See disclaimer on the Prologue chapter.
"No, Gideon, I'll go." Reid said, going out of the room to stop the older agent. Anything was better than listening to Morgan snicker.
He was shown into an interrogation room. There were two girls sitting in chairs looking scared and very out of place. One was tall with short spiked black hair and dark eyes. The other had long red hair and blue eyes. She was short and very thin. Clearing his throat nervously before speaking he said. "Hi, I'm Dr Reid. I understand you wanted to talk to me about your friend. He asked sitting down at the head of the table. Would you tell me your names?"
"I'm Andrea Smith, said the black haired girl and this is Kathy Perkins, she gestured to the red head. Our friend is Micheala Simms. We were supposed to meet before school today and she never showed up. We tried to call her but she didn't answer her phone."
"Maybe her phone is turned off?" Reid suggested
"No, she never turns it off, we're always talking to each other." Andrea said rather impatiently.
"Did you call her house?"
Andrea looked at him like he was a regrettably slow child. "Dr Reid we wouldn't be here if we didn't think something was wrong. We made a promise to our best friend and we don't take breaking it lightly. We called her house and her mother said she must be at school and to talk to her there. She wouldn't let us explain."
"Yeah, she probably had a "friend" over and didn't want to deal with us or Mike"
"Shush, Kathy." Andrea said jabbing her with an elbow.
"Well it's true her mother is nothing but a-"
"Girls, please Reid said "Geez what did I get my self into; I should've let Gideon handle this." knowing they wouldn't like the next question but it had to be asked. "Is it possible she ran away?"
Andrea's eyes flashed angrily at the implication. "No, she didn't run away. She hated her life but it's the middle of winter and we're surrounded by corn and wheat fields, where do you suppose she could go G-man?
Reid held up a placating hand. "I have to ask the question.
Kathy put a hand on her friends arm. "He's right Andrea, we came to them remember? They probably think we're just trying to get attention or something."
Reid knew he had to get back to the business at hand so he asked looking at Andrea. "You said you were breaking a promise. What did you mean by that?
"She's been acting weird for weeks and she wouldn't tell us what was going on. I figured it was her mother, but then this morning I saw her playing with this expensive looking gold chain around her neck so I pulled it out of her shirt and it was a gold locket. She got really angry when I touched and it took some doing to get her to admit that some man gave it to her. "
"You said man; do mean a guy at school?" They had his attention now but he didn't want to lead them.
"No, a man an older man, she met somewhere. She seemed to think she was in love and that he would take her away from all of her problems, he gave her the locket. She made us promise not to tell anyone, she was acting like it was a matter of life and death that we don't say anything. "
"Can you describe what it looks like if I get someone in here to draw it for you? He asked.
"Yeah I think so, does this mean you believe us?" Andrea asked hope flaring in her dark eyes.
"I can't say without all the facts but I believe something is going on, tell me what Micheala looks like." Reid asked.
"I have a picture in here somewhere. Kathy rummaged around in her backpack. Here it is."
Reid took the picture and when he saw the blond girl from the day before, he went white. He couldn't believe it. There was the Un Sub's next victim and he hadn't stopped her from running away.
"Hey G-man you ok dude you don't look too good." Andrea said.
"What? Oh yes I'm fine. May I keep this please?" Spencer asked he just wanted to get out of that room; he had to find this girl. He owed it to her.
"Can I have it back when you're done with it, Kathy asked blushing. "The FBI guy is really cute."
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Gideon and Stephanie stood in the observation room. She had never watched her brother work before and Gideon encouraged her to go to watch with him. He thought now that was a mistake. They were alone in a small enclosed room and her perfume was driving him to distraction, pulling his thoughts away from the case and into a direction he didn't want to go. Oh, hell he wanted to go there, he wanted it more than he had in years, but she was-actually he didn't know anymore why he made excuses not to pursue her. His thoughts chased themselves around and around as he listened with one ear to Reid's questions.
"Jason something's wrong, look at Spencer. Stephanie said concern marking her voice.
He saw the young man turn white as he looked at the picture the girl gave him. He saw something else as well, recognition.
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When the sketch artist came into the room, Reid made a bee line for the door. Closing it he leaned his back against it and closed his eyes. "God, what if something happens to her this is my fault. Get a grip man, this is not your fault, you didn't know who she was so stop blaming yourself. His thoughts were interrupted by a hand on his shoulder. It was Stephanie.
"Spence, what is it you're white as a sheet, come on sit down with me." She led him like a small child to a chair in the corner.
He told her what had happened yesterday. "I have to tell Gideon and the others, we need to find her. I don't understand he's days ahead of schedule. Why take her now? What happened to set him off?"
"Maybe she told him the others knew about the locket, or he's watching her and saw what happened at the school yesterday." Gideon said happy to be out of the observation room and in front of witness in case his better judgment went out the window and he tried to kiss the lovely Dr Matthews.
Reid looked up at him and began to say, "But Gideon It's-"
"No Spencer this is not your fault, now Hotch, Morgan and Elle are on their way to see this girl's mother. We just got word from the police that she reported the girl missing just a few minutes ago. When Officer Briggs finishes the sketch I want you to get it to Garcia and see if it can be traced. In fact go call her now and have her run Ms Simms cell number, we might get lucky."
Reid got up to leave knowing that Gideon was trying to distract him from his self imposed guilt. He was grateful and Gideon clapped a hand on his shoulder as he passed with a look that said clearly, "eighty-six the guilt, it will only make you hesitant." Reid nodded and left to do what needed to be done. Stephanie was going to follow when a hand on her arm stopped her.
She looked at Gideon questioningly and he said "Stephanie, I'd like to speak to you for a moment, may we step into another room?"
Nodding her head like a fool she followed him her heart racing from the simple contact of his hand on her arm.
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The house was a large two story affair painted a blinding white with dark green trim.
"I thought Micheala's mother is a waitress. I don't see her living in a place like this." Morgan said doubtfully.
"Garcia said the girl's father ran off with his business partner and she got the house mortgage free but no cash settlement." Elle said eyeing the house with curiosity
"Let's hope she can tell us something useful about her daughter I have a bad feeling about this one. Hotch said with his usual candor as they walked through the bitter cold January morning, heavy frost from the night before crunching under their feet all the way to the front door.
A small woman with dirty blond hair and pale blue eyes opened the door warily at the second knock.
"Mrs. Simms my name is Special Agent Hotchner; these are Special Agents Greenaway and Morgan. Hotch said gesturing to them in turn. We're here about Micheala. You called the police this morning and we have reason to believe her disappearance is related to the two other girls killed in the area over the last two months."
She eyed their badges with suspicion before opening the door wide and letting them into a large living room.
She waved her hand at the sofa and chairs as she sat down in an easy chair and lit a cigarette. She said nothing for a minute just inhaled and blew smoke out in they way of a woman enjoying the caress of a lover.
"I don't see how this concerns the FBI. She ran away plain and simple." She said dismissively.
"With all due respect, we don't believe that to be true." Hotch said he did not like this woman's nonchalance where here daughter was concerned.
"Mrs. Simms we know Micheala was seeing a man much older than herself. Do you know anything about that relationship?" Elle asked
"No and I don't see how it could go on, that girl can't keep her mouth shut about anything. Micheala's shy around men and boys, she always has been in spite of my attempts to help her along." She said with dislike coloring her voice.
Elle already disliked this woman. "What a piece of work! No wonder this girl is in trouble." but she said nothing. She knew her thoughts ran along the same lines as the guys but they were all trying to hide it.
"Mam we have a limited time frame in which to find your daughter. Anything you can tell us would help." Hotch said his patience was beginning to wear thin. Elle could see it in his eyes.
"I told you I don't know anything, those friends of hers woke me at an ungodly hour of the morning and I start the evening shift this week. I need my sleep. Then the school calls and tells me she never showed up. So I called you end of story." The woman said.
They convinced her to let them see Micheala's room and Elle found a diary in an ornate box under the bed along with a book of love poems. Several roses were pressed between the pages and Hotch held it out to Mrs. Simms. She looked at it but insisted she didn't know where the box, the book or the journal had come from.
Hotch knew they wouldn't get anything else from this woman so they left. Halfway back to the station Morgan got call from Garcia.
"Hey sugar she said excitement overriding the usual flirtatious tone in her voice. I tracked down the locket it was purchased in the same outlet store as the disposable cells only this was an expensive item. Her cell phone is turned off so I can't trace it but the records indicate calls to and from a disposable cell bought in the name of our rose guy"
"Tell me he used his credit card, babe." Morgan said beginning to smile. Maybe it would be okay this time. Maybe they wouldn't be too late.
"You guessed it. The name is William James Slater. The rose guy's younger brother. We're working on a warrant for Slater Greenhouses as we speak."
"I love you babe," Morgan exclaimed.
"Oh, wow if only that were true gorgeous."
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Micheala's head ached as she opened her eyes. The room she was in was completely unfamiliar. What had happened to her? Why was she here? Her eyes swam out of focus as she tried to sit up. She groaned and lay down again. Something clinked softly when ever she moved. What was it? She brought a hand to her face and began to cry at the sight of the chain on her wrist. She was chained at the ankles too. She made herself sit up even though the movements made her want to throw up. She thought he must have hit her hard because she didn't remember wearing a white dress that day.
A door opened and she began to scream for help when she saw him. He locked the door behind him and approached the dirty mattress she sat on.
"Hello Laura, I knew I would find you at last." He said smiling at her, his previous night's anger gone.
"I'm n-not Laura. Why are you doing this, let me go." She screamed for help again.
"No one can hear us Laura, it's just you and me now and soon we'll be married and be together forever.
"Marriage, she thought why is he saying these crazy things to me."
He crouched down beside her and handed her a mirror. "Look Laura, see how beautiful you look." I know you're sorry for what you did to me and that's why you came back."
He held up the mirror and she stared in horror at her appearance. There was a large bandage on her forehead from where he hit her. He had plastered pancake makeup all over her face and her cheeks were rosy with rouge. He'd made up her eyes heavily with purple eye shadow and she had on dark red lipstick. She looked like a badly made china doll and she began to scream again. His hand flashed out and slapped her hard, cutting off the scream.
"I'm sorry baby, he soothed regaining his composure. You're scared I'm a changed man while you look just the same. You have a nice new body now and it will take getting used to. We have all the time in the world and this time no one will come between us."
He kissed her on the lips, her first kiss. It should've been romantic, but this was terrifying. What else would he do? "Anything he wants as long as he thinks you're this Laura person he could expect you to do anything." She thought. She began to cry again as he got up and went over to a table. She couldn't see what he was doing.
He came back and knelt beside her. He brought out an old and tarnished gold ring with a small diamond.
"Here this is for you, I'm sorry that I couldn't afford a larger stone, but I want to do this right. Laura I love you will you marry me?"
NO, I'm not Laura. She shouted and he hit her hard in the stomach. She fell over gasping and retching. He pulled her upright and asked her the same question over and over again, hitting her every time she said no until she learned the game and said in a wheezing breathless voice.
"Yes Jimmy I love you too, I'll marry you."
"Wonderful!" He cried, kissing her and forcing his tongue in her mouth. He slipped the ring on her left hand and stood up.
"I have preparations to make but soon we'll be together." He walked to the door and unlocked it. The door shut behind him and locked. As soon as it did she lay down and sobbed.
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Reid was pacing having just heard the news about the locket. He looked up as JJ came in followed closely by Stephanie and Gideon. He hadn't noticed they were gone and now he wondered where they had gone off together. He noticed they sat on opposite sides of the conference room. He also noticed the look on JJ's face; he took her arm and pulled her outside.
"Al right my love what's going on?" he asked with great patience.
"You're so cute when your clueless, Dr Reid."
"JJ!" He said his voice taking on a tone that didn't bode well for her if she didn't answer the question.
"I should have though it obvious."
"What's obvious, he said.
"Jason likes your sister and I think she likes him as well."
"Well of course they do, she told me-"
"No babe not like friends, like us."
"What!" he nearly screamed.
"Shh, keep your voice down Spencer." JJ hissed at him.
"You're telling me that my boss and my sister are-" he couldn't say it, he couldn't think it, when he did he got frightening pictures in his head.
"Well I don't know if they've gotten that far but-"
"JJ please!"
"Oh, come on babe. Why are you so upset? I think they are cute together."
"You can't be serious, this is wrong on so many levels." Reid whined.
"Why, because of their age difference, or because she's your sister and you want to play overprotective big brother, or is it because you think of Gideon as a father and it all seems too incestuous to you."
"JJ, do you have to put it that way?"
"Yes I do you're being a jerk and a selfish jackass. Why shouldn't they have what we do? Do we corner the market on happiness?"
"But-" he tried in vain
"No buts, Dr Reid. Get over it already because it isn't up to you. She's a grown woman and he's a grown man."
All of the arguments he wanted to make went out the window at the realization that JJ was right. His sister was an adult and he'd better get used to it. Sensing victory JJ said.
"Besides, this is Jason we're talking about she couldn't be in better hands."
"That's what I'm afraid of," he said sourly and followed JJ back into the conference room. He followed her example and fixed an appropriate neutral expression on his face. When this was over he was going to have a long talk with Stephanie.