It didn't matter what the year was. It could always be guaranteed that the team would have a case, and most likely a case they needed to be away for on Halloween. Those members of the team with families complained about it, many others didn't care either way. But for Alex Blake being away on Halloween was her saving grace.

It kept her away from that house. Her house with memories of Ethan dressed up in various Halloween costumes. It kept her away from the memories of taking him trick or treating and carving pumpkins.

Although Ethan had been ill all his life he still had a relatively normal childhood. And those were the memories she missed. The memories that hurt when she was reminded of them. Anything to take away the pain of that loss

So she was glad to be away for work. She was out of the house that triggered the memories, the neighbourhood that triggered the memories. Not to mention that being away and working a case kept her brain occupied and gave her the perfect distraction from a time of year that she always found difficult. No matter how many years passed, it never stopped hurting.