Part 4.
For disclaimers and all that jazz, see part 1.
NEW YORK.
SEPTEMBER 11.
09:45 AM.
22 HOURS MISSING.
Jack and Sam arrived just outside of the building in which Don's law firm was situated, and noticed quite a few posters with one of the missing twin's faces and written on above HAVE YOU SEEN HIM? or MISSING, or HELP US FIND HIM. There were also a few on which there were both of the twins, and those ones impressed Sam more than the others.
There were a lot of them also in the elevator and on the walls of the building.
And when they arrived to the office, they noticed one on the door, carefully attached with scotch tape in a way so that it couldn't be damaged.
Jack gave them a glance and passed quickly. Those things disenhearted him, as they were, according to him, signs of desperation.
The two other partners, Bart Rodham and Gil Myers, were already there. Sam and Jack followed them, and arrived in the meeting room, where they sat.
"Did you notice anything different with Donald the day before he vanished?" Sam asked, a little bluntly.
"Well, he was... a little broody, but it's expected, with a loss like his it's bound to happen once in a while." Bart Rodham, the co-founder of the firm, well in his '40s, stocky, and of seemingly Italian origins, answered her.
Then Sam turned the question to Gil Myers, the other co-founder, 35 more or less, tall, finely muscled, broad shoulders, black hair, and the most piercing blue eyes ever seen.
And he answered.
FLASH
I was on a case, and have stayed here until late, and found him sleeping in his office,on the desk, snoring quite loudly.
He did... does that when he's tired, and that night, he really was.
He still hadn't found time to himself, after what happened to him.
FLASH
Here Jack interrupted. "What did happen to him? Are you talking about his brother's death?"
"No," Gil answered, "he had been accused of unethical conduct, like a month ago. He'd been afraid because if found guilty, he would've been disbarred." Then he huffed. "The charges have been dropped one week before the court date. Unexplicably."
"Go on." the FBI Agent then said.
FLASH
I went there and gently woke him up.
"Hey, I know you're attached to your work, but this is too much!" I quipped.
"Yeah, I know." he answered me, his voice still groggy with sleep. "But tomorrow, after this case, I'm headed out. Me and my brother, one week, "Caaaliforniaaaa, heeere we cooome"!" he chuckled a little. "Thanks for the days off, by the way."
Then his cell phone rung. He had received a message.
When he read it, he paled, but didn't want me to see it. He said it was personal.
FLASH
"We've controlled the bookings. They did book a flight to California at 16: 20, but neither of them went on board." Sam said.
"Nothing else?" Jack asked.
"No, sorry." The two lawyers answered in unison.
"He had something to hide." Sam said, with a tone that voiced her opinion about Don Willows, which was the man was no good.
"That was clear, but" and here Jack marked the 'but' noticing Sam's judgment, "we still don't know what. A man, or a woman for that matter, wants to keep some things for him or herself." Then he looked at Sam, before she could reply, and said "Do you tell everything to your boss, Sam?"
In the meanwhile, Danny and Martin had gone to talk with Calleigh Rosman, Luke's girlfriend.
They arrived in front of her house and knocked on the door. "Miss Rosman?"
"Yeah?" the girl answered. Danny couldn't be sure, but he thought he had heard somebody, a male somebody, calling for help before Calleigh spoke.
He quickly dismissed the thought as he and Martin entered the house, which was chock full of photos of her and Luke; it was just this side of obsessed.
Danny shivered. "Fitzie, we're in Alex's house."
Martin caught the Fatal Attraction reference, but only nodded.
"So, Ms. Rosman, when was the last time you saw your boyfriend and his brother?"
"Well, last night, around 6 o' clock. I had finished my job for the night - I work as a bartender in a pub - and went around to see Luke. He was a little mopey, but I cheered him up."
"And you didn't arrive and had a fight with him before?" Danny asked her.
"Oh, yeah, that. You know, he was really stressed, I still don't know why he yelled at me... but I haven't seen Don in two or three days. You know, he was preparing a big case, and he was afraid of being disbarred."
"Yeah, yeah, we know." Martin said. "So you don't know anything that could help us find them?"
Calleigh shaked her blonde head.
"Please, call us, if you do remember something. This is our number." said Danny, giving her a card.
"Thanks, I will." she answered.
While they left, Danny said "God, Martin, she gives me the creeps."
"Well, she does give off some bad vibes, but from there to the creeps..."
"Martin, remember her tone of voice."
"She sounded like she was lying. And that's all we need to know. Maybe she is C."
"The one from the SMS?" Danny asked.
"Yeah, think about it; CCalleigh. You'd have to be really dumb not to notice it." Martin answered.
"So, a little control to Miss Rosman's criminal record is in order." Danny said.
What the two men hadn't noticed, was Calleigh hearing them from behind a window.
WAT WAT WAT WAT
NYC FBI MISSING PERSONS DEPARTMENT OFFICE.
21:35 PM
30 HOURS MISSING
Jack went back in the office to close for the night; he was going to go home.
But one of his team was still here.
"Danny?" he called to the young man. "You still working on the Grillows case?"
"I think I know the motive and the kidnapper's identity, but I can't prove it. I just want to be able to do it."
"Tomorrow, Danny." Jack answered. "You won't be of any help to the Grillows twins if you tire yourself out, and you know it."
Danny closed the file and put his coat on, "Thank you so much, Papa. Anyway, you're right. I'm going to fall asleep at any minute, and I'd like it better to be on my bed." He went to the elevators and hollered a "Tomorrow!" to Jack, who answered in his mind, almost instantly, with "It's a different day.". That Avril Lavigne song had stuck into his mind ever since he'd bought Hannah the CD, he thought smiling as he heard the sound of the elevator doors closing.
Then he looked out of the window and saw Danny walking down the street. Pleased by this view, he went back to gather his own things and call it a day.
In the meanwhile, on the street, Danny desappeared into thin air while walking.
TBC