By the Dawn's Early Light

By 1st Endeavor

Disclaimer: see Chapter 1

A/N: Thank you for your reviews. I truly appreciate them.

Chapter 14:

"Matt ran the data retrieved from the hard drives of all of the victim's computers and came up with zilch." David sighed, sticking his hands in his pockets. "If they were in contact with one another, they didn't do it by computer."

"Hell we don't even know if our killer is still in this area. If he stays true to form then he's already moved on to another state." Colby muttered crossly.

"We're missing something." Don sighed, scrubbing a hand through his hair as he stared at the plasma screen. They had been at it for hours but had made little progress in the case.

A thought suddenly occurred to him and he bent over to hit a few keys on his laptop; a crime scene photo of Alicia Brogan lying on the floor of her office suddenly appeared on the plasma screen. "Put up the pictures of your victim's crime scene photos."

One by one each picture was added to the screen and then Don ordered David to enlarge each one until every detail in the pictures was clear.

"What are you seeing Don?" Colby asked, squinting at the photographs.

The SAC stood in front of the TV and pointed out the similarities. "In each photograph there are magazines and papers scattered across the floor."He scratched the stubble on his jaw while he considered his next statement. "Why? What is their significance to the murders?"

"Why does it have to be related to the murders?" Colby asked, sharing a puzzled look with his partner. "I mean couldn't our victims just have been working on the papers or reading the magazines when the murderer arrived?"

"It's possible." Don reluctantly conceded.

"But you don't believe it." David scoffed, scrolling through the data that he had collected on Crandall.

Don's brow furrowed. "I can't explain it but I just have the feeling that it means something…..something that is important to our killer."

Liz leaned back in her chair; crossing her arms she snickered. "You've got a hunch."

"Maybe." Don murmured rubbing the back of his neck. "All of the magazines found in Brogan's office contained articles that she had published," he shrugged his shoulders, "which I guess in itself wouldn't be that unusual but what about the magazines found at the other crime scenes….did they contain articles written by the victims too?"

He turned to his team with a questioning expression which clearly asked "why are you just sitting there?" and suddenly the other agents were scrambling to scan through the information that they had accrued on their respective victims. Don returned to his seat and scrolled through the data that he had collected on Brogan then pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number.

"Dr. Ackerman, this is Special Agent Eppes with the FBI. I'm sorry to trouble you at this time but something has come up in Dr. Brogan's case and I need to ask you a question." He listened for a moment and then asked his question. After a short conversation he scrolled through the data again and then dialed another number.

"Mrs. Brogan, this is Special Agent Eppes with the FBI. I'm sorry to trouble you at this time but something has come up in your daughter's case and I need to ask you a question." A few minutes later he thanked her and hung up the phone.

"What'd you find out boss?" Nikki asked peering over the top of her laptop.

Don leaned back in his chair and met the eyes of his team. "Dr. Ackerman says that Alicia never bought any of those magazines that we found….says he doesn't have any idea how they got there. Ackerman said that right after they started dating she published an article in Scientific American and he offered to pick up a copy for her but she told him that she never bought them because her mother always collected them."

"So how did they get there?" David asked.

"Mrs. Brogan swears that her collection is still in her bookshelf….she even checked it while we were on the phone and confirmed that they're all still there. So unless Alicia lied to her boyfriend the only other conclusion is that our killer must have brought them there."

Colby's eyebrows shot up in the air. "For what purpose?"

"Why would he do that?" Liz asked, following Colby's line of thought. "What relevance would the magazines have to the killer's motive?"

"You may be on to something Don." David said excitedly. "I've just checked a couple of the magazines that were found at Crandall's office and both of them contained articles that had been written by Dr. Crandall."

Nikki crossed her arms and huffed. "If I published an article in a magazine I would make damn sure that I had a copy of it…maybe even two. " She turned to her partner. "Liz, you're taking up profiling so answer this for me. Isn't it human nature to keep copies of your accomplishments?"

Liz tilted her head to the side and regarded her partner before answering. "I think it's inherent in all of us to try and chronicle our accomplishments," her lips parted in a grin, "and yes, I would want a copy of anything that I had published."

Nikki glanced at Don. "I think that most people, at one time or another, look back on their past glories so maybe that's all this is." She tossed her hair and looked around the table at her teammates. "Brogan must have lied to her boyfriend and had her own copies stashed away somewhere. That night she got nostalgic and happened to be looking at them when her killer arrived."

"Maybe." Don mumbled, but his tone of voice lacked conviction.

"But you're still not buying it. " Colby noted, tapping his pencil against the desk.

Don frowned and shook his head. "No. Check with your victim's families and find out if they have any idea why the papers and magazines were there. If we can determine if the killer brought them there then it might help us get inside this guy's head."

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Charlie unlocked his office and hurried inside; setting his bags down in one of the chairs he strode over to a side bookcase and knelt down to retrieve the sandwich and soda from the refrigerator. Carrying them to his desk he sat down and hungrily removed the sandwich from its wrapping paper and while taking several bites read his brother's note.

"Hey Buddy,

Sorry I missed you, guess I should have called first huh? We certainly haven't had much luck in getting together lately, have we?

Anyway, the folder contains background information on the additional murder victims that you discovered. So far we've only been able to connect the victims in one way; they all graduated from Princeton in 1992.

"Princeton…1992!" Charlie muttered in surprise looking up from the letter. He took a long drink of soda and another bite of the sandwich as his eyes drifted back to the note.

But I'm betting on a more recent connection although I have to tell you that I'm relieved that you graduated in '91. Hopefully you can pull one of those "magic tricks "out of your hat and point us in the right direction.

When I stopped by earlier there was a man trying to get into your office. Tall, early sixties, white hair and glasses, said he would catch up with you later. I don't trust him so watch your back. There was something weird about the man and it wasn't just because he was an arrogant s.o.b. either. Maybe you should warn security about him.

Charlie paused and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Don's description fit a number of CalSci professors although there was only one of them that he would classify as being an arrogant s.o.b. Professor Martin certainly fit the description but Charlie was sure that he was out of town at the moment. His eyes drifted downward to finish his brother's note.

I appreciate your help Charlie,
Don

"Magic tricks," Charlie snickered and rolled his eyes as he set the note aside and flipped open the folder. His thoughts grew serious as he began to read , his mind automatically gravitating toward the number references first; without any effort his eidetic memory automatically began comparing birthdates, ages, social security numbers….any kind of numbers that were listed in the documents that might form a pattern to connect the victims. He paused suddenly when his gaze fell on one particular number….the year they had all graduated from Princeton. Don had seemed to dismiss that fact in his note but…what were the odds?

He frowned as his eyes drifted over each of the victim's names and photographs. Charlie rubbed a finger over his lips as he studied the pictures and then scanned the documents looking specifically for their chosen professions. Astrophysics, engineering, political science, research analysis and Orbit & Trajectory analysis; all fields that would have required higher mathematical skills in order to perform them, which meant that they had probably taken some of the same math classes that he had taken.

He took another bite of his sandwich and tried to recall if he had shared classes with any of them while he was at Princeton. Their physical characteristics would have changed a lot in eighteen years, no make that nineteen because he had graduated the year before. Yet the odds were staggering; it was inconceivable that he hadn't shared a class with at least one of them during the three years that he had attended Princeton.

Charlie finished the sandwich and downed the rest of the soda as he pushed his chair back from the desk and rose to his feet. His mind still on the case he absently closed the folder and picked up the sandwich paper and empty bottle then tossed them into the trash. The young man crossed the room and picked up his bag but his eyes drifted back to the folder as he hung the bag over his shoulder. Charlie had a fleeting thought at the edge of his mind as he turned toward the door; he hadn't recognized any of the faces but some of the names had seemed to have a familiar ring to them, but the memory was gone and he couldn't seem to get it back. He turned the latch and stepped over the threshold; pausing long enough to lock the door behind him before turning on his heel and rushing for the elevator.

As the elevator door closed and he began his descent Charlie's thoughts strayed back to his Princeton days and to the only classmate that he had truly called a friend. Thomas Hill had been five years older than him at the time but a mutual respect had developed between them and they had formed a close friendship that had stayed strong through the course of the passing years. Just last year Charlie had spent the weekend at his cabin in Castle Rock and together they had hiked the trails of Mount St. Helens. The EPA had posted a three mile radius restriction around the mountain to all visitors but since Hill was doing research for them he had been able to get Charlie a special pass. They had spent the better part of a day just exploring the crater itself and for the first time Charlie had been able to understand his friend's passion for his chosen profession. Tom had become a noted volcanologist and was well respected in his field; he was at home on that mountain and as the elevator door opened Charlie couldn't refrain from smiling as he remembered the excited gleam in his friend's eyes when he had shared his latest discovery with him.

As he exited the building and hurried down the steps, Charlie pulled out his cell phone and scrolled through his contact numbers. He punched a button and with the phone to his ear he hurried across campus. "Hey Tom, its Charlie. Take your nose out of that volcanic rock and pick up the phone." He said teasingly when he heard the machine pick up. "All right, just give me a call as soon as you can, will ya? I've got an important question to ask you. Catch you later." His friend had graduated the same year as the murder victims and Charlie was hoping that he just might be able to give him a little insight on his former classmates.

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Miles away in a small secluded cabin on the outskirts of Castle Rock the ring of a telephone echoed eerily around the silent building, disturbing the mice that had eaten through the take-out bag containing Tom's uneaten ravioli dinner. Four small furry heads rose in the air, sniffing for scents that would warn them of danger; whiskers twitching constantly as they sought the smell that should be coming with the loud ringing sound but try as they might they were unable to sense any new danger. They remained frozen in their positions long after the voice had stopped speaking and then one by one they began to eat again.

Another mouse entered the cabin through a small hole in the corner of the room and scurried across the floor, pausing briefly to sniff at the still form lying on the floor. After a moment he hurried to join the other mice; his bloody tracks mingling with the ones that were already dotting the wooden floor.

Thomas Hill's undiscovered body lay in the same position that he had fallen in; his once intelligent eyes now wide open and clouded over with death. In life, during the course of his work, he would often spend days alone on the isolated trails enjoying the companionship of the local wildlife…and sadly it appeared that in death it would be the same.

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Ludwig hastily scribbled notes along the margins of the pages of the book that he was reading. How could Eppes demean himself by writing such a monstrosity? The boy had truly lost his way if he considered this to be important; actually, he grudgingly conceded, the math in itself was quite elegant but the way he presented it was just appalling.

"Do you mind if I join you Professor?" Jenny's melodious voice barely cut through the man's angry mutterings.

Ludwig's head swiveled around at the sound of her voice. He tilted his head upward and squinted at her in the late afternoon sunlight.

"Of course dear lady." He replied pleasantly waving a hand at the rocking chair next to his.

Schiller had returned to "The Bissell House" for a much needed rest. He had gone straight to CalSci as soon as he had arrived in L.A. and attributed his close calls to the fact that he was tired and not thinking straight. The warm sun and light breeze had lured him to the rocking chairs located on front porch of the bed and breakfast and the relaxing atmosphere had been just the thing to calm his nerves …..even the voice had given him some respite.

"I often come out here to relax and read a good book." She said, her eyes drifting from the book in his lap to the one in her hand. Jenny sat down and leaned her head back against the chair as she gently began to rock to and fro.

Without even realizing it, Ludwig began to rock his chair at the same slow pace that Jenny was rocking and found that her presence had an even more calming effect on him. He desperately savored the moment knowing that all too soon the voice would return and demand that he continue on with its important work. Sitting there with her he wished that he could stop…he wanted to stop….he wanted another life other than the one the voice had created for him. Ludwig sighed wistfully, imagining how his life could have been different if he'd only taken a different path.

"The Attraction Equation: Being Popular is as Easy as Pi." Jenny murmured excitedly, leaning forward to get a better look at the book in his hands. "Oh, I love this book!"

Pulled from his reverie, Ludwig looked down in surprise at the book and then met her cheerful gaze. "You've read this?" he asked incredulously.

"Well, you don't have to seem so surprised," she replied a little defensively. "I'm not a mathematician but the way Professor Eppes explains everything it is really easy to follow along. I found the math absolutely fascinating."

"Please do not take offense Jenny," Ludwig said, trying to explain. "Try to understand that as a mathematician I look at this book from an analytical perspective and I fail to see its appeal."

"Oh." She said, a little ill at ease. "I suppose I can see your point of view but perhaps you should try reading it without dissecting it then you might enjoy it as I have." Her voice became more buoyant as she spoke. "It was at the top of the best sellers list for months." She reached over and tapped the book with her finger and with a saucy twinkle in her eye she added proudly. "I have a signed edition myself and I have to admit that I was as giddy as a school girl when the professor signed it for me." She found the look of disbelief on the older man's face humorous and it inspired her to be a bit more playful. "He really is an attractive young man. Do you think that he would have an interest in an older woman?"

Ludwig's jaw dropped open as he stammered out an answer. "Ah….ah…I believe he is married."

Jenny laughed out loud. "I'm teasing you Ludwig. I'm old enough to be the young man's mother and besides even if I were younger, I'm certain that someone that intelligent would have little in common with me."

"That's not true!" Ludwig exclaimed. He glanced away in embarrassment before meeting her eye and offering an explanation. "I mean, I think you're a very interesting person and I…..I have been called brilliant in my day. I taught him you see," he hastened to explain, "at Princeton when he was just a boy of thirteen."

Her eyes widened, obviously impressed by his statement. "Really? You taught Dr. Eppes?"

"Oh yes," he answered eagerly, warming to the conversation. "He was quite a brilliant child so perhaps you can understand my disappointment when I discovered that he had written something like this," he said with a sneer as he held up the book, "and I know that he is capable of so much more."

Jenny leaned back, tapping the top of her book gently against her chin as she studied him."You really believe that he made a mistake in writing that book, don't you?"

"Yes, yes of course I do." Ludwig replied earnestly, unaware that the arrogant side of him was beginning to seep into his tirade. "To put it into perspective, it's like Einstein writing a 4th grade primer in an effort to reach people who couldn't possibly understand the math anyway?"

Jenny stood up abruptly, color rising to her cheeks."Speaking as one of those people, I can assure you that I did understand the math and very much appreciated Dr. Eppes publishing this book!" She stepped around his chair, still fuming. "I find your words insulting and demeaning. Good day Professor!"

Ludwig stood up, realizing that he had gone too far and although he tried to get in a word of apology she stormed off with a toss of her head. The door slammed shut behind her and Ludwig's shoulders began to droop as he stared at the closed door. "I…I didn't mean it." He whimpered in a barely audible voice. "What….what did I say?" He whispered in shock as he flopped back down in the rocking chair.

"It doesn't matter, she's a stupid woman!" The voice hissed suddenly. "Forget about her, you have more important work to do. Besides, it's Eppes fault that you argued and we'll make him pay for that later."

Ludwig gave the voice a barely susceptible nod and rose unsteadily to his feet. He pulled his pocket watch out and checked the time; the voice was right, he had to get inside the Math building before Eppes went home. He hurried inside and headed for his room but paused on the staircase when he saw Jenny laughing and talking to another male guest. His mouth twisted in a sneer when the sound of her laughter drifted over to the stairway. "The voice was right," he muttered as he continued up the staircase, "she is a stupid woman!"

Once in his room he began to gather up the items that he would need for that evenings' session. Schiller removed the revolver from his suitcase and loaded it before placing it in the satchel; draping it over his shoulder he crossed to the other side of the room and picked up a bulging book bag. He locked the door as he left the room and hung the book bag from his other shoulder as he hurried down the stairs.

Ludwig dared a backward glance as he opened the front door but Jenny was not in sight. The wistful look on his face suddenly turned hard as the voice seemed to hiss in his ear. "Move it old man! There is work to do!"

TBC