"Hold on Detective let me put you on speaker."
The rest of the team fell silent as Hotch pressed a button and placed his phone on the table.
"Go ahead."
"As I was saying, I think Carl Buford's daughter was at Fran Morgan's funeral." His voice billowed from the phone."
"I didn't know Buford had a daughter!" Hotch's voiced was strained.
"Well he does."
"Why is this the first time we're hearing this?"
"I never thought about honestly. In fact, I haven't seen her since her father's trial and she left pretty quickly…she wouldn't even talk to me."
"Did she make any threats after her father's trial that we should know about?" Rossi asked.
"No, that's just it she didn't say anything!" Gordinski continued.
"Did she know Morgan and his mother? Why would she come to the funeral?" JJ asked.
"As far as I know, Derek and his family didn't even know Carl had a daughter. He kept her away from the center. In fact, Carl and his family didn't even live in the neighborhood. He always said his work was just a way of giving back."
"Are you sure the woman at the funeral was her?" Reid asked.
"She came in and sat right next to me…like she insisted on sitting next me. The row was crowded and everybody had to make room for her."
"When did you realize who she was?"
"Just this morning. It's been bothering me since Fran's services. She had on dark glasses and a big black hat that pretty much covered her entire face."
"There's a woman here, a Tara Carlton claiming to be a witness to Morgan shooting our technical analyst."
"Carlton?"
"Yes, why do you know the name?"
"It's Buford's full name! Not many people knew him by Carlton. I used to tease him about it."
"Our eye witness is our UnSub!" Reid uttered excitedly.
Potomac General Hospital –
Tara was surprised at how easy it was to get past the officers. She'd managed to hide the blood splatter on the hospital scrubs with a white lab jacket that she'd found in the storage closet. The room was dimly lit and quiet with the exception of the monitors and machines beeping and humming in the background. She had to make it look like natural causes so that the pending charges against Derek would forever be altered to Murder One.
She studied the tubes and wires running from Penelope back to the machines and wished she had more medical training but still she wasn't going to let a little lack of knowledge stop her from completing her task. She was so pale and still and for a moment Tara sympathized with the woman who'd only shown her kindness. But it passed as she fingered one of the tubes held in place by a small needle in her arm.
"What are you doing?"
Tara quickly turned her heart beating a mile a minute as she searched for a logical reason for her presence in the room that had been off limits to everyone except staff and family.
"I'm sorry…I-I…"
"You're not to supposed to be here! So what are you doing?"
"She exhaled and managed a smile as she took two steps toward the tall dark-skinned man."
"You scared me! I had to see her! I've been so worried!"
Without saying another word he pulled her into his arms and began running his hands up and down her back. Michael Packard…Officer Michael Packard had been the one who'd taken her statement last night; she noticed that he'd taken a liking to her and his eyes continuously roamed her as she gave her teary statement to him. She liked how he shifted in his seat as she crossed her legs causing her skirt to expose more of her thighs and she knew he would become quite useful.
"Answer me Tara, what are you doing here?"
Pulling away from him slightly and running her hand up and down his chest. She looked deep into his face.
"I should ask you the same question. How did you know to find me here?"
"All you talked about last night was being worried about your friend and how you needed to see her. When you didn't meet me for breakfast, I took a chance you'd be here."
"That's not all I talked about last night." She uttered seductively.
He suddenly grabbed her hand as she reached for his crotch. But it was too late she could already tell that her presence had an affect on the young man.
"Tara! Stop! If anybody finds out about last night I'll lose my job!"
"Don't worry lover, I won't tell besides I'm looking forward to a replay tonight!"
Michael looked curiously at her clothes as he stepped away from her reach.
"What do you have on? You didn't steal these off of anyone did you?" He said teasingly.
"Of course not I found them in a closet down the hall."
Then stepping toward him again and wrapping her hands around his neck,
"I don't like being told, no, and I had to see for myself that she was okay."
"You really care about her don't you?"
"I've only known her for a few days but she's been so kind and good to me. I guess I'm not use to such kindness."
With a little effort Tara managed to squeeze a few tears out for effect and Michael the young rookie officer with a hero complex wiped them away falling deeper under her spell. He gently kissed her lips and pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Let's get you out of here before we both get arrested."
"I'm all yours officer."
Michael slowly opened the door and noticed that the coast was clear and quickly escorted the woman from the room and out of the hospital. Tara was less than pleased but she vowed to return after taking care of the horny officer who had no clue just who he was dealing with.
Quantico Police Department – Late Afternoon –
Morgan felt utterly alone and abandoned. The last person he'd seen were the two paramedics who'd checked him out before he'd been escorted to his cell. His request to make a phone call had fallen on death ears and he'd even asked the paramedics to make a call to his family for him but they refused. He didn't care about his raging headache or the fact that he'd been told that he had a concussion. He needed to see Garcia to know that she was safe but no one was listening to him or cared what he wanted. Every time he closed his eyes all he could see was the love of his life laying still on the floor…he still had her blood under his fingernails and all he wanted was a shower but that too had been denied. He refused breakfast, which now he regretted as the growl of his stomach was the only company he had in the dimness of the cold small cell. Where were Hotch, Rossi, Reid and JJ? Did they believe he was guilty? Where they trying to find the real killer? Where they keeping Garcia safe?
Hotch and the rest of the team entered the precinct and was met by Det. Grant who was expecting them. After exchanging pleasantries the group headed toward the conference room to discuss the latest on the case. Hotch had requested talking to the young officer who'd talked to the witness the night before. Packard had requested time off to go to a dental appointment and was due in in an hour or so.
"Are you sure about this agent?"
"I know the evidence points to my agent but, I think there's more going on here. Captain Stan Gordinski is on his way from Chicago to help and he's sending a picture of Tara Buford."
"Tara Buford?"
"Yes. We believe that Tara Buford and Tara Carlton are the same person."
"I'm not following you."
"Tara Buford is the daughter of a man that Agent Morgan sent to jail for murder and last year he was killed in prison when fellow inmates learned that he was also a child molester. "
"Wow! This is crazy! I'm sorry, agents I don't know what to say."
"We think the anniversary of her father's death was her trigger and she's determined to make Morgan pay."
The group continued to discuss the case not noticing that Officer Packard had returned from the "dentist." He couldn't explain it but he was intrigued by the woman whom he'd only met last night. She was so distraught and afraid; he remembered taking her small hands in his and feeling them tremble. No one should have to witness a friend being shot and then fearing that they would be next. There was something about her that made him want to protect her and take care of her. She'd made it more than obvious that she'd feared for her life and so he felt obligated to go by her hotel to check on her after his shift was over. She had a way about her that seemed fragile and vulnerable…she needed him she'd told him as much and Michael Packard more than anything needed to be needed.
As he passed through the room headed for lock up he noticed his boss and the FBI agents talking no doubt about the case. He didn't have much time he'd promised Tara a favor she would feel better and no one would find out what had happened to the agent sitting alone in the far end of the building; separated from the general population for his own safety. Accidents happened in jail all the time. Besides, he needed to pay for shooting a poor sweet defenseless woman in her own home. Just a few minutes was all he needed to send a message; pain was a great teacher…it would make Tara feel better, safer and he knew that tonight she'd show him just how much she appreciated him for all he'd done for her.