Disclaimer: See my profile.

Author's Note: Okay, so it's been a while since the last chapter. I already know that! What's your point? :- P

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'Weird, Alaska'

Chapter Fourteen

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"Okay, I have everyone all set up on the conference call," Garcia said. "Who wants to go first?"

"Sheriff, it's Agent Hotchner. Can you explain to us who this Alfred Vallejo is?"

"First off I know him from Korea. I never knew him in Australia; however I can tell you he was from Perth. One day in Seoul a friend of mine and I were shopping when Vallejo stopped us and asked us if we knew how to get to a specific restaurant he was looking for. We were not familiar with the restaurant, but we did know the street it was on, so we gave him directions."

"What is your friend's name?" Rossi asked.

"Sanchez, Lieutenant Duane Sanchez."

"Where is Sanchez located now?" Prentiss asked.

Reid looked at Jacob before answering. "Uh, Cave Creek. That's in Arizona, just outside of Phoenix."

"Have you tried to contact him Reid?" Hotch asked.

"Uh, no."

"Why not?"

"Agent Hotchner, Duane doesn't live in Arizona, he's located there."

"Excuse me?"

"He's buried at National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona. He died in Afghanistan in 2008."

There was a pause during which everyone seemed to be at a loss to know exactly what to say. "I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your friend Sheriff," JJ finally said.

"Thank you Agent Jareau."

"Do you mind if I ask what happened?" Morgan asked.

"Taliban rocket hit his unit. He died right there are the scene."

There was another brief pause. This time it was broken by Rossi. "I don't mean to sound crass but..."

"I understand. We have a series of murders to solve. Duane and I gave Vallejo directions, he thanked us and off he went. We didn't think anything of it, he was just a guy asking for directions. It wasn't the first or the last time we helped a tourist out."

"What happened next?" Morgan asked. "I'm assuming you came into contact with him again."

"Your assumption is correct. A few days later Duane read a local newspaper article about an assault that had taken place in Seoul that same evening. The victim had described her attacker as English speaking, but not an American. A sketch had been made from her physical description, and the subject looked familiar to us, kind of like this Australian guy we had given directions to. So we informed our unit commander we might have some information on a crime committed in Seoul and he accompanied the two of us to the local police. We didn't actually know Vallejo's last name at the time, we found it out later. We told the police he had said his name was Alfred, told them where he had said he was going and confirmed he looked like the police sketch."

"I've managed to dig up some old articles on the assault and the subsequent trial. I'll send them over to you," Garcia piped in.

"Thank you Penelope," Rossi said.

"What happened after you went to the police?" Morgan asked.

"We went back to our usual duties. We didn't know if we would ever hear from the police again. I think it was around three weeks later we heard something. Since there had been witnesses who were U.S. Military personnel, the military assisted the Seoul police with the investigation. They had been searching through customs records looking for an Australian who might fit the description. They were determined to solve the case. Sexual assaults are not always taken seriously, but when they are the authorities do not mess around. The police decided this case was going to be different, and the Australian authorities were cooperating as well. It didn't look good for one of their citizens to allegedly be responsible for an assault on a local woman in a foreign country. We were contacted to look at a photo line up of possible suspects. Duane and I went in separately and we both picked out the same photo."

"And that was Vallejo?" Hotch asked.

"Yes. That was the first time we heard his last name."

"What happened after that?" Prentiss asked.

"Vallejo had gone back to Australia, so the South Korean government sought to extradite him. Of course it took a little diplomatic maneuvering because despite the Australians cooperation in the investigation there are few countries who want to give up their citizens for prosecution by a foreign government. At the same time they don't want to look like they are excusing the crime. The Australian authorities wanted to try Vallejo in Australia."

"Was he extradited or no?" Rossi asked.

"Eventually yes. The public outcry in Australia may have had something to do with it. There were some people who didn't want him to be extradited, partly because they don't always trust a foreign government to treat their fellow citizens fairly; but enough felt he should face the music that it apparently influenced the Australian government's decision to allow extradition."

"Did you testify at the trial?" Rossi asked.

"Yes, Duane and I both testified."

"I'm assuming he was convicted?" JJ asked.

"June 17, 1985," Reid stated. "Alfred Vallejo was convicted of sexual assault and sentenced to fifteen years in prison."

"He was released in May of 1991," Garcia piped in.

"He didn't serve his entire sentence then," Hotch stated.

"No," Garcia answered.

"So this guy has been out running around loose for almost twenty years?" Morgan asked.

"Yes," Garcia responded.

"Does it appear as if there was any pressure put on the Korean government to release Vallejo early?" Rossi asked.

"I would think that was likely," Hotch responded. "More than likely quiet, behind the scenes maneuvering and diplomatic pressure prompted the South Koreans to release him earlier than he would have been otherwise."

"Someone please explain this to me... Vallejo is what? Holding a grudge against me for identifying him over twenty-five years ago?" Jacob asked.

"It's a possibility," Hotch said. "We don't know for certain."

"All this could be happening because of my connection to Vallejo?"

"We don't know if it is Vallejo," Rossi inserted. "He could have nothing to do with it. However, even if he is our UnSub, the murders are not happening because of you. He would still be killing them. Your only connection would be where the bodies are being dumped."

"Then why wait twenty years?" Jacob asked.

"Would Vallejo come all the way from Australia to Alaska just to dump the bodies near Sheriff Reischl?" Prentiss asked.

"If it is Vallejo it could be it took him this long to find Sheriff Reischl and to decide this is what he wanted to do. Or it could even be he ended up in Alaska for some other reason and found out after he was already here the Sheriff was also living here. After all he's been out twenty years and Sheriff Reischl has only been living here a little over ten years, and we don't know yet if Vallejo is really here or for how long if he is," Reid said.

"We'll know the answers to all these questions when we find Vallejo and ask him," Morgan said.

"Okay," Hotch said. "JJ, Rossi, Prentiss and I have to meet with some friends of Christina Belkas in about twenty minutes, and then later we are talking to her boyfriend. We'll need to end the call now."

As soon as Hotch finished speaking Jacob stood up and headed for the door. "I need some air," he said as he left.

"He's...upset," Talbot, who had been quietly sitting at his desk during the conversation, said.

"I suppose I would be also," Reid commented.

"Talk to you later kid," Morgan said as he also disconnected.

XX

Reid walked outside and found Jacob was nowhere in sight. He headed in the direction of the school and soon spotted him sitting on a picnic table with his feet resting on the bench. Reid quietly climbed up on the table and sat next to him. He looked at him and then looked straight ahead in the same direction Jacob was looking. "Sheriff, this is not his first kill."

"Excuse me?"

"This can't be his first kill. He is too methodical and detail oriented. This took too much planning and thought to carry off for him not to have had previous experience."

Jacob sighed. "Is that supposed to make me feel better Agent Reid?"

"You need to let yourself off the hook Sheriff. None of this is your fault."

"Try telling that to those girls and their families."

Reid sighed. "Garcia is looking for more information on Vallejo. She's still trying to determine his current location." When Jacob did not reply Reid added, "Sheriff, I repeat this is not your fault."

"I feel like it is my fault."

"You did the right thing telling the authorities in South Korea what you knew."

"Logically I know that..."

"You're very good at your job."

"Thank you Agent Reid."

"I mean it Sheriff. It's not easy being in law enforcement; you not only have to enforce the law, you also have to be a counselor, give advice, be a good judge of character, exhibit a professional attitude, know your people, show compassion..."

"I need to make my patrol," Jacob said as he stood up.

"Talbot said to tell you he was taking care of it and he would see you in a couple of hours."

Jacob smiled slightly and sat back down. "You know, it was Duane's father who suggested I look for employment in Alaska. And of course Larry thought it was a great idea." He leaned back on his elbows. "Of course Larry was hoping I would end up closer to Barrow than this..." He looked to his left. "Don't look now Agent Reid, but there is a group of students headed this way." He looked at Reid. "Hope you're prepared."

The two men were soon surrounded by several students clamoring for Reid to show them another magic trick. Reid performed what he thought was simple yet convincing trick. He rolled a piece of paper into a cone shape and took a bottle of water out of his shoulder bag. He then poured the water into the paper like it was a cup. The students watched with their mouths open as the water was poured into the cone but did not leak out the other end. Reid then unrolled the paper and asked the students what had happened to the water and why the paper was not wet. A few minutes later he walked away laughing as the students asked him how he had done it. "A magician never reveals his secrets," he called back as he waved to the students, who waved back.

"You're good," Jacob laughed as the two men headed back toward his office.

Reid made a face. "I think I need to think of something a little more complicated to show them next time," he said.

"That one worked just fine," Jacob commented as he reached for his ringing cell phone. "Hello... Agent Morgan, hello. I didn't expect to hear from you so quickly... What? I have no idea what you are talking about... What does that have to do with anything anyway?" Jacob listened for a moment and then sighed. "Okay, on my way back to the office now."

"What is it?"

"Agent Morgan said Miss Garcia has uncovered some more information regarding Vallejo. He wanted to know why I had not told him a relative of Duane's lives here in Weird. I told him I had no idea who he was referring to, and what did that have to do with anything."

"And he said plenty, it means the UnSub could be trying to get back at you and by extension your friend Duane through his family since he can't get back at him personally."

Jacob sighed again. "That does make sense, and had I known I would have thought about it myself most likely." He shook his head. "Makes me wonder how Vallejo would know if I didn't."

Reid casually asked, "Who is it?"

"I don't know, but we're about to find out," Jacob responded as they walked up the steps to his office.

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