Lost in the Dark Chapter 3
"She's not talking to anyone." Prentiss told Hotch as she and Morgan walked out of her hospital room. Janie walked happily past them and into her sister's room with JJ. JJ stepped out of the room and joined Hotch, Prentiss and Morgan.
"Did the younger girl talk to you?" Hotch asked JJ.
"She didn't see or hear anything. Her sister hid her and went back to help their mom. That's about all she knows." JJ answered. "You've got one brave niece, Derek."
"I know…It worries me sometimes though…" Morgan commented.
"Did the doctors find anything on her? Was there any physical evidence that something happened to her?" Emily asked again. She looked through the hospital room window to see Janie laughing as her older sister joked with her. She was trying to make her feel better. Derek looked form behind Emily and saw how brightly his niece's smiles were. He'd hate to wipe it off their faces, but the only smile that would soon be fading was Kimberlee's.
-Back at the police station-
"What've you got Garcia?" Hotch asked looking at the pictures of the crime scene on the white board.
"Well, there have been three different killings in Chicago. They were all in different cities so the police didn't connect them to each other. They all seemed to be the same. There were four people in the family. The mother always shot and strangled and the dad kidnapped." Garcia informed.
"Were there any overlaps in the victim logy? Were there any physical similarities?" Prentiss asked her. Her questions were answered as the pictures flashed across the projector screen.
"All the fathers were white, physically built, and in their late thirties to early forties." Morgan said.
"Only the mothers were killed. It's the same execution style. They were shot and strangled." JJ commented.
"All the mothers were African American." Reid said. He looked around the room. Everyone seemed to be avoiding that touchy subject.
"You think they're being targeted because of race?" Morgan asked.
"It's a theory." Hotch answered.
"My darlings, they weren't all mothers. Autopsy showed that our third victim was pregnant with her first child. She was the only one that didn't fit the pattern like the first two. The only thing that fits is that her husband was white." Garcia said.
"That's the only connection, Garcia? You can't find anything else?" JJ pressed.
"I'm afraid that's I've got for you today, my loves." Garcia said with a hint of disappointment.
"Well good work, Garcia. We'll call you when we need something." Hotch said and closed the computer. "Excluding the woman and unborn child, each family had kids.
"The kids weren't hurt, but hospital records say they were defensive wounds." Morgan said reading one of the files.
"Just like Kimberlee's. There were no grab marks or fingerprints on her body. She got them when she was defending her sister." Emily concluded.
"Morgan, Prentiss, I need to get something out of your Kimberlee since she saw the group of UNSUBS. If all you can get is a physical description then so be it. Reid, Rossi, I need you to see if any paths crossed between these families in any way. We'll report back in about an hour." Hotch ordered.
"Hey, kid." Morgan greeted his niece as he entered her room.
When she came into view, he saw that she was fully dressed. She had on what looked like an old hoodie and a ripped pair of denim jeans and her hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail. She slowly took out the needles and tubes and headed for the door. She finally looked up and stopped mid stride. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Morgan crossed his arms across his chest and moved aside and Kimberlee took a walk of shame down the hall to meet Emily and Janie to go back to the station.
When the four of them made it back to the station Garcia took Janie to her office to allow Morgan and Prentiss to talk to Kimberlee without distraction. Kimberlee sat in the interrogation room alone, waiting to be questioned. She didn't know that Hotch, her uncle, and Prentiss were observing her from the other side.
"She doesn't seem worried at all." Hotch noted.
"She could be used to this type of thing. Her dad was a police officer. This could just be part of routine for her." Prentiss added.
"Her breathing is even. She's not nervous at all. She's just…waiting." Morgan said.
"Are you sure you can do this, Morgan?" Hotch asked, quite concerned.
"I got this, Hotch." Morgan said and walked into the room with Prentiss.