Chapter 35:

Tara had rushed out of the observing room, the moment Ben French had claimed to be Jaden Colson. Sue knew exactly where she was going – to confirm the connection of the fingerprints from the crime scene to the ones they had taken only a few hours prior that had yet to be processed. Sue listened in as Ben explained his story.

"I was gifted with an incredible memory – I can remember people's faces, numbers, facts, every family I killed – what their house looked like, what they wore. I remember every time in my childhood the faces of the people who hurt me. I was never good enough. My parents abused us. Everyone thought we were this perfect family, but what they didn't know was what went on behind closed doors. It was forbidden for us to say anything, and we had all grown up with the realization that this was normal. We were driving in the country one day, coming back from my aunt's house when my parents were fighting. My dad reached over and slapped my mom, but it was icy and he lost control of the van. All I remember is crawling out of the van as it went on fire. I guess everyone just figured I had died in the blast, and I was glad. I changed my name, started a new life."

"I'm sorry you went through that," Myles said, "but that doesn't excuse murdering families, especially innocent children." Ben leaned forward, looking more serious that he had the entire time.

"I did not want those children to go through what I went through." Jack still shook his head in disgust. Just the thought of someone killing children, no matter what their circumstances, made him sick. They called the guard in to take Ben away. Jack and Myles followed him into the hall.

Just as Ben was passing by, Sue walked out of the other room, and froze in her steps. It was one thing to see him through a pane of glass; it was another to have him only inches away, the hands that had murdered her family near enough to touch her. He looked at her and frowned, stopping in his tracks.

"I know you." He said. Jack started to move forward, closer to Sue, who was pale and not moving. It looked like Ben was thinking, going through his memory of where he had seen his face. He obviously had found it as a smile crept up on his cruel lips. "Yes, now I remember." He took a step closer and Sue quickly flinched back, hitting the wall behind her, obviously terrified. Jack took this opportunity to lunch forward, willing his hands to twist around his neck, if it hadn't been for Myles, and soon Sue stopping him.

"Take him away!" Myles said loudly, as the guards led him down the hall, Ben still grinning at the reaction he got. Sue said quietly to Jack, who was still fuming,

"He's not worth it." Myles turned around to see the two of them looking at each other, as if they were talking in some language only they knew. But he was confused, and worried.

"What's going on here?" He said, his look demanding an answer. "Do you know him?" Jack shot Sue a look, and she knew that he wanted her to spill. She hesitated. Myles continued, "What is going on? You disappear; you come back and end up in the hospital twice and now you know the man we've been hunting for weeks? You've got to tell us what is wrong!"

"I don't know him, but he knows me." Sue said quietly. Myles looked at her, and she avoided his gaze. She didn't feel ready to talk about it yet, not after what she had just heard the last few hours. Before she could say anymore anyways, Tara came hurrying back,

"I just confirmed with the lab – his prints match Jaden Colson's. Ben will have a psych exam tomorrow. Other than that, we all just need to file our reports and this case is over. Myles – you should call Agent Harper and let him know personally that we caught him and he confessed. I'm sure the Ohio office will be just as happy as we are." Myles nodded, and followed Tara back to the bullpen, glancing back at Sue and Jack, as if telling them he wasn't going to just let this go.

"You've got to tell them." Jack said quietly. Sue responded in a voice barely higher than a whisper,

"I will, but I don't think I can do it today." Jack nodded in understanding. "Soon." She said, trying to let him know that she was going to do it, but she just couldn't find the strength.

"We're you in there alone?" He asked, after realizing that Tara had left the moment they had found out about French actually being Jaden Colson. Sue nodded,

"But only for awhile. I was okay. I'm glad I did this, as hard as it was to read." Jack looked at her pale face, and knew that she needed to go home and rest. They walked back to the bullpen, where there were cheers all around. Tara noticed how Myles, Jack or Sue didn't seem to join in. Once Jack had said that he was bringing Sue home to rest, and they had left, she approached Myles.

"What's going on?" Myles sighed.

"That's what I would like to know. Ben French knows Sue. I think this has to do with why she left, but it seems that Jack knows what's going on now too."

"Well that's good, but why has it been a big secret from all of us?" Myles shrugged,

"I don't know, but if it involves a convicted serial killer, I'm sure it was a pretty good reason. Let's just hope we find out soon too."

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Lucy sat at the bus station, waiting for her next bus. She had tried to get a flight, but had no luck, especially on the busy weekend with no notice. She was leaving her conference early but knew that something was wrong back home, and she needed to be there. It was almost midnight and Lucy knew it was going to be a long trip back, with only her thoughts to entertain her, but was grateful she would arrive by late morning and finally figure out what was going on.