Gray Rooms Chap 4
Spencer stared at the map of the Southwest, he had hoped to find a decent pattern. "It has to be the child protection system, it has to be."
"Yeah," JJ said, "but how? The states aren't connected."
"Aren't there conventions, education programs?" Spencer thought, then tapped the number for Garcia. "You're on speaker, JJ and I are here. So Garcia do social workers have conventions?"
"Oh, my dear boy genius, every interest group has conventions. Do you want me to check out meetings, and education seminars for teachers social workers dealing with children."
"You took the thought out of my brain."
"Why thank you, as fast as my fingers can inquire."
"How's Jack," JJ asked before Spencer could form the words.
Garcia uncharacteristically licked her lips with nervousness. "Jack's with Jess, he's okay. Hotch was re=admitted to the hospital this morning."
"What?" both JJ and Reid questioned.
"When, w-why?" Spencer's nerves caused him to stutter.
"I just found out minutes ago, I just didn't know how to tell you."
"Garcia, what's going on?" JJ looked pale and angry.
"Pneumonia they think. They think it'll be fine, but Spencer they might call you."
Spencer sat in silence. "You'll find out about the social workers right?" He was breathless.
JJ stood behind him and put a hand on Spencers shoulder. She squeezed so that Reid looked at her and nodded.
JJ said to Garcia, "at those meetings do they ever do case studies, these kids seem like they could be part of that sort of thing."
"On it, and guys I'll get back to you with anything I hear about Hotch."
"Good." JJ tapped the phone to End the call.
"I have to go back to Virginia." Reid said.
"Hotch wouldn't want that, you know that." JJ replied.
"I can't keep my head in the case."
"You know how Hotch feels about cases with children, he would hate you leaving it for him."
Reid hung his head, trying to organize his feelings and thoughts. "You're right, if a child was lost I'd blame myself and he'd blame himself. Damn, this isn't how it should be."
"That's how life goes sometimes, Spencer."
At that moment the lead Denver detective walked into the conference room where JJ and Reid had set up. "They found Jake!"
JJ looked up.
"He's hurt and pretty freaked out but he's alive."
"A witness." Reid said.
"A victim." JJ corrected. "Where did you find him?"
"In the city, near a small park right in Cherry Creek."
"Do you think we can talk to him." JJ asked.
The detective shrugged. "He's not talking yet, like I said the guys who brought him to the hospital said the kid was freaked out. But sure why not. I'll call social services. Would you like to follow me?"
JJ nodded and she and Reid grabbed jackets and headed out to the FBI Suburban and followed the detectives Crown Vic.
Within ten minutes they pulled into the hospital parking lot. JJ was still on the phone arranging protection for the boy as Reid drove into the parking space. They nodded to each other and headed in.
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Scotsdale
Rossi sometimes thought that victimology came to close to blaming the victim for what happened. As if a kid could control the fact of blond hair.
He looked at the Medical Examiner's table and looked away. The unsub had nearly torn the child apart. There was a lot of anger there. And yet, and yet the boy had been cleaned up and dressed in gray slacks and a white dress shirt, a blue sweater found nearby.
Morgan shifted slightly, he'd never get used to the sight of the victims, and especially the small ones.
"Overkill. Why? What is going on with this guy? Surely he's not paying back bullies, these kids are small for their age."
"Sometimes," Rossi spoke slowly, "sometimes there's no good answer."
Morgan nodded. "Let's talk to the case worker. I can't stay here."
"Go ahead give me a minute."
Rossi looked at the Medical Examiner as they walked out of the morgue. "Was there something out of the ordinary?"
"The whole thing was out of the ordinary, but there was the one thing that was unexpected. Charles was well fed, just before he died, he'd had a nice meal."
"The unsub cooked for him?"
The ME shrugged, "more likely restaurant quality, grilled chicken, baked potato, a few carrots."
They both removed and tossed away their gloves.
"How long?"
"Within the hour, nothing was digested, the kid might have been killed in the parking lot. The injuries are mostly post mortem."
"Except the assault."
The ME nodded.
"He might have been trying to make it up to him."
"Likely."
"Thanks, good job."
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Rossi swung into the SUV and Morgan started the motor. "I hate the cases with kids."
"Charles had a meal just before he was killed."
Morgan looked at Rossi, "that sick son of a bitch."
"That's what I thought."
They drove in silence to the Scotsdale Sheriff's office. They greeted the case detectives and set out to get some work done. Within the hour the surviving social worker, Sutton Barros arrived. Still in a sling with a huge bandage over his right eye. He walked carefully into the conference room.
"We want to thank you for coming in, if there's anything you need?" Morgan left the question open.
The young man sighed and nodded, "if I could have some water?
Rossi walked out of the room to get some water.
"Mr. Barros, can you tell us anything about Charles, or about the wreck?"
The young man cleared his throat, "I. I wasn't his worker really. I was just with him, just delivering him to a short term foster family."
"So you didn't know him at all."
Rossi handed the social worker a bottle of water and one to Morgan, he set his coffee on the table. Morgan smiled his thanks. "So Mr. Barros doesn't know about Charles. He was just transporting the kid to a foster home."
Rossi's eyes snapped. "You often drive kids from their parents to foster homes? Like repossessing a car?"
"No, no, I talk to them sometimes."
"Did you talk to Charles? Was he upset, crying. He was eight years old…"
"He was okay, I asked him if he knew what was happening. He knew."
"So you don't have an opinion?"
"He was a good kid, quiet mostly, seemed bright enough."
"Bright enough for what?"
"Look I was a victim too."
"Charles is dead."
Barros looked at Rossi. "I thought he just wandered off."
Morgan looked at Barros, doubt suddenly blooming. "Did you see him after the car skidded to a stop."
"No, no, he was suddenly just not there."
"Can you just rest here for awhile Mr. Barros?" Morgan nodded to Rossi, wanting to talk.
Outside the room and out of earshot Rossi turned to Morgan. "Something's going on with this guy, he knows something."
The detective walked up to them. "The third child has turned up alive in Denver."
Morgan and Rossi smiled at the detective. "Anything?"
"Your folks are on their way to the hospital to talk to him now. Oh and the foster mother is here, it sounds like she had taken Charles in on a previous occasion. Actually his aunt."
"Ms. Wilson?"
"That's me," the woman who walked toward them was small and though not beautiful had a plain sweet look about her. She offered her hand to Morgan then to Rossi. "You're going to get the bastard who took Charles." A statement rather than a question.
"We're going to do our best. Would you come into the break room with us."
"I'd love something cold to drink." In the break room she walked up to the soda machine and selected a diet pepsi. She took a long swallow. "Now, how can I help?"
"Do you know the caseworker Sutton Barros?"
"He's the new guy, I've met him once I think. Quiet, the kids are okay with him though."
"What can you tell us about Charles?" Morgan asked.
"I wish you could have met him, he was a firecracker. Funny, smart, good dresser and never walked when he could run." She smiled to herself. "I wished I could have taken him, his father, my brother is hopeless. Leaves the kid alone when he travels. But when he started hitting him and yelling it was too much. When he broke the child's arm it was too much for me. He's like our dad, no patience." She stopped suddenly, "I keep expecting to see him. I'm sorry." She took a drink. "I just never thought…"
"Do you think your brother could do this?"
" , I don't think he even likes kids. Morgan walked over to the detective, "Can you put Barros in an office or holding?"
Whitmore nodded, "You want the father, he answered his phone a minute ago, at his Scottsdale address."
Morgan patted his shoulder, "Good thinking."
"Oh wait, on the news just a few minutes ago. An FBI agent was shot in New York, an agent Snow."
Morgan's breath caught, he flicked on his phone.
"I was just going to call you. We have another shooting. Not fatal. We've sent the second team. There's a suspect in custody."
"Get Prentiss there, route the plane here to pick up Rossi."
"Done and done."
Morgan walked back into the break room. He motioned Rossi to him. "Andi Snow's been shot, not fatally. I want you to go to New York, you have time, we're bringing Prentiss and the plane here for you."
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Virginia
Jack paced, his little body tight, tears streaming down his face. Jess caught him as she walked in from getting water. "Jack you have to stop."
"I don't remember mommy, I see the pictures but I don't remember her."
"I know, I know sweetheart. You were so young when she died."
"Killed, mommy was killed."
Jess nodded as she held him to her, his head hot and moist. He continued to cry. "And daddy is killed. And I won't remember him."
"No, no Jack don't say that, don't think that. Your daddy's going to make it. Sometimes when people have surgery there are complications. Pneumonia is that. And your daddy is a fighter, he'll make it. He wants to live, he loves you so much."
"I love my daddy so much, I'm so scared now."
"I know, me too. And Poppa is and Uncle Sean."
Jack settled in the seat next to Jess, he got out one of his books.
Sean Hotchner walked in, he looked like he felt, tired disheveled and worried. He'd gotten off his job as chef in a small but well reviewed restaurant in New York and boarded the train for Virginia hours before. He put his hand on Jack's head and Jack looked up at him and gave him a small smile. He got out of his chair to hug his uncle.
Sean sat and groaned, Jess smiled, "long trip."
"Unbelievably. Come here Jack."
Jack stood in front of him. Sean lifted him to his lap and Jack eased himself against his uncle. He was about cried out. But held his uncle.
"Tell me about when daddy was young."
"I can tell you some, he was a teenager when I was born. I was a surprise baby."
Jack smiled. "Was I a surprise?"
"No honey, you were planned and hoped for all the way."
"Good, but surprise is good too."
Sean nodded. "Well momma used to tell me that your dad was always a good boy, a little quiet and thoughtful, but smart, loved to joke, loved to read. Everyone liked him at school, except for this one boy who thought your dad was a show off – which he wasn't, he was just smart and friendly."
"I remember this one time that a couple kids ganged up on me on the playground when I was little and Aaron just walked over and lifted them by their waists and took 'em each to their mothers and told them they were picking on his little brother. No one ever bothered me after that."
"Mom used to say that Aaron would hide at the local library when he was about 12 and our dad was unhappy with him."
"So what happened with the boy who bullied daddy?"
"I think he and your daddy went to Alabama and played football together there, then Harvard Law together, they're friends now. But he's still way bigger than your daddy."
"Bigger than daddy?"
"Well way wider and a little taller. Your Uncle Walt."
Jack's brows flew up. "Uncle Walt was mean to daddy."
"Yep got them both in trouble too, cause your daddy yelled at him after Walt had bloodied his nose."
"No."
Sean smiled. "Your daddy was really mad and called him a bad name."
Jack smiled back.
The nurse appeared at the waiting room door. "Jack?"
"That's me."
"Your dad wants to see you, now you have to be very quiet, your daddy is still pretty sick."
Jack walked with her, very stolid, very self controlled. No tears.
The doctor walked in right after and offered a small smile. "He's going to be okay, the antibiotics are doing their job. He's very tired of the hospital, but I'm keeping him here for at least a few more days. We need to set up a home nurse for awhile. I think he'll heal better there, too many sick people here."
Jess nodded, "that'll be great."
Sean sat, his hand over his eyes.
Jess sat next to him. "Take it easy, this is great news right."
A tear fell from his face, "I spent the whole trip here thinking I'd be too late. I've been a horrible brother you know. He nearly brought me up and I just treat him like dirt."
"No Sean, he loves you, he's talked to me about how proud he is that you're living your own life."
"Thank you."
