Chapter 5:
Plan of Action:
Once the team arrived at the house, Don immediately goes into FBI mode as he fills his team in on the situation. He notices Maura sitting at the round table fidgeting nervously. Don sits down beside her he places his hand over hers.
"I know you're scared sweetie but there are some questions I have to ask you" he says gently. Maura nods her head. "Have you received anything else besides the text messages?" he asks.
"The flowers and someone had been leaving notes on my wind shield at school" she says. "Do you still have them?" Megan asks.
"Yeah, I kept most of them" Maura says as she gets up walks over to the credenza by the door and pulls out an envelope out of the draw.
She hands it to Megan who hands them off to Colby who inserts them into an evidence bag.
"I'm gonna run this to the tech guys see if they can pull any prints from this" Colby says as he leaves the house.
"Megan see if we can get a court order to go through Maura's phone records" Don instructs.
"You got it" Megan replies stepping out of the room.
"Is there anyone who has been giving you problems at school?" David asks. Maura shakes her head.
"Do you have any idea who could be stalking you?" Don asks.
"I have no idea Don" Maura says shaking her head. She sits down on the couchlooking up at the agents nervously.
Don sits down on the coffee table in front of his sister. He takes her hand in his, "You're doing great sweetie we just need to ask you a few more questions, ok?" Don says softly. Maura nods her head.
"Can you tell me what happen the other night?"
Maura sighs she didn't want to go over the details of that night. David sits down beside her he sees her reluctance. "I know you don't want to talk about it Maura, but we need to know what happen" David persuades.
"I was studying late that night I left the library and headed for my car. All of a sudden someone grabs me from behind. I couldn't see who it was" Maura says.
"Then what happen?" Don asks.
"I tried to fight them off, but they held my arms so tight. I just started screaming and then that's when the security guard came scaring off the guy" Maura says her voice trembling.
Don gets up he leans forward dropping a kiss on her head before walking out of the room with David behind him.
Once they are out of ear shot Don looks at David.
"We need to question the security guard and see if there's any security footage of the attack" Don orders. "I'm on it" David assures him and walks out of the house.
Don turns toward the living room staring at his sister. He vows to do whatever it takes to keep her safe.
He quickly calls Nikki asking her to come by the house. After making the call he re-enters the room Alan had enter the room while he and David were talking.
Alan looks at Don, "What happens now?"
"Until we catch this guy Maura is going to be put in a safe house. I already call Nikki she's on her way over here. She's going to be guarding Maura" Don explains.
Maura looks at her brother appalled feeling like a prisoner. "What about my classes, Don? I have mid-terms coming up and papers that I need to do" she protests. Don sighs he didn't want to be the bad guy but if having to be the bad guy was going to keep her safe then so be it. "Please let me keep going to school Don. Maybe if I keep going about my normal routine maybe it will help draw out whoever is stalking me?" she begs.
Don is reluctant he hated the idea of Maura being out in the open vulnerable for another attack or worse. "That's not a bad idea Don we can have an agent on her at all times" David points out.
"Great so I get a babysitter" Maura scuffs sarcastically. Don looks at her annoyed, "It's either that or a safe house". Alan who had been listening ways in, "I think having an FBI agent with you would be a good idea sweetheart".
"Alright" Maura agrees reluctantly, she couldn't believe this was happening, the reality hitting her like a ton of bricks. She sniffles as tears well her eyes feeling overwhelmingly scared and guilt.
"It's all my fault I should have told you sooner" Maura says remorsefully looking up at her brother.
Don kneels down beside her. "This isn't your fault" he says as he gently places a hand on her knee.
Maura looks at him fearfully as tears roll down her cheek-stained pink cheeks. "I'm really scared, Donnie"
Don gently squeezes her knee as he uses his other hand to wipe away her tears, "I know you are but I promise you I'm going to do everything I can to keep you safe and find this son of a bitch"
"I trust you, Donnie" she says. Don smiles leaning forward gently places a soft kiss on her forehead.
Just then Don's cell starts to ring. "Excuse me" he says as he gets up and walks away to take the call. "Eppes"
"Hey I'm heading to Maura's school to question the security guard who was there the night Maura was attacked" Megan says on the other end. Don looks at his watch then turns his head over his shoulder looking at Maura. "Ok I'll meet you there" he says ending the call.
He walks over to Maura. "I have to go, sis" Maura looks at him, "Be careful" Alan says. Don winks at his father as he walks out of the house.
Twenty minutes later Don arrives at Maura's school. He walks over to Megan who is waiting for him at the parking lot. "How's Maura doing?" Megan asks as they walk across the campus. "She's scared" Don replies. "What about you how are you doing?" Megan asks her boss. "I'm fine" Don says brushing her off. Megan nods her head.
They enter the campus security guard's office. "May I help you?" the security guard asks sitting behind his desk. Megan pulls out her badge showing it to the guard. "FBI Agents Reeves and Eppes"
The guard looks at them apprehensively wondering why there is feds on campus. "How can I help you agents?" he asks. "We're looking into the incident that happen on campus the other night" Megan says.
"You mean the student who was attack?" the guard asks. Don nods his head, "Yeah that's right" The guard scratches his head perplex. "I gave my statement to the cops why is the FBI interested?" the guard asks.
"We believe the student who was attacked is being stalked" Megan explains. "Can you tell us what happen that night?" Don asks.
"I was coming out of the office about to do a walkthrough of the library when I heard screaming coming from the parking lot. I went to investigate" the security guard says.
"Uh-huh" Don says hoping for the security guard to tell them more.
"I found a student being attack I run over there and the guy runs off"
"Did you get a good look at him?" Megan asks. The security guard shakes his head. "No it was too dark" "What about security cameras?" Don asks. "The security cameras at that part of the campus have been down"
"How is she doing by the way? The student I mean she was really shaken up that night. The officer that came to take her statement seem to have known her was asking her if she wanted him to call her brother"
Megan looks at Don then at the security guard. "She's doing ok. Anyway thank you for your time" she says ending the interview and walks out of the office.
A female student notices the agents coming out of the security office, she recognizes Don. "Hey Don what's the FBI doing here?" the student asks. Don smiles, "Hey Shelley" He introduces Megan to Maura's best friend.
"If you're looking for Maura I haven't seen her?" Shelley says. "Actually we would like to talk to you if that's alright" Megan says. Shelley looks at Don nervously, "What's going on?"
Don gently puts his hand on her back guiding her over to where there were tables and chairs they take a seat at one of them. "Am I in trouble with the FBI?" Shelley asks nervously.
"No not at all. In fact we could use your help" Megan says. "Help…Help with what?" Shelley asks. "It seems that Maura is being stalked" Don explained.
Shelley's eyes widen shocked, "I told Maura something wasn't right?" Don looks at her confuse, "What do you mean?"
"I'm not sure I should be telling you this I even told Maura she should talk to you but your sister can be notoriously stubborn" Shelley says. Megan smirks amusingly at her boss. Don gives her a mock glare.
He turns back to the young student, "Please whatever you can tell us we…I would really appreciate it" Shelley nods her head, "Maura has been getting text messages from someone she kept playing it off that it was a secret admirer but the texts became more obscene and really creepy. That's why I told her she should talk to you"
"Do you know if Maura was having any issues with anyone?" Megan asks. Shelley shakes her head indicating she didn't. "What about boyfriends?" Don asks.
Shelley looks at Don unsure if she should talk about her friend's love life in front of her brother. Don notices her hesitance he couldn't blame her it wasn't really comfortable for him either. "There was this guy she was dating a while back" Shelley says.
"What's his name?" Megan asks as she pulls out a notepad and pen from the pocket of her beige blazer. "His name is Jake Larson" Shelley says in disgust. "What can you tell us about him?" Megan asks.
Shelley shrugs her shoulders, "He's a nice guy" she says vaguely. Don senses she isn't telling them everything. He reaches across the table placing a hand on her arm comfortingly. "I know this is awkward with me being Maura's brother it isn't exactly easy for me either but I would really appreciate if you could forget I'm Maura's brother just a FBI agent who is asking for your help with an investigating. Can you do that?" Shelley nods her head.
"I don't know much about him. Maura didn't confide in me about their relationship. I assume everything was great between them until they broke up" Shelley says.
"Did Maura tell you why they broke up?" Megan asks. Shelley shakes her head, "Maura wouldn't talk about it all she told me was that when she ended it Jake didn't take it so well"
"What do you mean he didn't take it well?" Don asks.
"He would constantly call her or send her threatening text messages"
Don is immediately alarmed wondering how long that had been going on for and why Maura didn't tell him. He is disheartened by the lack of communication between him and his sister.
He silently vows to sit down and hash everything out. He snaps out of his thoughts to hear Megan inquires about the threats. "Jake doesn't take rejection well. A week after they broke up Maura told me he threaten he would make her life a living hell if she didn't take him back" Shelley explained.
Megan and Don exchange glances. Jake was definitely someone they needed to talk to. "Do you know where we could find him?" Megan asks. Shelley shakes her head saying she doesn't know.
The trio stood up from the table. "Thanks for all your help, Shelley" Don says sincerely. "I hope it help" she says hopefully. Don gives her a hug reassuring her that she helped a lot and thanks her.
The agents walk away across the campus. "What do you think?" Don asks. "Given what Shelley told us about Jake he's definitely someone who could have motive" Megan says. Don puts his sunglasses on. Megan notices how silent her boss was, "Are you ok?" she asks.
Don shrugs her shoulders. "I never realize how out of touch things are between Maura and me. It feels like how it was between Charlie and me all those years we lost touch. I never wanted that to happen with me and Maura" Don says.
Megan can see the guilt coming off of him and tries to offer him some comfort. "It's not your fault, Don" Don gives her a small smile. Once they got to their cars it's decided that Megan should continue to canvas the campus talk to Maura's professors and other students. Don decides to head back to the office and check in with Colby and David.
As Don is driving back to the office he couldn't get over the guilt he was feeling. It's my fault I should have seen the signs. Why didn't she tell me? Why couldn't she just come to me? I should have known my sister was in danger.
Don makes a call to Colby asking him to run a check on Jake Larson.
At Calsci, Charlie is working vigorously writing an equation on the chalkboard in his office. He is so engross with his work he doesn't notice his girlfriend Amita entering the room.
"What are you working on?" she asks. Charlie snaps out of his thoughts as he turns his head toward her. "I'm working on an algorithm to see what the probabilities is that the stalker is someone Maura knows or who she had came into contact with"
"Do you need any help?" Amita offered. Charlie shakes his head saying that he needs to get back to work. "Maybe you should take a break grab something to eat" Amita suggests. Charlie shakes his head adamantly. "No I have to get this done I can't fail her again"
Amita looks at him confused, "Fail who again?" "When my mom was sick during the last few months of her life I never visited her in the hospital. I was too caught up in my own little world trying to solve an unsolvable math problem"
"N vs. NP"
"By the time I snapped out of it she was already gone and I'll never be able to go back and spend those last few months with her"
Amita listens intently wondering where Charlie was going. Charlie caught her confuse look and exclaims with tears in his eyes "Don't you see I failed her! Because I was so caught up in my damn head I let my mother down. Maura is in trouble and I've been too damn caught up to even notice. I can't fail her like I did with my mom"
Amita takes his hand in hers, "Charlie this isn't your fault. You had no way of knowing Maura was in trouble. No one knew what was going on"
Charlie jerks his hand away from her grasp stunning her. "I'm not just anyone I'm her brother! I should have known she was in trouble. She could have come to me. The night she was attack I saw the bruises on her arms but I didn't think anything of it. I should have said something try to get her to tell me"
He slams his hand on his desk, "SHE SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME!" he shouts losing his temper. Amita is startle by his outburst. Charlie takes a few deep breaths he looks up at the fear in Amita's eyes.
"I'm sorry" Charlie apologizes. Amita hugs her distraught boyfriend as tears roll down his cheeks.
Meanwhile at the Eppes Maura is getting ready to go to school. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Alan asks her concern. "Don't worry, Dad I'm going to be fine. It's only a couple of classes" Maura assures her father.
"Don't worry Alan I'm going to be with her the whole time" Nikki added. "And I appreciate that Nikki I'm just concern with Maura being out in the open might give this guy an opportunity to do something"
"I highly doubt he would try anything especially when I have an FBI agent for a bodyguard" Maura reasoned.
Alan sighs reluctantly seeing that his stubborn daughter had her mind already made up. Stubborn just like her mother, he thought. "Just please be careful" he pleads.
Maura gives him a hug and kiss promising she will. Alan unwillingly watches her walk out of the house unaware it might be the very last time he would see her again.