Catching Reid 25: An Offer He Can't Refuse
Reid was sitting in his office at Georgetown University when he got a phone call. He saw from the caller id on his cellphone that it was Emily.
"Hello," he greeted her.
"Spencer, I've a got a case. I should be back by Friday."
"Where are you off to?"
"Pennsylvania. We've been invited by the Park Rangers."
"The Park Rangers?"
"A child's body was found near the Appalachian Trail."
"The Appalachian Trail is really large; it spans over 2,200 miles and fourteen states. It's amazing a body was found at all.
"I know. We're assuming it's not the only body."
"I would recommend doing a geographic profile of the entire Appalachian Trail. That might give some insight necessary."
"Would you be willing to consult with that, Dr. Reid?"
"Ms. Prentiss, we did cover this in class. Were you not paying attention?" Over the past few weeks, Reid had been showing Emily geographic profiling techniques, in between dinners, movie nights, and sex.
"Are you using your teacher voice on me just now?"
"I don't know what you are talking about."
"You were. You used your teacher voice on me, like I was a student you didn't do her homework."
"I was just teasing you, Emily."
"That's it, when I get back, we are playing this game."
"Game?"
"The disapproving teacher teaching the unprepared student."
"I don't think you're unprepared."
"I mean role-playing, professor. For someone who loves Halloween, I'm surprised you haven't introduced role-play into our sex life."
"I thought you took over that."
"That's not a permanent thing. We both have responsibility for things like that. A little seduction on your part, now and then, wouldn't go awry."
"If you say so."
"Spencer…"
"Don't you have a plane to catch?"
"I'm on my way now. In all seriousness, have you heard anything?"
"From Conklin? No."
"If he makes contact, you know what to do."
"I know. Go get your flight."
"I will. We'll talk later."
On the plane, as they were waiting for take off, Emily called Garcia.
"You have reached the office of ultimate omniscience," Garcia said.
"Hey PG, that geographic profiling program you've been working on for me? We need to crank it up."
"Sugarplum, we haven't really tested it yet."
"Nothing like a field test. If the unsub is using the entire Appalachian Trail as a hunting ground, we are going to need any data we can get. We are also going to need to multi-task like never before."
"I suppose loverboy can't consult on this?"
"That's professor loverboy to you, and him consulting on anything creates layers of complications. We got away with that once, I don't think we can again. I tease him about it all the time, but I know he can't."
Emily chose not to mention Reid's teacher voice.
Reid didn't get the call from Conklin until the following day.
He was grading papers in his office when the call came on his phone. He didn't even check it, he just answered it. "Dr. Reid," he said.
"Dr. Reid," Conklin said. "It's Morris Conklin. I think it's time for us to meet. We can have a more in-depth discussion about the opportunities I can offer you."
"Dr. Conklin, I've said everything I have to say to you before."
"Dr. Reid, since that talk, I've had the opportunity to learn more of your background and your work."
"Most of my work is in criminal profiling. I didn't know you were involved with that."
"Dr. Reid, I'm talking about your other work. Sustainable architecture. Electric cars. Highly evolved economic models that predicted the collapse of the housing market."
"None of that work has ever been published. How would you get a hold of that?"
"Dr. Reid, by now you know I have a number of contacts and resources beyond any researcher. Your interest in a range of topics has not gone unnoticed. While you may not have published any work, you did discuss your work with a number of academics."
"My answer is still the same."
"Dr. Reid, I think you are making a mistake."
"Maybe, but it's my mistake to make."
"I understand. But mistakes can have consequences."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, just as ideas don't happen in a vacuum, so do our lives. We are all entangled with people in so many ways, in all kinds of relationships. Our actions affect them in so many ways."
"What are you trying to say."
"I can understand, I mean you are so busy. I can understand why you talk with her very often. I understand you write to her every day, and that's admirable. Especially since she lives so far away in Las Vegas."
Reid's stomach was suddenly in knots. "What are you saying?"
"Maybe you should give her a call. See how she's doing."
"You son of a bitch."
"I haven't done anything. I'm just giving advice. Give your mother a call, then we'll talk."
Conklin hung up.
Reid called Bennington Sanatorium in Las Vega, Nevada where his mom was a patient. Where he had her committed when he was eighteen. The guilt of doing that was crashing down on him as his mind came up with terrible scenarios of what Conklin did or had done.
"This is Dr. Spence Reid, I need to talk to my mother, Diana Reid. She is a patient. I …"
"Dr. Reid, everything is fine. The bomb threat turned out to be a hoax."
"Bomb threat?"
"There was a suspicious package, and someone called in a threat. There was nothing inside the box but old newspapers."
"I need to talk to my mother."
It was several hours later that JJ was reporting to Harry Kabotchnik.
"They called in a bomb threat. They sent in a package that looked suspicious enough that the hospital called in the bomb squad. They had to evacuate everyone for a few hours, but everyone is ok."
"Do you think it was an attempt to abduct his mother," Kabotchnik asked.
"No. I think that they wanted to show they can reach her if they wanted to."
"This is insane. I thought they would take another run at him, but this?"
"They found the exact nerve to hit. Nothing would hurt Spense more than if something happened to his mother."
"And they did it when his girlfriend was gone. I assume he's been in contact with them again."
"He's meeting them in Las Vegas in a couple days"
"So, Conklin is taking the show on the road?"
"Yes."
It was evening when the BAU team was flying back. The unsub escaped, but they found the two kids he abducted. They had his name and picture to every ranger station along the Appalachian Trail. Rossi counted it as a win.
Emily called Reid to let him now she was on her way back.
"Hey professor, we'll be back sooner than I thought. I will also have you know ..."
"Emily." The tone in his voice ended her teasing line of speech. She knew that tone of voice, it was the voice of desperation and trauma.
"What happened? What's wrong?"
"He called."
"Conklin. He threatened my mom."
"What did he do?" Her voice was soft and full of anger.
"He didn't say anything specific, but he called in a bomb threat at the same time he sent in a suspicious package. He wanted to show he could do something."
"You called JJ?"
"Yes. I'm meeting Conklin in Vegas in a few days."
"I'll be there too."
"No Emily. You can't."
"Yes I can. He will not hurt you or your mother."
"Emily, he'll be watching you. He waited until you were away to act. You have to stay put."
Emily knew he was right, but if he thought she was going to do nothing he was wrong."
"Where are you now?"
"I'm at the airport. I fly out tonight."
"Call me as soon as you land."