Echoes

Chapter 5

By the following morning, one of the older victims had been identified through a prioritized DNA match. The team gathered in the conference room at the precinct. JJ took notice that Reid looked better rested than he had in a long while, and was very glad she'd taken possession of the journal.

Rossi noted an obvious connection between the two identified victims. "Both of these women were fairly new to Milwaukee. And they both disappeared within six months of arrival."

Morgan added, "Victim number one….the older one….was reported missing by her parents when she failed to make her weekly phone call. That happened twelve years ago. The police couldn't get a solid lead. She'd worked at a local clinic as a medical assistant, had few other connections. As far as they could tell, there was no boyfriend."

JJ contributed, "The fresh victim wasn't reported missing, but the police think that is because the school she taught at was on break. They did locate her parents, but found they weren't close enough with her to have been in communication."

"So she could have been missing for a long time before they would have noticed," concluded Emily.

Garcia was on speaker. "I couldn't find any prior connections between them. The teacher went to college, the medical assistant to a training program. They were from different parts of the state, didn't seem to know each other before."

"Guys," Reid interjected, looking at the case board, "look at their photos….the background looks similar in both. When were these photos taken?"

"Where were they taken?" added Rossi.

No one knew how the police had obtained the photos, so JJ left to get their detective partner.

Hotch pressed, "What do you think you're seeing, Reid?"

"It looks like a building, and there's a sign with writing, but I can't make out what it says. Garcia, if we scan them and send them to you, do you think you can run a digital analysis of the photos?"

"It depends on their quality, but I will try to provide a minor miracle."

Reid left to take care of getting the pictures to Garcia.

JJ came back with Detective Miller. He explained, "We got the pictures of the newer victim from her cell phone. The older one we got from her parents, overnight."

He snorted, "Here I was, impressed that we'd gotten the photo overnight, and we didn't even notice the similarity. I guess that's why we need you."

Hotch reassured him, as he made it a point to do with every police force, on every case. "You would have noticed it eventually. It's part of our job to look at each case with fresh eyes." And being able to support the local law enforcement with such finesse was another huge part of his job.

Morgan started them through the usual steps. "The first victim was killed long before the second came to Milwaukee and they came from different areas, so it's unlikely they knew each other."

Prentiss took it up. "Could the teacher have gone to the clinic where the medical assistant worked?"

"Garcia, look into that, please," requested Hotch.

"Could they have had something else in common, maybe a hobby, or a book club, or a fitness center?" continued Rossi.

"Or a church, or a spa, or even a favorite store," contributed JJ.

"We have a winner, Crimefighters," came through the speakerphone. Or almost a winner. Whoever came up with the book club idea was close. The photos were taken in front of the city library."

"I'm not sure that's helpful," said JJ. "Photos in front of a public building, taken maybe twelve years apart?"

Reid had rejoined them. "But they're taken at almost the identical angle, from an almost identical spot. It could be coincidence, but something tells me that it's not."

The team had learned a long time ago to pay attention to Reid's intuition. His mind was such that even he couldn't always describe all of the connections, but he was certain when they were there.

Hotch was decisive. "All right, Reid and Prentiss, head to the library. JJ, Rossi, contact the first victim's family. Morgan and I will go to the employment sites."

Emily let Reid drive, which required an act of will on her part. She studied him as he did.

"How are you doing?"

He was concentrating. Having a genius IQ meant having a mind that went a mile a minute, which didn't always leave room for paying attention to street signs, or other drivers, or directions. But he knew what she meant.

"I'm okay." He stole a sideways look at her. Emily always could read him like a book. "I've been reading through my mother's journals. It's been a little challenging."

Emily kept a steady gaze on him. "I imagine it would be." She'd noticed his emotional stress, despite his attempts to mask it. "Do you want to talk about it?"

He admitted, "JJ's been helping me. She's a pretty good sounding board."

Emily turned her head so he couldn't see her smile. "Yes, she would definitely be that." She turned back to him. "I'm glad you have her."

Before he could consider what he was saying, he responded. "So am I."

Rossi decided to pump JJ for information. It was, she later reflected, a hazard of the job of working on a team of profilers that there was simply no privacy.

"So, how is Reid doing?"

She stared at him. "He seems to be holding up well, I guess."

"It must be hard to lose a parent when you don't have any other family for support."

He was going to make her say it.

She heaved an internal sigh. "Well, Henry and I have been spending some time with him. I think being with Henry helps him a lot. It's hard to be serious when you're around a four year old."

"And his mother," Rossi thought, almost loudly enough for JJ to hear.

The clinic proved to be a non-starter. The new victim had never been there, had no connection with it at all. Nor was the new victim's school a possibility. The medical assistant was childless, and had no apparent connection with the teacher's place of employment.

Prentiss and Reid fared better at the library, but only minimally. Both victims had library cards issued to them shortly after they'd arrived in Milwaukee. Prentiss thought to ask about a lending history, but found it had not been computerized twelve years ago. The library was beginning to look like another dead end.

Just as they were preparing to leave, a thought struck Reid. "Wait. What other functions does a library serve?"

Prentiss enumerated, "Well, they obviously lend books, and audiotapes, and videos…"

"And host book discussions and author presentations…." added Reid.

"And organize trips and tours…." Emily was getting excited as she pointed to a poster advertising those items.

Reid supplied, "and maybe you'd take a picture at your starting point before you left on your tour."

They looked at each other. "A tour bus driver!" They reached the conclusion simultaneously.

Emily informed Hotch of their breakthrough, then got Garcia searching for a name. The fact that the original murder had happened twelve years before would make it difficult if the library hadn't been actively using technology at the time.

"Boys and girls," Garcia said to the team, now gathered back at the station, "we have an unsub. His name is Joel Mather, he is still driving for the local tour bus company, and he is due to go out again this afternoon."

Hotch sent Morgan, Rossi and Prentiss to the bus company's lot. When he left to meet with Detective Miller, JJ and Reid found themselves alone.

"You seem better today, Spence, more yourself."

"I feel better, JJ. I think I slept through the night for the first time in a long time. No small thanks to you."

She smiled at him. Sunshine, he found himself thinking. And then caught himself. What is going on here?

He purposely shifted his thoughts….maybe. "Do you think Henry might be interested in a visit to the Air and Space Museum this weekend?"

"It's amazing to me what they learn about in preschool these days. Henry has been telling me all about the moon. I think he would be more than thrilled to touch the moon rocks."

"Then maybe I can pick him up around nine on Saturday morning?" He blushed as he added, "Of course, you're welcome to join us, but if you want to be able to have some time to yourself, I can take him."

"Let's see how the week goes." And each of them contemplated how they hoped it went.

Sometimes cases end in an anticlimactic way. Morgan, Rossi and Prentiss had no difficulty finding and apprehending their unsub. They were even gifted with a set of souvenir photos of his victims…all five of them. Knowing the police would take over in searching for the remaining victims, the team headed back to Quantico.

On the plane, Morgan found himself sitting next to Reid.

"Hey, Kid, how are you doing?"

"I'm okay, I guess."

"I'm really sorry about your mother. If you want to talk or anything…."

"Thanks, Morgan. I really appreciate everything you all did for me, and for her. I never expected the whole team to come to the memorial. Thank you."

"If there's anything you need…."

"I know, I only have to ask. And that feels good. But I think I'm okay….."

"As long as you have what you need." Or who you need, Morgan, the profiler, thought, but did not say.