I do not own Criminal Minds or any of its characters. Just a big fan.
Chapter 8
Reid walked back toward the room where Josselyn was coloring. He could hear her crying.
"Who did this to you Josselyn? Who did this?" Reid walked in and saw Detective Miller hovering over the girl.
"What are you doing?" Reid asked angrily.
"I'm questioning the witness. While you and your team sit here analyzing a child's drawings there's a psychopath out there killing innocent people, and this girl knows who it is!" Detective Miller turned toward the girl. "I need a name Josselyn!" Josselyn looked up at Reid, silently asking for permission to talk to the detective.
"Don't tell him anything, Josselyn." Detective Miller turned toward Reid.
"Might I remind you Dr. Reid, your team is here by my request. I am leading this investigation!" Reid looked over to the conference room where the rest of his team was sitting.
"Not anymore. Hotch!"
Detective Miller's office – Woodinville PD
"Detective, I am asking you to let us do our job. Trying to intimidate a child witness into giving us information will get you nowhere." Hotch watched the detective pace around his desk.
"And instructing her not to talk to the police? What good does that do?"
"We know what we are doing, and I'm asking you to trust us." Morgan walked into the room.
"Hotch, there's been another murder." Hotch couldn't hide the surprise on his face. Detective Miller snorted.
"What's wrong Agent? Your theory about me being the killer not working out for you?" Hotch ignored him.
"Get Prentiss and Rossi. We're going to go check out the crime scene."
Home of the Loder family
Agent Morgan walked around the Loder home, taking in the horror. "Something's not right, Hotch. Every time the father has been shot in the head twice and the rest of the family stabbed. The unsub didn't shoot anyone this time. Not only did he stab all his victims, but the father has massive overkill. There must be at least 50 stab wounds on his body." Rossi looked around.
"Not to mention this family had four children. All girls. Why would he change his MO?" Hotch didn't have to think about it very long.
"Because this was personal. The unsub knew this family, specifically the father. What do we know about the victims?" Before anyone could answer, Hotch's cell phone started ringing.
"Agent Hotchner. I see. Yes, thank you, we'll be there within the hour." Hotch hung up his phone and turned toward Agent Rossi.
"We just got clearance to talk to Randy Mchale at Washington State Prison. Find out what he's hiding. He may be the key to catching this guy. Call me when you find something out." Rossi nodded in acknowledgment and walked out the door.
Prentiss walked through the Loder home, trying to find clues. She noticed a black day planner on the kitchen counter. She picked up the book with her gloved hands and opened it. Appointments, birthdays, special occasions, nothing out of the ordinary. Then, a note fell out of the book onto the floor. Prentiss picked it up and unfolded it.
"Hotch, Morgan! You're going to want to see this!" Morgan and Hotch walked into the kitchen.
"What is it?" Morgan asked.
"This fell out of Mrs. Loder's day planner." Agent Prentiss read the not aloud, "Dear Aaron, I made a very reasonable offer to you and your friends. Stop your investigation, and no one gets hurt. But you couldn't do that, could you? It's amazing what an ego will do to someone like you. Willing to let people die so you can somehow come out as the hero. Well this is your last chance, Aaron. The Loder family is just another example of what I am capable of. The family in my possession is still alive. Go back to Virginia, and I will release them. You have my word." Morgan snorted.
"Does this son of a bitch really think we're just gonna hop on a plane and head back to Virginia?" Hotch studied the note.
"No, he's too organized of a killer to be that delusional. This is all part of his game."
Washington State Prison – Interview Room – Agent Rossi and Randy Mchale
"What can I do for you, Agent Rossi? I doubt you came all this way just to ask me how the food is in prison." Rossi observed the man in front of him. He was relaxed, arms folded, leaning back in his chair.
"I'm going to get right to the point, Mr. Mchale. Why did you confess to a crime you didn't commit?" Rossi watched as Randy Mchale's demeanor changed. He sat upright in his chair and his muscles visibly tensed.
"I did commit that crime. I murdered that family! They're dead because of me. My fingerprint was at the crime scene!"
"But it didn't get there on the day of the murder, did it Mr. Mchale? No, you were there before." Randy Mchale stared at Agent Rossi. The corners of his lips turned upward to a smile.
"Prove it." He dared.
"Why did you do it, Mr. Mchale? Why did you kill the Zamon family?" Rossi thought he might be able to bait the prisoner into talking, and the more he talked, the more Rossi would be able to find what he was hiding.
"I enjoy killing. Gets me off, if you know what I mean. I wanted to see their blood pouring out of their bodies." Wow, this guy's determined to sound like a sociopath, Rossi thought.
"But you never killed before. An extensive criminal history, yes. Murder? No. Yet, you decided to start with an entire family for your first kill."
"That's right. Go big or go home, Agent Rossi." Rossi decided to tell him.
"Well, it seems you have a fan, Mr. Mchale. We have a copycat murderer in Woodinville who has killed three families in the last two months in the exact same way you did. You must be proud to have such admirers." The look of surprise on Randy Mchale's face was genuine. He didn't know, Rossi thought.
"Is that right? And what families would those be?" Randy Mchale was trying to appear calm.
"Why the sudden interest in the victims, Mr. Mchale? You know, usually when I interview a serial killer they want to talk about how the crime was committed, how he got away with it, what exactly happened on the day of the murder so they can fantasize about it day after day. But you want to know who the victims were. Let's cut the B.S. Mr. Mchale. You tell me what I want to know, and I'll tell you who the victims were." Randy Mchale studied Agent Rossi. Here we go, Rossi thought, he's about to spill.
"I told you, Agent, I murdered that family. Are we done here? I'm working the laundry room today and I don't want to be late. These uniforms aren't going to wash themselves." He leaned back in his chair. That's when Rossi saw it. The uniform! It's the uniform!
"Agent Hotchner." Hotch gave the standard greeting as he answered his phone.
"Hotch! The father in the picture Josselyn drew, he wasn't wearing a police uniform, it was a prison uniform! Long sleeves, blue, and a gold corner. Reid assumed the gold was a police badge but it's exactly the color of the prison logo on Randy Mchale's shirt!"
"You think Randy Mchale is Josselyn's father?"
"It makes sense Hotch! Why would Mchale take the fall for our unsub? He's not protecting the unsub, he's protecting his family! Randy Mchale has a long rap sheet, and I'll bet anything Josselyn has visited him in prison for his earlier crimes."
"Good work, David. Keep working on him. We can use this information to our advantage."