me in particular. I have been on his case in some form since it became clear that he was responsible for what had been seen as unrelated crimes. He has taken to taunting me."

"Not a particularly smart move," Colby commented.

"Yet he has gotten away with it," Ian replied grudgingly. "The Eppes' crimes are marked by three particular qualities: first, they hit hard targets, ones that are seen as unattainable; second, they are executed with extreme precision; and third, they are relatively big payouts in some form. As I said, they don't make many mistakes and they are making less and less. They are learning and making it harder for us."


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