" . . . where he f-fun-fund"
"found."
"found his dinner. And it was st-st-still hot."
"Smile you two."
Reid looked up to find his mother standing in the doorway, her new digital camera in her hand.
'Nini, I wanna be in the picture." A curly haired three year old ran over.
"Climb up next to Ashton."
Reid pulled his niece up onto his lap next to her brother. Jessie threw her arms around his neck, squeezing tightly.
"Yeah, I can't smile when you squeeze that tight." Reid laughed as she let go.
"Wait a second. I messed something up."
"Let me see it." Reid held out his hand.
"No. I've got it." Maggie laughed. "Okay. On three. One. Two. Three."
"Santa Claus!" Ashton and Jessie yelled.
"Santa must be on Atkins." A voice laughed from behind them. "Cause he's missing his belly like a bowl full of jelly."
"Uncle David." The kids yelled as they scrambled off Reid's lap.
"Hey guys." David knelt down and hugged them with one arm, his sleeping son in his other arm. "Hey Mom. Spencer."
"David." Reid hugged his brother. "Need a hand with anything?"
"Yeah. I've got a trunk full of presents."
"I'll take Steven." Maggie reached for her grandson.
"Uncle Spencer." Ashton ran up. "Your coat is singing."
"David, I'll be there in a minute." Reid pulled his cell phone out of the inside pocket. The number for the BAU was on the display. "Reid."
"Reid. It's Hotch. How's the family?"
"I think rambunctious would be a good word." Reid laughed. "Between my brothers and my sister, there are seven kids running around the house. And they all want my undivided attention."
"You are the uncle from out of town."
"And my mother has already tried to feed me enough for a small army."
"Mothers will do that." There was a pause. "Listen, I know you're on vacation"
"But."
"We received a call from the local field office. The police in Henderson called for a consultation on a case. The local agents referred the case to the BAU."
Reid slipped into his old room, pulling the door shut. He found a half used notebook in a drawer.
"What do we know?"
"The victim is a fourteen year old boy. He went missing on the 16th. Left school, never made it home. 911 received a call yesterday afternoon about a body in an old dump just outside of town."
"Cause of death?"
"Full autopsy report hasn't arrived here yet. There were numerous bruises on the boy's body suggesting he was beaten. Bruises on the neck indicate possible strangulation. Noticeable lack of evidence suggests he was killed somewhere else and dumped there. That's all we have so far."
"Not much."
"There should be more information waiting for you in the morning."
"I can be there first thing."
"Good. I'm sorry about interrupting your trip home."
"It's okay. It's a hazard of the job."
"Review the information and call me with your conclusions, so we can decide on a course of action."
"You thinking a serial killer?"
"Don't we always."