Three days before:
"Has anyone noticed that Morgan might not be his usual self?" Rossi commented before the team headed into the room to start the usual case.
"He might have a cold but he's being stubborn." Reid said.
"Well then we keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't push too hard." JJ said.
Then everyone headed toward the area where they got briefed on cases.
In the conference room: Derek blew his nose into a tissue and then tossed it into one of the trash cans in there. He washed his hands at the sink for a moment that was also in the room.
Garcia said "Hey angel are you feeling ok?"
"Just a sniffle baby girl. I'm fine." His voice was a little congested sounding.
"Well if you need any TLC you know where to find me."
"I do and Tia has a bunch of stuff in my go bag too."
"She's good for you, you know that right?"
He nodded. "Yeah I do." Then the team came in and the case was started.
They went through the usual facts on the case and decided to leave in 30 minutes as was usual. Garcia went back to her lair after a hug for Derek and her usual be safe crime fighters to the others on the team.
She got her babies ready to go and then poured a mug of her chai tea. She knew the team would be on the jet so she decided to call Tia.
"Hey girl."
"Hey super detective. I was wondering if you noticed that Derek might not be running on all cylinders."
"Yes I did and he said he would take some Echinacea."
"All right then. He's had a lot of pressure the past few months."
"I know and it explains why his immune system might be weak."
"The team will keep an eye on him. That's what they do."
"I know he's in good hands."
"So would you want to grab dinner tonight? I can probably get out early."
"Call me when you're done and we'll pick a place."
"Good I'd like that a lot."
A little while later: Garcia was in work mode and her phone rang. "Go ahead caller you're on the air though your voice sounds a little sultry."
"Garcia I need you to find any connection between our victims if there is one that we're not seeing."
"All right. Well they all liked the same purple nail polish so maybe they used the same place to get their nails done."
"Thank you sweetness that's a start."
"You're welcome and you might want to drink some orange juice sugar."
"I will, let me know if you find anything else."
"I'll call when I do hot stuff." Then she hung up and went back to searching for more information.
Derek hung up the phone and got some of the Echinacea tablets and swallowed two with some juice. Then he said "Rossi and Lewis you go to the first crime scene. JJ and Reid you take the ME's office and I am going to set up what we have here so far."
They nodded and did what he said as he started setting up their board and unpacking files and their copy of the state map for them to hang up and mark. Three women who were all different physically and economically and yet they had all been hurt and killed around the same mall area near a tavern. He stood there thinking. It seemed like this unsub wanted women who for some reason couldn't or wouldn't fight him back. Power made him get off.