THIRD PERSON POV
"Spencer, do you have any idea how many people come into this art place every day?" Garcia asked.
"I don't know, but the dates of the pictures should help, right?" Spencer asked, looking over the technical analyst's shoulder at the screens.
"Yeah, that helps a ton," she said, "which is why I believe that this is who we are looking forward. She pulled up a picture of a figure. "This same figure came in every time we have a picture from, and always has a camera.
"They're wearing glasses and a hat," Spencer said. "How are we supposed to figure out who it is?"
"And there is the conundrum, my friend," Garcia said, "so I am currently backtracking this person through surveillance cameras all through Stafford, but I'm having to do it manually, so it's going to take a little longer."
"Spencer," came Hotch's voice from behind them. Garcia and Spencer both froze, like two kids who had been caught with their hands in the cookie jar.
"Hotch," Spencer said, turning to face his unit chief, who was not happy.
"My office. Now," Hotch said, turning and leaving to his office.
"Good luck pretty boy," Garcia said. "I'll hit you when I have anything."
"Thanks Garcia," Spencer said, leaving to follow Hotch to his office.
He found himself seated in the chair across from the unit chief, who looked sterner than he usually did.
"Spencer, why did I just get reprimanded by Strauss for you contacting Danielle's handler?"
Spencer swallowed, knowing that Hotch wasn't happy from the sound of his voice.
"Hotch, they hadn't updated us, and her family had gone missing. That's a pretty big piece of the puzzle that no one filled us in on."
"Spencer, they are under no obligation to do anything for us, they said it merely as a courtesy," Hotch said, rubbing his forehead, before looking at the genius before him. "Look, I know that you are worried about her but there is nothing we can do."
"But there is, Hotch!" Spencer said. "Right now, Garcia is helping me find the person who was running surveillance on her, which could get us one step closer to finding her!"
"Spencer, that is not our jurisdiction," Hotch said, his voice calm and even, hiding the pity he felt for the heartbroken man in front of him.
"I fail to see how this is the CIA's jurisdiction," Spencer said. "She worked with the FBI Sex Crimes Unit, so technically, as far as I can tell, the FBI should be involved with this case as she is an asset to an ongoing case!"
Hotch let out a soft breath.
"Spencer, I understand how you feel… When Foyet had Haley and Jack, I didn't know what to do."
"But when they were in danger, you never stopped fighting for them," Spencer said, "so why should I?"
"I understand-" Hotch began, before Spencer interrupted him.
"No, you don't," he said, "because none of us tried to stop you when you were hunting him down. You-"
Then Garcia entered the room.
"Oh, sorry, but Spencer, your phone is off, and I, um, found something?" Garcia said, eyeing the unit chief cautiously.
The room was silent for a minute. The Hotch spoke.
"Show us."
The trio made their way to Garcia's computers.
"Okay, so I backtracked the person who I think was doing the photographic surveillance of Danielle. I had to go through tons of cameras until they got into a car, unmarked, of course, and then I just ran it through recognition software, until I found the car at an abandoned lot, where there is this really grainy, low-quality picture of the person we are looking for. Now keep in mind, it's running through facial recognition right now, but that'll take a little bit. But this is the person," Garcia said, pulling up the footage.
Spencer's heart dropped.
"You can stop the facial ID," he said.
"What? Why?" Garcia asked, her face filling with realization as she saw the look on Spencer's face. "Do you know who that is?"
"Yeah," Spencer said, his voice quieting and his forehead creasing as thousands of thoughts ran through his mind. "That's Caroline Mays. That's Sarah's best friend. We met for brunch one time…Why is she taking pictures?"
"Caroline Mays," Garcia mumbled, pulling up background on her. "Well, that's weird."
"What?" Hotch asked, breaking his silence.
"Caroline Mays is 32 years old, works as a freelance event marketer, but other than that, there is very little about her. Like, she would pass a background check, but there's not even a speeding ticket or anything on her," Garcia said.
"Maybe she's just a careful person?" Spencer offered.
"One second, let me try something," Garcia said, working madly at the keyboard. "Oh no, oh no, no, no."
"What?" Hotch asked.
"As far as I can tell," Garcia said, gulping, "Caroline Mays didn't exist until two years ago."
"What do you mean?" Spencer asked.
"I mean," Garcia said, looking at Spencer, "Caroline Mays isn't a real person and just popped into existence two years ago…" She turned back to her computer and gasped slightly, shocked at what she was reading. "And Danielle's handler tried to meet with Caroline today to debrief her, but she didn't show…She's missing."
"You don't think-" Hotch began, but Garcia interrupted him.
"That she's involved with this? Unfortunately, sir, I do," Garcia said, looking at Reid, who was unspeaking. "I do."
Meanwhile, outside the doors where Danielle had just screamed for her lost friend, Nicolas put his gun away.
"You didn't have to slap me so hard, you know?" the woman said, rubbing her cheek.
"You wanted me to sell it," Nicolas said. "Did that get you the information you needed?"
"Not all of it," the woman said, smiling, "but we can use her sister for that tomorrow. Let's allow her to rest, after all, she'll need it."
"Of course," Nicolas said. "Your contacts are ready to help us?"
"They all come running when Madeline comes calling," she said, turning to walk away. "Get someone to clean her up…I do hate it when my toys get all dirty."