ok a nice long chapter so i had to stop at some point and i'll pick it up next chapter. I love all the rebiews and i want to thank everyone for taking the time to read my story and review. i hope this chapter is good and that you like it. i also hope you feel compelled to tell me what you think in reveiw form.
enjoy!!
Chapter five: Who's who and what's what?
Prentiss and Morgan stepped of the plane and Morgan was straight on to Garcia. He really enjoyed these calls more than he should. But no matter how grim the case she could always make him smile and sometimes that was what he needed to get through a case.
"Hello oh dark prince of mine, you have reached the gloriously glorious Garcia in all her glory, what can I do for you?"
"Hey sweetness in human form, I need a favour"
"Shoot"
"Ok we were thinking the connection between the victims might be the parents not the children so we need any connection at all between all the victs's parents."
"Oh please something hard next time? Though this could be slow I'll get back to you ASAP. Oh and my chocolate bear,"
"Yeah!"
"Play nice with Prentiss"
"How did you know that?" he spluttered.
"I am information finder extraordinaire. Don't question my abilities just trust my advice or feel my wrath"
"Ok baby cheeks. I know I was harsh but I plan to make it right. Talk later"
Morgan laughed to himself. How on earth did Garcia know? He glanced over to Prentiss. She was standing by the car the local force had lent them. He notice she felt extremely uncomfortable and he realised it was because she wasn't sure if he was talking to her.
'Right, it is time to make this right.' He thought. He walked over to her and gently touched her shoulder.
She looked at him confused.
"I'm so sorry for snapping earlier. The case it just I was in a bad head space thinking about the case and I was angry at the unsub and you just got caught in the crossfire. I am truly sorry. You deserve better.
Prentiss visibly relaxed. "I thought I had done something wrong."
Morgan hated himself when she said that. He knew she carried around some major insecurities and he had done nothing but exasperate them.
"Well be better get on with solving this case" he said and they climbed in to the car. Morgan was driving and still thinking about what Prentiss said. He wanted to say more, to reassure her but he didn't want to embarrass her more. He tried a different tack.
"You didn't happen to mention to Garcia about what a jackass I was to you, did you?"
Prentiss turned to Morgan and with slight confusion asked "Why? But no I haven't seen her since you being a jackass" and she gave him a playful punch in the shoulder.
"Oh ok because I was in trouble with her for the way I treated you. When someone hurts one of Garcia's friends well it is not nice to be at the end of that wrath" Morgan said hoping she would get the implication.
Prentiss never thought Garcia liked her that much and she broke into huge smile. Morgan thought Mission successful.
Prentiss suddenly got uncomfortable with all the emotional personal conversation going on so she abruptly changed topic "so what do you reckon about this case?"
"I don't know till we find a connection between the parents or some connection missed between the children we need to assume we have a sadist on our hands that gets off hurting children and enjoys the emotional turmoil that he causes the parents. It is rare for a sadist to have two targets but leaving the children in the parent's bed is a definite message and very few serial killers can kill children except the few that get off on it. It is like some sick serial code of honour but most would give them selves in before hurting a child."
Prentiss nodded along agreeing with what he said. "So what do you think we will find at the house?"
"A lot of heart break" Morgan replied as he pulled up to the first house. They had quick look over the file before meeting the parents. But both them knew the file inside out by now.
Some things are just hard to forget.
Amanda Baryon, 12 years old, A sweet brunette who was brutally beaten and suffocated and left in her parent's bed for them to find.
Some things are just hard to forget.
The walked up to the door and knocked. After a few minutes of no answer they started to walk around the house, peering in window when a car pulled up.
Their hands instinctively went for their guns and their hands stayed there till they saw it was the parents stepping out of the car. The shabby clothes, messy hair, withdrawn stance and blood shot eyes all gave away that fact.
Prentiss and Morgan stepped up to the parents and introduced themselves. The mother just stared at the house, the window on the right in particular.
The father responded "Hi I'm Amanda's father" he started to choke up but pushed it back down "This is her mother. We can't stay in this house so we have been staying at a hotel. Sorry we are late, traffic you know. Something like this happens and you forget about stupid things like traffic, like the fact life stills goes on even though you feel frozen on the spot, stuck in that room."
At this the mother lost control and broke down into sobs and feel to the pavement. Prentiss bent down and looked her in the eye "I know the pain your feeling right now is incomprehensible but I promise you we will do anything and everything to catch this guy. But we need to be strong just for a few moments and answer us a few question. Can you do that?"
She stopped crying for the most part and just looked at Prentiss. Prentiss nodded and asked "Do you have any enemies or anyone who would want to hurt you?"
She shook her head. "No"
The father spoke up "We are good people. My wife does all her work pro bono for families who can't afford proper representation. She is involved in many charities and helps out anyone in need."
"What about you, sir? You're a criminal lawyer?" Morgan asked.
"Yes but I specialise in juvenile cases. If given a fair chance most of the kids I work with can make a decent attempt at their lives. I like being that fair chance."
Ok we are going to need a list of all charities your wife works for and a list of all your recent clients, both yours and your wife's."
"Em, that could take a while. I would need to got to the office and her office"
"That is ok. Why don't you go do that now and meet us at station as soon as you have it?" Morgan suggested. He had two motives. He needed that list but also he wanted to go into the house but would prefer if the parents weren't there when he did.
"Ok, come on honey" he helped his wife up and into the passenger seat. He went round to the driver's seat and with one quick glance at the window he drove of.
"Did you notice they kept looking at that window?" Prentiss pointed to the right window top floor. "I'm betting that was their room."
Morgan nodded, took out the key they were given and they entered the house. They made their way through the downstairs and slowly made their way up to the room upstairs.
"Ok if I was the unsub I need to get into he house and move around with anyone hearing. Also I need to know the layout of the house so I know which rooms to head for. And on top of that I need to know bedtimes and the movements of the family. There must have been some major surveillance going on. But from where?"
Prentiss listened to Morgan but she was sure it was surveillance "To gain knowledge of the layout he would need to be in the house the child's bedroom is not recognisable from the outside."
"Ok so that mean he was in the house before hand. Probably for a legit reason. Tv repair man, electrician, plumber any of these rouses can work. So maybe we need to check to see if all the families have had the same problem and called the same company."
Morgan reached for his phone and hit speed dial one "Hey gorgeous just thought you could add this to your search we think the unsub was in the house before for a legit reason i.e. plumber or TV repair man could you cross reference all the families and see if any link comes up?"
"Already on it. No luck thought with the original search. Their work didn't over lap, they didn't have any common hobbies or relatives. For all intents and proposes there is no link between these people."
"Ok well keep searching and keep me posted please"
"Of course over and out"
Prentiss looked at Morgan but he just shook his head. No luck so far!
They left the parents room and with one more glance around the house they decided they had seen all they need to se and left for station. They hoped Hotch had had more success.
"Hello I'm Jennifer Jareau we spoke on the phone" JJ said as she shook the chief's hand. Motioning to Reid she said "and that is Dr. Spencer Reid".
Reid waved nervously to her and the chief nodded back. "Hi I'm Chief Madison but please call me Maddy" she smiled.
"SSA Hotchner, Morgan and Prentiss are checking out the families houses, but they will join us here later." JJ explained to the chief. "Is there anywhere we can set up?"
The chief pointed to her office and said "If you follow me you can have my office to set up in."
They started to move in that direction when a man busted in to the station…..
Hotch went straight to the first house, Daniel Pauling. He had not found much there. The parents had moved out and once they were allowed they were putting the house up for sale.
He then decided to go to Sara Blake's house. He met Sara mum there.
"Hello Ms Blake. I'm SSA Aaron Hotchner. I'm with the FBI. I am so truly sorry for your loss."
"Hello Aaron Hotchner. Please come in. Can I get you a cup of tea or anything?"
"No thanks I'm fine."
"I was just wondering if I could ask you a few questions."
"Sure, I like having the company. The house is so quiet. I don't know what to do with myself. My day use to be centred on Sara. Get her up and to school, make her lunch help her with homework talk to her. Hug her. She use to love being hugged, all the time she was looking for a hug. When she went to bed I told her just to go I didn't want to hug her. I thought she was just delaying going to bed. You know children anything to put it off. Now I just wish I had hugged her and let her stay up with me."
"I'm sure she knew she was loved and that is all a child wants to know. Do you know anyone who would want to hurt you or your daughter?"
"No I don't. She was a good girl. She tried hard at school but she find it hard. Especially languages and maths. But she loved P.E. and was an excellent track and field athlete. They even were considering her for some state competitions. She was the sweetest girl too. Everyone loved her."
Hotch smiled sympathetically "and what about yourself? Anyone at work maybe who you don't get one with?"
"No not really. My boss has been so good to me. When my husband died he was so helpful and supportive. He allows me to extremely flexible with my hours and gave me extended paid leave. He has given me paid leave again now. I just can't seem to find the motivation to work." She shrugged.
"I understand and by the sounds of so does your boss. Ok if you think of anything at all please give me a call" Hotch said giving her his number.
"You're leaving already. Are you sure you won't have a cup of tea?"
"Actually I have one more question. All the other families have moved to hotels or to relatives' houses. Why do you stay here?"
"I have no where else to go, no one to go to. Sara was my last living relative. As long as I live here she is still around me. If I move out I'm truly alone. Between work and raising a daughter on y own I didn't have time for friends."
Hotch thought 'this poor woman she is so isolated now. No one left for her.'
"You know what that tea sounds wonderful" Hotch said to her.
After two cup of tea he had to leave because he had one more house to visit and then he need to meet his team back in the station. But before he left he gave her a number to grief counsellor he knew and he promised he would visit again before he left.
She stood in the door till he had driven out of view. Hotch had the saddest feeling that he wouldn't be seeing her again though but he couldn't place why.
He arrived at the final house, Charlie O'Connor. He still didn't know about this family's background. He gave JJ a quick call.
"Hey Hotch" JJ said as she answered her phone.
"Hey JJ, just wondering have you discovered anything about Charlie's family yet?"
"We are just at the station now. We rang ahead though so hopefully the information will be ready when we get in."
"Ok no worries. I am at the last house now. I'll be back to the station soon."
"See you soon Sir."
He sighed. He would have to wing it. He preferred to have some basic background before meeting anyone. Particularly a victim's relative.
He would have to tread carefully.
"Mrs O'Connor" Hotch asked by way of introduction and extended his hand.
"Yes you are..?"
"I'm SSA Aaron Hotchner with the FBI. Could I ask you a few questions?"
"No you can not SSA Aaron Hotchner. I lost my child. My child! My baby. So you can not come up here ask if you can ask some questions. I have said all I need to say to the police. Go question them." She finished yelling at him and slammed the door shut. 'Well that went well' he told himself.
He sighed, decided she was too angry to get any useful information out and went back to the station.
On his way back he gave Morgan a call.
"Morgan, please tell me you have some useful information." Hotch said without introduction.
"Sorry no luck we have some theories though and have Garcia looking into them but nothing concrete. We're heading back to the station now."
"Good, me too. I'll see you there. Oh if you get there before me be warned the police force is very divided over our presence so be careful with what you say who you say it to,"
"Thanks for the heads up. We'll be careful."
"Bye" and Hotch hung up.
Morgan and Prentiss pulled up outside the station. As they were climbing out of the car, Hotch pulled in beside them. They talked for a few minutes and then decided to head in to see how JJ and Reid got on. That was when the sho rang out. All three went on instinct mode. Reached for the guns and ran quickly but quietly into the station.
No one could believe their eyes when they entered the station.