A DISH BEST SERVED COLD

Don ended his call to David. Looking back at the crime scene he took in a breath and walked towards it. A call had come in about ten in the morning. The car had been found at seven, the license at seven thirty when the crime scene investigators had shown up. Spotting the head officer, Don approached him.

" So what do we have?" he demanded.

The man turned around. He gave a quick, judging look at Don and replied, " Agent Eppes, I didn't think you would be here so soon."

" Yeah, well, an agent is missing. The faster we act the faster we get him back."

" That's assuming he is alive," the other man replied looking back at the scene. He didn't notice the ice cold glare Don shot at him.

" The fourty-eight hour window isn't even close to being complete," Don remarked, " And since there was no evidence to contrary we're going to assume Agent Edwards is alive."

" Fine, fine. Whatever you say, Agent Eppes," the other man replied cooly.

" Good, so what do we have?"

" Motorist saw the car sitting in the ditch. The engine was smoking, so they stopped. Police were called in, then the forensic guys. Once we identified the owner of the car and found the license we called you."

" Was thereevidence of movement from the car? Any evidence of a passenger or injury?"

" If there was, don't you think we would have told you?" the man retorted looking back at Don.

" Was there evidence that this was an accident?"

The other man's face grew grim.

" This was no accident," he replied, " It was to perfect. Like it was stage or something. I'm sorry, Agent Eppes, but it seems your friend has disappeared."

With that he walked away.

" People don't just disappear," Don muttered ferociously under his breath. Suddenly he heard his phone.

" Eppes," he answered.

" Hey, Don," came David's voice, " Wilkens and I cross referenced Edwards with the other agents. Turns out all of them used to work at the San Fransico bureau office. Wilkins was going to call his contacts and see if there was anyone who had a grudge against them."

" Good," Don replied, " Oh, David, see if you can contact Terry. She went down there for a conference. Maybe she can find something."

" Sure thing," David replied, " You know. This would be a great problem for Charlie. When is he coming back?"

Don stiffened unintentionally. The night Charlie left the two had argued over the merits of investigative reasoning or mathematical solutions.

" Hey, Don, you okay?" David's voice brought Don back.

" Yeah, fine," Don answered, " I don't know, David, sometimes he leaves for a few days, others for a week."

" Hmm. I gotta go. Wilkens has something!"

" Alright, I'm on my way back. Update me when I get there."

" Sure thing," David replied as he severed the line.

Don ended his call and took off his jacket. Tossing it haphazardly in the back of his car, he got in and started the engine. He desperately hoped they would find the missing agents quickly. Not only for their safety, but so that he could apologize to Mark. Deep in the back of his mind though, Don knew he also wanted to solve this case so that he could show Charlie he didn't always need a mathematical solution.

Back                         Home                              Numb3rs Main Page                          Next