Disclaimer: I do not own Numb3rs or the characters. No copyright infringement is intended.
A/N: Two new chapters! Thank you for the encouraging reviews. Special thanks to my beta, rhiannondavidson. Thanks, Rhiannon!
Chapter 11
After a few hours of restlessly flipping from side to side on Don's narrow couch, Charlie finally abandoned all attempts to fall asleep. Which was how he came to find himself searching through his brother's DVD collection in the dead of night with only the low light from the floor lamp beside the couch to guide him. He reasoned that it didn't count as snooping since they were stored in plain sight. After running through the entire collection, he finally made his selection. As long as he kept the sound low, Don should be able to sleep through it.
The DVD player slid open to reveal a silver DVD with an FBI property tag. Charlie glanced over his shoulder at the bedroom door guiltily, but it remained firmly shut. Examining the label more closely, he realized this was a copy of something checked into evidence. He was accustomed to receiving copies rather than originals from the FBI and he recognized the signs. But the label gave no hint as to what was on the DVD.
He began to pace. There was absolutely no reason to look at what was on it. It was probably something boring. It could be endless hours of footage from a surveillance camera or some tedious deposition that had nothing to do with the murder investigation.
Charlie glanced over at the bedroom door again.
He could just watch it for a minute. Not even a minute. Just a few seconds really. Enough to identify what was on the DVD and then he'd shut it off. If he kept the sound low, Don would never find out.
Charlie froze and held his breath as if his brother might hear what he was thinking.
Picking up the remote, he turned on the TV and repeatedly pressed the volume button, turning it all the way down to the lowest setting. After one more cautious glance at the bedroom door, Charlie pressed play before he could talk himself out of it.
The screen switched to static and Charlie's heart leapt to his throat before he remembered he'd already turned the volume down. After a moment, an image of cubicle walls filled the screen. The image bounced around unsteadily as if the person holding the camera was running.
Charlie knelt down in front of the TV in fascination as the camera operator rounded a corner and Charlie recognized Don's office. The camera made a beeline for Don's desk and then the image swung dizzyingly from side to side as if to check that they were alone. It must have been late at night because most of the individual desk lamps were off and no one besides Don and the mystery camera operator was around.
Glancing up, Don rolled his eyes and held up a hand to block the camera. The camera lowered to point at the floor and the voices were too low to hear.
Completely absorbed now, Charlie quickly bumped up the volume to catch the tail end of Don's complaint.
"…hate that," Don grumbled.
"You're gonna like it," a female voice promised in a singsong tone. Charlie didn't recognize the voice.
The camera swung back up and focused on Don, who glared back.
"Now be nice, or I won't tell you who won," the woman teased.
Don's mood instantly improved and he chortled, "Oh, yeah? They finally made a decision, huh? 'Bout time. I swear they put more effort into this thing than an actual commendation. Okay, how 'bout this? You give me the name, let me place the bet in the office pool, and we'll split the winnings fifty-fifty." One corner of his mouth turned up in a hint of a smile was the only sign that he was kidding. "I mean, sure, some people might consider it cheating…"
"Don, would you shut up a minute?" the woman interrupted in a tone that was half excitement and half exasperation.
He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms as his face took on an expectant look.
The woman holding the camera only lasted a few seconds before blurting out, "Well? Don't you want to know who won?"
Don arched an eyebrow before explaining in a sarcastic tone, "Yeah… that was the first step in the plan, remember?"
"It's you!" she declared happily.
Don blinked and then broke out in a big grin. He glanced away, managing to look both proud and embarrassed at the same time.
Recovering quickly, he hid the smile and fixed his face and body into a study in casual disinterest. "You're kidding me, right? Is that what the camcorder is about? You starting your own office version of 'Punk'd'?"
"No! For some crazy reason, I thought you'd be happy."
Don scrubbed a hand over his mouth before complaining in a cynical tone, "You know that damn award is cursed, right? I'm probably gonna get hit by a car or something now."
The woman laughed, "Shut up and be happy for once, Eppes."
Don leaned back in his chair and shook his head. "Man, my dad is gonna…" he let the sentence trail off unfinished, but whatever he was thinking about made him smile.
Looking up, Don said in a sincere tone, "Thanks, Michelle."
Charlie's blood ran cold. A woman, named Michelle, who worked in Don's office and had advance knowledge about something Don had won. Michelle Gutierrez, the first victim, had worked in the public relations department of the FBI. Despite his earlier claim, Don had clearly known her quite well. And he should never have been assigned to this case.