love equations -- charlie eppes x reader - numb3rs

ch ;; 6

making up for yesterday's missed chapter

---

cw;; kidnapping

-----------------------------

''we've got amber alerts out, we've already received over 300 tips. i promise you, we'll run down over all of them.'' don explained. ''what could this be about? you think they want money?'' ciara quickly nodded. ''we're preparing for the possibility of a ransom demand.''

''we have maybe $3,000 in savings. our house is second-mortgaged.'' the mom cried. ''at this point, we don't have enough information for a motive. this form here, it'll help you remember everyone who's been to your house within the last few months, babysitters, gardeners..'' don lists off.

''you have a worksheet for this?'' the dad asked, disbelief all over his face. suddenly, terry gasped, calling out to sinclair. ''we've got 36 registered sеx offenders just within three square miles. we'll need to look at all of them.'' she explained. ciara cut in, going back to the parents.

''hey, hey. you guys got anything on the clowns? we're collecting photographs and video taken at the party for a possible I.D.'' she asked. after a few more moments of her own little interrogation, ciara walked back over, standing in front of don and david.

''okay, the mother got them through the same company that supplied the party rentals. about two days before the party, someone calls the company, says they're ethan burdick and cancels the clowns, although ethan says it wasn't him. so whoever planned this knew about the party, knew which rental company.'' she explained.

''the mom, dad, both... i watched them during the interview. neither one of them looked to the other for visual or verbal cues. no indication of a rehearsed story. if one of them is involved, the other one doesn't know about it.'' he tells david and terry.

''i want to check out the dad's office.'' he states. ''where's that?'' ciara asked, looking over to don. ''that way.'' david pointed. meeting up with charlie in the dad's office, he didn't take long to start talking to the group.

''what this is is abstract number theory, most of it dealing with prime numbers, which are numbers that can't...''  ''i know what prime numbers are, charlie. you can't divide them into smaller ones.'' don said, cutting his brother off. ''don, this is deep stuff. this is very advanced work.'' charlie explained.

 ''his name's ethan burdick. you know him?'' ciara asked, placing a folder back down onto burdick's desk. ''no, I've never heard of him, although... you know, just a preliminary look at his work.. these ideas on the critical strip are... are elegant. he's got an approach here I've actually never seen before.'' charlie said.  ''wait, all this from a preliminary look at his work?'' ciara asked.

''i'd say ethan burdick is seriously brilliant.'' charlie acknowledged. don scoffed lightly. ''so brilliant he didn't notice his only kid being snatched right outside his window.'' he stated sarcastically.  suddenly, the three of them heard burdick's voice. ''who is he talking to?'' ciara asked, jumping up and walking towards the door.

''officer, take your guys in the backyard, on the side, and take them out of my house. if I ask you to leave, you leave--'' burdick was in sinclair's face, demanding that the fbi were to leave. ''that's it. end of argument. there's no discussion here. i don't need your cooperation in this investigation.'' he frantically exclaimed.