Here is my submission for the Theme Song Challenge. Sorry it's a day late…hopefully it's not a dollar short! (Ooops…that was my lame sense of humor rearing its ugly head…sorry!) My prompts were David Rossi and Wanted Dead or Alive and the idea actually came from an email conversation I had with a bunch of other CM fans. I hope you enjoy the story. Thanks for reading!
~Angie
He didn't want anyone to dismiss Zoë Hawkes as quickly as he had—couldn't stand the thought of her being so swiftly forgotten. It was hard not to blame himself. He was the one who'd told her not to stop until she'd found what it was she was looking for. And she'd stumbled upon her answer all right—by becoming a victim.
And that was what had sparked the idea for David Rossi's next book. He supposed this was his way of paying her back—advocating for her. When Hotch had blamed himself for the lives The Reaper had taken in Boston after refusing to make a deal with him, it had been easy for Rossi to assure him that wasn't the case—The Reaper had made his choice; Hotch hadn't made it for him. Now he knew how his Unit Chief must have felt. It wasn't so simple convincing himself that Zoë's blood wasn't on his hands.
He'd become so consumed that he was presently on a leave of absence from the bureau in order to fully concentrate on the project. He had a feeling that this was going to be the most important piece he'd ever written, and he wanted to make sure it was as close to perfect as it could possibly get. He'd spent the last few months interviewing the victims loved ones so that he could make them the focal point of his latest manuscript. He wouldn't be able to use every bit of material he'd gathered, but a fair amount would make it into the book.
There comes a point, Agent Rossi, when it doesn't matter anymore, the mother of one of the victims had tearfully told him. You just want your baby home. Dead or alive. Her daughter's body never had been recovered. That was a secret Jacob Dawes had taken to his grave.
Six weeks later, David Rossi opened the door to his PO Box and pulled a manila envelope out. His book editor had been humbled by his idea, immediately springing into action trying to get just the right cover for the book. Dave had been looking forward to seeing it ever since he'd been told it was on its way.
He tore into the envelope and then, restraining himself, he carefully tugged on the corner of the dust jacket, taking the time to study it.
He read the words across the top: Wanted: Dead or Alive.
In the center of the cover was a dull gray casket, its cover pushed off to the side to reveal nothing within. Resting on the lid was a single yellow rose.
Then his eyes fell to the much smaller print near the bottom of the cover. Sometimes it's not the criminal who's America's Most Wanted.