"Hotch," Reid began when he saw Hotch and Prentiss enter the police department. "Did Walker's family mention anything about David LaRoe?"
"The case made Walker's dad a local celebrity in the '60s and '70s," Prentiss said, tossing her coat on a chair and rubbing her palms on her pant legs. "It's probably what made him want to go into journalism in the first place."
"So our UnSub's family has been in Gadot for generations," Hotch concluded.
"Hogan was targeted because he was going to do a post-mortem profile of La Roe for Criminology Monthly," Reid said, drawing arrows on the evidence board. "He—he was probably going to use historical information collected by Koch, or interview him, or something…"
"I think he already did interview him," Morgan piped in, rounding the corner with Rossi. "We found a recorder in the front passenger seat. The tape of the cassette was ripped out and severed."
"But why Walker?" Prentiss asked. "He was only a kid when LaRoe died."
"And who would follow LaRoe enough to want to do this so many years later?" Morgan said, drawing a chair beside Chloe, who flipped a page in her notebook.
"An admirer," Reid mused. "Someone who thought LaRoe was doing a good thing."
"Greetings, my warriors," Garcia erupted, a pop-up filling the screen of a lap-top set up in front of Chloe on the table. "I come bearing news."
"What've you got, Baby Girl?" Morgan greeted her, swiveling the lap-top so the rest of the team could see.
"A chronicle of everything published on David LaRoe," she said quickly, bringing up scanned newspaper articles of his capture and arrest. "Says that evil LaRoe took it upon himself to deliver justice after an incident concerning his young daughter and Paul Harris, one of victims."
"An incident?" Reid questioned.
"It doesn't even sound like Harris did anything wrong," Chloe looked up. "I'd want to kill him, too."
Hotch looked at the girl sharply. "Garcia, was there a public record on child predators in Gadot at that time?"
"I'd have to check, but it's almost a guaranteed no," she said, looking into the Webcam. "There are no prison records from LaRoe's short stay in Helena, and what I can find on any official records are—indiscernible at best."
"If that's true, LaRoe was being helped by someone in the justice system who had access to those records," Morgan said, chin in his hand. "Could be why our UnSub is trying to champion LaRoe."
"Garcia, get a search on the social workers, cops, judges and lawyers when LaRoe was killing," Hotch said. "Find out if any of them had personal issues with the victims, or children the same age as his daughter."
"Oh, captain, my captain, will do!" she smiled, typing a keystroke. "How's the little one doing, by the way?"
Chloe froze, looking up at the screen. "You mean me?" A brief moment passed before she shrugged, "Fine, I guess," and letting her mouth fall in a satisfied smile.
"All right, sweeties, over and out!"
"Garcia has pet names for all of us, Kid," Morgan said, patting her shoulder. "About time you picked one up," he smiled, ruffling Reid's hair. "Usually Reid's the 'Kid' around here."
"I'm still treated like one," he mumbled, smoothing his caramel locks.
"I'm officially 'in,' now, then?" she asked, smiling.
Hotch rapped his papers on the table, organizing them into a crisp pile. Reid and Morgan looked over expectantly, waiting for his answer. "It appears that way."
Jenson and Warren let the door slam behind them, following JJ inside. "That may have been the smallest press conference for a serial killer I've ever done."
"Won't see me complaining," Warren scoffed. "It's better than having morons with tape recorders waiting outside to make a fool outta us."
"He's right," Jenson said, patting Warren on the shoulder to remind him to watch his mouth. "It's a lot less pressure fighting only one party."
"Jenson," Hotch said, stepping forward, "did anyone begin compiling a list of sex offenders in Gadot around the time David LaRoe was killing?"
Jenson rocked back on his heels. "Can't say I have a clue. I can check the file room."
"My daddy started keeping track of the perps back in his day," Warren said. "Helped a lot to create the statewide database they have now."
"How many people had access to your father's records?" Prentiss asked.
Warren shrugged. "Anyone who can get into the file room, I guess."
"Prentiss, Reid," Hotch said, "go with them, see what you can find."
"JJ," Morgan said, opening up a web browser, "Did you give the reporters a copy of Worth's article? If another reporter writes about the killings in the same light, they might be at risk."
"We provided them with copies, but there's only one way to report on crime, really."
Garcia's face popped up on Morgan's lap-top screen. "Comrades!"
"What is it, Baby Girl?"
"Would it be beneficial to know if a news website outside Gadot uploaded a story about the murders earlier today?"
"What does it say?" Morgan asked.
"It's a carbon copy of Worth's—paints the killer as a coward who attacks the noble druids," she paused, realizing nobody would know what she was talking about, "storytellers."
"Who wrote it?" Hotch demanded. "Where does he live?"
Garcia typed furiously. "The brilliant author is…Thomas Gilman. I've tried both his phone numbers—zilch. He's a reporter for the same paper Worth worked for. He's a little ticked that this guy wiped out his friend."
"Well it might've been his death warrant," Morgan said.
"He's a writer," Chloe said, without looking up, "You make a living by never shutting your mouth."
Hotch shot the girl a glare. "You have an address, Garcia?"
"4250 Windmill Road—sending the coordinates to your cell."
"Thanks Garcia—we've got to get out there, fast." The techie's image dissipated from the screen, and Hotch straightened himself to retrieve Prentiss and Reid.
He didn't have to, though, because the two agents were striding toward him with Jenson behind them. "Where's Warren?" Prentiss asked skeptically.
"He went with you," Morgan raised an eyebrow, scooting his chair back.
"He hasn't been with us since he directed us to the file room," Reid countered. "Said he was going to check for any new stories about the murders."
Hotch's eyes widened. "Jenson, where is your officer?"
Jenson shook his head. "I—I don't know…I can page him again, if you'd like."
"You'd better come with us," Hotch said, moving toward the door. "We need to get to a local reporter's house, and we need to get there fast."
Morgan and Prentiss followed the two chiefs, moving quickly. "What made her ask about Warren?" JJ asked, turning to Reid.
"The records Warren's father kept—the child predators that LaRoe targeted had enough information on them for LaRoe to stalk his victims with relative ease—Warren's father was the leak in the system."
"He helped LaRoe?"
Reid nodded. "Warren's the same age as LaRoe's daughter, there's a good chance one of these victims abused Warren as well, and that his father was a friend of LaRoe's."
His cell phone began to buzz in the middle of his explanation. "Garcia—have you got those articles?"
Reid punched the speakerphone button so JJ could hear. "—were absolutely right, my Junior G-man!" They heard typing. "The damage caused by LaRoe's apprehension was bad for business in Gadot because he was best friends with Warren's father—there was even a scandalous rumor that the cops slipped him the means to hang himself while he was in custody in Helena."
JJ nodded. "And now that the media is back…"
"Warren is taking care of business," Chloe finished.
"So he's—" JJ slowly put the pieces back together. "Warren's the UnSub."
Reid rocked back on his heels, nodding. "And we don't know where he is."