Chapter 4: Overheard

There's nothing like eavesdropping to show that the world outside your head is different from the world inside your head- Thornton Wilder

As it turned out, the others had about as much luck finding anything new as Spencer and Hotch did. Morgan said that the scene from the first victim was pretty cut and dry. Long-distance killing, nothing more, nothing less. The second one wasn't much different, besides this one was up-close. It seemed the UnSub overpowered her easily. There were no defensive wounds anywhere on her body. The third one was similar to the second, one clean slash across the throat. She bleed out slowly, unable to scream out for help. There was no DNA from the UnSub on any of the bodies. Karri Samule was actually the only one who fought back, but her death was slower and gave her a better shot at defending herself.

They were talking in circles, getting absolutly nowhere. Half of them were hardly able to stifle yawns. It had been a long day. Finally, Spencer couldn't take it. He needed coffee. With a sigh, he stood.

"Anyone want a coffee?" he asked blandly.

"Please!" Morgan said.

"Thanks, Spence," JJ said. No one else said anything, so he assumed no one else wanted any. Without waiting to make sure, he headed out the door. Then he realized he didn't know where the coffee machine was... That could be a problem. He looked around and saw Eddie in his office. He decided to ask, but when he was about to knock on the door, there was a ring of a phone. Through the crack in the door, he saw Eddie pull out a cell phone and sigh before pressing a button and putting the phone to his ear. Spencer tried not to listen, but it was unavoidable.

"Yeah, it's me," he said into the reciever. "Yes, I'm alone." There was a long pause. "Yes, I met him... Honestly? I think the guy's a loser... Don't even start with me! This whole thing is rediculous! I saw we screw this nonsence and finish it now." Eddie cringed at whatever this person said. When he spoke again, his voice was gentle.

"I could do it, I've done everything else so far." The gentleness didn't last long. "What do you even see in him?" There was another long pause and Eddie rolled his eyes. "Why even bother, though?" He hissed out an irritated sigh.

"This is insane! If you think he'll ever feel like that-" Pause "Then what's the point of all this? What if I said I were done with you?" He cringed again. "You're right... You better do this fast, then. After this week, you're on your own." He ended the call, and even turned his phone off, then slammed it on the desk. Then he sunk down into the chair. Biting his lip for a moment, Spencer decided to act like he didn't hear anything.

Slowly, he knocked on the door. Eddie's head snapped up. "Come in." Spencer pushed to door open. "Dr. Reid? What's up?"

"I... I don't know where the coffee machine is," he said, blushing a little. "Could you maybe..." Eddie laughed.

"Come on." He stood and walked over to the door and motioned for Spencer to follow. After a second's hesitation, he went with Eddie. They walked through the office, going down a few halls until they arived in a small break room. The coffee machine sat in the corner.

"Thanks," he mumbled as he walked over to it. He'd hoped Eddie would leave, but no. Heaven forbid.

"You're awful quiet," Eddie noted.

"If you say that to anyone on my team, they'll laugh in your face." He glanced at the older man and saw his confused expression. "I normally 'spout out' useless information," Spencer explained with a small chuckle. "Just something about this case... it makes me..." He couldn't find the words to explain.

"I get it," Eddie said. "Something about being back where you grew up?" Spencer nodded. "It probably don't help that we're so close to your mother."

"Yeah, that's..." But then Spencer realized what Eddie had said. How did Eddie know about his mother? By this point, Spencer had the coffee ready. He carefully grabbed the cups and walked toward the door. "Thank you," he muttered before darting away, back to the room his team was in. He handed Morgan and JJ their coffee hasitly before all but dragging Hotch aside.

"What's wrong?" he asked, alarmed at the expression on Spencer's face. The young agent explained in warp speed.

"Iwasgettingcoffee, butIdidn'tknowwherethecoffeemachinewas, soIwenttoaskCheifDumant, buthegotaphonecallfromsomeone. -" but Hotch cut him off.

"Slow down. I can't understand you." Spencer took a deep breath before restarting.

"I went to get the coffee and I accidently overheard Cheif Dumant's phone call. He was talking about finishing something, and a guy being a loser. It didn't make much sense, but when he was done with the call, I asked where the coffee machine was. He took me and we were talking. He was asking why I was so quiet, and I told him that it was just this case. He asked if it was because I was where I grew up. Then he said 'It probably doesn't help that we're so close to your mother.'" Hotch's face paled.

"Did you say something about your mother liveing near here?" Spencer shook his head. "Okay, go."

"What?"

"Go see your mother. She might know something." Spencer nodded.

"And the others?"

"I'll tell them you're going back to the scene because you think you saw something but didn't realize that it might be important until Cheif Dumant said something." Spencer nodded, grabbed his coffee, and left.

Thankfully, he didn't pass Eddie on the way out. Once he was on his way to Bennington Sanitatium, he pulled out his phone, quickly dialing a number.

"Hello, my big, handsome G-man," he heard.

"Um, I'd say I'm flattered, but I don't think I was the intended recipiant of that greeting."

"Reid?" she asked, sounding a bit embarrased.

"Hey, Garcia, you might want to try using caller ID."

"Why do you need, Boy Wonder?"

"I... Could you check something for me?"

"Sure. What?"

"His name is Eddie Dumant."

"Isn't Dumant..."

"Yes, it is. Run the name for me? And, um, if you didn't tell the others, that would be great."

"Okay, just give me a moment," she told him. There was the clicky sound of typing on the other line. Like she said, a moment later, Garcia spoke.

"He's the police cheif in Las Vegas?"

"Yes."

"He's the oldest son of Edward Dumant, who is the brother of the late Charles Dumant who lived in Ohio. No criminal records. The guy is clean as a whistle." Spencer bit his lip. "Is there any particular reason that you wanted me to look into a member of Navada's police force?"

"Not a reason, more than a theory."

"Oh. Okay."

"Thanks, Garica. Bye."

"Bye." The line went dead. About ten minutes later, he was parked outside of Bennington Sanitarium. With a sigh, he got out of the car and made his slugish way in. He stopped to talk to the lady at the front desk.

"Hello," she said with a sweet smile.

"Hi. My name is Spencer Reid. I'm here to see Diana Reid." She nodded.

"She's in her room right now. Do you know where it is, or do you need someone to take you there?"

"I know where it is, thank you."

"Okay. Go on in." He smiled a bit shyly at her before making his way through the building to where his mother's room was. Slowly, he knocked on the door. A moment later, it opened.

"Spencer!" she said happily, grabbing his hand and pulling him inside the room. He closed it behind him and let himself be draged over to the couch. "What are you doing her?"

"I have a case here, and we were done for the day, so I figured I'd come see you." She smiled. The two talked about nothing in particular for a while. She told him about a sweet young girl who volunteered there and always talked to her. He decided to give her a while before bringing up Eddie. Let her talk to her son, not the FBI agent. And, honestly, he didn't mind distracting himself from all the things that had been worrying him lately.