I want to wish everyone a Happy Canada Day! If you are in Canada, I hope you are enjoying a picnic complete with fireworks on your day off! Everyone in the States, well you will just have to wait until Friday!
As Hotch made his way back to the conference room, he encountered JJ and Chief Strauss, both apparently looking for him. His Section Chief did not look happy.
"Hotch – um – m –, Agent Hotchner!" JJ was obviously relieved to see him.
"Agent Hotchner!" Chief Strauss snapped as she stopped in front of him, effectively blocking his way. "You will be happy to know that it appears that the major parts of the listening device your agents destroyed have been retrieved from the drain."
"That is good news, ma'am," Hotch told her warily.
"And, they have been turned over to our experts for closer examination," she continued. "Now what, if any, progress have your people made?"
"We are making progress," Hotch assured her. "Mainly, by determining who and what we can eliminate."
He looked over at JJ. "Agent Jareau," he said. "Why don't you check on Kevin and see how he is progressing? And then, touch base with Agent Morgan regarding the bomb. See if he has anything new to report."
"Of course, Sir," she responded with a grateful look before heading back down the hallway.
Hotch turned back to Strauss. "Perhaps you would like to accompany me to see what Agent Blake has found out from Kevin's date, Evelyn," he suggested.
Silently, Strauss turned to follow him.
When Hotch, followed by Strauss, entered the room where Blake was interviewing Evelyn, he heard Blake asking, "So he never gave you any indication of what he intended to do with the information you had obtained once you had finished your 'assignment'?"
"No," Evelyn's face was tearstained. "I just thought it was some sort of elaborate prank. You know, like you hear about computer geeks and jocks playing on each other. I had no idea it was going to result in the FBI being involved!"
"You had no idea!" Strauss burst out. "You knew where he worked!"
"They just told me The BAU," Evelyn sobbed. "I didn't know what that stood for!"
"Why don't you take a break?" Hotch thought he should take control of the situation. "Evelyn, would you like some more water or anything?"
"A trip to the restroom?" Evelyn suggested, gratefully.
"And, another box of tissues," Blake suggested gently.
"In a minute - We'll be right back," Hotch gestured for Blake to follow him and Strauss out of the room.
"What did you find out?" he asked as soon as the door to the room closed.
"It seems she was targeted by someone who knew about her family's financial situation," Blake reported. "She got a call on her cell phone from someone, sounding like a man, who seemed to know all about it. All he told her was that she could make some easy money by getting close to Kevin. As she just said, the way it was presented to her it sounded like an elaborate prank."
"She never questioned the $700 they were willing to pay her?" Strauss questioned.
"Her family really needs the money," Blake reminded her. "And, as it was explained to her, all she had to do was get close to Kevin and convince him to bring her to tonight's party while she was wearing the hairclip. She had no idea what could be involved until we women cornered her in the restroom. Although – "
"What?" Hotch asked.
"During the last conversation she had with 'Him', Evelyn expressed some reservations about what she was being asked to do," Blake reported. "At that point, threats were made against the two youngest children. Apparently, they included a rather graphic description of what would be done to the little girl."
Blake looked at Hotch. "I believe she is telling the truth," she told him. "And, now that she knows about the FBI being involved, she is concerned about her family's safety."
Hotch pulled out his cell phone. "Well, there is one way to prove her story," he said. He spoke into the phone. "Garcia, I need you to trace some calls to a cell phone number Blake is going to give you," he told the tech.