Photographs and Memories.
Chapter 7.
After a grueling day of profiling, the FBI caught their serial killer. She was precisely what Jessie had said she would be and more of what the team had come up with. Reid couldn't help but smile as he thought of how Jessie had helped them. On the plane back, Hotch was quietly reading papers. Reid was playing chess with Prentiss and Morgan sat across from Hotch.
"Reid, what does Jessie do for a living?" Hotch asked suddenly. Morgan was interested and listened in.
"I don't really know." Reid answered. "She didn't tell me."
"Did she tell you she is suspended from work?" Hotch said and held up a paper. Reid grabbed the paper and true to his words, the article was a federal suspension notice. Dated two weeks ago.
"She told me she was here for a wedding…" Reid mumbled.
"She might be here for a wedding. But she's definitely suspended too." Morgan saw the paper and read through it. "Suspended pending an internal investigation… She works for the president?"
"With a cool job at that. She sits in on meeting and notes who lies and who tells the truth." Prentiss answered. When everyone stared at her she continued, "I read the report too. It was lying on the table all day."
"What report? Hotch, you had Jessie researched?" Reid grabbed all the papers Hotch had in front of him. Reid scanned through the pages and caught up what had happened in Jessie's life for the last seven years.
"I had to Reid; I couldn't rest our investigation on someone we don't know."
Reid zoned out. He was overwhelmed by Jessie's life. After he had left to work at the BAU, she went on to Seattle and finished her studies. By the detail of the papers, it was clear that she didn't have a hard time living without him. In fact it seemed rather dull. Except for the occasional burst of insanity. She joined the Navy and dropped out after a month, then went back to a dull life again. She spent two weeks in Europe and returned to her dull life. Her visits to the ER seemed to be normal and then spiked at certain times of the year. All her medical information was there because Jessie was brought up in an Army house and she was still on army medical.
"Hey Reid," Morgan said as they all left the airstrip. "Remember what you decided this morning, you're going to give her the benefit of the doubt. Find out why she's here, spend some time with her. Just don't go over to her and judge her, okay?" Reid had been in such a daze that he had hardly notices when the plane landed or when they walked off.
"Yes. Thank you, Morgan." Reid was still deep in thought. It was after seven o'clock and Jessie still hadn't called him. "I just don't know anything anymore…."
"Hey, if a girl can get you this muddled, maybe she's worth it….?" Morgan added as he gently slapped Reid's shoulder and took off.
Reid walked up to his apartment half an hour later. He stared at his door for several minutes before opening it. It was locked as he half expected and his front room was just as he had left it. Nothing was stirred. With a sigh, he walked into his room and took off his shirt. He'll call her when he's refreshed. Then something made him stop abruptly. Jessie was lying across his bed, head off the side and covered in blood. Reid's heart began to race and he couldn't breathe. Jessie, blood – not good!