"An expert is someone who knows some of the worst mistakes, which can be made, in a very narrowfield." - Niels Bohr
"Pessimism operates in a narrowedfield of vision that fails to take into account the possibilities at the outer edges of experience." - Norman Cousins
Once Gideon and Morgan were back they all settled on teriyaki which was ordered from a local chain close by. Morgan filled the rest of the team in on what they had discovered at the cemetery while they waited. When the food came they took the time to eat, but kept reading or looking over the information they had, trying to put the puzzle together.
"Besides the MO and the type of victims chosen our unsub is all over the map" Morgan groaned as they finished eating.
"It would seem our unsub is organized in a disorganized manor. There is evidence, but none of it is helpful. Like they were taunting us but then some killings had almost no evidence like they were trying to cover it up. The cemeteries have no particular order to them like religion sect, date they were founded or by the people buried there. Nor do they have any connection to the victims." Prentiss looked down at her notes.
"We have a limited profile so far but we need more information. Until we get it, and odds are we will let's try switching searches. Reid it looks like you have the geographic profile done." It was a statement not a question from Hotch.
"Yes, we already established that the comfort zone is the whole of Flathead County, and there is no significance to pick up or dump sites that I can determine" Reid confirmed.
"All right, then I want you to relook over the medical and autopsy reports. Gideon can help Prentiss with victimology. Morgan see if you can get an officer to go with you to the abduction sites. See what's around them, maybe some place they were going or leaving can help us. I'll take JJ and start questioning families of the victims" Hotch gave out new assignments.
They cleared the table of lunch and Reid took one end of the table while Gideon and Prentiss took the other. Gideon and Prentiss divided up their files and spread out from each other to work. Reid on the other hand took over the entire opposite side of the table, laying out files and photos, any notes taken would be in his head unless they could be used in court should they catch the unsub. Only then were his observations really written down, or when Hotch ordered it. They quietly got to work as Hotch, JJ, and Morgan left to do their parts.
CMCMCMCMCMCM
JJ went over to a computer station she had used earlier to check on some news casts and print articles from. Taking a USB disk from her pocket she plugged it into the computer. A few clicks later and she had a printed list of the victims and the address and contact information for their next of kin relatives. She replaced the USB disk in her pocket and went back to where Hotch was waiting by the front desk. Hotch had the keys out and the doors unlocked to the SUV Prentiss had driven earlier. Once they were seated and buckled Hotch started the car and looked at JJ for directions.
"Our first stop should be to the Miller's, sister and brother in law to victim number four Jorden Cross. They live the shortest distance from here on Maple Lane and 12th." Hotch nodded as JJ flipped open her phone and hit a button. Moments later the recipient must have answered. "Garcia I need you to text me directions to 7281 south Maple Lane. Thanks." She removed the phone from her ear and in seconds was opening a text message. "Take Main south two miles and turn left on 19th" she read off the first instructions. Without any words from Hotch they were off for the first of many interviews.
CMCMCMCMCMCM
As Morgan left the room he looked around the bull pen. There were very few people left as some were out on patrol and other done with their shifts. He spotted deputy Kipel coming from the lunchroom. He walked over as Kipel sat at one of the desks close to the offices. "Deputy Kipel will you be on duty for a while?" Morgan stood next to him but not encroaching on his space.
Kipel looked up at Morgan and cleared his throat. "Yes, it here something I can do for you agent… I'm sorry but I haven't gotten your names down yet." He looked a little embarrassed about that but didn't look away.
"No problem I understand, I'm Morgan. I'll clear it with the chief but I wanted to ask you first. I need a guide, someone who knows the area and the abduction sites. You seem to know your way around and I'm positive you're a local. Thought I'd ask first though." Morgan had worked up a pretty good profile on the man after they had met him earlier that morning but wasn't going to give Kipel that indication.
"Yeah I can help you, I'm not familiar with all the sites and some are a bit of a distance. But like chief Scotts said, any way we can help out." Kipel opened a drawer in his desk and retrieved his gun.
"Good, I'll just go clear it with the chief. We'll take the Tahoe it's less distracting then one of your cars." Kipel nodded as he stood and put on his gun. He followed Morgan who went to Chief Scotts office. He knocked on the door and waited for a reply.
"Come in" came a voice from the other side.
Morgan and Kipel entered the office. Scotts was sitting at his desk writing on a report. "Ah agent Morgan, what can I do for you?"
"I'd like to borrow your deputy here to show me around the area and to some of the abduction sites" Morgan asked and at the same time more then asked.
"Of course, I assume you already asked him" Scotts took in Kipel's gun on his hip.
"Yes sir" Kipel nodded.
"Well then I guess you better get started, that afternoon goes pretty quickly around here." Scotts dismissed them as he went back to writing his report. Morgan and Kipel left the door closing behind them. On their way out of the station Morgan obtained a list of the abduction sites. They went out to the Tahoe and Morgan got in the driver's seat Kipel climbed into the passenger side.
"Let's start with the closest site and work out from there, I know we won't get to all of them today. It's better to stay closer to the station at the end of the day." Morgan started the car and handed the list to Kipel. "Where to first?"
CMCMCMCMCMCM
Reid had been going over the autopsy findings and photos for a while before pushing them around a bit to get a better look at the files with less information. The best way to narrow down the facts was to start with the files that had the most information and work backwards from there. More than half the time there was more information in the later victims files as the unsub devolved. However there was the percentage where the evidence lessened as the unsub became more skilled and comfortable with their crimes. This unsub was neither of the two putting them in a third class uniquely their own. He was shuffling the photos when he noticed it. Two of the photos were almost overlapping and when Reid noticed his mind scanned in the similarities and differences automatically. They were photos of the bottoms of the victims feet to show how they had run barefoot over rough terrain to get away. The feet in question were torn and cut from the running on a surface they weren't accustomed to. But what stuck out like a burning brand in Reid's mind was a single cut. He wasn't a medical doctor but he had read several books and thanks to his eidetic every page was instantly available to him. He ran through several images and terms in his mind, trying to match them with the images in front of him. As he did this he pulled all the photos of all the victims feet that he had and lined them up. His brow furrowed in concentration and he began to nod his head. By then Gideon and Prentiss had noticed he was up to something.
"What did you find Reid?" Gideon got up and moved to his side for a look.
"I think I might have found a signature, just have to check though" he now began lining up the autopsy files. He flipped them all to the same page and his eyes flew over the reports. He then began to separate the reports into two piles.
"A signature, are you sure? Wouldn't we have seen it already with so many victims?" Prentiss had now joined Gideon by Reid's side. She was looking over the photos of the victims feet, a confused look on her face. She had been looking over the reports earlier and hadn't noticed anything of the kind, not that she doubted Reid. And she would never be jealous but sometimes she wished she could pick things out like he could.
"Not if it blended in," Reid licked his lips and moved one pile of autopsy files to the side of the photos. "It was only noted in four of the files by two different coroners, and with the other injuries it doesn't stand out. But here," he pointed at a cut on each of the victims feet in the photos. "These cuts aren't from lack of proper foot wear. These cuts are precise, intentional, down almost the whole length of the flexor digitorum brevis. The files that mention them say they go deep at least to the quadrates plantae on two of them. I'm confident that if we went back and looked at them all they would have the same injury.
"Okay I'm going to pretend some of that was English but why would the unsub cut here where it would go so unnoticed?" Prentiss picked up three of the photos and stared at the cuts Reid had pointed out.
"Well it would cause a great deal of pain and slow the victim down, but it would also bleed very heavily. If the unsub every lost sight of the victim for a minute or the victim was getting away they could just follow the blood trail. It's a way of tracking prey used by hunters some times. And the flexor digitorum brevis and quadrates plantae are large important muscles in the bottom of your feet." Reid seemed pleased with his discovery and disturbed by the ritual and purpose of it.
"Good job Reid, I'll call the morgues to see if we can get a detailed files on this. Prentiss you want to call Hotch and Morgan tell them what we found. Reid, contact Garcia, see if there are any other cases with this signature or if it's a part of any known practiced ritual. There may be a clue as to where the unsub is getting his ideas." Gideon went out to the bull pen to find a phone.
"Next time one of us has to go to the morgue you should, I never saw that and I don't think anyone else would have either" Prentiss set down the photos and followed Gideon out.
When they were gone Reid went over to the webcam and activated it. In seconds a box popped up on the computer screen. Garcia smiled at him, "Hello my junior G-man what can I do for you today?"
"I need you to look up some information for me. I found a signature that the unsub is using, we need to know if it was reported in any other cases. Look for any mention of a single deep cut to the bottom of any victims feet, almost in the center of the foot. Go back about ten years in Montana and the surrounding states." Reid got right down to business. Unlike Morgan who would flirt shamelessly Reid accepted the nicknames and light teasing but would engage in them.
"Sure thing my sweetness" Garcia was instantly typing away into two of her computers but Reid had seen her winch slightly. "Might take a little while but I'll get back to you with any news asap. Anything else I can do for you?" she was facing him again on the screen.
"Yeah check any cults, religions or other organizations that contain any rituals that involve cutting of the feet. Include sites from the internet too if they are detailed." Reid knew he was giving her a lot at once but she could handle it well. Experiences from past cases had proven this time and again. She was very efficient in her searches and would have it narrowed down for them in no time.
"On it now go on your way and let me get to work so I can dazzle you all with my magic" Garcia waved her hands before going back to typing and searching on her computers.
Reid was shutting down the viewing screen when Gideon and Prentiss came back in from making their phone calls. "Until the new files come in I don't think there is much more I can do with these." Reid picked up a medical file and began putting it back together. He quickly had all the photos in the right files along with the notes. He put them in a stack with the first victims on top and the last on the bottom.
"Good you can help us now, I'm sure we can put something together before the others get back" Gideon took an equal amount of paper from both his and Prentiss's files and set them at an empty seat next to them.
They all sat down and went back to reading the files and taking notes, trying to put the pieces together.
(Okay so this was two short pieces I put together when copying them over, hope they flow smoothly. Thanks for all the support so far. Another chapter to come shortly. Feel free to review.)