Chapter 3
Police Chief David Madison hung up the telephone and leaned back in his wooden chair, running both hands over his head of thick brown hair as he exhaled deeply. Despite being in his early forties with brown eyes, Madison was still the youngest police chief in Sacramento history. He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes as he felt the beginnings of a headache. He only opened his eyes and looked up when he heard his name being called. One of his officers was standing in the doorway with three people behind him.
Sighing, Madison sat up in his chair. "What is it Charlie?" he said wearily.
Officer Charles Bannister entered the small office followed by the three agents. "Dave, this is the three agents from the FBI."
Madison, smiling, stood up and offered his hand to the most attractive, shapely blond woman he had ever seen. She was wearing a smart, expensive-looking navy blue pantsuit smiling warmly as she shook his hand. Madison told himself she had the prettiest blue eyes he had ever seen; but eyes filled with just a touch of sadness. "You must be Agent Jareau. We spoke on the phone. Thanks for coming out here so quickly." He glanced at his officer. "That'll be all, Charlie."
"You're quite welcome," JJ replied as the officer left the room. She motioned with her hand at the others. "This is SSA Derek Morgan…" His eyes then met those of a black man who looked as if he could be a professional athlete instead of an FBI agent; he shook Morgan's hand firmly.
"And this is SSA…." JJ began.
"David Rossi," Madison grinned as he firmly grabbed Rossi's hand. "I've read your books. It's a real honor to meet you, sir."
Rossi smiled faintly. "Wish it could be under happier circumstances."
JJ waited until pleasantries had been completed. "You'll be meeting our other team members, Special Agent Emily Prentiss and Doctor Spencer Reid later."
"Pleased to meet all of you," Madison added with hands now on his narrow hips. "So, what do you folks need?"
Morgan folded his arms while taking a casual pose. "Agent Rossi and I would like to go to the crime scene where Andrea Ackles body was found and have a look around, and hopefully speak with the neighbor who discovered the body. And Agent Jareau will need two message boards and an evidence board to set up the time-line between all the victims, as well as everything you have on the six dead women."
Madison nodded as he walked out from behind his desk and led the agents out of his office. "That'll be no problem. I'll have Officer Bannister get you what you need, Agent Jareau," he said with a quick glance over his shoulder at the blond. He then glanced at Rossi and Morgan. "Then, I'll take you both to the crime scene."
"Also, Chief Madison," JJ said. "Have you had a press conference yet?"
"Not really."
"We'll schedule one when we're ready," JJ explained. "This way, you or one of your men won't have to deal with everything. I'm the liaison between you and your people, the FBI, the media, and the BAU." Her smile was as dazzling as the twinkle in her bright blue eyes.
"I don't envy you that job," Madison said with a chuckle. One look at the blond and Madison could tell she was not just another pretty face, but confident in her abilities and could handle things with very little or no trouble. Also, he sort of wished he was ten to twelve years younger.
Soon, he drove his regulation police cruiser with Morgan seated beside him and Rossi following in one of the SUVs. In the beginning, the drive was in silence while Madison, out of the corner of his eyes, watched the black agent's reflection in the window and noticed how sad it seemed despite the attempt to hide his feelings. Then, after a few minutes, the police chief broke the silence.
"Can I ask you a personal question, Agent Morgan?"
Morgan looked over at Madison. "Sure. What do you want to know?"
"Well, it might be none of my business, but, when you and your team first arrived, it seemed like all of you appeared to be a bit, oh, I don't know, preoccupied."
Morgan shrugged. "You sure you're not a profiler?" he asked the police chief with a grim smile. "It's just…we suspect the person involved in this case might be the same one who was involved in a similar case in Louisville, Kentucky where eight women died the same way they have here and…" he exhaled deeply as he took a few seconds to compose himself.
"And?" Madison asked, curious. He sensed what he was about to be told was not good news.
"And our boss, SSA Aaron Hotchner, disappeared three years ago while we were working the case. We never found him or his body."
Madison looked at Morgan with compassion. "I'm sorry. So, what if it turns out to be the same person? What will you do?"
Morgan sighed wearily. "We'll arrest 'im. Then get him to tell us where Agent Hotchner is and if he's alive. Charges of kidnapping a Federal agent and/or the murder of said agent will be added to the charges he'll face here regarding these women and the ones in Louisville." Morgan's eyes narrowed as he knew what the police chief was alluding to. "Don't worry, Chief, we'll do everything professionally and by the book. We know how to keep our personal feelings separate when we work a case."
Madison smiled. "I'm not worried about that, Agent Morgan. What are you and your team planning on doing first?"
"As Agent Jareau explained, we're going to go to Andrea Ackles home, and then Agent Rossi and I want to speak with the neighbor who found her body."
Madison nodded. "That would be Dewey Mason. He lives right next door to the Ackles home. I spoke to him while waiting for you folks to arrive. He's expecting us."
Morgan nodded. "Agent Prentiss and Doctor Reid will be visiting Sierra Vista Hospital and speak with a Doctor Jackson Hunt."
"Jack's a good man," Madison explained. "I've met with him several times during this investigation, and he's been very upset especially since two of the girls were former patients of his. He's afraid these deaths will give his hospital a bad name."
Just then Morgan's phone rang. "Excuse me," he said reaching into his pocket and removing his cell phone, flipped it open, and pressed a button. "Talk to me, Garcia."
"Okay, lover, I got the 411 on Doctor Hunt, and I have to admit he's impressive."
"Hold a minute. Rossi's behind me; I'm putting you on speaker. Can you connect us so he can listen in as well?"
"Of course, my marvelous hunk. I could blow up his cell phone if you want me to."
"I know you could, Garcia," Morgan said with a chuckle. The perky tech analyst always knew when he needed some cheering up; and as this case was reopening painful wounds of when Hotch had vanished, he needed it, as would the others. "But not today, sweet thing." He was aware Madison's eyes glanced in his direction and there was a smirk on his face.
"Okay, Doctor Jackson Hunt has been Chief-of-Staff at Sierra Vista hospital for the past seven years; he was Chief-of-Staff at Central State Hospital in Louisville and…."
"Wait a minute," Morgan interrupted. "He used to be Chief-of-Staff at Central State?"
"Yes, my dark champion. He was there for five years before applying for the same position at Sierra Vista when the previous COS retired. Sierra Vista has thrived under his leadership since he took over. He has received several citations for his work with the mentally ill as well as numerous awards and commendations. He is well respected in his field of psychiatry. He is widowed with one son, Ronald, who works at Sierra Vista as well and, believe it or not, used to work at Central State also and moved to Sacramento a month before his father did."
Morgan and Madison exchanged looks. "Garcia, is Ronald Hunt married?"
"Un memento," Penelope informed her boss as her fingers could be heard pecking away at her keyboard. "Yes. His wife's name is Daria Hunt nee Armbrister. She works as a registered nurse at Sierra Vista. Her husband is a nutritionist at Sierra Vista. Both have spotless records as well."
"Rossi, did you get that?" asked Morgan.
"Yeah," Rossi's voice was heard over the cell. "Garcia, when did Ronald and Daria Hunt leave Central State exactly?"
"Give me a minute." Penelope's fingers clicked on her keyboard again. "Okay, here we are. Both of them left Central State at the same time, and that was three years ago. Oh no…"
"What is it, baby girl?" asked Morgan with narrowed eyes.
"They both resigned from Central State two days before Hotch disappeared."
"Are you sure, Garcia?" asked Rossi, intrigued.
"Yes, sir," Garcia's voice was now breaking as she spoke. "I could never forget the day our liege went missing. It was two days prior, sir. Morgan, do you think they could be the UnSubs?"
"Can't be sure, Garcia," Morgan told her. "If they aren't, it's a hell of a coincidence. And they worked at the same hospital in Louisville where the other girls were once patients. Then they move to Sacramento and are now working at a hospital where there are six similar deaths. But they are two people we'll have to look into further. Thanks, Garcia." He disconnected the call. He had a strange look on his face.
"What are you thinking, Agent Morgan?" asked Madison.
"I'm wondering what happened to these two people three years ago that they were not heard from, and why they suddenly reappeared now. Where were they for three years?"
She stood beside the head of the bed on which Adam Hefner was sleeping peacefully. She stood by with arms folded watching him with an impassive face. She had to admit that the man was extremely good-looking even though asleep. It's too bad, she thought to herself. It's really too bad it had to be this way. If only….
"Daria?" a male voice called out from the doorway causing the woman to turn and look over her shoulder. She spotted her husband standing in the doorway, eying his wife with a suspicious look in his eyes. "What are you doing here? You know dad doesn't want anybody in here when the FBI will be here within the hour. He'll sleep probably for several more hours. Besides…." He walked inside the room and stood beside his wife. "You've been staring at him quite a lot since he's been committed. You find him attractive maybe?"
Daria chuckled as she turned back to the man lying on the bed. "Don't be ridiculous, Ron. I won't deny that he's handsome. But that's as far as it goes. As far as I'm concerned, he's just another test subject for our experiment. And after he serves his purpose, we'll dispose of him as we have all the others." As her husband's arm slid around her slim waist, she looked into his face; she could feel his mind working. "Have you decided how he's going to commit suicide?"
"I have a few ideas rolling around in my head. But one thing I'm considering and I'll discuss it with dad is that since Adam's catatonic, he could perhaps show some signs of self-inflicted injury or even malnutrition. This way, when he does 'commit suicide' I could use one of those means."
Daria gave a quick kiss on her husband's cheek. "I hope Adam works out. We didn't have much luck with those women in Louisville or even the six women here. I don't know what Jack will do if Adam doesn't work out." A sudden noise behind them made them both turn and glance over their shoulder. Doctor Hunt stood in the doorway eying them with disapproval.
"The FBI's pulling up in the driveway and I need you two to disappear," he said. "Also, before you go, make sure the door to Adam's room is closed. The nurse at the nurses' station will check on him if necessary and has instructions to keep him sedated. We don't need the FBI seeing him before he serves his purpose."
As his son and daughter-in-law exited the room, Dr. Hunt studied the man lying restrained on the bed and smirked deviously. Soon, Adam, soon. I believe you are exactly what I need for our experiment to succeed. If someone like you can be broken and manipulated, then it's all I can ask for.