AN: I'm going to try to make this a longer chapter so that I can get some of the case stuff out of the way. I want the case in there and for it to be relevant, but I don't want it to be the main focus of the fic. Thanks for all of the reviews, this is already closing in on being my most reviewed story! I have all of you to thank for that, I really appreciate it! *DISCLAIMER* I do not own Criminal Minds or Higher Ground.
Sullivan drove away from the Keane residence with a bit of a smirk starting to show on her face. They had already talked to three families, but they hadn't learned anything that they hadn't already knew. The detective was tired of being behind this killer, but she also knew that there must be a reason behind the profilers' methods.
"So, what do we know," she asked as she made a left turn.
"We know they were all successful women who appeared to have happy families," Hotch said, "We also know that they didn't have any obvious enemies. The husbands don't seem to think that anyone would want to kill them."
"We also know that each of these women had exactly one child," Morgan said, "It's all about the number. The Unsub doesn't seem to care whether the child is a girl or a boy or any other detail, as long as it's only one kid."
"What does that tell us?"
"It could have to do with why he kills," Morgan continued, "Clearly he is angry. People don't have this kind of rage pent-up inside them for no reason, there has to be something there. I'm assuming that our Unsub was abused in some way during the past. If he was abused by a woman, then it could explain his apparent hatred towards women. These particular women probably remind him of his abuser. By killing them, it would almost be like killing her over and over again."
"Why not just kill her and be done with it?"
"Because that would be rational," Hotch said, "Our Unsub has most likely had a mental breakdown and no longer thinks rationally. The abuse, especially if it was abuse during childhood, would already leave him in a fragile state mentally. But not fragile enough to kill. The killing started because of what we call a stressor, something to trigger the killing in the first place. This could be something as simple as being fired from work or being rejected by a lover, or it could be a catastrophic event."
"So if we can narrow down the stressor and match it up with when he started killing, we'll be closer to finding this son of a bitch?"
"Yes," Morgan confirmed, "Easier said than done, though."
They rode in silence for a few minutes. Hotch thought about the profile for a while, but his thoughts slowly shifted to Sullivan. He was impressed by the detective. She was still young, probably around Prentiss' age, but she brought a certain edge to the table. She was intelligent, as well. She asked the right questions at the right time. And her being attractive didn't hurt... though he'd never admit to thinking that. Always professional, Agent Hotchner.
"Sullivan," he said slowly, as if he was savoring the name. "Irish?"
She nodded her head.
"You only got it because of the red hair and green eyes," she countered.
Hotch's lips twitched into that half-smile of his.
"Perhaps..."
"My grandparents immigrated from Ireland to New York," she said, "The name was originally O'Sullivan, but they dropped the O along the way."
"How'd you end up here?"
"I saw a postcard once and decided that this was the place for me."
All three of them chuckled a bit. Sullivan's smirk was slowly starting to disappear, which was exactly what Hotch wanted. It was a high-stress job, and sometimes the frustration that came with it could wear on you if you thought about it too much. The conversation was short-lived as they pulled into the driveway of the Harrison residence. Sullivan sighed.
"Last one," she said, "Hopefully he'll know more than the other three." She turned off the engine and the group made their way to the door.
AN: If you haven't noticed, I'm actually trying to develop the detectives a little bit for once (I usually introduce them once and then have them disappear until the arrest). No real reason behind it, but I figure that they should at least have some role in solving the case (and it is good practice if I ever decide to start using some OFCs). I planned on writing some Prentiss and Rossi today, as well as the interview of Mr. Harrison, but it is late, so I'm just going to end the chapter here and write these parts when I get the opportunity. Please review if you like, the feedback is definitely motivating!
