Chapter Nine

Henry, CJ's Deputy, could be heard in the press conference relaying new information to the press.

"The missing persons investigation of CJ Cregg has now been upgraded from missing to possible evidence of foul play—and due to the public nature of Ms. Cregg's job and appearance in the public eye a full-scale investigation is now being undertaken. I'll now take questions."

All hands shot up and bulbs flashed. No one seemed to notice, the most visible of the White House Press corps was missing from the festivities. The gaggle was not only missing its ringleader, but it's tiger.

--

"Mr. President." Josh entered the Oval Office in a ring of sweat, with Donna close in tow. He held the fax in his right hand.

"Josh, are you all right?" Jed asked Josh from behind his desk. The room's contents, Carol, Abbey, Andi, Toby, Will, Charlie, Margaret, and Leo all focused on Josh.

"I just heard—"

"Yes, so did we."

"---I think we have a problem."

"And this would be a bigger problem than the other problems we already have?—"

"Yes and no—"

"Is this about CJ?" Leo asked.

"Yeah." Josh took a breath. Toby stood up.

"Josh—."Toby cautioned him.

"We have to tell them Toby."

"Tell us what?" Jed asked.

"No, we don't. Not yet." Toby said through gritted teeth.

"Danny's missing." Josh let out.

"Danny's missing?" Abbey asked.

"What makes you say that?" Carol asked with concern.

"He's been checking in with me every few hours with updates and now nothing. He called me before and when I answered no one was there—"

"When did you talk to him last?" Charlie asked, concerned himself.

"And you're worried?" Jed asked.

"Four hours ago at least---Yeah, I'm really worried. This isn't like Danny. "

"I agree." Carol spoke unsure she should.

"Why do I feel there is more to this story than I've heard yet?" Jed asked around. Toby looked at Josh. Jed looked at Toby.

"Enough with the looks. What did you two do? Because I think someone did something."

"Well, they may have started it, but we all helped." Will said trying to defend.

"Nice, team playing there, Benedict Arnold." Toby said to Will.

Charlie stood and defended himself, "I deny anything. I was not involved in any thing- -I don't know none of these people." He sat back down.

Jed gave Charlie a look he usually saved for Debbie. "Spoken like a true innocent man." Jed looked back at Josh. "I'm still lost here." Jed asked.

"You said it." Andi agreed.

"As am I?" Leo chimed in

"Now. What does Danny have to do with all this—?" Jed asked in authoritative tone.

"Through a series of events Josh and Toby helped get Danny the FBI paperwork on CJ's case." Margaret chimed in.

"You helped too!" Josh yelled at her.

"I helped too—." Donna said flatly.

"I'm sorry—!?"Jed still asked.

Josh continued to barrel through, "I think the point is that Danny found out these guys—the ones FBI are looking for, are just aliases. They're never gonna fiund them, because they don't exist—!"

"And being missing for the last four hours Danny would know this because—." Jed was livid and pretty sure he already knew the answer.

"We gave him the sketches before you decided to release them to the public—"Josh answered.

"There ya go." Jed lowered his head. He was proud of them, but still angry at what their actions could mean.

"And how the hell did you get this information to Danny—?"Leo felt conflicted himself.

"Josh handed them to him in the hallway." Abbey added in her Roz Russell like tones.

"The links of this chain just keeps on getting longer." Jed spoke to himself.

"How did you know this?" Josh was in shock.

"You hand off something to Danny Concannon looking like something out of the French Connection, in a public hallway, and no one's gonna notice." She paused. "I walked by."

"It's anarchy around here!" Jed yelled. "—I swear to---Is there anyone in this room who is not involved in this one way or another." Jed looked around as only Andi raised her hand.

"Andi—Wonderful. No one else. No? No one called Sam into all this---do I need to check with the rest of the staff, Casey in the kitchen, I mean the White House cat wasn't involved in all this somehow?"

"Jed, we don't have a cat!?" Abbey yelled at him like he had gone insane.

"I didn't mean it tha---It was a figurative cat" Jed yelled back at her. Abbey threw her hands up.

"And the best kind to have around." Margaret spoke from the couch. Andi gave her a look.

"Ok, people in this room need to stop talking unless I ask them to." Jed took a breath to think. "So how many laws have we broken this time?" Everyone was afraid to answer. "That's a question!? Someone answer it!"

"I'd say give or take about twelve." Will chimed in.

"Wonderful." Jed mused.

"It doesn't matter how we got it, but these guys are dangerous—."Josh compelled them to listen to him.

"And taking CJ didn't make them dangerous in the first place?" Jed asked sarcastically.

"I had Donna run a background check on these guys' real names, for Danny, and it's not good." Josh gestured with the faxes in his hand.

"Let me see." Leo took it.

"One is Schizophrenic and the other one's been arrested three times for stalking and has two restraining orders in two different states. Two different states." Josh paused. "Even if they don't have CJ, last time I talked to Danny he was going after these guys---and my guess is they do have CJ."

"Leo." Jed looked at his friend with an all knowing look.

"I'm on it." Leo looked up from the pages Josh had handed him and went for his office.

"And Josh, I'd like to know one thing. How did you get background checks on these two men?" Jed looked at Josh who felt like he was back in his high school principle's office. Josh lowered his head and looked back up again.

"I had Donna tell them they were your nominees for attorney general?"

"You told the FBI that two known criminals were being considered for a national post. How much of that sentence is just a little bit scary?"

"I think the fact that they didn't bat an eye is more of the real problem--- "

"Well, one national screw-up at a time." Jed took a breath. "You two do know--I'm not mad at why you did it, just how and what you did?"

"Yes, sir." Toby and Josh said with in moments of each other.

"Hell, I'd do it-- if it wasn't for me a capital crime of some kind—"He looked over at Will. "Will?"

"Don't know about the capital crime part sir, but coming from you I'm sure changes the gravity of the charges."

"Yeah. Ok." Jed looked down and took a breath. "I'm sorry to do this, but everyone out. Go home get some rest." The room started to file out. "Clouseau you stay. And the Pink Panther too."

"I think he means you guys." Andi said to Josh and Toby as she walked between them out the door. Once everyone was gone Jed started his lecture.

"The two of you should really start a double act---Give Charlie McCarthy and Edgar Bergen a run for their money--- once vaudeville comes back into town."

"Should I ask which one of us is the dummy here?" Toby asked really knowing the answer.

"I think both of you are pretty much the proverbial blocks of wood—Now, how the hell did you get everyone into this little plot of yours?"

"Well, sir, if we did indeed involve everyone, the plot wouldn't exactly be little then would it?"

"You're really pushin' it here Toby."

"Yes, sir." Toby spoke in his softest tones.

"The more people you involve in something like this Toby, the worse it is. You should know that. You have to stay small." He took a breath. "And I'm guessing from the looks around here, and don't think I didn't see the looks—."

"Yes, you mentioned that sir." Jed gave Toby a look. "I'm shutting up, sir."

"Toby, I'm guessing you're the mastermind of this—semi large design?" Jed looked at Toby.

"Well, yes if you're asking me if I'm the one who was petting the figurative cat here—yes, that would be me."

"Ok." Jed paused. "I don't want know how you---how did you do this?!"

"A series of ropes and pulleys—"Toby answered.

"He can't learn can he?"Jed said to Josh

"I think what Toby is trying to say is-- if we ever need a relay team for the Olympics I think we pretty much have our own team right here in the building." Josh tried to be funny, but no one laughed. Jed continued his vetting of the men in front of him.

"I see. And I assume the coffee was also part of this whole ruse."

"Yeah." Toby looked down and tapped his toe before looking up.

"Why is this all beginning to sound like a foreign movie without the subtitles?"

"'Cause it does." Toby spoke in plain tones.

"Ok." Jed opened his valise and began to put his papers in it. "We don't tell anyone about this. As far as we know the FBI got hold of this information. Josh, you confused the lists and that's what you'll say."

"Yes sir." Josh answered as the President closed his valise and took hold of it.

"By the way, good job on the whole espionage, thing." Jed lifted the case, with a sly grin to tell Josh and Toby he approved, and walked away from his desk. "You two staying here tonight?" Jed unbuttoned his jacket.

"Yeah?" Josh and Toby answered almost in perfect sync as if to say, "why? Of course."

"Well, there's about a half dozen bedrooms up stairs in this building, so feel free to use one of them. It is a house after all. Just don't steel the towels--No one's sleeping on their couch, do you hear me?"

"I don't have a couch?" Josh asked.

"Ok, comments like that make me know you both have not been sleeping."

"I'm just sayin' I'd like a couch." Josh defended his sleep blunder.

"Get some rest." Jed walked toward the outer door. "And order everyone a couple hundred pizzas or something. You both look like hell. Eat something."

"That's a lovely impression of your wife there, sir." Toby answered trying to hold in his grin.

"That I'll actually laugh at." Jed paused with out laughing. Jed was sarcastic, but something caught him turning his face sweet before he continued his exit. "Why is it in this-- such dire circumstances, we all, here---seem to be able to keep our sense of humor."

"A way to feel CJ's spirit around us while she's gone." Jed nodded his eyes in recognition at Toby and nodded an inch of his head. It was true.

"Yeah." Jed said low and quiet.

"They say humor has the ability to heal." Josh continued where Toby left off.

"So does alcohol." Jed answered with a slight laugh in his throat.

"Humor is the mask of wisdom." Toby spoke from his heart

"Friedrich Durrenmatt." Jed seemed impressed as he looked at Toby continuing his quote.

"It's CJ's favorite quote." Toby's face looked warm as he spoke.

"I'm sure I'll be briefed in the morning. I want you two to be there."

"Yes, sir." Josh said softly.

"Yes, sir." Toby spoke even softer. Jed walked out of his office leaving a tired Josh and a disheveled Toby.