CHAPTER TWELVE

Sarah-Jane pushed herself from the floor and looked at the cups in the sink. She didn't want to face the team of profilers in her study and letting David Rossi see her like this wasn't going to happen either.

She began cleaning up when she heard the door open, "I'll be with you as soon as I'm through."

"I don't know or care what you said to him, Sarah-Jane, but believe me when I say it was for the best."

Sarah-Jane took a deep breath and turned toward Joe. "You were right Joe. I should have insisted that the ABI handle this when Baker phoned."

"Well, they're here now. Why don't we solve this thing and send the BAU and David Rossi back to Virginia?"

Sarah-Jane smiled and nodded as Joe began drying the dishes she'd washed.

"Well, this is cozy."

Sarah-Jane whirled to find David in the doorway. She looked at Joe who was busy placing the clean cups in the cupboard.

"We need you in the study when you're done." David watched Joe as he finished putting away the dishes.

Sarah-Jane took a deep breath and released it. Perhaps if David thought she'd moved on that would be the best for all of them. She looked at Joe.

"We're on our way." She try to smile, but it was too much of an effort as she watched Joe put away the last cup.

She waited until he left before she slammed a cabinet closed. David Rossi had no right. What if she had moved on? Was it any business of his? He had left her!

"The man can't possibly think you've been waiting around for him for the past twenty years Sarah-Jane."

"No, he's arrogant but he's not stupid." Sarah-Jane could feel her resolve growing. No David wouldn't be dumb enough to think that she hadn't moved on with her life; he was a lot of things but stupid wasn't one of them.

Joe was behind her, "If you say so. I'd say walking out on you was the first sign of stupidity."

Sarah-Jane smiled. Her friend always knew what to say.

Her study now resembled a small conference room. Someone had brought in an evidence board and the victims pictures were taped to it.

Emily was writing dates beside each victim. "Sarah-Jane, do these dates mean anything to you?"

Sarah-Jane was careful to avoid David's watchful eye as she stepped up to the board.

"No…I don't think…wait!"

Sarah-Jane looked at the dates and at David. His face expressionless but his eyes held a new determination.

"What is it Sarah-Jane?"
Sarah-Jane looked at Aaron. "This date," she pointed to the first victim, "It was right after…" Sarah-Jane took a deep breath. It was right after her first date with David. "It was after we closed the narcotics case on the Airbase, remember?" She bit her bottom lip as David step up beside her.

"I remember." He was studying the board now.

Sarah-Jane watched as David Rossi the profiler began reviewing the dates. This was the side of himself Emily had told her about.

"And this date, we had just announced our engagement." He began writing on the board.

Sarah-Jane nodded, "And this…" she couldn't speak.

"Our wedding day," David finished for her. "But this date?"

Sarah-Jane swallowed and looked at Aaron. March 7th, she could swear the date began to grow on the board. Significant? Hell yes. Davy's birthday was more than a connection and it tied in well with why this UNSUB was killing.

"If it doesn't mean anything to you," Aaron began, understanding the panic on her face, "move on. What about the last two victims…Jeanette Rivers and…"

"Lisa Harding." Joe offered.

"It doesn't fit; I had finished an assignment in the Keys and returned home when we found the Rivers woman."

"And Lisa Harding?" Aaron began to flip open the case file.

"Other than your team arriving…I don't know." Sarah-Jane could feel the tension of the past few days settling in her neck and shoulders.

"You said you'd finished an assignment in the Keys?"

Sarah-Jane nodded as David picked up another file.

"I was on leave that week."

Sarah-Jane looked at the board and back at David. "What?"

"I met some buddies of mine in the Keys for a little deep sea fishing that week."

"So these cases are somehow connected to events that surround the two of you?" Emily locked eyes with her.

In an instant Sarah-Jane knew. Emily Prentiss had done the math and figured out the connection to the March date.