Megan walked out of Don's room to dusk stretching its head over the horizon behind the hospital car park. Only once she reached her car did she release a huge sigh. He'd looked so exhausted, so drained, so sick. In fact, to Megan, it wasn't even Don. This was not the man she knew – broken, confused, questioning himself.
She hadn't pushed for answers. He needed rest. Still till the drugs were fully flushed from his system he wouldn't really be getting much sleep anyway.
Alan and Charlie had left only ten minutes before her. She'd gone in to check he was alright, make sure McAdams and Rogers hadn't freaked him out too much.
Before she went in she called Robyn Brooks. Charlie had asked her. She left a voicemail, at least lawyers are just as busy as the FBI.
Back at the office Colby and David were still going over the evidence, including Don's statement which she wanted to read.
It was only just past 8pm. Tomorrow was officially their first day back in the office. Don would have been officially missing. Think positive. He was alive, it was good.
ooOoo
"And the drug results?" David pointed to Colby's computer. Colby checked his emails then opened one. He read it quickly then turned back towards David and the files.
"Same as the Peckham case haul. Looks like the same chemical make-up. Exactly."
A silence hung between them. Not good, this connected Don to Sarah's claims. Connects him to the drugs.
"OK. Well, alone it doesn't prove anything, not if this was a premeditated attempt to frame Don."
Megan rushed in to their cubicles, creating a wind which lifted some of their folders.
"OK statement," Megan said, her glasses perched on the edge of her nose. Furiously she read and flipped the paperwork in her hands. "Not bad, not good. He doesn't remember much. Not even about the Peckham case in the days before. Still, he was pretty out of it, s'pose they'll be taking another statement tomorrow."
David took the folder out of Megan's hands and sat down to examine it.
"Hey," a faint voice bleated out that croaky greeting. They all looked up to see an unkempt and tired Charlie staring back at them.
"Hey Charlie, what are you doing here?" Megan asked sweetly, but she was concerned.
"Help."
The others glanced up at Charlie with a quizzical look.
"I need to help," Charlie gesticulated towards nothing in particular, "I can help. I've been thinking. Actually can't stop thinking. I just…if I could just look at the evidence against Don. I could help."
Megan's heart sank. He had to do something she understood that, but what? David spoke first. "Fine Charlie, but really, what can you do? Don doesn't remember anything, don't you need data."
Charlie just looked at Megan.
"76.4 percent"
While Colby and David furrowed their brows at the comment, a smile crept on to Megan's face.
"You can tell us where we need to look first! Back before everyone started, before we knew Don was missing?" Charlie half grinned. Colby and David were still confused.
"A sleep deprived agent and a genius –why would we think we'd get any sense," David laughed. Charlie and Megan began walking to her cubicle. Before getting there Megan glanced over her shoulder towards them.
"You continue with the evidence and how we can use it for Don and I'll be with Charlie working out the first place we looked for Don's keys."
ooOoo
"Ok, so you're saying we were the last 2 people to see Don and that was Tuesday night," Charlie placed the marker pen he was holding down on the edge of the board and went to sit with Megan and the files.
"Yeah, apart from who did this of course," Megan tapped the paperwork and continued, "he rang Robyn from the office according to this, we have the GPS on his phone. Went straight to the Peckham's and according to this never left. His phone and badge, they were found in the garden there. Still we don't know why he went there. It's a mystery. You got any magical equations or theories that can work it out?" Megan cheekily grinned at Charlie. She'd never been on a case with Charlie without the whole sibling rivalry simmering under the surface to some extent. This was nice, casual. She liked it.
"You've got cctv though right? What does that show?"
"Not much. David's looking at it once the other team has finished. Probably won't be until the morning. They said there isn't much on it but we'll see."
"Right. So sometime between you and I leaving Don made a decision to go to her house. The only place we can find out why is on that footage." Charlie said it as much to convince himself as Megan.
Megan looked at Charlie and felt a twinge of sadness. "Unless he'd always planned to go there."
"What?"
"Charlie. I have to think of every angle that the case against Don will come up with. I have to have an answer for everything. I have to."
Charlie nodded. He understood but he didn't have to agree and he simply wouldn't. He walked to the board.
"See this," he tapped at a range of numbers, "this is Robyn. "
"Well, I'm sure she'll be happy she's been explained so succinctly," Megan smirked.
Charlie was slightly frustrated at the need to explain everything at this point. Amita would be a sweet relief right now.
"Megan, Robyn alone, these equations in itself. Don, ah, he was in a pretty good place. I've worked these figures before, when he was at a low point, and now, now he's in a good place and this just doesn't add up to what they're saying. And as a mathematician I take objection when the numbers don't add up. Truly."
"Look Charlie, we know this, but a bunch of equations won't prove Don is innocent to the people who will be deciding this. Internal affairs will be taking over from McAdams' team today. It's not going to be so amicable in terms of evidence once that happens. You understand? We need evidence. Let's wait for the cctv and then try and work out why Don went to the Peckham's. That's our 76.4 percent right."
"Probably, " Charlie squeaked dejected. "Let's not rule out anywhere else at this stage, I need more data."
"I know Charlie, believe me I know," Megan sighed.
6