Chapter XI: Madison Square Park
"Wait here Madison. Mum's gonna quickly visit that store and come right back," Mrs. Isaaks said to her daughter. "Why mum?" little Madison asked. "Mum forgot to buy candles to granny's cake," Madison's mother answered. She took her purse from the backseat and climbed out. "Mum, what day is today?" the little girl asked suddenly. "Friday and it's 10 AM. Why?" her mother looked puzzled to Madison. "No reason, just for fun," Madison replied. "You're funny bunny," Mrs. Isaaks laughed, ruffled Madison's hair and walked to the store. Soon after her mother had gone, Madison heard a knock on the car window. She opened it. "Hello. Are you Madison?" a nice voice asked. "Yes," Madison responded. "Good. Your mother said that you could come and pick one Bratz-doll from my collection. They are at my car, over there. Would you like to pick one?" Madison couldn't see whom she was speaking with, but she did want a doll like that. So, she climbed out of the car and walked away with the one who had so nice voice. Fifteen minutes later, Madison's mother returned, only to find her car's door open. "Madison?!" she called her daughters name, looking around at the semi-empty parking lot.
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Seamus had picked the kids up little earlier and had asked if he could take them also in Wednesday. "Why?" Mare inquired. "Because when it's next time my turn, I can't take them on Friday but on Saturday," Seamus said and added, "Please," for Mare's big surprise. Then he handed their divorce papers to Mare. "OK," Mare granted. She was in good mood because of the divorce and he had said "please".
Thursday had gone by without body so Mare began to think that maybe there wouldn't come any more bodies. But the mail arrived to the precinct and brought only too familiar letter.
"Madison, Madison, what can I say of her?
A queen bee, a homecoming queen.
She was an empty head,
But still she laughed to me."
"That's dated yesterday," David noticed. "That doesn't have to mean anything," Aaronson said. He and David were leaning on Mare's desk, thinking and discussing about their next step. They heard quick steps and raised their heads to see a strange woman, running at the corridor. She looked like she'd been crying. "She's got some serious troubles," Mare had time to say, before the woman ran in. "Oh my god, you've got to help me! My Madison, my little Madison," she yelled and fell to her knees. Mare walked quickly to her, helped her up and leads her sit at the chair. "Calm down, Mrs.?" Mare noticed the ring on the woman's finger. "Isaaks," the woman hiccupped. "Mrs. Isaaks. Now tell me, how can we help you?"
"My little Madison, she's disappeared, kidnapped. I went to a store and left her at my car. I was gone for twenty minutes. Went to buy freaking candles and pregnancy test and now she's gone," Mrs. Isaaks cried. "She was taken from your car at the parking lot?" David interrupted, "What store was it and was your car near the store?" and Mrs. Isaaks told the name of the store, "Yes, my car was near the store," she confirmed. "The security camera's uncle," Mare understood. "I'm gonna fetch the tapes, would you take the girl's details, Mare?" David instructed and left.
He returned an hour later. "That's their car. Mrs. Isaaks climbs out and walks to the store," David said. "She said that it was ten when she went in. It's 10.05 and there. Five minutes later. That's Madison," Mare continued. JJ walked in at Aaronson's office but didn't pay any attention to the tape they were watching. "We've got a body in Madison Square Park," she informed. "It might be only a coincidence," Aaronson noted but Hotch shook his head, "Hopefully but unfortunately this is too obvious to be anything else than what it seems to be," he said grimly.
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At the park, the scene was exactly what Hotch had expected. The sight was comfortless, heartbreaking. A sad, little figure was lying on her back, under one bush. "Don't let her see this," David immediately ordered Reid but it was too late. "Oh god," they heard Mare's terrified sigh. "Crap, why anyone didn't inform us that the victim is who we're looking for?" they heard Aaronson cussing and saw Mare run away towards the cars. She looked unwell. Soon they heard car starting. "What just happened?" Reid didn't quite understood. "That girl is bloody five years old," Aaronson still cussed. And now Reid understood. "Emmett is the same aged. Is she gonna be OK? Is Mare gonna be OK?" Reid started to become distressed. "No, she's not gonna be OK. But she needs to be alone awhile and you're needed here now. After this, you drive to her apartment and drag her out of there by whatever means necessary," David said, shaking his head. Reid followed the receding car with his eyes and when he couldn't see it anymore, he started to do what was needed.
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It was evening when Reid finally managed to leave. It had started to rain. He had stopped on a flower shop on his way to Mare's apartment and bought a bouquet of different colored tulips. He knocked Mare's door. It was quiet, but then he heard Mare's silent voice behind the door. "Go away, I don't want anything," she sounded like she was crying. "Mare, it's me, Reid," Reid said and heard how Mare opened the door. She had a book in her hands. "These are for you. And I know that it's raining but would you like to walk with me at the restaurant and have dinner with me?" he asked. Mare thought the suggestion and then agreed to come. She was ready in ten minutes and they walked at the restaurant. "So, what's your favorite place on the book you were reading? It was Catcher in the rye, wasn't it?" Reid started to talk, after they'd ordered. "How did you, oh yeah, the eidetic memory thing. My favorite place is in chapter 22, when Holden had misheard the poem Catcher in the rye and was talking about it with his little sister. And she corrects the poem for him and then Holden tells to his sister what he had pictured that he wanted to be. Just the catcher in the rye," Mare told. Then their plates came and they ate in silence.
The rain had abated to a small drizzle when they left from the restaurant. "Care for a little walk?" Reid asked and slipped his hand on Mare's. She nodded and they started to wander along the streets. Reid glanced at Mare, "Are you feeling better?" he asked. "Yes, thank you for the tulips. How did you know they were my favorites?" Mare asked. "Your uncle told me. He was worried about you and so was I. You got us all pretty scared today," Reid told. "I'm sorry," Mare whispered and pressed her head on Reid's shoulder. "So how did you learned to speak English when you moved to USA?" Reid asked. He thought it was nice what Mare had just done. "I hope my uncle hasn't told you everything because that is one stupid story," Mare said. She sounded better now. "No he hasn't told but tell me, please?" Reid wanted to know. "Well, I bought these books where was nursery songs, children's rhymes and songs and read them on my room alone," Mare confessed. "Did you have any favorite riddle?" Reid asked. "A few. I liked the "Pop goes the Weasel" and "Rumpelstiltskin" and "Horsey, Horsey", "Keepsake Mill" and "Two dreams", " Mare told. "Rumpelstiltskin. It's a character in a fairytale, originated in Germany. Brothers Grimm collected it. How does it go?" Reid had to ask. And Mare interpreted it to him, "Merrily the feast I'll make, Today I'll brew, tomorrow bake. Merrily I'll dance and sing, For next day will a stranger bring. Little does my Lady dream, Rumpelstiltskin is my name!" then she suddenly burst to laugh."Wanna know what I dreamed when I was kid?" she asked from Reid. He nodded. "I dreamed that when I was big, adult, I'd have a big house. Two floors. A river or a forest in my backyard and near my house, a big tree where I could hang a swing. And a miniature pig," that made Reid laugh. "A miniature pig. And how many kids you would have?" he asked. "At least five," Mare replied and noticed that they had walked to her apartment. When they stopped, Mare turned to Reid and placed her hands around Reid's neck. "You want to come in?" Mare asked. "Sure," Reid answered. "Let me say this to you," Mare said, giving Reid a long, gentle kiss. It left Reid breathless. "Let's go in from this drizzle," Mare opened the door to the corridor, then to her apartment. "I could make us coffee," Reid suggested and went to Mare's kitchen while she was putting their coats on coat hangers. After the coffee was ready, they sat on the couch and watched news. "You must be tired," Reid said, after noticing that Mare's eyes started to shut, "Close your eyes and sleep," he continued but Mare had already fell asleep. Carefully, Reid closed the TV. Mare had snuggled on a better position beside him. "Goodnight Mare, I love you," he whispered, took their coffee mugs away and walked to the room of the kids, to Emmett's side because he didn't wanted to wake Mare.