I love this chapter! It was so fun and I love how I got to work with the characterizations, especially Garcia. Longer than the others, too.
Reporters bombarded JJ with questions after her delivery of the profile in the press conference.
"Do you have any leads?"
"Have the rest of the victims been identified?"
"What's the next step in the investigation?"
JJ calmly yet defensively raised her hands. "We have nothing more to report at this time. I will keep the media posted as the investigation progresses. Thank you."
This did not deter the flood of questioning from dozens of reporters.
"You mentioned law enforcement. Is the DC Phantom a cop?"
"Do you think the DC Phantom will kill again tonight?"
JJ froze. She then turned around and stepped up to her podium again. "Excuse me, what are you calling this man?"
"The DC Phantom," shouted someone from the crowd of journalists.
"The FBI strongly discourages the media from giving names to serial killers. It glorifies them not to mention that this suspect doesn't want unnecessary attention. A name could antagonize him. I must ask the news agency that invented this name to retract it and refrain from publishing it at least until the killer is apprehended. Thank you."
JJ ignored the any other questions as she hurried to make her way back inside the police department building.
When she made it back to the conference room where her team awaited her, JJ let out a frustrated sigh. "They are already calling the unsub –"
"The DC Phantom," Prentiss interrupted. "We heard."
"Why 'Phantom', though?" Rossi wondered.
"'Phantom' was apparently the only appropriate word left that sounded intriguing," Reid suggested. "He doesn't use a knife or any other sharp object, thus disqualifying him from being categorized as a 'ripper.' 'Strangler' would also be inappropriate as the victim's cause of death could just as easily be blunt force trauma, according to the medical examiner,"
"Pretty Boy, instead of chattering away about cute serial killer names, maybe we should get back to work on that geographical profile," Morgan chastised playfully.
"There's not much to work with," Reid said as he swiveled his rolling chair around to face his pushpin filled map. Five kill sites in the same general aria, but I find it hard to believe that an unsub like ours lives in this area. I did notice one interesting anomaly. The last four kill sites were grouped in a three-block radius. However, the first kill was four blocks north of this area, telling me that perhaps the first victim is the only one in any sort of comfort zone."
"So he lives or works in a three mile radius of his first kill," Prentiss agreed.
"Most likely lives in the area, I don't know about working, though. He kills between midnight and two in the morning," Morgan mused, "If he's as smart as we think he is he could have intentionally gone out of his comfort zone with his next four victims."
Just then, Morgan and JJ's phones rang almost simultaneously. "That's odd," JJ laughed and checked her phone. "Even odder, it's Hotch."
Morgan was about to say something to the affect of, "Why the hell is he calling again," but he smiled when he saw the name on his phone. Morgan happily answered the call while JJ stepped out of the room to take the call from Hotch.
"Hay, Baby Girl. What is this, do you have something?"
"Do. I. Have. Something?" Garcia over articulated, sounding quite annoyed. "No. I have absolutely nothing. Do you know why I have absolutely nothing? Because YOU HAVE NOT ASKED ME FOR ANYTHING!"
"Wow, there, Garcia, calm down. What's this about?"
"What's this about? I'll tell you what this is about tough guy, you have not called me all day and I'm lonely and sad and forgotten and all that melodramatic stuff."
Morgan could hear the pout in her voice. "I'm sorry if I haven't made you feel important, Baby Girl."
"Just tell me you love me, my Chocolate Love Muffin, and all will be forgiven."
Morgan laughed. "Come on now Baby you know I love you. I just don't know what to ask you for. There aren't a lot of parameters to narrow down a search."
"My Hershey's Kiss forgets! I, the lovely mistress of all things tech, have powers unmatched by any in the universe!"
Morgan sighed and glared at Reid's map. "Okay Lady G, we're looking for someone whose fingerprints are in any state or national database; a white male aged thirty-five to forty-five. He lives in a three mile radius of the first kill site."
The quirky technical analyst's fingers flew across her keyboard and within seconds she had a sizable list in front of her.
"I have eighty-seven, Baby. Give me more clues,"
"I told you, we don't have a lot to work with. Keep that list handy though and we'll-" Morgan paused when Reid reached out his hand for the phone. "Oh, wait. Looks like I've lost you to a better man, Baby Girl. Talk to Reid."
"Hi, Garcia," Reid greeted.
"Talk nerdy to me, my sexy G-man."
Reid was slightly taken aback by Garcia's use of the word "sexy" referring to him, but proceeded. "Garcia, we've profiled the unsub as having suffered a series of stressful events leading up to a violent encounter that forced the unsub to externalize his anger. Go back six months and look for violent crimes charges; the trial is either still pending or he was acquitted. He may have even killed someone before his murder spree started, but it was ruled self defense or some other form of justifiable homicide."
"You thought I couldn't work with that? Alas, thou hast underestimated my great powers!"
"We sincerely apologize, Garcia," Reid said as he rolled his eyes in amusement.
"Apology accepted, Boy Wonder. Over and out!"
