"So this is?" Megan pointed at the table piled with folders.
"The Field case. Most of the reports. And this is Don's case." David pointed to another table with a few files on it. "And that is old cases, anything pertinent. Charlie worked out the cases with the most probability and then Colby and I went through them and added a couple where we just knew the perps weren't happy."
Liz walked across to the table with the Field reports and sifted through the folders. "Most?"
"Yeah. There's one we can't find. It's logged out to Don on the computer so it must have been lying around somewhere, near his desk maybe." Colby answered from his seated position by the table with Don's reports on it. His leg had meant he wasn't agile but it had also meant he knew this paperwork back to front. He looked up at Liz to gauge her reaction to his comment. David had told him that Liz maybe fed Charlie some information about the cases off her own bat, and maybe this file had been lost in that little exchange.
"What was in it do we know?" Liz stopped sifting and didn't miss a beat, knowing exactly what Colby's stare implied.
"Crime scene photos prior to the drug raid. The history and links between the cases which led us to conclude it was the same drug crew. Reports from Agent Field. All his case study that led us to being involved basically. A pretty important file I guess, but we're requesting copies from archives so hopefully we can piece it together in the next few days anyway."
Liz nodded and looked towards Megan. "So where do we start?"
"I figured we could split into two. You and Colby go over the Field and drug cases and David and I will sift through any correlations with Don's case and all those older cases. David probably remembers more of them any of the rest of us. Just re-ticking the boxes to make sure we haven't missed anything."
"Man, the Field case is the biggest pile." Colby's look of disgust remained as he leaned back in his chair.
David looked at Colby's cast and responded, "You got somewhere to be in a hurry?"
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"I'm off to class…"
Groceries were being ticked off a list and placed in the fridge but Alan pulled his glasses down to get a good look at Charlie. He was a little subdued and that could mean only one thing to Alan – the math wasn't giving Charlie what he needed. "Problem?"
"What? No."
"Right, so the pout has become an everyday feature of your face?"
"Yeah." Charlie picked up his satchel and keys and walked out the door, there was no way he was explaining himself to Alan. The less he told Alan the more likely Alan was to go and chase down the source of his pout and interrogate him. I really am a genius. If anyone could turn Don around it was his dad and Charlie was banking on it.
Alan stared at the door still swinging from Charlie's exit and then he looked out to the entrance to the garage. On the way in he'd noticed Don was absent from the lounge. Either he had sensibly gone to a bed for a rest or…garage it is. Hastily he placed the last of the groceries away before heading to the garage.
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"Again?"
David groaned at Megan's request. How many times could they tick these things off.
"And you thought police work was just guns and running. This is where the real work is…hey with this amount of paperwork you could think of yourself as an academic really."
"Thanks Megan but when I finished school I had no intention of returning."
"Again."
David flipped back the edge of his paperwork and began to read. "Never reported missing. Car found by an on-duty highway patrolman at 7:45am on Monday 17th. Missing persons report lodged as a result. Scene was clear of any discernable prints other than Agent Eppes', only smudges. Traces of animal blood and type A human blood found at the scene. Insignificant traces. The animal blood was an unexpected mix of foreign and local animals but all the traces were deemed insignificant to conclude anything. Traces of domestic engine oil found in the back of the car. Tests still underway to determine what kind of equipment it could have come from. Local doorknock provided no witnesses to Agent Eppes on foot in Pasadena or state-wide. LAPD assisted in data collection for the local area and co-operated with other agencies for information gathering but returned nothing. In fact if it wasn't for the pesky fact that said Agent Eppes turned up alive, we'd be arguing he'd never be in Los Angeles. That's one hell of a disappearing act." David looked up from the report as though exhausted by the speech.
"Ok, Ok, I got it all. We need to find the file with my initial briefing with Don at the hospital. I'd asked him about that oil stain. He said he didn't carry anything in his car as a general rule but occasionally his dad asked him to help out with handyman stuff. I also spoke to Alan briefly about it but as he hadn't seen Don in the week leading up to his disappearance there was nothing. So it's worth highlighting for further investigation. You agree?"
"Sure. Even if it has been there for months I'd take anything at this stage. I mean look at this." David tapped a map on a corkboard. "Don disappears here, car turns up here and he turns up here. I mean Charlie's right but saying it doesn't prove it. How the hell did he get from here to here?"
Megan removed her glasses from her head and walked up to the map with them swinging in her hands. "Well none of us think he did, so we have to find out what he did do. That oil and blood is our a good start."
"It's our only start."
"Yeah. At least till those guys pull anything from the Field case for us. You thinking what I'm thinking?"
David looked at Megan and sighed. "Charlie."
"You know what he says, the numbers don't lie."
"Yeah but there's like an infinite amount of those suckers out there, I just want the one that isn't lying about Don."
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"Hey." Charlie answered his phone as he raced to his classroom.
"Charlie. You got a sec?" Came the soft voice on the other end of the phone
"Not really but when do I ever?"
"Hey listen, I just want to ask about those folders I gave you. Any of them a folder with crime scene photos?"
"Um, I don't think so," Charlie had finally made it to outside his classroom and he stopped as he finished his conversation.
"Sure?"
"Pretty sure. I don't remember seeing any at any rate."
"Great. Thanks."
"That's it?"
"Yeah."
"Ok, I gotta go Liz but I'll call you this evening. I've got my computer finishing off some more calculations so I'm hoping to have something to show for it by this evening."
"Great, well I'll get back to my own data crunching. Speak soon."
Charlie closed the phone and finally walked into his classroom. Students were slouching in their chairs and talking to each other about some campus event. When Charlie entered a hush descended, not because a teacher was present but because they knew about his FBI brother and this was his very first class since whatever it was that happened, had happened.
Charlie noticed the change in the atmosphere but he didn't want to think about Don while he was teaching so he tried to ignore it. It didn't work. As he leapt into explanation after explanation of the mathematics every formula he mentioned made him pause as he considered whether they would be of any use in solving Don's case. The students noticed, a few whispers were heard but Charlie soldiered on.
By the end of the lesson he was exhausted. While the students exited the room with their usual hushed tones and rustling bags, Amita entered.
"How was it?"
"Incomprehensible."
"Ah come on Charlie, they're smart kids, they can understand a genius. If not, they shouldn't really be in this class."
"Yeah, well I couldn't understand me, slight problem huh."
"You've got to give yourself a break. You've been thinking non-stop about Don and maybe you just aren't ready to come back, not while this thing is still up in the air."
"No, it's not that.."
"Then what?" Amita cocked her head in disbelief and smiled at Charlie.
"Well I mean, it is. It's just Don. He doesn't want to know what happened to him. He actually asked me to stop."
"Well you know Don, he worries about you. It's his job to protect people, he probably just doesn't want you to…"
"No." Charlie stood up as he interrupted Amita and began to pace behind his desk. "No. He doesn't want to know what happened to him. I think he's worried he's done something bad and he, he doesn't want to know. Doesn't want me to know."
Amita stared at Charlie, his brown eyes were gazing out the window and she could tell he was desperately trying to process his thoughts in his mind. "He just got out of hospital. He doesn't remember what happened to him. I guess, I mean I don't know, but I think I'd be pretty spooked if that was me. Give him time maybe, wait till he's ready."
"What if he didn't do anything wrong. What if he was targeted because of who he is. What if…" Charlie gulped and sat back down in his chair, but continued looking out the window, "…what if whoever did this to him came after him to finish the job? What should I do then? Does he realize what he's asking me to do? Does he realize that irrespective of whether he's ready or what he's feeling I have to do this. Not because I am a man obsessed or because he's my brother but because I am petrified that I could lose him forever if I don't, that Dad could get caught up in it somehow."
Walking around the desk to Charlie's side Amita smiled and touched his face gently. "When did you get so smart?"
Charlie's face almost broke into a smirk. "I'm not sure if you are aware of this Ms Ramanujan, but I am a certified genius."
"Certified huh."
"Yes, despite what my family think about me in times of crisis I am NOT certifiable. I just think different is all."
"Yeah, what's so different about what you're thinking now?" Amita leant in and kissed Charlie while her hand gently reached in to stroke his deliciously hairy chest.
"I'm thinking how I can get that door locked from here without having to move away from you."
"Nah, that's not different. Even I'm thinking that…"
Amita grabbed Charlie's shirt and brought him up to standing height. She pulled him forwards as she kissed him and slowly walked backwards towards the door. As soon as she was within 20 inches of it she spun out her leg and slammed it shut.
Only the faint sounds of Millie calling out Charlie's name in some distant corridor could ruin this moment, which is exactly what was happening.
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One finger stroked the paper while the other hand supported the dead weight of his head. Reading was difficult for him as the words were slightly blurry. Don was hoping this would improve with time but he was beginning to think he'd just have to get used to this new way of reading instead. The persistent headache was something he already knew how to manage thanks to the FBI.
There was nothing interesting to read but he had to admit he was glad this was one case he wasn't working on.
"Got all the answers you're looking for?"
Don didn't even flinch at his father's words but continued to read, finishing off the sentence he was on before responding. "No answers required, just making sure my team are following the processes. Guessing that even though I am excused from duty on this case I'll be still required to ensure all paperwork is adhered to."
"Really, so this has nothing to do with your little conversation with Charlie?" Alan crept further into the room and walked over to the table where Charlie had sorted a number of files.
"Charlie tell you 'bout that did he?" Don closed the folder he had been reading and looked across at his father. Don doubted that Charlie had time to tell Alan anything in great details and he knew his brother. He'd think he was so clever if he didn't tell Alan anything and then it would ensure he'd be out to speak to him lickety split.
"Of course, your brother's not so good with the whole secrets thing. Always question how good the NSA are as an organization knowing they employ Charlie's services."
Don smiled and put his hands behind his head as he looked up at his father. "And so it begins."
"Yes, why is that?"
"Why's what?"
"This process of shutting your brother out. You know you just make him more determined, don't you."
"C'mon dad, the guy only believes his numbers. Whaddya think is gonna happen if they tell him I did this to myself? Carry it around or tell me? Either way it's just not good for him."
"Sounds familiar. What if he does find that out Don? If that's what happened don't you want to know?"
Don rubbed his temple, the headache and direction of the conversation was certainly testing his pain threshold. "One of your books is on that table, I'd grab it before Charlie loses it."
Alan looked down at the desk and noticed a patch of red underneath layers of paperwork. He knew Don was not going to answer that question, which in itself meant he'd answered it, and so he would go along with the new subject. "I asked Charlie about that 2 hours ago."
Alan pulled the book out from the paperwork, unsettling some folders on one side. Paper slid off the desk like a house of cards, falling in rapid and fluid succession. Alan cursed and Don got up slowly to help pick them up, wincing as his ribs screamed at him.
"I'll do it, you just sit back down, I caused it."
Don instantly leant back down onto the sofa and winced as what must have been a little man bashed away on the inside of his skull now. When he opened his eyes he noticed his father, folders frozen in his hand, staring at him. "Just got up too quick, relax."
Alan shook his head and resumed the clean up but one eye remained firmly on Don's position. At the same time Don noticed the contents of one of the folders. It had been separate from the bunch and so landed close to his feet. A few photos had fallen out and Don stared down at them. He remembered them. Finally. Though who could forget these? Don picked one up and was grateful for the blurry vision for once. It was one of the drug crew Agent Field had been investigating. His body had been brutally but methodically carved up. At first they'd thought some serial killer had inadvertently surprised these drug fiends but it became pretty clear when more bodies fell that it was no random attack. Don remembered thinking that it was almost as if every time the drug squad got some intel on a drug deal the drug bossed got wind of it and sent out orders to have those who had implicated them dealt with. Don remembered thinking that last drug raid was so perfect because it was planned at the last minute to ensure there were no internal leaks. In fact he remembered thinking about it a lot. I remember.
"Donnie."
Don's eyes unglazed as he realized his father was holding his arm and kneeling in front of him. Clearly he'd been trying to get his attention and it wasn't the first time he'd called his name.
"You Ok. You're looking a little peaked. Still considering the photo you have in your hand I can't say I don't know why."
"What the hell is Charlie doing with this folder? This is from the Field case. This was…" Don was about to say on his desk all week when he realized he had no idea what week he was talking about.
"You remember something?" The light in Alan's eyes seemed to brighten slightly.
"Nah. I just know what Charlie should and should not have access to."
The drop in his face was apparent instantly but Alan hid it by beginning to place all the folders back on the table. Don's hand grabbed Alan's hand as he went to grab the folder which had contained the picture.
"Not that one. I'm keeping this one."
"Don…"
"FBI dad. Charlie does not need this for whatever it is he's doing and he shouldn't have it. I'll give it to Megan when she's next around."
Alan eyed Don suspiciously but knew he was out of his depth convincing his eldest of anything when he used the FBI to hide behind. He'd make sure he called Megan to let her know about this though, just in case Don was lax in doing so.
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"So tell me again why this abattoir case is considered part of the Field case?" Colby said in between scratches under the cottony part of his cast.
"You tell me. Brass think it's related because it ends Field's drug investigation. Think it's neater for them that way. Either way his death ended the investigation into the remaining drug barons."
"Thought the explosion did that."
"Nah, you and me ain't important. You gotta die before something like that happens."
"Even then."
"Yeah. Look I spoke to the guys on the case and they said it's like the drugs dried up after the stash house was raided."
"More like blew up. But I guess I can see why this would be considered the same, no drugs to chase, go with the murders."
"Right. But see it's a dead end too. Field is dead. The two other victims were single and one possibly illegal so no one reported them missing. It's unbelievable to think three people die and Don goes missing and not one single person noticed."
"Makes you think huh."
"Yeah. Anyway we're left with no drugs, two dead cops, many dead drug workers and an FBI agent who doesn't remember anything."
"You think it's possible?" Colby stared at Liz earnestly. It was time for honest uninhibited assessments and no one in the room knew Don better than Liz. She'd seen a side of him no one else ever got to see, the vulnerable side. She may not have liked it but she saw it and so right now, she was probably their most valuable data.
"Colby the guy didn't even speak to me after this happened." Liz pointed to Colby's cast. "I mean who knows what he was thinking or doing for that entire week. David said he was just staying back at work and looking over the files, seeing where he went wrong."
"Is that fact or hearsay?'
"Huh?"
"Well did David know what Don was doing, like did he tell him, or is this what he thinks he was doing."
"Y'know David's pretty observant. He's worked with Don longer than any of us. Technically this is hearsay but I'm not so sure it should be dismissed because of that."
"I get your point but I mean I don't like where it's going. If he was obsessed by what happened there's a very good possibility he went round to see Marcus like Charlie says. And if he was the last person to see Marcus alive, does that mean he was the one who shot him? I mean we have to be so careful here."
"Self-defence."
"In an abattoir? What the hell would Don be doing in an abattoir? In Sophie Field's workplace."
Liz looked at Colby and swallowed. She knew Don's reputation, everyone did. Someone's going to be asking questions higher up, suggesting Don may have done something improper with Sophie Field and this caused a showdown. Every scenario is going to be tossed up to see which lands buttered side up. "I guess…that's as much a mystery as how his car ended up in the desert without any further information. Maybe we need to see Sophie Field again. Every time I've questioned her she's been too emotional to trust what she's saying. Maybe now she's able to think clearer. Maybe she knows something. At least if she suspected Don she would have said something right. You don't mess with my man and get away with it, so why would she be different to any other woman?"
"You realize you've just created more work for us and we still haven't gotten through even half these files."
Liz leaned back in her chair and threw her hands up in frustration. She looked across to Megan and David who appeared to be far more productive than her and Colby. Her next comment was meant to be loud enough for everyone to hear.
"You know, how the hell is any of this going to make sense till we know why Don's vehicle was in the desert. Can't we just admit defeat and get Charlie to work a little harder on making his math explain this? I don't care if we find out he was abducted by aliens, I just want an answer so all these other stuff makes sense."
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Don slipped the folder under his arm with one hand and rubbed his aching head with the other. He was sweaty, grumpy and hot. The last thing he wanted to do was be in a hot bed but he was so tired he had no options.
"Maybe I can sleep with the fishes?"
"Don! Not even funny, do you know what I went through thinking…"
"Sorry, didn't mean that. Too hot that's all." The bone weary tiredness was beginning to take away his speech capacity. He was going to crash soon and he wished he were still out in the garage. Sure the sofa out there was old, dusty and worn but it was also familiar and moulded to his shape. Plus the garage was so much cooler than inside.
"I'll get the fan. Think you can make it upstairs?"
"Nah, just the couch here'll do. Hot air rises."
Alan wasn't happy but he knew Don wouldn't settle upstairs so there was little point in forcing it. Of course sleeping on the lounge meant he'd hear every whisper, every footfall and he probably wouldn't sleep anyway.
"Don't worry. Meds. Make every sound disappear."
Catching Alan look up to him with a frown made Don smile as he let his father gently position him on the couch. A thin quilt was pulled up to comfort him and Don closed his eyes as though he was alone.
Of course he wasn't alone. His mind was ticking away furiously. Visions of himself sitting in front of his FBI computer, files spread out in front of him swamped his thoughts. One clear thought kept repeating in his mind. Agent Field. Don needed to see Sophie Field. Find out some details. But he was torn. How could he switch off his FBI instincts when his brain was screaming at him to leave well enough alone. Don wrestled with the fear that he'd discovered Agent Field was dirty and had ended up having to kill him. He didn't want to know. Thoughts like that could drive a man crazy, be enough to make him run to the desert to hide. And then the meds kicked in and he wasn't thinking anymore.
Alan patted Don as he finally drifted off. He stood above him and stared for a second before removing the folder from under his arm. He placed it on the table near the lounge, knowing that Don was too old for confiscation, and a little scared at what the FBI would do if he did actually confiscate it.
So Alan just looked at his son and wondered. He remembered the sights, the sounds and the feelings from when he discovered Don bloodied and hurt on his doorstep. He wondered when Don would be ready to give them some answers. Alan simply wasn't sure he could ever go through that again and no matter what Don did or didn't do, Alan needed to know he could be prepared, if he needed to be, for it to happen again.