DCE 11 - THE NIGHT IS DARKER NOW
Author's note: This chapter includes references to violence typical of CM (i.e. for some reason this suddenly became a case fic) and also has some gentle sexy-ness.
…………………………………………..
Friday - December 22 - Day Off
Plan: Enjoy Being A Couple Talk About What Being Friends At Work Looks Like
Days to Friendship: 10
Relationship Status: Here be Dragons….
…………………………………………..
"Are you going to live, Sunshine?"
"Nope."
Penelope pops the " p" and tops it with a glare across the brunch table at the smirking J.J.
Emily and Tara laugh - knowing, after an hour or so of trying to get in on the secret, that they are not going to be given any details as to why Penelope is wincing with every movement - nor why she is looking decidedly underslept despite the few days of leave the whole team was given after their last case.
In the car, after quickly updating her friend about what had been happening for the last few days, Penelope had sworn J.J. to secrecy about the whole her and Luke thing - but apparently J.J. did not believe her oath ( On her children, no less!) precluded her from mercilessly teasing her favourite genius computer tech about her clearly ouchy and exhausted state.
It was a good thing too - since, at first, Emily and Tara had been seriously worried about their friend and had been about to launch a full scale brunch-inquisition - it wasn't until J.J.'s abundant, unspecific, yet knowing teasing had reassured them that there was nothing for them to be truly concerned about - and even more than that - that J.J. didn't think it was a good idea that they have the full story. At least, not yet…
Penelope still can't believe she is at this brunch.
In a totally uncharacteristic move, Penelope had totally forgotten about the invitation until J.J. called at the crack of 10:42 am - announcing she'd be there "in ten" to give Penelope a ride to brunch.
The call had jolted both Penny and Luke awake (he'd gotten up around 8 - taken Roxy for a quick run - then happily climbed back into their warm bed to catch a few more hours sleep).
It also had sent Penelope into an absolute tizzy.
Not for the first time this morning, Penelope flushes a full-bodied flustered red. This time it is because she is remembering those 8 and a half minutes between hanging up the phone and J.J.'s arrival...
…she had barely been able to move from the boxing lesson and other um exercise from the day before.
She had needed Luke's help to sit up - let alone get dressed!
Mortifying.
To make matters worse as he followed her frantic instructions and managed to calm her enough to gently help ease her into a rose-gold slip with a lacey perfectly fitting built in bra… her eyes had caught on the first - and deepest - of the bites she had marked him with... and… and…
What in Gaia's name had possessed her last night?
The mark was red and angry and she had… what…. oh… help…
He had then pressed a kiss to her shoulder murmuring "Mi Corazon, none of that now. I am fine - more than fine…and you, while a little sore… are amazing…as usual."
"A little sore? You hero types are insufferable you know that, right?
She was trying to make him squirm - but he had just laughed and he had kissed her. Sweetly. Softy. Carefully.
"Yes…but I am your hero-type...now hold up your arms as high as you can... and we'll get this dress on - then you can stand up and we'll do panties and tights. Your ride will be here soon."
So with a cry of pain, Penelope had raised her arms out in front of her and Luke helped her shrug on a soft forest green turtle-necked argyle sweater dress patterned with sparkly red and gold diamonds.
When he stepped back and surveyed her - her dress and slip bunched at her waist but fitting oh so smoothly on top - he gave a low whistle and then broke out into one of his lopsided grins - his eyes had sparkled mischievously as he had offers her his hands to help her stand…
"Now these underwears. Although…"
And Luke had slid down her body - hands running down her sides ostensibly to smooth down slip and dress… but that couldn't have been his real intention since next he had rucked them up…and…
"...maybe a few kisses down here first, humm-"
"EARTH TO PENNY GEE!"
"Oh! …sorry?"
Tara gives the blond a fond smile and then rescues her.
"J.J. and Em just finished explaining their plans for Christmas - provided we don't get called in… and I gave a rundown of my plans with my Dad and Brother earlier… so Em asked you what your plans are… we know you are working the stats but do you have special supper plans or anything?"
"Uh. Oh. No. Nothing. We've….I mean ah I've been so up in the air…ah busy the last few months. I haven't really ah thought about it. I have hardly even shopped this year… I mean I only have these for you guys…." Penelope indicates with a wave the three giant christmas-y gift bags that she'll hand over at the end of the meal - but she knowa they are hardly up to her usual bounteous standards.
"…Maybe just drinks and a DVD with ah friend…. If they aren't working…uh maybe. I just… I am not feeling super festive this year. No biggie. Low key can be a relief sometimes y'know?"
Emily and J.J. both toast to that but Tara's brows snap together. Penelope has clearly been in a lot of discomfort this morning - but… this….
The Queen of Festivities does not find a "low key" holiday a relief.
"Penel-"
Just then Emily's phone rings, cutting off Tara's question - especially when Emily mouths "WORK" and then proceeds to use her professional voice as the other three women strain to glean details from the one sided conversation…although there is little to glean from: "Yes. Yes Ma'am. Really? Yes. I completely understand. Yes. Send me the details. Thank you. I'll gather my team."
Well, except the obvious:
THEY.
HAVE.
A.
CASE.
Grimly, Tara can't help thinking that if they don't wrap up whatever this case is quickly.. this year is going to be the polar opposite of a " Low Key" Christmas.
It's a few hours later and the team is on the jet about to settle into the briefing for the case.
It is one of the few times they skipped the briefing at the office - partly because Prentiss decided that Garcia would be coming with the team to provide support on-site - but also to give the team just a bit more time to wrap up with their families. Emily hoped they could solve the case quickly and be back in time for Christmas Day… but she knew their work was too unpredictable for her to guarantee anyone anything.
Prentiss and Garcia had hightailed it together from brunch to the office to get the files, prep the briefing presentation, and pack everything the tech would need for the case…
Emily had of course offered to swing by Garcia's on the way to the office to pick up a go bag and whatever else…. but Penelope had cryptically - if a little frantically declined - explaining (truthfully) that all she needed was to send a text and Sergio would be taken care of by an awesome pet sitter and that she had a go-bag in her office.
What Penelope declined to mention to her boss/friend was that the text was sent not to her usual pet sitter but to Luke; asking if he could drop Sergio and his cat-things off with Roxy at his place - provided that his sitter was willing to do a little extra?
….She had followed that up quickly with a second text - beseeching him to pack a couple extra Penelope-things in his go bag.
….Then a third reminding him that they were strictly colleagues and friends at work.
The third was probably not needed but the last thing she could handle was more people on the team aware of what was going on between Supervisory Special Agent Alvez and FBI Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia.
Matt and J.J. were more than enough.
…And having just spent a morning dealing with J.J.'s teasing on top of her sore muscles… Penelope was even less inclined than usual to leave things to chance….
To say that Luke had mixed feelings about the fact that a) they had a case during this very delicate period in their relationship and b) Penelope would be joining them in the field again so soon after the last almost disastrous case… was possibly the understatement of the year. But above everything else they were both professionals - so he pulled himself together - added her requests to his go bag (as well as a couple other things to help with her muscle pain) - took care of the duo pet situation - and met the team at the plane with a smile on his face and a friendly, "Howdy Garcia - you coming with? Excellent! Let's go fight some crime!"
If anyone noticed his go-bag was more bulging and clearly heavier than usual - or that there was a moment where the pair's eyes lingered in silent questions - no one had said a thing.
So now Penny is standing - if a little stiffly - by the in-flight screen doing her best to make sense and keep up her usual light tension-diffusing banter while explaining to her work family why they are on a plane a few days before Christmas - heading to San Antonio, Texas… and Luke is gazing down at the tablet in front of him - trying to concentrate on the details of the case instead of staring like a pole-axed idiot at the woman he loves more than he ever believed possible.
"So fearless high flying crime fighters… I join you today on this lovely, if monochromatic, jet because some, shall we say, decidedly un-Christmas-y events have been happening - real trouble in River City-"
Without thinking it through Luke breaks in - looking up with one of his shit-eating grins:
"-with a capital "T" and that rhymes with "P" and that stands for Pool? Didn't we have a pool case two cases ago? Or are we ah talking billiards this time?"
The look Penelope throws Luke her best disapproving "Marian the Librarian" look - so disapproving it could boil ice in December - even if "the flint was in one drawer and the steel in another".
"Ok ok! Not funny, not funny. I'll watch my phraseology… What is the trouble in River City?"
"Well if someone would stop making light of this very serious life and death - mostly death situation with glib references to The Music Man. I would tell everyone, wouldn't I, Newbie?"
"Mia culpa! Go on, Oh Serious One. I'll zip it."
"You'd better, Alvez, or so help m-"
Matt - ever the peacekeeper - gently speaks up before Penelope can really get up a head of steam.
"So as you were saying, Garcia?"
Penelope takes a deep breath and gets back on track - wincing a little as she raises the remote to click through the photos of picturesque San Antonio that she pulled together back in the office.
"So as I was saying before being so rudely interrupted… we've been called to San Antonio - home of The Alamo, The River Walk featuring the romantic Marriage Island, and of course the Alamo Bowl - because the local police have just discovered the twelfth of what appears to be a series of related homicides."
Everyone's mood darkens as a dozen photos begin to fill the screen - eyebrows raise both at the sheer number and at the fact that a collection of smiling very alive individuals crowd the screen - not the usual crime photo montage that they often open with.
None-the-less, Penelope pointedly keeps her back to the images. There is silence as the profilers study the array - silently until Tara's amber tones speak the thought on everyone's brain:
"Twelfth? What took them so long to call us in?"
Reid chimes in with the next logical thought:
"And what's the connection? There doesn't seem to be anything in particular linking these people…I mean different ages, genders, ethnicities… the only trend I see at first glance is that the majority would likely be classified as Hispanic - but if the killer is indescriminate about their victims that would be statistically consistent since as per the 2010 Census San Antonio is the largest primarily Hispanic city in the U.S. with 63.2% of the population self identifying as such."
Everyone looks expectantly at Garcia - sure the answer will be the next thing to be covered in her briefing - but during Reid's speech she had turned toward the screen and now is frozen in place staring at the twelve smiling photos - so Prentiss responds with a few of the missing pieces of the puzzle.
"The fact is, the local police didn't realise any of the victims had been murdered until the most recent victim. All the other deaths had previously been ruled due to natural causes. In fact, the only reason these deaths are now considered murders is that a letter was received yesterday by mail to the Coroner's Office."
"Ahhh. Hence the lack of crime scene photos…"
Prentiss nods at the senior member of their team.
"Exactly that, Rossi. The deaths were treated as natural so no investigations or evidence was gathered. The local police are currently working on finalizing exhumation orders for the eleven identified in the note - and the coroner is working on finalizing the autopsy report of the twelfth victim - however they have confirmed that the death seems to have been due to poison -which is why we've been called in. I also need to highlight that the M.E. confirmed that if it hadn't've been for the letter - this death would have likely have been ruled a heart attack despite the young age of the victim. Strangely though - while in my experience families are rarely keen on these types of requests - the liaison officer says there has only been resistance from one family and even there the victim's fiance has started court proceedings to be considered as the decision maker versus her parents who are against the exhumation. The police have already started making arrangements for the kith and kin of the twelve to come in and be interviewed tomorrow - I've requested that they wait until we arrive - which will keep most of us busy even if we all go solo."
J.J. and Tara share a look - since interviews are what they do best - and then J.J. shares what the two of them have already communicated wordlessly to the rest of the team:
"These people are going to be eager to paint whatever picture makes them feel better about their loved ones' deaths. We are going to need to tread carefully - especially since this is going to be the first time many of these people will have spoken to someone official since the requests for exhumation were received. It might be helpful to do an info session with the group beforehand."
"And have counseling services available on site."
"Good points J.J. - Tara. I'll make sure that if they haven't already been put in place - the arrangements are made for tom-."
"I already put in the request for grief counsellors and a couple translators - since a few of the folks who are coming in do not speak English or Spanish as their first language. I've also arranged that the interviews happen at the conference center where we are staying - it was the only way to have enough small rooms for interviews - a waiting area - and places for group and individual counselling as required. The police have followed our lead and are setting up a temporary base of operations there as we speak. Each of our interviewers will be provided with a uniformed officer who can respond to questions about the case from the perspective of the local PD and there will be folks directing people throughout the day. Tonight you'll be briefing the local officers on what you need from them in terms of observations and other support. At last count we are expecting more than 60 people who have agreed to be interviewed with another 25 or so invitations pending. None of these people were unloved. And -"
Penelope has said all this without turning away from the screen and her voice has that haunted taut timber it gets when she is particularly shattered by a case. The last 'and' hangs in the air - the thought unfinished…but somehow urgent…
Luke starts to stand - he needs to go to her… the way he always does whenever she is hurting or sad…
But Rossi waves him back.
" And Kitten?"
Penelope turns back to the group of unflappable agents - every one of whom she loves like family - and they are shocked to see that silent tears have streaked her face without them realising she had shed a single tear.
"...AND I don't know if this is relevant…but there is one more thing that I see that links all these people…"
"What is it, Garcia?"
"They are all fat. Very fat."
The briefing finishes up pretty quickly after that. Prentiss assigns Reid with the close study of the letter and then to start prepping a geographic profile. Penelope is set with her usual task of trying to find out what other connections there are between the victims - so she bustles off to set to work with her laptop.
Prentiss briefly explains that their favourite colourful blond will be directing the digitization and collation of information as it is gathered from the interviews. Finally, two victims are assigned to each of the remaining Field Agents (including the Unit Chief, of course).
The team is told to review what Penelope was able to scrabble together in the brief time she had at the office and that they will reconvene to have their usual on-the-plane skull session in an hour and a half - a good hour or so out from landing.
As soon as the team discussion breaks up and the Agents head to their own corners to review their assigned material and the rest of the background on the case - Penelope takes that as her cue to make her way behind to the "loo" behind the curtain to fix up her face in the little galley. She just is not that keen on being consoled…she is going to pee, splash some water on her face, and then bury herself in search algorithms.
The team pretends not to notice when a few beats after Penelope slips behind the curtain - Luke stands up - stretches a little too casually - looks over at Matt and J.J. who are sitting closest to him and asks "Coffee? Water?" then looks comically relieved when they shake their heads "no" - and then follows her.
Once Luke's back is to them, J.J. and Matt share a quick knowing-if-worried look across the aisle - Rossi suppresses a smile as he keeps his attention on his tablet - Prentiss who had been about to stand so she could check on her favourite tech relaxes back into her seat - Tara raises an eyebrow in question at Spencer who pulls a "I have no idea - but eeeegh" expression back. Then the agents all delve into their work.
Behind the curtain - when Luke sees that his Penny … Penelope… Garcia. is still in the tiny washroom - he sets to making a big cup of hot chocolate using the inflight single serve coffee maker. Penny… Penelope… GARCIA would usually prefer tea at this time of day - but he's been told that the tea made by this machine is muddied by the fact that it mostly makes coffee. At least mocha is an actual flavour …and there is always real cream in the little fridge… he looks in the munchie cupboard that the team takes turns stocking - like the rack filled with pods for hot drinks - and the shelf with the alcohol that they will often share out on the flight home - and finds a pack of mint chocolate wafer cookies ( MADE WITH ORGANIC COCOA!) to go with the hot drink. Perfect.
Just then Penelope pulls open the door of the miniature washroom - gasping audibly when she sees Luke taking up much of the small space. As he turns to her with his usual lopsided grin - she does what she always does at work when his physical presence has caught her off guard - making her stupid heart speed up and her breath catch - she furrows her brow and turns up the sass - whispering furiously at him.
"You startled me. Standing there like an oaf, Newbie, What are you trying to do? Kill me? I'll have you know I am perfectly fine and need your little knight in shining armor routine like a fish needs a unicycle. Don't you have work to do or something?"
Penelope's voice raises from a whisper to a squeak at the end of her mini-tirade and Luke can see that she is barely holding it together - part of him just wants to hug her, part of him want to laugh because she is so herself, and part of him wants to shout at her for being the most frustrating woman he has ever met and she drives him around-the-bend-and-back crazy.
So he ops for what he has done over and over whenever she needed comforting in the last year or so - he puts his hands on her shoulders…although usually he's been beside or behind her…now he's in front of her and his thumbs have landed on either side of her collar bone. He can't help but stroke her soft sweater dress - drawing little circles of calm with his thumb tips.
Penelope's eyes go round and she suddenly she is very aware of her breasts - her hands hanging awkwardly at her sides heavy with rings and bangles on her wrists
"Hey," he teases ducking his head a bit so he can look her straight in the eyes - underlining his point with a half-mock half-truly serious look, "is that any way to talk to your friend who is worried about you, Garcia?"
"Nhhun-hun"
Her eyes have caught on his lips. She sounds far away. Her fingers itch with the urge to touch him.
"Garcia?"
"Un-hun?"
Since her eyes are fixed on his lips - she clocks the exact nano-second he breaks into a smile and then starts to form words - his voice pitched at a husky whisper.
"We didn't get to do it….but our schedule for today says we were supposed to talk about what being friends at work would look like. So I brainstormed two rules for myself on the way over…wanna hear them?"
"Not really…but go ahead."
"Number 1. Always call you Garcia. Number 2. Don't touch you in a way I wouldn't J.J. or Tara or Emily if circumstances were the same. That's it."
"Makes sense."
Penelope's eyes flicked back up to meet his while he was speaking and then closed when he maneuvered in - tilting his face in until their foreheads came to rest dearly against each other.
They stay like that. Breath over breath over breath.
There is nothing about their position that screams lovers… nothing they are doing that would have seemed out of the ordinary if Morgan or even Reid had been the one comforting her in the aftermath of a tense happening… nothing… nothing except perhaps the flush of her cheek or their ragged breathing or the tension that seems to flow between them…
…….
Now brains are funny little things that always do their very very best to take care of their person - keep them safe - but being a sac of grey and white matter - a mix of neurons, water and fats - they do not always come up with the most appropriate way of doing this… being a brain is tricky business you know…
Now our lovebirds are on a jet - tasked with catching a killer before more lives are cut short - work they both believe in so deeply that they are willing to deny themselves the mad sweetness of romantic love and the sustaining comfort of long term pair-bonding. They have no illusions or romantized notions or fetishized imaginings about the people they chase and the total destruction those people wreak in the lives of victims, their loved ones, and their communities. In short, they know first hand and without a shadow of a doubt there is nothing sexy about the type of violence which cuts innocent lives short or scars that abuse can leave.
They are ever aware that the victims - both those who have already been killed or scared and those who may be if whoever is doing the evil is not stopped - deserve their full attention and respect. They know their work is life and death and needs their whole selves and focus - and yet… brains are funny places… and so are bodies… and both do what they can to protect us…
And as our lovers-too-soon-to-be-friends stand there their brains are no different than others - they sense their people's high levels of stress and pull together what they can with what they've got to work with to alleviate things. So in this case - it is the attraction between them that their subconscious minds latch onto to as a way to distract and sooth.
For Luke - a frequent flyer - it is a simple mental leap…how many times - especially on the way home from a case - has he allowed himself a private moment of comforting fantasy? Imagined that his Sunshine Girl was with them on the flight and that he convince her to sneak off with him to exactly where they are standing… so he could comfort himself by showing her tenderness… by losing himself in the sweet oblivion of a loving elicit erotic encounter…
For Penelope it's a different path to the glimmer of fantasy that rises within her - not that she hasn't had similar imaginings as Luke… but hers were from a distance - so being here… well that's something else…
Luke's fingers feel the ridges of her rose-gold slip under the soft knit of her christmas-y sweater-dress… and unbidden the image of how she looked sitting on the edge of the bed - the silky glistening material clinging to her belly - the lacy bra cupping and lifting her breasts - making him to yearn to loose himself in worshipping acts dedicated to recognizing the magnificence of her cleavage and the softness of her belly and roundness of her thighs. He'd only gotten the briefest of tastes this morning…
Penelope feels the subtle pressure of his thumbs press down on her collar bone and she wants to scream for him to hug her tighter or let his hands skim down over her arms - so that their fingers will tangle and then he could kiss her - force her back against the counter - lift her skirt…
As they feel their bodies start to react to those blink of an eye images - as if as one… they push the thoughts away.
This is no place - no time - their team is on the other side of the curtain…they could never…
The neurons responsible for soothing are now in a battle with the ones responsible for reasonable behavior - so both their trying-to-sooth brains throw up a last salvo…
We could never… unless something… someone pushed them into it. Prentiss ordered them for the good of a case… an unsub forced them… or maybe the plane is suddenly empty except for them… or… t-rexes… aliens???
Both clamp down on the thoughts - no point jinxing real life. They have seen too much to not know that some nightmares are true…
All this happens in their brains so fast that they could swear they had never had these thoughts - and almost not be lying…
It is Luke's words - words that escape almost despite himself - that break the moment - make them both truly come back to themselves.
…..
"Pen- Garcia. Can I come to your room tonight? Please?"
The words are said so low that she almost misses their meaning… she would have if she hadn't become so attuned in the last few weeks to the man who has uttered them…
Now it is her turn to smile bright and broad - her split lip stinging as her mouth quirks with a joy she cannot suppress - and whisper low and rushed.
"I did another thing. It's not bad I promise. I just…kinda…hacked the hotel…and put a note to our registrations that various members of the team require um adjoining rooms to uh facilitate our work…and made it so that the note won't appear on bills and added a request that the accomodation not be mentioned aloud by staff to protect our team's safety."
Luke starts to shudder with laughter about halfway through this little confession and pulls her into a gentle strictly friend-zone hug.
"You're a real piece of work, Ms Garcia. So who's room is mine adjoined with?"
"Mine. Is that ok?"
"More than ok."
Luke gives her another gentle squeeze - mindful of her soreness - he has to get out of there or he is going to do something stupid like kiss her.
"I made you a hot chocolate - why don't you carry these cookies and I'll follow with your hot chocolate - the team needs our own personal hacker to get back to work."
Luke gives her one more squeeze then lets her go - but not before she whispers in his ear:
"Love you Luke Alvez. In some way. Always."
And he answers:
"Love you Penelope Garcia. In some way. Always."
One last shared smile and then they both head back to work.
………
When the team gets back together for their second brainstorming session, everyone is tired of banging their heads against the background material solo. Prentiss decided that they will start by reviewing the note - so the floor is given to Spencer and everyone pulls up their scanned copy of the hand written letter or the typed transcript on their tablets.
Even though they have all read them during the time they were given to review the casefiles - the words are chilling - especially when read aloud to them by Reid:
December 21, 2017
Dearest Most Esteemed Medical Examiner of the San Antonio Metro Area,
As much as I hate to have to suggest that anyone with as prestigious a title and as superbly educated as yourself would ever misrepresent scientific findings on purpose. I must.
Nay-nay. "Suggest" is not strong enough.
I must STATE. STATE clearly and definitively that you have done that exact thing on not just one…nay-Nay. But eleven separate occasions in the past year. For, it has come to my attention that you have been reporting the cause of death (C.O.D.) of THE CONVICTED as "natural causes".
And I, as a fellow learned person, must assume that such a prestigious scientist as yourself must have deduced that this is the furthest thing from the truth. Epso Facto you must be subjugating the truth of the actual C.O.Ds - which is a worse crime than those which you obscure.
And… AND...I had been placing the blame for the lack of community knowledge of these individuals and their crimes at the feet of the dirty base journalists and grimy slimy politicians of this city - but tsk tsk on me - it was YOU who have obfuscated the manner and reasons for their deaths.
Therefore, I have surmised that you - likely to further our government's overt attempts to smother SCIENTIFIC TRUTH - are redacting and thus suppressing the actually C.O.D (i.e. justified execution) for the following:
Enrique Williams (17 November, 1981 - 14 December, 2017)
Zahida Mirza (4 April, 1980 - 14 December, 2017)
Carla Fortsmith (19 June, 1974 - 6 December, 2017)
Bobbi Jean Ramirez (29 May, 1983 - 6 November, 2017)
Clayton Sooze (23 March, 1966 - 5 November, 2017)
Samantha Butters (18 February, 1998 - 16 October, 2017)
Martin Sanchez (30 August, 1970 - 2 October, 2017)
Billy Brown (25 August, 1952 - 6 September, 2017)
Carlos Ricci (24 January, 1999 - 6 August, 2017)
Alea Abbas (7 July, 1991 - 6 June, 2017)
Luisa Santos (6 January, 1940 - 6 April, 2017)
However, as everyone is entitled to the occasional mistake. So, if you simply missed the true reason for these deaths this is your chance to rectify the situation and mend your reputation by properly completing the autopsy report for Cathy Barlow (4 December, 2001 - 20 December, 2017) whose corpse I believe will be delivered to you shortly by the authorities.
Please note that I have sent this letter to you directly - not to your superiors who I assume would have to take action and terminate your employment on the grounds of either violation of the scientific code of ethics or gross incompetence. If this C.O.D. is not accurately recorded for this death, I will be contacting your superiors directly.
The health of our city deserves better. We are at war and you are either on the side of science or against us.
Yours respectfully,
A Concerned Citizen
As Spencer finishes reading, Prentiss scans her Agents and sees a variety of reactions but is confident she's not seeing any indications that any of them will argue against the first assumption they will be making. So she will play devil's advocate quickly - then they will be able to move on.
"Thank you, Spencer. Now, before we go onto the deeper analysis… does anyone think this letter was penned by anyone besides the unsub?"
She smiles as there are looks of shock as this possibility occurs to some of her Agents - and certainly their Technical Analyst - for the first time.
"Emily? Stop. Why would this not be from the unsub? Please tell me we're not dealing with another one of those cases where there's more than one dangerous creepazoids needing to be stopped by you super heros!?!"
Rossi is the first to respond - suppressing another of his droll smiles but letting the tone of one creep a bit into his voice:
"Well, Garcia, I don't think Prentiss is saying the letter is definately not written by the killer - but you have to admit the note does not claim responsibility for the deaths only accuses the M.E. of misconduct."
Tara jumps in then, her tone arch and not particularly amused, they have more important thing to be discussing and Rossi knows it. "Well, I would say that the likelihood of this type of letter being written by anyone but the unsub is extremely unlikely. Further, poison is usually the weapon of an individual and there is no evidence that these deaths were the work of a team. I'm not saying its definitive, but as bets go, it's a solid one."
"Based on my analysis of the note, I agree with Tara - while we cannot rule it out, the likelihood of the note being penned by anyone other than the unsub is negligible. Also the extensive use of "I" in the letter - points towards a single author. If it were a team or group - I'd expect to see a lot more use of 'we' or 'us'. The only time we see that type of plural language is in the last sentence-"
Luke chimes in, "-and that feels more like a 'I'm on the side of the Angels' statement - than a formal declaration-"
Spencer smiles, "-of affiliation. Exactly!"
"What else does the note indicate, Spence?", J.J. queries her best friend - knowing that his insights will be crucial for how the chase will progress over the next few days.
"Well, a few things right off the top, even though multiple M.E.'s work at the M.E.O. and no one individual signed off on the Cause of Death Reports, the letter is addressed to a non-specific single individual. Which tells us that the unsub does not have access to the M.E. Reports, nor knowledge of how the office works. And of you look at, the vocabulary and sentence structure - I am sure you'd agree it indicates someone who aspires to higher learning but has either not had the opportunity to pursue it or have been unsuccessful at gaining the credentials they crave - so they are mimicing how they believe someone with education would express themselves. My guess is they aspired to being a doctor or scientist - but fell short."
Matt's eyebrow quirks as he expands the idea: "So maybe working in a medical or scientific field, but not as a high level professional? Maybe there's someone like a PSW - that had contact with all the victims? "
Spencer nods. Garcia starts typing.
Tara's brows furrow. "What worries me most about this letter - especially when tied to the observation Penelope made about the victim's physiques - is the references to them being "convicted" and "executed"."
Rossi, who has flipped over to the timeline Garcia had provided each team member, just to be sure what he thinks he's seeing is actually there…speaks up - his voice now everything that is serious, "Yes. And what's worse, not only does the Unsub have a mission, but based on the dates of each death - the unsub is devolving. We need to stop this one - fast."
……………
The rest of the flight is taken up with first the Agents presenting their assigned victims to the rest of the team - but the exercise doesn't yield any more obvious connections or patterns - and then with a discussion for what to include in their briefing to the local P.D. They decide that tonight they will primarily focus on the basics of victimology and the types of information they need to help them build a profile. They will also use a significant amount of the hour that's been allotted for their briefing to ask the local officers about San Antonio - in particular they need to learn about any community or health programs or PSAs that have seemed to really stick in the community conciousness and the key players of the local press. Tomorrow morning they will provide more targetted tips for what they want the officers accompanying them to look for and how they recommend those being interview should be treated.
Everyone felt as they usually do as they land - that they have made a start and have a plan - but that there is still a long way to go.
When the team lands they head straight to the hotel, meet with local police who have set up their temporary base of operations in one of the big ballrooms and set up in the corner designated for their team. Penelope takes over a small side room and sets up her very own mobile base of operations - working efficiently with "The Twins" as the two local techs are affectionately called and making sure her system is hot and spinning out searchs and crunching data at top speed. The white boards in the Beau's nook are quickly filled with pictures and notes from the files - then after a break for an early dinner - the team runs their briefing - meets for a last round-table - then are told sternly by Prentiss to break for the day and get some sleep.
Emily, of course, once she has taken her "boss hat" off is the first one to ask if anyone wanted to join her in the hotel bar in 20 minutes for a quick nightcap. Rossi, J.J., and Tara agree then gently tease the four "responsible team members" for being goody-goodies. Luke, Matt and Spencer laugh at the ribbing, but Penelope is too sore and just mutters a brief "shut up - here be dragons" under her breath as she stalks off towards the elevator - which makes everyone laugh.
Unconsciously, the team divides along gender lines as they split into two elevators to head for their rooms - so the women do their best to sooth their ruffled friend and the men can't help but give Luke a mini and very camoflaged shovel speech - to which he throws up his hands and says "I know I know! Or there be dragons. Don't worry! Matt, see you all in the lobby at 6 for our run?"
Finally, the hallway is quiet and everyone has found their room to either freshen up before heading back down for the nightcap or to settle in for the night in their own room.
Spencer has a book.
Matt calls Kristy.
But Luke has gone right to the adjoining door, opens his side, and knocks lightly.
Then smiles his widest when he hears three little words…
"Luke? It's unlocked…"
To be continued…