Megan approached the two Eppes men, who were seated on the steps. Both were clearly in shock, and she could see tears on their faces. She knelt down and placed a hand on each of their shoulders.
"Mr. Eppes," she began, then turned. "Charlie – there was no one in the truck."
Alan was the first to stir. "What?"
"Don wasn't…" Charlie said. "He wasn't in it when…?"
She shook her head and allowed herself a small smile. "No. There wasn't anyone in the vehicle when it blew up." She glanced over her shoulder. Fire crews and bomb squad people were going over the smouldering wreckage carefully. Turning back, she asked, "Do either of you know what happened?"
"Don came over," Alan said, clearing his throat. "He wanted Charlie's help with something."
"I didn't even ask…" Charlie whispered. Megan rubbed his shoulder comfortingly. Alan continued, "He was supposed to come out with us for dinner." Lifting his gaze, he asked Megan, "What was going on, Agent Reeves? I've never seen Don that upset."
"What did he do?" she asked.
"He threw…" Charlie put in. "He picked up a dish from the table and threw it. It smashed into…" He shook his head. "I can't even guess how many pieces. And he said…" he paused, swallowing hard.
Alan finished for him. "…That he was going to put Charlie on record as refusing to consult with the bureau."
Megan sighed. "We've been under a lot of strain the past couple of days," she said. "I guess it was getting to him more than he was letting on."
"What…" Charlie's voice broke. "What happened to him, Megan? He never gets that…"
"Emotional?" she asked. Charlie nodded. "I think it's okay for me to say this to both of you, considering…" she glanced over her shoulder again. David was consulting with a member of the squad. Looking back, she said, "Two days ago, someone planted a bomb in Colby's car."
"Oh my God!" Alan said. Charlie added, "Who… Is he alright?"
Megan nodded. "He's in the hospital – he wasn't in the car, but he was close enough to be injured. Don made me go home, because I was there at the time." She stood, and Alan and Charlie followed suit. "He and David have been working the case around the clock ever since. I don't think David's had more than a couple of hours sleep, and I'm positive Don hasn't had any." She turned as Agent Sinclair approached. "What have you got, David?" she asked.
He shook his head. "Same MO."
"Damn!" Megan put her hands on her hips and stared at the ground.
"What does that mean?" Charlie asked David.
David looked from the two men to Megan, who nodded once. "The explosive used in Agent Granger's car is the same as the explosive used here." He gestured behind him to what was left of Don's vehicle. "It's nitrourea – something that is relatively easy for anyone to make…"
"…And simple to get the components for," Charlie interrupted.
Alan asked, "Do you have any suspects? Any clues to go on?"
"We have nothing," Megan put in. Looking at Charlie, she said, "Don was going to bring you a video tape to look at. We couldn't find anything, but he thought you might."
Charlie shook his head sadly. "He didn't give me a tape." Turning to Alan, he asked, "Did he give it to you?"
"No. I came out of the kitchen with that bowl in my hand, and just about ran over him," his father answered. "He didn't mention any video tape."
David said, "He probably left it in the truck."
"Then it's destroyed," Charlie said. His last hope of making up to his brother was gone.
"Not necessarily."
All three looked at Megan expectantly. She continued, "Did either one of you see Don come into the house?" When they didn't reply, she said, "He could've brought it in and stuck it in the VCR."
Charlie turned and headed back into the house. The others waited on the steps for him to return. It was only a moment before he came back out, waving a black cartridge. "It's here," he said. "Don left it on the coffee table."
David said, "Our people couldn't find anything useable on it, Charlie."
"What's it a tape of?" Alan asked.
"The security camera in the parking garage," Megan answered. "It's the view of the stairwell entrance where Colby said he saw someone. There's also footage on there from the other cameras."
"Don also had a folder – was that inside as well?" David asked.
Charlie replied, "I didn't see one. What was in it?"
"Not much," Megan folded her arms. "The chemical makeup of the bomb, Colby's account of what happened."
David added, "We don't have much to go on."
"It sounds as though you don't have anything to go on," Alan put in. He had been silently staring at Don's vehicle. Now he said, "And there's one thing I haven't heard anyone mention yet." Turning, he looked at first David, then Megan. "Where is my son?"