Chapter 17:
Don nodded to the guard stationed outside Charlie's door. He was still not sure if the guard was to protect Charlie or to guard him. A little of both he supposed as he ran a hand through his hair. He was lost in his own thoughts nearly passing Agent O'Brien in the hallway. Well he's not exactly the kinda guy you notice. Don tried to tell himself not willing to admit that he was so tired he wasn't even focusing anymore.
"Agent Eppes?" O'Brien started quietly.
"O'Brien what are you doing here?"
"Well… I he..heard about what happp ppp happened to your brother… tttto Charlie."
"Well thanks for your concern…" Don said distractedly as he continued down the hall.
"You asked me to ttt ttell you if I heard anyone asking about your brother…" O'Brien said a little louder.
Don stopped himself and turned around coming back to the smaller agent remembering finally the conversation in the elevator that morning. Is it really still the same day?
"Well? What did you hear?"
"It was ppp probably nothing." O'Brien said shrugging. "It was just a phone conversation."
"Well? Who was it what did they say!" Don said stepping forward.
O'Brien stepped back quickly surprised at the taller agent's reaction. He unconsciously put his hands up to shield his body as Don edged closer.
Don stopped himself realizing that his voice was practically shouting now and that he had back O'Brien into the wall. "Sorry about that.. sit down a minute." He sat and waited until O'Brien joined him on one of the hard benches. "Who did you overhear?"
"I'm not sure… I was ppppassing one of the cubicles and a heard a man's voice. I wasn't ppppaying much attention until I heard the name Eppes. The man said you were sus sus suspicious, and he wanted instructions… he waited a mmmmmoment… I gggguess he was listening to the response and then he ssssssaid he had to gggggo and hung up. I walked around to sssssee who it was bbbbbut the cubicle was empty."
"That's fine… but whose cubicle was it?"
"Agent Young's…" O'Brien said sadly.
"But Agent Young is a woman and you said the voice was a man's."
"It was…"
"So it was somebody using Young's phone…" Don said sadly. Pretty much another dead end. "Thanks for the information." Don said distractedly and grabbed him cell phone as he continued down the hall already dialing Terry's number. Maybe they could trace calls from that phone or get a finger print… a slim hope but still…
O'Brien watched him go with a proud smile on his face.
"Fingerprints are a negative… the only fingerprints are Young's herself." Terry explained as she settled into the high-backed black chair. She sighed as she looked back up at Don.
Don stood with his hands on his hips nodding slightly. "What about the number that was called?"
"Well… it was a payphone on Third Street and Maryland. I could check it out and see if anyone saw someone at that phone…."
"Probably a dead end… but since we have nothing else… " Don shrugged.
Terry nodded sadly. "What are you going to do?"
"I'm waiting for agent Simmons. She said she would bring over some files on those dead officers, and what little they have on Frank Jawton…"
"It's not much." Simmons said later as she settled into the chair Terry had vacated twenty minutes before on her way to visit the gas station. "A list of address and aliases mainly. We don't have this guys real name, if there even is such a thing for him anymore."
Don sighed again, "What about the list of officers?"
"I checked into all of them. In most of the cases there is no possible way there was any foul play. If I had my guess it was just a set up to get to Charlie. They found his weakness and attacked."
Don winced at the thought that he was Charlie's weakness. He had just started to realize how much Charlie was his own weakness. "So how, and who?"
"Maybe we should check out the people in this office. Pull up some more personnel files. The people Charlie would know, the ones he trusted."
"Charlie is a pretty trusting person. He just doesn't talk to that many people. Not that many people in this office even know him."
"Here," Simmons said passing him a tablet, "make a list of everyone you think Charlie has spoken to. It can't hurt right?"
Don stared down at the tablet sure that it WOULD hurt everyone he investigated. Every name he wrote down on the list would become a suspect. Don's thoughts went back to the hospital and his brother. His father sitting next to the bed waiting for answers, and Don picked up the pen.