Lily Child
FBI profiler legend, Agent David Rossi knocked on the door in front of him. Sharing a glance with his strong companion also an FBI profiler, Agent Derek Morgan, he waited for it to open. After a long moment with no noticeable movement inside, he knocked again, louder.
There was a thump, a laugh and suddenly the door swung in. A child about 8 looked up at him, "Hello! Who're you, sir?"
Rossi bent forward slightly, "My name is David. Is you're Mom here?"
"No." The boy shook his head, "She's always at work, and when she is here she's really grumpy and tired."
"What about your Dad, is he around?"
"Papa? He's under a stone now." He motioned with his hands.
"Ah…" Morgan was puzzled, "then who watches you?"
"Lily! She's in the kitchen making brunch." He answered happily, pointing behind him.
"Could you get her for us? Please?" prodded Rossi gently.
"I guess so," he glanced behind him, down the hall, "Just a sec."
As he ran deeper into the house, Rossi turned to Morgan, "So… the father's gone, the mother is rarely home, yet the yard is well kept, as is the house and there is a car in the drive."
"I guess this Lily is a good nanny," shrugged Morgan.
"But then why would—"
Rossi's speculation was cut of by a young giggle. "I'm coming Alex, I'm coming." A teenage girl was being pulled by the hand, laughing at her determined charge.
The boy, Alex, wiggled their connected hands, "Come on, Lily, the people want to see you!"
The pain was in the doorway before they looked up. Clear water-blue eyes peered from behind dark chocolate hair that had fallen into the pale face of the girl.
She smile at the men, her hand resting a top Alex's head, "Hi, what can I do for you?"
"Ma'm," Rossi pulled his badge from an inside pocket. He flipped it open, "My name is Agent David Rossi, and this is Agent Derek Morgan. We're from the FBI. We'd like to ask you a few questions, if that's alright."
"Oh, um… sure, I guess." She leaned down and whispered something into Alex's ear.
His eye's widened, "Really?" He asked turning to stare at her.
She smiled mischievously, "Mm hmm, but only if you be quiet as a mouse for a little while, so I can talk to these fine gentlemen."
"Okay!" Alex mimed zipping his mouth shut and ran back into the house.
Rossi noticed the fond gaze on Lily's face, "Are you a baby-sitter or his nanny?"
"What? Oh no. No, no, I'm his sister." She ushered them into the house, shutting the door behind them.
"His sister?" questioned Morgan, "But it's only," he checked his watch, "9:45 on a Wednesday, shouldn't you be at school? You can't be more than 18."
She laughed, "You're right, I'm 17, but I also finished High School years ago."
They sat down on the couch she gestured to, glancing around the living room, making observations. Rossi watched Lily straighten a few pictures and toys before she placed herself softly on a cushioned armchair.
"How many years ago?" He asked curiously.
"Hmm?"
Rossi extended his question, "How many years ago did you finish High School?"
"Oh, I was 9 when I graduated. That was fun… youngest yet in the district." She folded her fingers together, "Now, while I am enjoying our lovely small-talk, I don't think the FBI would come just for that."
Morgan nodded, "Yes, m'am. You may have read about the murders that have been occurring in your area recently. We have reviewed the security footage of the areas where the victims were before each murder."
Lily tilted her head a little, "And that lead you here because…"
"You were reported to have been at every scene just prior to the murders." Rossi said.
"And thus," she responded pleasantly, "I am now a suspect."
Morgan corrected her, "More a person of interest."
"That's the same thing, no?" There was still a small smile on her face. "Would you like to question me here or in town?"
"You'll need to come with us." Rossi stood, "Is there someone who can watch your brother?"
"Yes, give me a moment," she went to the doorway, "Alex!"
There was a scampering noise and Alex came bounding down the stairs, "Are you done? Can I get it now?"
"Almost," Lily caught the boy as he jumped, from the third step, into her waiting arms, "Guess what? You get to take it with you to Miss Tally's house."
"Miss Tally?" Alex looked confused, "Why?"
"You're going to stay with her for a tiny while because I get to go on a field trip to the big buildings," answered his sister creatively.
"The big buildings? That's not fun. Are they gonna make you take a test?"
"Something like that, and I didn't think that you'd have fun waiting for me so… you go grab it and run on over to Miss Tally. I'll wait here, go on." Lily set him back on the steps and he disappeared again.
"What's he getting?" Morgan leaned on the door frame, "And how do you know this Tally person isn't busy?"
Turning back to face him, Lily answered, "Oh, Miss Tally is always glad to have him with her. She's retired and a widow so her home is quite lonely, she says that Alex brings some light into her shadowed world. As for what he's getting, it's the game we play when I need him to do something special for me. You'll see it's nothing dangerous or bad."
Rossi made to protest but was stopped when Alex came back into sight, "This one, Lily?" He asked, holding up a large purple book.
"I thought you finished that one? Weren't we just starting the Yellow one?" Lily stuck her hand on her hip as she waited for the answer.
"No," Alex hopped down a few steps, "There's still some left to do."
"Alright then," She snatched up a pair of brown sneakers from inside the coat closet and set them at the bottom stair.
As her brother laced up his shoes, Lily showed the purple book to Morgan and Rossi, "See? It's a color, math puzzle book. We already did the Synonym and Antonym ones and next we'll do a language one." Seeing the confused expressions, she explained more, flipping the book to a random page, "In order to fill in the right spaces with the right colors, you have to solve a math problem."
"Isn't that a bit advanced for your brother?" Morgan asked.
She smiled, "Not yet. These problems aren't very hard."
"I'm ready!" Alex hugged his sister tightly around the legs and reached up to shake both Agents' hands, "It was very nice meeting you. Bye Lily!" He took the puzzle book from Lily, opened the front door, and took off down the drive way.
Lily watched as he got to the end of the drive, checked for traffic and then ran across to another house. He knocked on the door and rocked on his heels until it opened. The elderly woman who apparently lived there smiled upon seeing him and stood back to welcome him in. Alex turned once to wave at Lily, who returned it, and the door closed.
"Now," Lily turned to her guests, "Do you need to cuff me or are you merely an escort?"
"We are here because you are under suspicion of murder; you'll have to be in handcuffs." Morgan answered pointedly.
"Alright," Lily didn't seem at all put out, "Then if I could just get my shoes… we can get on with it."
Slipping on the boots, she held her arms behind her back to allow Agent Morgan access to her wrists. He clipped the silver cuffs around her arms and Rossi lead her by the elbow from the house. Morgan took one last view of the house's interior and followed his superior out after Lily.
"A black SUV? Really?" said Lily when she saw the vehicle belonging to the Agents "Isn't that a bit… predictable?"
"It allows us to stay off radar. SUVs are common enough for it to be overlooked and black isn't an eye-catching color." Retorted Morgan as he climbed into the passenger side.
Lily scanned the interior, settling down in the back seat. Rossi moved to the driver's side, got in and started the car. He glanced back at the woman when he had pulled onto the main roads. She appeared quite at ease, even in handcuffs. His instinct flared.
The ride to the station was mostly silent apart from a few comments about directions. When they finally arrived, Morgan moved out first, helping Lily next and guiding her into the police headquarters. Rossi trailed after them both, shouting to Morgan to take her to Interrogation room 3.
Unit chief, SSA Aaron Hotchner, or Hotch, saw the men arrive and approached Rossi, "That her?" he asked.
"Lily Kaleen Mussner, or so her driver's license says... Get a full background from Garcia."
"Right." He moved over to the other three Agents, who were reviewing crime scene evidence.
"Reid." Hotch called to his youngest team member, SSA Dr. Spencer Reid, "Call Garcia, we need a full work up. Name's Lily Mussner. I want everything."
Reid pulled out his phone, ready to dial the loyal Analyst, "Yes, sir." He punched the speed dial and waited.
A perky voice answered, "Penelope Garcia, technological goddess. Now, what are your other two wishes?"
"I need a life story of Lily Mussner. What can you give me?" Reid said, smiling slightly.
"Hmm, a story, how exciting." Garcia clicked a computer screen and went to work, "Let's see. Born to Talia and Alex Mussner on April 1st 1993, great April Fools joke. Um… attended Rockwood Elementary for five years but then was moved up to the local High School, I guess she's a genius too. Graduated at age 9… went to NYU, got three different Doctorates in Psychology, Art, and English Literature. Wrote one book, got big bucks for it too, cool. She lives at home with her mother and younger brother, Dad seems to have died a few years ago. Uh, she has a car… credit card… yeah, usual stuff."
"What's her book?" asked Reid, who had diligently written down everything.
"It was called…" she scrolled over, "Bright as a Shadow."
Scribbling it down, Reid shifted the phone from his shoulder to his hand, "Huh, alright, thanks Garcia."
"And the wish has been granted." She chirped in reply, hanging up.
Hotch and Rossi were standing together with yet another team mate, SSA Emily Prentiss. They were looking into a one-way mirror where, on the other side, sat Lily. She was secured to a table by one wrist via handcuffs and was leaning back in her chair, facing up at the white ceiling of the interrogation room.
Her eyes were open and yet, oddly blank.
'Sticks and stones, hard on bones...aimed with angry art. Words can sting like anything...but silence breaks the heart...'