Thirty minutes later the three agents get out of their SUV an approach the cordoned off crime scene. Morgan is still chuckling about why JJ was with them.

"Morgan, don't make me shoot you," JJ cautions him.

Emily nods to Detective Hale. "So, what do we have?"

"A guy and his girlfriend were here earlier this evening. When they got home she realized she left her scarf behind at the restaurant. They drove back together to get it. He went inside, when he came out she was gone, her purse still on the seat of car."

Emily nods. "Okay. JJ, talk to the boyfriend. Morgan, talk to the restaurant manager. I'll take a look at the car."

The other two agents nod and they split up to start their investigation. Emily moves to the car that is parked near the end of the building.

"I know it's cold, but why the hell not wait until tomorrow to get your scarf?" Emily thinks to herself.

She studies the parking lot. There are camera's on the restaurant but they are pointing towards the front doors. She steps back to get a better angle but it is obvious even the camera's pointed in this direction would not pick up this car.

"Convenient," she mutters.

She finally approaches the car. She slips on a pair of latex gloves and tries to open the passenger door. It's locked.

"Strange." She looks at the officer standing nearby. "Has anyone opened this door?"

"No, ma'am."

Emily nods. "Thanks. Why would a kidnapper take the time to lock the door?" she mutters to herself. She looks in the window and sees the missing woman's purse is, in fact, sitting on the passenger seat. "No way. If she's in the car and it's on her lap as she's grabbed it's all over the place, not placed neatly right there. This isn't right."

She studies the ground around the car and doesn't see anything that would indicate a struggle on the ground or on the car.

"So unless she just gave herself up, placed her purse right there, and then locked the car this isn't adding up."

JJ had studied the pacing man as she approached him. He looked more like a lion waiting to be neutered versus a predator ready to attack. Nerves can mean guilt. Fury can mean fear. Not good.

"Nathan Petty? I'm Jennifer Jareau with the FBI. Can I talk to you about your girlfriend?"

He nods. "Sure. She's missing. Someone took her. That guy took her. You know, the one in the news. He took her."

"That's what we're here to make sure of, sir. Tell me, how long had you two been together?"

"Six months. I had planned to ask her to marry me."

She smiles supportively. "And hopefully you still can. Why did you park so far from the door of the restaurant?"

"I…there was a car pulled up lengthwise across the front spaces. I guess waiting to pick someone up or something. So I had to park farther away." He glares at JJ. "This ISN'T my fault!"

JJ nods. "I know, sir. I just need to know what you saw because that's what the kidnapper saw."

"Oh. Right."

"Did you see anyone in the parking lot other than the person in the car by the doors?"

He shakes his head. "No. No one."

"Did you get the feeling you were being watched? Or that someone could have been watching you at any point tonight?"

He shakes his head. "No. Nothing like that."

Not once had the man looked JJ in the eyes. Not once had he demanded that she go look for his girlfriend. She studies him as he runs a hand through his hair. She sees scratches on the back of his hand.

"That looks painful. What happened to your hand?"

He looks at his hand, as if seeing the scratches for the first time. "Uh…we have a, uh, kitten."

JJ nods. "Ah, I see." She can't help but think. "I have a cat, too, and those aren't cat scratches. Strike 2."She watches him a moment. "One last question, why did you have to come back for the scarf tonight?"

He shrugs. "She wanted it for work. It's cold."

JJ nods. "Of course. Thank you, Mr. Petty. I know this is a terrible time for you."

"Yeah. So, can I go? I have to be at work at 6 tomorrow morning."

"And strike 3," JJ thinks. "Actually, we'll need you to wait a little longer. Thanks."

JJ heads off to meet up with Morgan and Emily.

Morgan raises an eyebrow. "So no one turned in a scarf? None of the wait staff saw it?"

"No. I told that guy the same thing. He left and then came back in screaming that his girlfriend had been taken."

"How long between him leaving and coming back in screaming?" Morgan asks.

The manager shrugs. "Maybe a minute."

"Okay. Can I get a look at the video from your outside cameras?"

The manager blushes. "Uh, they don't actually work. My nephew did the work and he screwed something up. Every time they were on and someone turned on the dishwasher it would trip a fuse. We only turn them on at night before we leave."

Morgan cusses to himself. "I see. Do you know if there was a reason for him to park so far away from the door?"

The manager shakes his head. "Not that I know of. We were getting ready to close so only the employee cars were in the lot."

"Out of curiosity, is Nathan Petty a regular?"

The manager shakes his head. "I don't recognize him. You'd have to ask the rest of the staff though to make sure."

"Thanks. We'll do that."

Morgan walks to the entrance as Emily and JJ step inside. He looks around to make sure no one can hear.

"Camera's outside don't work."

"Figures," Emily mutters.

"Guys, this jerk is lying to us. He's more concerned with getting a good night's sleep before work tomorrow than finding his girlfriend," JJ whispers.

"And the car is wrong. The passenger's side door is locked, her purse sitting neatly on the passenger's seat," Emily adds.

"He claims he parked so far away because a car blocked the front spaces," JJ notes.

Morgan raises an eyebrow. "Really? Manager said there were no cars out there except the staff cars. And he said no one turned in a scarf that was left behind."

"This guy is off," JJ says. "I think he's using the media stories to cover himself. He's got scratches on his hands he says are from a kitten. Trust me when I say Sergio has taught me all about scratches and those aren't cat scratches."

Emily nods. "We need to get a warrant for his house and his girlfriend's house. He's taking time away from our investigation but we need to see this through to keep it from getting wrapped up into the true serial killings."

"I'll go talk to Hale," Morgan says. "You two talk to Petty. See if he'll give us permission to search his house. Tell him it's just standard. I want to know how he reacts."

Emily and JJ nod and go track down the supposedly upset man.

"Mr. Petty? This is one of my partners, Agent Prentiss," JJ says. "As part of the investigation we need to go take a look at your house. Would that be okay?"

Petty's eyes widen briefly before he gets control back. "I, uh, would rather you didn't. It's, um, really not clean and stuff."

Emily smiles kindly. "That's okay. I'm sure we've seen worse."

He swallows, his carotid artery pulsing faster. "Um, no, really. I can't let you. Maybe tomorrow?"

Emily glances over her shoulder and sees Morgan and Hale approaching. Morgan nods. Emily turns back.

"I'm afraid we can't wait, Mr. Petty. We're going to your house and your girlfriend's house tonight. This is your only chance to come clean. Where is your girlfriend?"

Petty stares at her. His eyes flick to Morgan and Hale. He turns and sees two police officers had stepped up behind him. He tenses.

"Don't do it, Mr. Petty," JJ warns, seeing he is preparing to try to flee.

He turns and sees more officers have moved closer. Finally his shoulders slump.

"I want a lawyer."

Emily nods. "Better hope he's a good one."

Officers step forward and take Petty into custody. Emily, Morgan and JJ look at Detective Hale. He shakes his head.

"Sorry, Agents. I had a gut feeling that he was lying but I couldn't risk being wrong."

Morgan nods. "No harm, no foul. Better to figure it out this way then regret it later. We understand."

"I guess I'll see you all in the morning. Goodnight, Agents."

The agents go back to their SUV. As Morgan drives them back to the hotel Emily sends Hotch a text to let him know it was a copycat not their unsub.

When they get back to their room, Emily and JJ quickly get ready for bed. As they crawl into bed, Emily pulls her wife close.

"So, will you be able to sleep now?"

JJ smiles. "Maybe." She draws her tongue up Emily's neck. "I can think of a way to make sure I have nothing but good dreams."

Emily smiles and rolls over, placing herself halfway on top of her wife. "Oh? And what might that be?"

JJ runs her hands up under her wife's shirt. "You're a Yale grad. Figure it out."

Emily smiles and gives her wife a deep, passionate kiss. Soon she has, indeed, figured it out.