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A/n thanks again for all your kind support. Here's the next chapter. Please enjoy

Profiling the Profiler's Dad

Reid stepped around Rossi into his father's living area. His shoes squeaked a bit on the polished hardwood floors. He ran two long fingers over a chocolate leather couch standing against the wall and facing the large window to his left. The huge satinwood bookcase over flowing with books reminded him of his Mclean apartment and he shivered despite the golden sun streaming into the room and warming it. A large, square coffee table inlaid with spotless glass had more books stacked on it. He picked up a copy of "Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea," and smiled despite himself.

"What are you thinking?" Rossi asked.

"This is the first book he ever read to me."

Rossi didn't say anything as he took a good look around the neat as a pin room.

"You seemed very surprised when we walked in." Reid said.

"It was this," Rossi went to a small satinwood end table that held a lamp with a cream-colored shade and one framed photograph on its polished surface. He picked it up and held it out to Reid who studied it.

"When was this taken?" Rossi asked.

"Right after I joined the FBI. I had my picture splashed all over the internet by some jealous college student. He applied for the same position and the FBI rejected him in favor of me. He thought that proving he could hack into the FBI's database would score him points with his friends. Instead, it got him kicked out of school and a few thousand hours of community service.

"I take it the FBI didn't find his talents as attractive as those of our resident genius hacker."

"No…" Reid found he could laugh in spite of the fear worming it's way into his gut. "I guess not."

"I was surprised to see this so prominently displayed."

"Me too…"

Reid put the gold electroplated framed picture on the end table and went to the bookcase while Rossi cleared the rest of the house. "There's no one here but us." Rossi said as he came back to the living area. "I checked the refrigerator and his bedroom. It doesn't look like he's been gone long."

"It doesn't look like anything's out of place." Reid said. "Except that I found this in the bookcase." He handed a picture album over to his partner.

Rossi flipped it open to find photographs of William Reid with a small boy that grew up until the age of ten. He saw pictures of a pretty blond woman and more photographs of Reid from what looked like articles about the young profiler from the internet. Stuck in the middle of all of it was a picture of a familiar little boy and a very young Reid in a red and white uniform. Written under the photo were the names Spencer and Kier Jennsley, with a date.

"Isn't that Riley Jenkins?" Rossi asked Reid.

"Yes…"

"Why is the photograph labeled that way?"

"I don't know. I found it pulled halfway out of the book case."

Rossi just stared at him.

"Look around, this place is spotless. Everything is in its place. He left it that way on purpose. He wanted me to see this album."

"Why…"

"I don't know yet. I think we should take a closer look at his bedroom."

They headed back to the small room at the north end of the house. Reid let Rossi go inside first. His father had a desk made from pine arranged in one corner with a personal computer on top and a printer. His closet lay opposite the regular sized bed. The hardwood floors continued in this space covered with jewel tone throw rugs that matched the dark blue bedding and comforter. The pillows were also navy blue with gold stripes to match the comforter.

"Nothing out of place?" Rossi asked as he watched Reid check the drawers with his gloved hands.

"No…"

Rossi opened the closet. "I can't say if any of his clothes is missing." He reached in and pulled out a light grey suitcase and a matching overnight bag. He also found a toiletry bag inside the suitcase. "If he had plans to go to Reno, he went without luggage."

"Yes… It's odd."

"It also adds credence to your theory that something happened to him. His car's gone and hasn't been found and he's vanished after sending you that letter and file."

"Should we call in the rest of the team?"

Rossi shook his head. "We need to look into your father's computer first. I'm assuming Garcia can hack in again."

Reid forced a small smile. "Yeah… I'm sure she can.

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Light appeared from over William's head as he sat with his legs drawn up to his chest. He shivered despite the heat of this prison as the voice called down to him. "Mr. Reid… Are you enjoying your stay?"

William forced himself not to respond to the voice. Spencer had to be in town. He had to know by now that something was wrong. Had his son found any of the clues William had left for him? He had to rely on Spencer's impressive talents or it was all lost.

"Don't play with me William Reid. I know your son's weaknesses. I will exploit them and make you wish you had cooperated with me. Do you want him down in that pit with you?"

"You won't get close enough to touch him." William gasped out.

"I already have! It was stupid of you to contact him and make him suspicious enough to come out here. Still I admit that I'm glad you did it as it saved me the trouble of going all the way to DC to make him pay along with you."

"You're lying… Spencer isn't here. He doesn't care about me." Telling the truth in the lie still hurt, but it was William's penance. He had to pay for all the hurt he'd caused his precious son.

"He's right here in Las Vegas. I was pleasantly surprised to learn he had checked into my hotel. It was a bit flattering really."

"I don't believe you."

"Yes you do Mr. Reid. I can see it in your face and hear it in your voice. You know I am right about your son. I'm going to bait the hook with something I know he can't resist."

"Please don't hurt him!" William begged dropping the pretence that he didn't believe that Spencer had come to town.

The man, who had a different voice than the man that had brought him here, laughed. The sound raised the hair on William Reid's neck and he shivered harder than ever. "I'm not intending to hurt Dr. Reid right now. He hasn't outlived his usefulness just yet."

"He won't help you. He hates me. If you try to threaten him by saying you'll hurt me, he'll just laugh and walk away."

Oh God… Please let him do just that if this man gets his hands on him.

"In a strange way... Your estrangement from your son makes me very happy Mr. Reid. Still, I think you've repaired the relationship just enough that he'll come running to help you."

"You overestimate him," William croaked, trying another tact while he tried to ignore the thirst burning in his throat. "My son is an overgrown know-it-all who had the nerve to accuse me of child rape and murder not so long ago. Even though it wasn't true, I could see in his eyes that he wanted it to be me."

"Stop trying to play your son's profiler games with me." The man snapped. "I'm not in the mood for games. Dr. Reid will suffer for your sins before I kill him too. Never doubt that I won't do it and make you watch me before I kill you too."

Something dropped down from the opening over his head. "Night's here… I don't want you to starve."

The door shut leaving William back in darkness and the blackness of a heart that ached for his son.

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Reid and Rossi finished their careful inspection of William's house by the time the sun had fully set. Reid hadn't found anything out of place other than more printed out articles from the internet about Spencer. He went through his father's music collection looking for clues, but only found the Celine Dion selections as humorous as Emily had found them. His father also liked Beethoven as much as Spencer did. He found some Grieg, Handel, Mozart and Chopin. He also had some old jazz and blues as well as contemporary jazz and easy listening music.

"So what do you think?" He asked Rossi as the older man, once again behind the wheel of the rental truck, drove them back to their hotel.

"I think we both need some rest."

"Yeah… I have a headache. I can't think straight."

"Well there's another first." Rossi deadpanned.

"Thank you for not babying me."

"What good would it have done us?"

Reid nodded his head in the dark interior of the car. "I just mean that for as long as I've been with the FBI everyone's sort of treated me like the little brother, or the fragile son. You don't do that. Not that I don't like having 'brothers or in Gideon's case it was nice to have mentor, but I like being accepted for who I am."

"Why should I treat you differently from anyone else just because you're young and a genius? You have more than earned your place in the bureau. It would be stupid to walk around on eggshells with you."

"Thanks anyway…"

"You're welcome… Can we stop with the mushy stuff?" Rossi complained.

Reid laughed. "See… you're doing it again, putting things in perspective."

Rossi turned down the street to their hotel and turned left again for the parking garage under the hotel. "You can't do your job right without perspective." He said.

"True…"

They left the truck with the squeak of the alarm echoing through the concrete parking garage. They passed an older couple dressed in evening clothes as they headed for the elevators. Another couple with five children in tow passed them as they stepped up to the elevators "Stop hitting your sister Tommy," The blond haired woman scolded. "Behave or we'll leave tomorrow without riding the rollercoaster.

Collectively all the children groaned. "Mom!'

"Your mother is right. Be quiet and stay together." The dark haired father ordered them as Rossi and Reid passed them.

The kids stomped along behind the parents to a large rental van at the far end of the garage. "I don't miss that about not having kids." Rossi said, trying to suppress a smile.

Reid pushed the button to call the elevator. "I don't understand why someone would want to have five." He shuddered.

"So you never considered it." Rossi asked.

The elevator arrived and saved Reid from answering. The doors had begun to roll shut when someone said. "Hold the elevator please!"

Reid shot out a hand and stopped the door from closing at the same time Rossi hit the door open button. A pretty, blonde haired woman hurried onto the car. She did a double take at Reid as the doors shut and he looked at her in surprise. They both said together. "I know you!"