Chapter 10 Back Together
Reid waited on the platform of the station. He had the recommended two dozen roses that both Morgan and Rossi suggested.
When the train pulled up Reid watched Jill step out onto the platform. She had her bag on her shoulder and was looking around, probably for Stewie.
"Jill." Reid called getting her attention.
Jill looked over. She saw Spencer and she saw the roses. Stewie. She would kiss him later for this. Jill ran towards Spencer slamming her body into him.
"I guess Stewie was right about the roses." Reid said as he wrapped his arms around Jill.
Jill was crying. "I was afraid you wouldn't want me back."
"Of course I did. I was such an idiot." Spencer said
"So was I." Jill said. "We both made mistakes."
Jill and Spencer talked over lunch before going into work. Jill told Spencer about meeting with Julie and how she was recovering from her problems.
After they ate Jill showed Spencer the letter she had received from her father.
To my daughter,
I know I wasn't there for you growing up like a father should have been. I am sorry for that.
I know what happened to you and your sister while I was in jail. I know I should have gotten you away from there, but I couldn't see how.
Jill, I was told that you were now an FBI Agent. I can't tell you how proud I am of that. You did far better than I did in life.
The one hope I do have for you is happiness. Have some joy in your life.
What I would ask if I ever had the chance to see you is your forgiveness.
You may not have had me there for you, but you never stopped having my love.
"Wow." Reid said after reading it.
"He wrote it before he died. You know the validity of death-bed confessions."
"Yes, I do believe it is sincere."
"So do I," Jill replied.
They paid for the lunch then left. Jill needed to go to her apartment. Reid went back to the office. When he got there Reid told the team that Jill and he had gotten back together. The team was happy for him. That night Reid went over to Jill's to spend the night with her.
It was two weeks after Jill had returned from New York that she went into the BAU office. It was in the afternoon and the team was doing their paperwork on the latest case.
"Hey, there." Reid said when Jill came in. She was wearing a white cotton dress and sweater with cowboy boots. Her hair was done in pigtail braids. She looked only to be about thirteen, fifteen tops.
"Do you have a meeting?" Morgan asked when he took in Jill's outfit.
"Yes, in Texas." Jill answered opening up the case file in her hand. She set it on the desk so the profilers were able to read it. "I got a call from SSA Peter Grey. He's the one who got me into the Bureau."
"What's the case?" Reid asked.
"Three teenage girls came forward two months ago making claims about molestation from a guy that works at a youth center. He's some kind of fire fighter. Anyway they each came in separately and then backed out at the last minute."
The team looked over the case file.
"Looks like he's using his wife as an accomplice." Morgan said as he read over the statements.
"I was a bit disturbed by that too." Jill added. "Anyway, all these accounts are the almost the same. And when questioned he stayed silent and asked for a lawyer. Nothing came of the interrogation."
"Because the girls are backing out too, they can't prosecute." Prentiss said not hiding her disgust.
"So what are you going to do?" Reid asked wanting to know the plan.
"I'm going to be the girl that doesn't back down." Jill stated flatly.
"Jill, are you sure." Reid started, knowing he had about fifty percent chance of starting an argument.
"He won't touch me." Jill reassured Spencer. "Stewie and Bridgette will be right there with me and I will make the arrest if necessary. It's been a while since I had to put someone in handcuffs, I mean someone one other than a fellow agent, it should be interesting."
Morgan smirked. Prentiss momentarily diverted her eyes from Spencer and Jill.
Rossi was looking at the shade of pink that Reid was turning.
No one wanted to know.
"Anyway my plane leaves in an hour. I wanted to say goodbye before we left." Jill said hugging Spencer. "I hope to have this done in a couple of weeks. If you need to contact me just send a message through Stewie. Here is the phone number you can use." Jill slipped the note into Spencer's shirt pocket.
"Be safe." Spencer said kissing her.
"I love you." Jill said.
"I know." Spencer answered.
With that she was gone.
Reid would trust in the fact that Stewie would watch out for her safety. Even if that only meant saving her from herself.
The BAU team continued with their cases. Reid called Stewie almost every day asking about Jill. Stewie reassured Reid during the phone calls that Jill was safe and was doing her job.
It was over a week later when J.J. was briefing the team on the next case. "Texas authorities unearthed a mass grave two days ago. Six bodies, all women." J.J. clicked on the screen showing the graves.
"Three of the bodies were determined to be teenagers. The other three were determined to be in their late thirties or early forties."
"Have any of these bodies been identified?"
"Just the last one. Melanie Bradshaw. She disappeared from a mall over two months ago. She was fifteen."
"How long as she been dead?" Prentiss asked.
"This is where it gets a little weird." J.J said pointing at the first two bodies on the left of the screen. "These two have been dead for over a year." She then went to the bodies in the middle. "These two have been dead for six months. Then these two are over a month."
The team looked at the screen.
"These three are the adults." J.J. said pointing at the adults. These are the teenagers."
"So our Un-Sub abducts and kills an adult woman and a teenage girl. Waits some time and then kills another woman and teenage girl and then again." Rossi said looking at the screen.
"Yes," J.J. answered.
"They're laid out on their backs with their arms crossed over their chest. Respect for the dead." Reid observed.
"Melanie looks to be in a dress. The woman next to her is naked." Rossi said. "Our Un-Sub has more respect for the girls."
"The teenage girls had some sort of clothing wrapped around their bodies. The women didn't." J.J. read out of the case file. "Right now I have Garcia looking into local missing women. Try to see if we can identify the other five."
"Good, wheels up in one hour." Hotch said.
Reid used his time to grab his go bag and call Stewie to let him know that the team would be in Texas.
When the team arrived they immediately went to work. Reid and Morgan went to the morgue to see about the autopsies.
J.J. and Prentiss went to see the family of Melanie Bradshaw. They wanted to get a victimology from the parents.
Rossi and Hotch went to the station to make sure the team had a place set up and to see about identifying the other victims.
It wasn't until the next day that Garcia called to say that she had found the victims.
The team had gathered around the phone and listened to Garcia as she briefed the team. "Our first victim is Sheryl Norse. She was 41 when she disappeared on her way home from the grocery store. Her husband Michael reported her missing. He still lives at the same address."
J.J. wrote the names on the board.
"The teenage girl with her is Missy Roberts. She was at the mall with some friends when she disappeared. Her family is still there."
The profilers were processing the information.
"The third vicitim is Stacy Welsh, 38. She went missing while out for a jog. She was single. The girl next to her is Carol Shular, 15. She disappeared from the same mall that Missy Roberts was at." Garcia took a breath. "Our final woman is Betty Dupree."
"All of the victims were local?" Prentiss asked for confirmation.
"Yes." Garcia answered. "I would also like to add that each of the teenage girls disappeared the day after the woman was taken."
Reid was looking at the map. "The women disappeared from different places. The teenage girls were at the same mall."
"He takes a woman and then the next day he takes a teenage girl from that mall." Rossi said.
"But what is he doing with them?" Garcia asked.
"The bodies were too far gone to make any determinations." Reid answered. "He may be trying to fill some fantasy. The women were old enough to be parents of teenage daughters. Maybe that's the fantasy."
They were interrupted by Reid's phone ringing. "It's Stewie." He said as he answered it. "Hey how's Jill?"
"We just made the arrest. I think this guy was a little unnerved when she arrested him." Stewie said. "She did great Reid. You would have been proud of her. Best part was it was caught on tape. We'll be in town a couple of days to wrap this up."
"Thanks." Reid said hanging up. "Jill made the arrest. Stewie said she did great."
"Good." Hotch said. "Let's get to our Un-Sub."
They had pulled up pictures of the victims and had read through the original files.
All of the women were Caucasian with light brown to dark blonde hair. The girls were the same. All were local. This reinforced the theory of a mother-daughter fantasy.
The team set it so that if any woman came up missing matching the description would be brought to their attention. They received notification in the morning. Patty Fisher, 45, disappeared on her way to work. She was almost a match to the other women.
"Our Un-Sub has already taken a woman. It won't be long until he takes a girl." Rossi said knowing it had to be more than coincidence.
"That puts every single girl in danger." Morgan said. "Unless we can get him to get a girl that we choose."
The team looked towards Reid.
Hotch was about to ask if Reid was alright with using Jill, but Reid had already pulled out his phone and was dialing.
"Hey, Jill." Reid said. "I was hoping to get a favor from you?" Reid put the phone on speaker.
"What kind?" Jill asked in a playful tone.
"We need bait." Reid said flatly.
Jill went immediately into professional mode. "How old?"
"Sixteen." Rossi said.
"Easy enough." Jill replied. "Basic appearance?"
"Wholesome." Prentiss answered.
"Blonde?" Jill asked.
"No, you don't need your wig." J.J. answered.
"No, my Un-Sub had a thing for blonde's I dyed my hair."
Reid was about to say something but Jill stopped him. "Spencer, relax it washes out. I'll get a vehicle and drive up there."
"We don't have time for that. We are sending the jet for you." Hotch said. "Reid and I will meet you there and brief you on the way back."
"I can't wait to read this case then if it's that important." Jill said. "I'm ready to go now."