Question 4
I'm sorry this is getting a little OC centric, which I know is not to everyone's taste, but I guess I'm still worried about not being true to the canon characters when writing. Hopefully I'll get better with practice.
As soon as Hotch got back to the Los Angeles Field Office, they were using as a base, he gathered everyone together. He wanted time to share information and ideas before making sure his team got something to eat and some sleep. He had a bad feeling about this case. Something didn't sit right and when that happened they may as well get comfy as they would be here a while. He looked round trying to gauge the feel of his team. He deliberately didn't ask any of the locals in as he wanted everyone to respond openly without worrying about upsetting others.
"Hiya Hot Stuff, how's my favourite superhero?" Garcia's cheery greeting let everyone know the final team member was in place through her web link. This meant Hotch could get started.
"We're all here baby girl, so behave." Morgan loved the way she could make him smile regardless of the situation they were in.
"Okay Dokay, but don't think you get off that easily – you'll be hearing from me later" she winked.
"Stop it" Morgan growled as he returned to his seat.
"Right, the quicker we get through this the sooner we can get something to eat." Hotch looked round knowing food was not on anyone's mind right now. "JJ, let's start with you, first the press and then the remaining women from the club connection."
JJ got up. "Ok, the press know we are investigating three murders that we believe are linked. They have agreed not to go to press yet as we do not feel the general public are at risk. I have promised them a statement by the end of the week." Hotch nodded his appreciation. So JJ continued "Then I started on tracing the other women that Garcia forwarded. As Garcia said one, Helen Fields, was already dead – suicide. Four of the others are locals and two further out. Of these five have been contacted. When Garton and Rossi got back, Rossi and I went out to talk to the four local women. We met three but one, Rebecca Henry, was not home and we have failed to contact her yet."
"So we possibly have our next victim." Hotch commented grimly as JJ was putting up the images of the women they had traced. Rebecca's picture was separated off half way between those they had warned and the three victims. Everyone now knew food and sleep were out until they knew where Rebecca was. "Rossi, Garton, the first crime scene?" Hotch passed the spotlight.
"Go on kid, this is your floorshow." Rossi whispered as he lent over, quickly aiming the spot light directly on Garton.
"Um, OK." She paused, he could have warned her, she thought as she walked over to the board she'd made up for the first murder. "Catherine Anderson," she pointed towards a set of scene photos. "The main points we got from the scene needed further investigation when we got back, luckily we had the time to do that. When we compared the first scene to the second and third we spotted a couple of differences." She paused and looked round the room. This was the first times she'd brief the team like this and she really didn't want to screw it up. She took a deep breath to calm herself – don't babble. "First of all Catherine was dumped half way down the alleyway. Which lead us to think that the venue may have been a deliberate choice. Both the others scenes were nearer the beginning of the alleys, but again not so near the start to be a quick drop off. So Garcia worked her magic and found out that all of the buildings that all three victims were left behind had previously belonged to Samuel Emerson" Amy added his picture to JJ's board. "When he had them they were known as 'Munroe's', 'Sequins and Heels' and 'Saints and Sinners'. The first three venues of the five clubs that he owned while running 'The Platinum Collection', the name for the ten women you see before you." Amy added a picture of Samuel Emerson and his girls in their hay day.
"I have started to find out more about Samuel Emerson." Garcia took over "It's slow but I can tell you he has been dead 10 years. Interestingly when he died his money was shared between some key staff from his clubs, those who had gone from venue to venue with him, all have now settled on what they were given. Do you think Strauss will do the same for us?" Even Hotch managed half a smile at Garcia's joke.
"Good work Garcia, Garton" Hotch nodded towards them both "but you said there were two differences. What was the other?"
"Well this wasn't strictly from the scene. I reviewed the autopsy reports. Catherine sustained scrap marks to her heels and back lower legs" Amy put up two photos showing the injuries alongside her previous scene photos. "As you can see they are hard to make out but they seem to be made post mortem; which means she was dragged to her dump site."
"So our UnSub isn't strong enough to carry them." Reid chipped in.
"Exactly" Amy continued "Which makes the dump site an even braver choice. Walking that distance carrying a body; when at any time someone could come out and see you is risky. Add to that the fact that dragging your victim will further slow you down is unbelievably risky for a first kill. So the sites are important to our UnSub. This is personal."
"A grudge?" Prentiss questioned
"One hell of a grudge" Amy answered "But someone definitely has something against 'The Platinum Collection'". Amy had made her way back to her seat to signal she had finished and looked to Rossi to see if he had anything to add. He smiled and nodded. She knew she'd done a good job.
"Thanks" Hotch acknowledged "So Morgan, Reid scene two" Hotch looked over to them. They looked at each other then Reid lent forward to feedback what they had.
"We didn't get much from the scene; since the clear up the owners of the buildings backing onto the alley have rearranged it, including adding extra lighting. The owners really want to cover it up; no-one wanted to talk to us. So we focused on the positioning of the body and what we could get from that. The UnSub has taken great care in his placing of the victims. He had redressed them, all designer clothes, done their hair and added make up. The bodies are placed carefully beside the bins in a sleeping position, eyes closed, and covered as if put to bed."
"This care and covering usually indicates a level of remorse yet he is still putting them out with the trash" Morgan added.
"In the UnSub's eyes they are prostitutes no matter how you dress them up and as far as he's concerned they're crap." Garton put forward what her and Rossi had thought earlier.
"But that doesn't necessary fit with the whole personal grudge and remorse aspect" Morgan came back.
"He's spiralling, confused, too close to this to really know how he feels about these women, immature, which is not the same as disorganised. Take your pick" Garton was certain this was personal not just some anti-prostitution hit.
"Maybe" Morgan didn't sound convinced.
"Right well as you know Prentiss and I only just got back. The final scene is still being processed. It marries up with everything that has been said so far. There is no doubt these are all by one UnSub and I think we can safely say he will not stop until he has killed all of the women from 'The Platinum Collection'. We need to know where Rebecca Henry is and we need to protect the rest of this group. We will get some food in, I will reassign and then we carry on. We have got to stop this UnSub as he won't stop himself." Hotch looked round his team, he knew he was asking a lot, he always did and he knew he could rely on them time and time again.