Disclaimer: I do not own Numb3rs or the characters. No copyright infringement is intended.
A/N: I'm back! Sorry for the lack of updates over the holidays. Thank you for your patience. Special thanks go to my fabulous beta, rhiannondavidson, for her help. Thank you, Rhiannon!
Chapter 7
"...murder investigations are, of course, a matter of public record. But we routinely withhold certain details from the media for the good of the investigation. Not that we don't value our relationship with the press, you understand; quite the opposite. In fact, we frequently turn to them for help in alerting the public to..."
Charlie ground his teeth in frustration and resisted the urge to start drumming his fingers on the arm of the chair he was sitting in. So far, the meeting with Director Merrick was going exactly as Don had predicted. As soon as Charlie identified Colby as the most probable source of the leak, Merrick decided to remove him from all active investigations. He tossed off a few casual reassurances that it wouldn't go down on Granger's record as a disciplinary action without further evidence and seemed to consider the matter settled. That fact that Merrick didn't seem as interested in the other names on the list suggested he'd been looking for a scapegoat.
Charlie had tried explaining that calculating probabilities could only tell you the most likely outcome. It was hardly conclusive proof, especially when dealing with experimental probability. He even used a baseball analogy he knew Don would have appreciated. When logic failed, Charlie quickly found himself raising his voice. He refused to believe Colby would knowingly do anything to hamper an investigation.
Waving off his protests, Merrick launched into a lengthy lecture on FBI policy regarding releasing information to the press. Charlie smiled to himself as he recalled Don's significantly shorter version. "Look, leaks are serious. Right now it's just this case, but it could easily be worse. When we set up a raid, we kinda like for it to be a surprise, you know?"
But the smile disappeared as Charlie began to dwell on the possibilities: Don and his team trying to serve an arrest warrant only to find that their suspect had fled—or worse, set a trap for them. The vivid memory of watching a house suddenly explode from the safety of Megan's car flooded his senses.
Charlie wasn't sure how long he'd been lost in his own thoughts, but the next thing he knew Merrick had wrapped up his speech and stood up to signal the end of the meeting.
He leapt to his feet, eager to escape the infuriating blowhard, and then hesitated. Don had shut him out of the murder investigation. This meeting with Merrick might be his best chance to learn more about the latest murder and new data could help him clear Colby and identify the real source of the leak.
On the other hand, going over Don's head to get information felt like a betrayal. He knew Don would see it that way, and things were already tense between them. What if Merrick wasn't aware there was a connection between Don and the victims? Charlie didn't even know what the connection was. For all he knew, it was just a coincidence. And despite his certainty that Colby wasn't the leak, a small part of him wondered if what Colby had said about Don knowing both victims was even true.
Growing impatient, Merrick prompted, "Was there something else?"
"I was just wondering. Will Don still be the lead investigator on the Gutierrez murder now that it looks like the work of a serial killer?"
Merrick chuckled and shook his head. With an indulgent smile, he replied, "Surely, a man of science such as yourself doesn't believe in curses. Agent Eppes has no qualms about his continued involvement in this investigation and neither do I. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm late for another meeting. My assistant, Lisa, can validate your parking."
Before Charlie had a chance to reply, he found himself ushered out of the office with Merrick close behind him. Charlie fervently insisted he would continue his investigation until he found the true source of the leak. But Merrick was clearly only half-listening as he collected some documents from his assistant. "Keep me informed," he called out with a dismissive wave before striding down the hallway and disappearing around a corner.
Charlie paused to slip his folders back into his backpack and offer a polite smile to the woman in front of him. Her arched eyebrow and disapproving demeanor suggested she blamed him for putting her boss behind schedule. Charlie briefly considered explaining that Merrick's own long-windedness was responsible, but one look at her sour expression told him she wouldn't be won over easily. Rolling his eyes, he turned and slunk toward the elevators in defeat. Along the way, his eyes searched the room for a friendly face. Not that he knew what he'd say to any of them after getting Colby kicked off the investigation.
When he managed to reach the elevators without running into anyone he knew, Charlie didn't know whether to feel disappointed or relieved. Before he could decide, he heard a voice call out behind him, "Hey, Charlie."
He turned around to see Megan rushing by. Flagging her down, he quickly asked her about a new possibility he'd been considering. "Megan, is there any chance the information leaked to the media could have come from the killer?"
Megan flashed him a teasing grin. "You guys must think alike. Don asked me that too." Her expression sobered as she continued. "I'll tell you the same thing I told him. Anything's possible, but in this case, I'd say no. Serial killers who contact the media usually do so either to further a stalled investigation or to gain notoriety and prove how much smarter they are than the authorities. The information leaked to the media was information we already had, so there's nothing new to help us solve the case. And serial killers seeking attention will identify themselves as the killer, sometimes going so far as to provide proof of their identity. We haven't seen any indication of that in the news reports."
The elevator dinged softly and the doors slid open behind him. Stepping into the compartment, Charlie realized his last, best hope for finding a source of the leak outside of the FBI had just been defeated. But he managed a smile anyway. "Okay, thanks, Megan."
As he pressed the button for the lobby, Charlie didn't know how to ask her all the other questions swirling around in his mind. Had he just damaged Colby's career? Was Colby telling the truth about Don? Would there be another victim soon?
Apparently, Megan didn't know what to say either. As the doors slid shut between them, she pressed her lips together in a concerned expression and simply held up her hand in a slight wave.