NOTE THIS CHAPTER IS MOSTLY ABOUT THE CASE I PROMISE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE MORE CHARACTER INTERACTION!
This was one of the most somber plane rides ever; this case had everyone's emotions running raw.
Garcia uploaded the photo of a smiling little boy, his name was Justin. This was the reason they were going they had two days to find this little boy.
Arizona Police Station
"I'm Detective Williams" a stout middle aged man said extending his hand.
JJ stepped right in "I am Special Agent Jareau, these are Agents Gideon, Hotch, Morgan, Prentiss and Dr Reid."
Hotch and Gideon made their way over to the board with 22 baby photos on it. Hotch had to excuse himself.
Prentiss and JJ caught sight of it and just let out a gasp. Reid walked over to Gideon and said, "We need to talk to Justin's parents." Gideon replied, "Yes, let's go."
Reid suggested one of the girls go with them that way the mother wouldn't feel so overwhelmed. Gideon thought this was a very good idea, not just for Justin's mom but for him as well.
JJ got busy right away with setting up the communication post and monitoring the news. Hotch, stayed at the station and went over the files hoping he would find some missing clues that would help with the profile.
Morgan along with Det. Williams went to the previous victim's home, to find out just how the un-sub got in.
Reid, Prentiss and Gideon pulled up to a modest ranch home a swarm of cops cars outside. They made their way into the home and there was Justin's mom sobbing as her husband tried to console her.
Emily just walked up to her and said, "I'm Emily. Can we go someplace to talk?" Justin's mom Anna agreed, and they went off into the kitchen.
Gideon watched as Emily led her away and held onto her so she wouldn't just crumble into a million pieces. This touched him. Reid and Gideon talked to her husband, John for a bit. They had learned that Anna had placed Justin in his playpen for a nap, she went to make herself tea and when she came back into the room he was missing. They surmised that the un-sub was watching from the side of the house. He had managed to cut the screen on the porch door and slipped in and out without a sound.
Reid called Hotch to make him aware of what they learned and Gideon went to find Emily. She was holding Anna in her arms as she wept, and repeated "It's all my fault. I should not have left him in there alone." Emily tired to calm her by saying "You are in the safest place possible…your home. It's not your fault."
She then asked if Anna had anything of Justin's that the FBI could hold onto until then brought him home safe and sound.
Anna handed Emily a teddy bear and though loud sobs said, "He can't sleep without it."
It broke Emily's heart to watch this mother go though this. She could not imagine what she would do if this was her child. That thought sent a chill up her spine.
Gideon watched her as she hugged the bear tight as she walked toward him, at that moment, he could read her mind. Without realizing it he put his arm around her and whispered, "We will find him and bring him home to his parents. You hold onto that teddy bear and you make sure to give it to him when you see him." He could feel her relax a bit as he held her.
She sighed heavily and leaned into his shoulder. For a split second the thoughts in her head were all jumbled together. Her emotions were on overload. "Was agent Gideon comforting me?" They walked back to the SUV headed for the police station.
Morgan and Det. Williams got the same story about the screen being cut and the un-sub slipping out with the child unnoticed.
When they got back to the station, Reid was still pondering how not one person saw this un-sub leave any of the houses with the child in his arms. Hotch did some digging and found that the toxicology reports listed trace amounts of chloroform were found in each of the children.
Reid spoke up, "What if our un-sub, looked like he belonged there. No one reported the sounds of a screaming child. What if he used the chloroform then concealed the child some how."
Hotch said, "Like a service person, or gardener."
Emily thought hard and long, she glanced at JJ and asked her, "What time were the children abducted?" JJ replied, "Just about 3:00pm". Emily continued "what time are they left by their home?" JJ stood up and looked at her and said, "9:00am."
Hotch noted that the corner placed the time of death for all of the victims at 7:00 am.
Emily shot up out of her chair, the team had never seen her this determined before. Gideon watcher her intently as she held onto that bear for dear life and spoke,
"Who would be working from 9:00am-3:00pm and never be suspicious? A mail person."
Gideon and Hotch both jumped and said we are ready with for our profile.
Gideon looked up and said, "You are looking for a man in his mid 30's to late 40's, who lives alone, and does not have any children. He is always prompt. He is meticulous and will blend in with the community."
Hotch added, "We believe the un-sub is a mail carrier, whose shift is 9-3. The day of the abduction, he waits till the end of his shift to take the child. He probably has an alternating schedule which accounts for the 2 days in between the abduction and the return."
One of the officers asked, "What makes you sure it's a male?" JJ spoke up with a shaky voice, "Most women would not be able to hold a child's head under water aannd... (She trailed off) not being able to finish"
Reid stated, "Statistically most people that use drowning, need to feel in power. Being our un-sub does not have any children; we feel that this is his way of gaining power. If he can't have kids then no one will."
The team came up with a plan that they would canvas the mail routes tomorrow talking to everyone on shift. They needed to be out in the community and make their presence known.
They headed back to the hotel to get some sleep, as tomorrow was going to be a long day.
Hilton Hotel 6th Floor
She was holding onto the teddy bear that Anna gave her, when she heard a knock at the door. She looked through the peep hole and there was Gideon with a stack of papers in his hands. She could feel her heart racing, the teddy bear still in her hands. "CRAP, she thought to herself as she noticed she was in sweats and was a mess. Oh stop that girl. He is here about this case, although she deep down wished it was more."
