Chapter Five

While they drove back, Jack called Danny to give him the updated information for the timeline. Danny told Jack that David had gotten Charlie's bank records and discovered an even more troubling set of facts about the recent behavior of Charles Eppes.

Friday 1:30 PM - 29 Hours Missing
When they arrived back at the office Don walked right up to the large white board with the timeline of Charlie's activities over the last few days and felt his heart constrict as he saw the undeniable pattern that arose.

4:00 PM Tues. - emotional breakdown on anniversary of mother's death

7:00 PM Tues. - goes to memorial service with family

9:00 AM Wed. - arranges for L.O.A. from work

9:30 AM Wed. - adds father as a beneficiary to life insurance policy

10:30 AM Wed. - visits mother's grave

11:30 AM Wed. - liquidates assets
pays off all outstanding balances on credit cards
sets up trust for automatic payments of bills
withdraws $5,000 from primary savings

1:30 AM Wed - draws up last will and testament

6:30 PM Wed. - tells father he's leaving town

9:00 PM Wed. - tells brother he's leaving town

7:30 AM Thur. - leaves for work - MISSING

Don stood looking at this white board lost in thought. Danny stepped up to Jack who was also looking at the timeline and said, "Jack, Charlie is getting his affairs in order."

"It does appear that way."

Suddenly Don turned to face Jack with a fire in his eyes. "I don't care what the evidence says Jack, Charlie would never take his own life. There is some other explanation, there has to be." He didn't wait for any kind of response as he walked quickly out of the office.

David and Terry turned and watched this interchange, and David made to follow Don when Terry put a hand on his arm restraining him. "I'll go." Terry almost caught up with Don in the lobby of the FBI office and tried to get him to stop but he just walked quickly to the front doors as if he were trying to get out asfast as he could.

Don walked down the street ignoring Terry who had called out to him to slow down until he came to the duck pond in the small park where he and Terry had had hotdogs only yesterday. 'Was it only yesterday?' Don thought to himself as he stood looking out over the pond.

Terry walked up quietly beside Don, not saying anything, just offering her support by being present. Don had a million questions zooming around in his head but the most persistent one was: "Why didn't I see his depression?" He didn't even realize that he had said it aloud until Terry answered.

"Depression does not always manifest itself in the classic ways that most people think of. My husband flew into rages when he was depressed. Charlie has enough quirky mannerisms that it could be hard to spot depression in him."

Don turned to her with a mixture of fear and pleading in his eyes. "Why would Charlie add Dad to his life insurance policy, draw up a Will and put all of these things in place as if he were going to…" Don seemed to deflate and Terry gently guided him to a nearby bench. "Charlie would never do this Terry. I may not have seen how much pain he was in, but I know my little brother. I watched him grow up and I know how his mind works. He would never purposely take his own life. He would revert to that damned equation or lock himself away in the solarium or in the garage or even his room but he would NEVER kill himself."

Terry rested her hand on Don's arm and looked closely at her partner. "I agree. There is something else going on here." Don let out a breath that he hadn't even realized he had been holding. He was surprised by her words because he had expected her to try and convince him that he needed to be realistic and follow the evidence.

"All right, Terry, if he is making all of these arrangements but he isn't planning on killing himself, then what is he doing?"

Terry thought about the scenario for a moment. "Did your father say that he has been having headaches?" Don furrowed his brow but nodded affirmation. "And then the Dean said the same thing, correct? Larry mentioned that he spoke of seeing a doctor."

Don suddenly looked up as if a light went off and the pieces fell into place. He pulled out his cell phone and speed dialed his father. "Come on, Dad, pick up." After a moment he said "Dad, it's Don. I need to ask you something. I'm on my way there but if you hear this first, call me on my cell."

Don got up and headed back to the office at a quick pace with Terry following along. "Why would someone who wasn't planning a suicide put their affairs in order?"

The color drained from Terry's face and she said, "You mean you think Charlie is sick, maybe even dying."

Don stopped abruptly and turned to face his partner. "That isn't exactly what I was thinking. It occurred to me that Charlie was overreacting to something that a doctor had told him." Don turned back toward the FBI garage thinking as he walked. He was exhausted both physically and emotionally. Would his logical brother overreact to this degree? He had shown a flare for the dramatic early in life but Don had to admit that Charlie's logical mind typically won out over emotions. Usually that was the case, but with the anniversary of their mother's death, Charlie could easily be reacting too emotionally to something that the doctor told him.

When Don and Terry reached his car he got in and sat staring out the windshield. "What is it, Don?" He didn't seem to hear her. His brow furrowed as he seemed to be struggling with some internal battle. "Don!"

Finally he turned his head to look at her. "It didn't occur to me that Charlie might really be...
He would have told us. How could that be, Terry? How could Charlie find out that he is..." Don simply could not bring himself to say the words. He looked more disturbed now than when he was seeing a suicidal pattern to Charlie's actions. "How could he not tell me or Dad? No, Terry, that can't be it. I think that he may have a problem, but because of Mom he is blowing it all out of proportion. That's got to be it, Terry. You know how sensitive Charlie can be. With the anniversary of Mom's death, he must have just gone a little off the deep end."

Terry listened to Don quietly. He looked at her hopefully, wanting her to agree with him as she had done in the park. "It's possible, Don, but who are you trying to convince?" She almost winced at the disappointment in his eyes. He desperately wanted her to tell him that Charlie was fine and just overreacting.

Don's eyes grew stony and he said, "Call Jack and tell him that we are going to see Dad to check and see what doctor Charlie would have gone to and what the doctor may have told him." His tone was so cold and businesslike that she waited a moment to pull out her cell phone. Don turned his eyes back to the front and drove out of the parking garage without looking at Terry or even acknowledging her presence in his vehicle.

They had only gotten a block from the office when Terry said, "Turn around Don. Your father is at the office."

Don was startled out of his brooding by this statement. "What?"

Terry smiled encouragingly at Don and said, "He turned up right after you walked out. He is with Jack right now."

Don turned right and went around the block and within ten minutes he and Terry were walking into the squad room. Don slowed as he entered and felt his heart sink at the sight of his father's face. A terrible sadness consumed his features as he stared at the large white board with Charlie's smiling picture on top and the timeline below.

Terry hung back and the other agents that were in the room instinctively gave the two men some space. Don stepped up to his father quietly and put his arm around the older man's shoulders. "I may not be an FBI agent but you don't have to be a genius to see a pattern to the things that your brother has been doing." He pointed helplessly at the time line before him. "Why would he do all of these things?" Alan turned toward Don and spoke with resolve in his voice. "You have to find him, Donnie. I can't lose him, not like this, not so soon..."

Alan seemed to shrink as the resolve melted out of his voice. Don squeezed his father's shoulders and said. "I will find him Dad. This…" he pointed to the board "… is an incomplete picture. This doesn't necessarily mean what it looks like."

Alan suddenly seemed as tired as Don felt. He needed to sit down. Neither Don nor Alan saw who had put a chair right next to them but as his father started to lose the strength in his legs Don gently seated him so that he wouldn't fall.

Don was squatting down in front of his father holding his hands while the older man pulled himself together. "I'm sorry, Donnie, I didn't mean to embarrass you at work. It's just...
When I see what Charlie has been doing..." Alan glanced back at the white board and the sadness in his eyes deepened.

"Dad, you didn't embarrass me." Alan was still looking at the timeline and Don gently turned his head so that they were looking at each other. "Dad, Larry said that Charlie had seen a doctor about his headaches. Do you know who he would go to see or what he was told?"

"Charlie mentioned to me the he went to the doctor as well. I would imagine that he went to see Dr. Spector. I think he is the only doctor Charlie has ever gone to."

Don turned to Jack. "We need to pay a visit to Dr. Hiram Spector; he is our family physician."

"I am going with you." Alan said, as he stood.

Jack stepped up and looked Mr. Eppes in the eye and said, "I'm sorry, Mr. Eppes, but you cannot accompany us on an official investigation. You shouldn't even be here right now."

Alan looked as though he were getting ready to strenuously protest and Don cut in. "Jack's right, Dad." Don understood better than his father realized how difficult it was to just sit around and do nothing. "You can help us, Dad. We have all of Charlie's journals here. Look through them, maybe there is something someone missed, an entry that would tell us where Charlie would go if he were scared or upset."

Alan looked torn for a moment as if he were still going to argue the point. "All right, Don. You go see Dr. Spector and I'll start reading Charlie's journals, but if you find out anything you call me right away." Alan said that last in a tone that suggested that there would be hell to pay if he didn't.

Friday 2:30 PM - 31 Hours Missing
Don and Jack entered Dr. Spector's office and walked up to the receptionist showing their badges. "We need to speak with Dr. Spector about a patient of his." Jack said.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry gentlemen, Dr. Spector is out of town until Monday. Is there anything that I can help you with?"

Don smiled warmly at the young woman and spoke in gentle tones, hoping that it would make her more willing to divulge information that would otherwise be considered privileged. He was in no mood to get the same response from this office that they had gotten from the lawyers. "Can you tell us if Charles Eppes has been in to see the doctor lately?"

The receptionist was smiling back at Don but her smile faltered at his question. "Oh, I'm not sure I can give you that information."

Don wasn't willing to give up so easily however and switched tactics. He allowed his smile to fade as he pulled out his badge again and showed her his last name. "Miss, I know that you are only doing your job. You see, Charlie is my brother and he's missing. I'm very worried about him and we are just trying to find him. I can't wait until Monday to find out what you could tell me right now." Don had a look of genuine worry in his eyes that she responded to.

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that. If you would wait right here I'll pull his chart and see what I can find out for you." The receptionist got up and headed for a locked door at the back of the office.

After about ten minutes she re-emerged with a pensive look on her face. She didn't come back to the desk however, but turned into another office that bore the name Hiram Spector. After another ten minutes she came from the doctor's office and straight up to Don.

"Mr. Eppes, would you please follow me, sir?" Don and Jack exchanged confused looks but obediently followed the young woman. She led them into Dr. Spector's office and indicated that they should have a seat. She went to the phone and picked it up, pressing a button before saying, "Dr. Spector? I have Don Eppes here for you." Then she turned and handed the phone to Don.

"Hello, Dr. Spector?" There was a pause and then Don said, "Charlie went missing yesterday. I found out that he has been having headaches and came to see you about them. Doctor he has done some alarming things over the last few days, like drawing up a Will and adding our father as a beneficiary to his life insurance policy. All of the signs point to... Well, it looks bad. Doctor what did you tell Charlie? Why is he so scared?"

As Jack watched Don, the color drained from his face and he slumped in his chair. "When did he find this out?" he asked in a shaky voice. After a moment Don pulled out his pad and jotted down a name but his hands were shaking so badly that he was having some difficulty writing. After another minute Don thanked the doctor and hung up the phone. He dropped the pad and put his hands over his face leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees.

"Don?"

"Oh, God, Charlie, why didn't you tell me?" he whispered to himself.

"What is it Don? Do you know where Charlie is?" Don looked up and what Jack saw in the younger man's eyes made his stomach turn in a knot. Jack shook his head and said, "What is it?"