"Morgan!" Emma spotted him the minute he walked into the conference room. "It is so good to see you!" She rushed across the room to give him a hug.
"It's been too long, Lady," Morgan returned the greeting. He pulled back to look at her. "You are lookin' good!"
"Flatterer!" Emma accused him with a smile. She looked over to where Reid was standing slightly behind Morgan.
"Hello, Spencer," she said softly. She hesitated as if she was going to add something else, but then apparently changed her mind.
'Hello," Reid replied shortly.
Emma turned around to address the group in front of the evidence boards. "Sheriff Gardner, Detective Wade, these are the two missing agents – SSA Derek Morgan and Dr. Spencer Reid," she told them.
"Good to meet you," Sheriff Gardner stepped forward to shake hands with Morgan.
"Likewise," Detective Wade joined him.
However, when they turned to greet Reid, he took a step backwards and gave a small finger wave.
"Germs," he explained briefly and Sheriff Gardner nodded in agreement.
"Have two kids," he explained. "Regular germ factories, them and their friends."
"Everybody's here?" Hotch verified. "Let's all take a seat around the table and get started. Garcia?" He addressed the computer set up on the table.
"Hello everyone!" Garcia's smile could be heard over the connection. "I have been checking further and further afield, and I am still striking out. There doesn't appear to have been any crossover between the lives of our three victims. The only thing they seem to have in common is the fact that they all grew up in the same area."
"Have you checked for any sex offenders in the area?" Blake queried.
"The usual number," Garcia told her. "But none of them appear to be violent. Mostly the peek-through-the-window variety."
"That's what we found, too," Detective Wade agreed with her.
"Also, a cousin of the second victim, Amy Richardson, appears to have gone AWOL from the Army," Garcia continued. "That's the best I could do for criminal records."
"On the whole, this is a pretty law abiding area," Detective Wade confirmed. "Most of our work concerns drunk drivers and teenagers out stretching their wings."
"The majority of the people around here are farmers," Sheriff Garner explained further. "Early to bed and early to rise. A lot of hard work and not a lot of time and energy left over for causing trouble."
"Thanks, Garcia," Hotch told the tech. "You'll keep looking?"
"I'll dig and I'll dig," Garcia assured him. "Over and out!" The computer screen went dark.
"One thing that bothers me," Rossi said. "Is there any way someone could have found out about the puncture wounds around the waist? If so, we could be dealing with a copy cat."
"As far as I know, that information was never released to anyone," Detective Wade assured him. "However, you may want to check with the original investigators."
"Are they still around?" JJ asked.
"Oh yes," Emma spoke up. "The investigation into the first murder was handled by Sergeant Don Woods, who has since retired. However, he does come here to the community center several afternoons a week to play cards with some of his friends. I checked, and he is due here at any minute. I have an empty office set up so you'll have a place to talk with him."
"Okay. Rossi, when he gets here why don't you see what you can find out concerning the original investigation?" Hotch suggested.
"The second murder was investigated by Deputy Malcolm," Emma continued. "He still works for the sheriff's department. Sheriff?"
"I spoke with him and he will be coming in when his shift is over," the sheriff confirmed.
"Great. Blake and Morgan, you can talk with him," Hotch began assigning responsibilities. "Also, we need to interview the family of the most recent victim. Reid and JJ, you can handle that."
There was a knock on the conference room door and an older, grey-haired woman poked her head in.
"Mrs. Jenkins," Sheriff Garner greeted her.
"Sheriff," she replied. "I thought you would want to know. Don Woods is here. I put him in the office down the hall like Dr. Porter asked me to."
"Thanks, Mrs. Jenkins," Emma smiled at the woman. "Dave, why don't you come with me and I'll show you which office you will be using."
She picked up a stack of two banker's boxes and began heading out of the room.
Rossi quickly stopped her. "I assume these have his records in them?" he indicated the boxes. "Let me take them."
Emma smiled at him as she handed the boxes over. "I won't argue with a gentleman."