A/N Thank you to everyone, reading, following and reviewing. Feel hugged
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"What are they doing for so long in Morgans office?" Kate asked, handing JJ a bottle of water. JJ took it gratefully. "Can you read my mind?"
Kate laughed, "women's intuition. So what are the guys doing?"
"If I had to guess, I think it is related to the old case from Bangor, where Hotch is now."
"They were down in the archives," informed Garcia, who had joined Kate and JJ. "Bobby, the caretaker told me that. What's so interesting in digging out the old files?"
"Because you always hope, you might find a lead, you´ve missed before, Garcia," Kate explained. "For me it's a case of my time undercover. A colleague was murdered, I still look at the files, every now and then. I always think, there has to be something, I missed, earlier."
"Hm," Penny said. "There´s just so much current stuff ... But I do understand already, there are certain things, you can´t let go."
Morgan shivered, "that is pure horror, I slowly understand, what´s bugging Hotch.", he put the autopsy reports aside. "He stored them in the sewers, like waste. This UnSub has repeatedly raped the poor girls and then strangled them. Wouldn´t be suprised, if he´d worn a clown costume."
"Stephen King lives in Bangor, as far as I know."
"And this UnSub is a fan, who´s killing little girls? It's not that simple, kiddo."
Reid smiled briefly, "I know. But the thing with the sewer ... It must have been someone who was familiar with it. I have got the plans here, take a look. This is a real maze, someone not familiar with this is never going to find a way out. "
Morgan nodded, "Hotch and Gideon had the same idea. A guy named Noel Patrick stood on top of the list. He was channel digger and he was working for the public utility in Bangor. He has convictions for sexual harassment, lewd and lascivious conduct in public."
"An exibitionist?"
"Yepp. But he had an alibi for the time of death for every victim, Reid. Waterproof. The time Maureen O'Day was killed, he was even in jail. If he does not have it, to be in two places at the same time...then bye-bye suspect Numero Uno."
"Counterproductive", Reid noted and Morgan grinned briefly. Then he handed him a donut. "Here kid. Might help you thinking."
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The man walked into the Moose and sat down at the bar. Louie, the bartender tipped at his cap. "the usual?"
"The usual," the man replied. The Moose was well attended, a typical guy hang out place, how it could be found everywhere in the States. Louie handed him a freshly tapped beer. "Have you heard? The FBI is back in town."
"The FBI? What do they want?"
Louie smirked, "what they always want, Hunter. Panic the citizens and search for a killer who does not exist anymore."
"Large posse, huh?"
"No, not at all. Just one guy. Hotchner, who was here last time. The tall dark-haired. Do you remember?"
Of course, the man recalled Aaron Hotchner, he was so close and yet had not gathered what was going on.
"Abe Dent purely ran into him and Cass Munroe, at Holy Spirit. He´s now sitting back there in the corner, boozing away his last bit of mind. Sad thing." Louie pointed at Abe Dent, who was staring into nothing.
"Then the Munroe girl asked Hotchner to come?" Asked the man, called 'Hunter'.
Louie nodded. "Nora Brewster is her friend. Cassidy will never stop, poking around. She´s like a terrier, this girl."
Hunter finished his beer and Louie poured him another. Cassidy Munroe, Hunter thought. Just because she wasn´t his type then, didn´t mean he couldn´t kill her now. She was moving on thin ice, silly cow. He felt his bloodlust awake again ...
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"Hey, any new suspects?", Joe Drake wanted to know, as Cass and Hotch parked the car in front of the boarding house.
"Miracles do happen, but not that fast," Cass got out of the car and closed the door rudely, every now and then the door of the Pick Up jammed.
"Okay, then I´m off. I chopped some wood and the Harrisons have arrived. I gave them the south-facing rooms, like you said. Nice people, by the way. If you need me, gimme a call, okay?"
"Sure, thanks."
"You´re welcome. Bye Agent Hotchner."
"Bye, Joe." Hotch looked at Cass, when Joe had climbed into his car, "he is in love with you, you know that, right?"
"I try to ignore it, Hotch. I like Joe, I really do. But he's just a friend. A very good one, but just a friend. And I've also told him several times. What are we doing now?"
Hotch looked at his watch, almost 6.30 p.m. "I'd like to eat something and then have a look at your 'Nora room'."
Cass nodded. "Right. And you´re a lucky guy, I´m a pretty good cook. What do you want?"
Hotch took Cass hand. "Nope. What do you want? You already skipped lunch and cake. I´d love to sit down with you and have dinner, Cassidy."
Cass turned red, "Hotch ..."
"I insist," Hotch said in his Unit Chief voice and Cass gave up. "All right. How about pizza? Got everything at home."
"Homemade Pizza? I only order."
Cass had to laugh, "You do? Then you can chop the ingredients, I take care of the dough."
Hotch enjoyed having something like a normal life. Cooking with a woman, for how long didn´t he do this? Cass was a pleasant companion, they talked about everything and nothing, Hotch also talked about Jack. He talked about his divorce, but didn´t mention Haley's death. He didn´t want to disturb the mood between him and Cass.
About 45 minutes later Cass took the sheet from the oven. Hotch opended a bottle of red vine and and took the glasses out of the cupboard.
A young couple knocked slightly intimidated at the doorframe. "Excuse me? I'm Neil and this is my wife Carol."
Cass smiled. "The Harrisons, of course. Can I help you, anything wrong?"
Carol smiled back. "No, the room is very nice, we like it. We just...smelled the fresh pizza. We know, it´s only Bed & Breakfast ... we don´t want to disturb you and your husband, Mrs. Munroe. "
Cass started laughing, "but you're hungry. That's okay, we are very familiar here. Please, sit down with us."
Cass refrained from correcting the Harrisons, it did not matter that they knew who Hotch was. As Hotch also made no move to declare himself, obviously it was fine for him, too.
The Harrisons turned out to be a couple on their honeymoon, from San Francisco. It also turned out that Neil Harrison had had relatives in the area, deceased some years ago. Sadly. He had spent happy summers here and wanted to show his wife Maine, now.
"Do you remember this Butcher thing?" Cass asked interested. Neil shrugged, "not really, Mrs. Munroe. I was 6 or 7 and my aunt Elsa did not live right here in Bangor. I only know that she has often talked about it, in the following years. With her tea party that took place every Thursday afternoon. Was the perpetrator ever caught and did this young girl finally wake up?"
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Nora heard the beeping again ... this time it was not the same, it was closer ... louder ... ... clearly the fog lifted again ... more than usual, Nora felt. She felt cold ... ... she began to shiver...darkness...coldness...wetness...and...fear...horrifying fear ... Nora started yelling ...