A/N: Thanks for the great feedback! I appreciate everyone who has taken the time to review.

And, once again, thanks so much to starfishyeti for betaing!

The stalker

by elessar73

*** 20. chapter : The Poisoning ***

Mary's green eyes were fixed on the black SUV and its two occupants. She watched Charlie climbing out of it. Her breathing became rapid just through looking at him. She leaned heavily against the wall, as she didn't trust her legs to hold her up any longer. 'I love you so much!' Her hand clenched around the bottle of medicine she had just dragged out of a pocket in her work-overalls. She peered down at the bottle in her hands and relaxed a bit. Everything was in place - the lecture could start. The woman pressed the bottle tight to her chest then placed a kiss on its lid. 'Don't disappoint me again Charlie.'

Being in control of her emotions again, Mary straightened and with her eyes, followed Charlie's path across campus. Suddenly the young professor turned around and looked skeptical from left to right. Mary sensed the movement in time. She pushed her body against the wall of the house entrance and thus out of Charlie's sight. When Charlie continued to the math building Mary slipped out of her hiding place to keep an eye on him till he was out of sight. Furiously, the young woman twisted the bottle in her hand. She couldn't wait to set her plan in motion.

...

This time Charlie got to his office unnoticed. He smirked, remembering his own time in college as an undergrad. 'Much too early for students to be around on campus.'

The mathematician stepped into his office and organized himself. He laid his backpack and computer-case on his desk and hung his jacket across the chair back. Then he opened a window to fill the room with fresh air and new energy. Charlie hoped that some of it would be passed onto him. 'A coffee would be nice,' he thought to himself but first he had to find that stupid letter. The young man sighed but finally yielded to his destiny. He opened the first drawer of the nearest cabinet and started his search.

Buried in the monotonous work of opening and closing drawers his mind went back to yesterday evening.

It was a total flop. Don and he had ended up in an argument and Larry and his father had been stuck between them. Charlie could barely recall where it had gone wrong but sometime during the evening Don had switched into over-protector mode and Charlie couldn't fight it. The outcome was a restless night and a brother who had forced him to search for a sheet of paper shortly after sunrise.

Charlie couldn't help but smile. For his father and Larry the evening must have been much worse. 'I need to make it up to Dad somehow. And Larry.' It was as if Charlie's thoughts had reached his best friend in one of his alternative universes - the physicist suddenly rushed into his office.

"Good morning Charles. I´d hoped to find you here," Larry greeted him and plopped on the couch.

"And where else would I be Larry? After you told everyone the story of my secret admirer at your best?"

Larry frowned. "Is this a hint of sarcasm I notice?"

Without batting an eyelid, Charlie nodded. "You´re absolutely right Larry."

Larry took a deep breath and looked at him in disbelief. "Oh..."

Charlie couldn't hold on, he dropped on the couch beside his old friend smiling. "I'm kidding, Larry. Just a bit of fun."

The physicist wasn't convinced and stared at his friend a little taken aback.

"Oh come on Larry. Actually I want to apologize to you - yesterday didn't turn out the way it was planned I guess." Charlie laid an arm around his friend´s shoulder and squeezed it a little. That finally forced a reaction from Larry. In a familiar gesture he rubbed his forehead slightly before the palm of his hand came to rest on his left temple.

"Oh dear, Charles you don't have to apologize. It wasn't your fault. Family meetings are sort of dynamic movements you know. Somehow unpredictable."

"Yeah, I know."

Charlie rose to his feet again. He wanted to finish the search as fast as possible. "So what brings you in so early Larry?" He asked over his shoulder.

"Oh yeah," the older man began to explain, " I remembered where you put that letter."

Charlie raised en eyebrow in disbelief. From time to time his mentor couldn't even remember his own name, but having nothing to lose Charlie decided to challenge his friend. "Okay superbrain and where is that damned letter?"

Larry rose from his seat. "Actually, it is exactly here." The physicist approached the cabinet right beside his young friend and dragged the first drawer open. With a self-contented grin on his face he searched through the files and finally pulled the wanted sheet of paper out. In a gesture of victory he fanned it before Charlie's eyes. At last he held it close to his nose inhaling the scent. "Still a slight hint of lavender." And with that he let the paper drop onto Charlie's desk.

The young mathematician had witnessed the whole scene in silence. He shook his head slightly. "That's great Larry. You´ve saved me a lot of time. Thank you so much."

"You're always welcome Charlie." Larry squeezed Charlie's shoulder in a friendly manner. "So what about coffee? I guess we´ve earned ourselves some."

A smile appeared on Charlie's face. "That's a great idea. I'll go."

"No, no," Larry interrupted. " I'll go and you rest. To be honest you look a little pale. Just take it easy."

Before Charlie could say something, Larry was out of the door.

Charlie's eyes found the letter on his desk. He reached for it and held it up to his nose. 'Larry was right. It still smelled of lavender.'

...

Mary stood behind the refectory service counter. Her green eyes were focused on the entrance waiting for Charlie to show up.

Her posture was tense and the other employees watched her from a distance. No-one dared talking to her or asking her what was going on. After the clash between Paul and her yesterday they all just hoped that everything had calmed down.

Mary didn't noticed anything at all. She had drifted into insanity way too far to notice the inquiring glances or the murmuring behind her back. The outside world was almost non-existent to her. She only had Charlie on her mind. Charlie was her goal. The possibility that Charlie wouldn't show up didn't even enter into her mind.

The woman squeezed her eyes shut when she noticed Dr. Fleinhardt. She opened them again and watched as the physicist walked in a straight line towards the counter. A faint smile crept on her face. She straightened up and took position to serve him. Nobody kept her from doing so. Mary smirked when Larry arrived at the counter. He seemed to be totally unaware of the menacing glance fixed on him.

"May I help you?" Mary asked in the nicest tone she could manage.

Larry lifted his head and looked into a pair of green cat eyes. He shuddered at the look. The eyes didn't hold the smallest glimpse of life or warmth. More, they seemed to be death pools filled with rage. The physicist shook his head slightly to banish the image. It worked, for when he locked eyes with the woman again he was greeted with a smile even though it didn't quite reach her eyes. Larry pulled himself together and even accomplished a smile in return.

"Oh - oh, yes," The older man stuttered like a teenager. "I´ll have a black coffee and a glass of milk for me."

Mary nodded. "Just one moment sir." She smiled brightly; the professor had just given her all the details she needed. A glass of milk for him meant, she was pretty sure, that the coffee was for Charlie. She had witnessed often enough Charlie storming into the cafeteria just to get a cup of coffee. It was well known that most mornings he and the physicist would have a drink together first thing in the morning.

The woman turned towards the percolator. She grabbed a cup with its saucer and a spoon. She poured the coffee and just when she put the cup on a tray she let the spoon slip to the ground.

"Sorry," she grumbled bending down to pick it up. Mary was out of sight for a moment which gave her the chance to reach into her pocket and get the small bottle of laxative out. She rose up again, the bottle well hidden in her hand. She laid the spoon aside and got a new one. Back behind the counter Mary opened the bottle with one hand and let the solution drop into the cup. When it was done she closed the bottle and made it disappear into her pocket. A genuine smile on her face she poured the milk and handed the tray to Larry.

...

After Larry had left to get the coffee Charlie had sat down at his desk flipping absent-mindedly through his letters and notes. He glanced over his students´ inquiries. A single note with unfamiliar handwriting drew his attention. Just as he was opening the letter Larry returned. He laid the note aside and smiled at his friend.

"Just in time to save me from working."

Both men sat down on the sofa to enjoy their drinks and a good chat.

...

Alan Eppes got ready to leave the house. Charlie had asked him to get a new prescription for his pain-meds. His son had used up the last ones in the morning and it was obvious that he would need them for several more days. The way Charlie touched his clavicle or his forehead told Alan this more than a thousand words. After, he would drive to the grocery to fill up their provisions.

Alan put on his jacket and thought about what to cook for dinner. He imagined something with red meat. 'Yes, both of his sons would like that.' Alan grinned inwardly. He opened the front door and was halfway out when his view fell on a folder lying on the table near the door. He squeezed up his brown eyes. The FBI- logo on top of the folder attracted him magically. "No," he said to himself. But he couldn't fight the inner compulsion. A shudder ran down his spine - what he was doing was illegal. Nevertheless Alan grabbed the folder; his hands were shaking. He closed his eyes while he opened the red cover. 'Still time left to think again.' But the inner battle was lost, he opened his eyes and looked down. The image threatened to take his breath away. The room started to spin around him and he leaned against the doorframe searching for support. After a few minutes he felt safe enough to cross the room. On wobbly legs he made it to the couch. The folder held tight in his hands he collapsed onto the couch. Alan felt numb. He took a deep breath and stared at the folder and its contents again.

He looked at a black and white picture of a woman. It was just a drawing but the details were significant. Those eyes, he had seen those eyes before. 'Charlie! Oh my God!' That was the woman he had seen in front of Charlie's office just yesterday. He needed to call Don. Don would know what to do. But Alan couldn't move. He was frozen in shock. 'What did that woman have in mind for his little boy?'

TBC