Who is the Victim Here
I would love to hear your opinions and look to working further on the story.
I do not own or have connection with the "Criminal Minds" program or its characters.
Chapter Seventeen.
The next day, Penelope was checking out the feed from Angie and did face recognition and called in the rest of the team when she said that it was Susan and she was in Hotch's room and talking to him. The microphone was able to pick up most of the conversation, but they were able to piece it together and interpolate the remainder of the conversation.
Morgan says, "Shit, I knew it, he's not being a baby because he wants to be. He's doing to protect us and his family. We really got to get these creeps. I want our leader back, no offense Rossi but …"
Rossi answers, "No offense taken, I want the same thing. At least this tells us that I am off the radar, I mean except for the co-worker area, she didn't mention me at all. I think I will go home tonight."
"This does not in any way say that you safe Rossi." says Prentiss. "She just grouped you with everybody else that doesn't mean that you safe from her clutches."
"No, but it does say that I am no more at risk than anyone is on the team." he responds.
Spencer says, "That's not necessarily true. She could just be putting us off of protecting you making you more vulnerable to her getting to you. You should still be with somebody."
"No, no more, I am going home tonight and sleep in my own bed. What information do we have to catch this couple?"
"Nothing new."
JJ says, "Maybe we need to look in a different direction."
"How do you mean, JJ?"
"The person, who knows this couple the most, is in New York. We haven't even checked out where Susan used to live, maybe it is time that we did. We could get an idea of what she did and who she was."
"I am so ashamed that we haven't done that yet." says Morgan.
"We have been focusing so much on Hotch and Rossi, we didn't think of her." says Prentiss. "Maybe Reid and I should could up and check out her place."
Morgan says, "Why you and Reid, we're all worried about Hotch and want to see him but we have to check out this woman and I think I am the best qualified for it, as the obsession expert and she is definitely obsessed."
As Rossi speaks, "He has got a point and I think he and I should go. Reid, you were uncomfortable enough in the car when we were bringing Hotch back to the area. It will be worse in New York."
He says, "I know but I really want to check on him. I am worried."
"He is going to be back in eight days, you can see him then."
"No, I want to go to New York." Each of our agents expresses their firm intentions of going. JJ and Garcia will be staying behind while the others do head to New York and to check on the fearless leader.
The jet gets them down in La Guardia at noon and they head to Angie's place, but with traffic they didn't get there until almost 1 pm. They get out of the SUV and head to the door. They knock and then ring the door bell but as Angie wasn't expecting them, she did not hear. She was finishing up feeding Aaron and he was heading to sleep for a nap. She knew someone was at door because she carries a buzzer on her body to inform her, she got out the speaker and says into it, "Please come in, remove your shoes and wait for me at the door. I will be there in a few minutes." She carries her man to his crib and places him to finish his bottle and go to sleep. "Sleep."
She walks to her office and closes the door to the nursery and enters the foyer to see the four agents. Surprised, she says, "Well, hello, I wasn't expecting any of you. Please take off your shoes and coats and come into the office." Our agents do as she asks and follows her into the office. "I only have two chairs to offer you. What can I do for you agents?"
"Morgan wants to look at Susan's room, it may give us insight into where she may be now or have gone."
"Sounds good but I don't know how much it can help because she took a lot with her. I haven't been inside the room at all, but it is back into the foyer and up the stairs to the 3rd floor and all the way to the back of the hall, last door on the left."
"Thanks. " Morgan leaves to head upstairs.
"What do the rest of you want?"
Spencer says. "We want to see Hotch."
"I thought so, I would say no but I don't think that is going to sway you to leave."
"Angie, we are worried and just want to see that he is okay, that's all."
"I understand that Emily, but you came at a bad time. He just finished lunch and is napping now. He doesn't have the same schedule that you have, it is firm and I don't want to upset him by changing rituals."
"We don't want to upset the man but we do want to see him."
"No Spencer, why don't you go upstairs and help Morgan. Work will help you overcome your frustration and maybe after an hour or two of checking Susan's room out, Aaron might be awake for you to see him. Please be aware, my concern is for Aaron and his needs, not yours. Go upstairs little genius." Spencer looks at her and she dares the man to defy her. Remembering her skill with the whip, the man heads upstairs. "It is amazing what a whipping can do to a man."
Rossi has been looking around at the tall room with its shelves going to the top filled with books of every color, shape, size, type and description imaginable. "This is some room but I don't see any of your diplomas."
"Thank you, when I first bought the building, I gutted it and rebuilt everything around you, I created what I wanted. As for those pieces of paper," she gets up and opens a large file drawer with over twenty frames of diplomas. "They are here."
"Why do you keep them hidden?"
"hm, I had other things to put on the walls."
Emily says, "You don't have anything on the walls, except shelves and racks of magazines and books."
"I know other things than diplomas. I don't take classes to get diplomas. I take classes to gain knowledge. Emily, why don't you go profile me and learn about me by going back to the foyer and then up the stairs. You are welcome to go into any room or area that you want."
"How about letting me into the door behind you?"
"Later, go do the other rooms' first, okay." Emily looks at David and leaves to discover more about this woman. "Well, it is just you and me now."
"What kind of errand do you want me to go on so that I don't disturb Hotch?"
"Oh, my secret's out, I do not like my clients to be disturbed when they sleep. You need to wait until he is awake."
"How is he doing? Any progression at all?"
"Until two nights ago, there was some, not a lot and not to my satisfaction but he was simply talking and started to walk from one part of the room to another. Then, yesterday, it was completely regressive. He was back to no talking, no walking, no chewing food; it was heartbreaking to me to see him like that. I called Sean and told him that I did not think that this was working out and to consider picking him up earlier than contracted. I didn't think I could help him anymore and I didn't want to. Sean convinced me to keep him until he could prepare for him. He is going home to live with Sean as an adult baby, I can't change that. It is his choice now and it is in his hands David. Only he can change his fate now. You know what hurts the most is that sweet, gentle, caring man did not deserve this. He did not do anything for this to have happened to him. It is revenge by two horrible people against me and Kathy. Are you staying safe? I don't want anything to happen to you. You are important to me."
"Yeah, I am fine; the team keeps close watch over me." The doorbell rang and Angie answers the door to let the florist messenger in. He is delivering her weekly delivery of flowers. She always has a vase full of her favorite flowers in her office. She brings the flowers into the office and takes the old flowers out to be taken to the kitchen and tossed out. It is an arrangement of yellow tulips, orange tiger lilies, red roses and blue hyacinths, with lovely greens spread around. "Those are lovely flowers. Do you get the same arrangement each week?"
"Yes, always the same, why?"
"Roses, tulips, tiger lilies and hyacinths and it is always the same."
"That's what I said, always the same, these are my four favorite flowers. Roses represent my mother, tiger lilies represent my father, tulips represent Steven and the Hyacinths represent you, the four most important people in my life."
"Susan would have known this."
"Yes, what are getting at?"
"Since her escape, Susan has been sending me three dead flowers daily, every three days she sends a tulip, tiger lily and rose."
"Only every three days she sends those, what is the significance in that?"
"That I haven't figured out yet."
"Well, do things change every three days in your life?"
"I have been going to a different co-workers home every three days."
"You made it a pattern instead of alternating the number of days at each person's place."
"I could stand three days at any one person's house."
"I am sure they could only stand three days of you but that is not the point. You made a ritual, a pattern, a way that she could time you and know what you were doing? She likes ritual, everything in its place at its time and heaven forbid you change her schedule. Sometimes I had to and it was a headache with her. But she always did what I wanted, that is why it is nice to be the one that signs the paycheck."
As they were sitting there talking, time goes by and our agents upstairs had been going through each room and were amazed at the old furniture in a house with the most up-to-date security system made. There was big mahogany and cherry wood with brass and bronze pieces all around, with queen size beds, wardrobes, and large conversational pieces. The place was dark but with large lighting pieces that shone the place up as they reflected off the brass, bronze, gold and silver accessories. There was a parlor, dining room, and kitchen on the second floor, two bedroom suites, each with a bed area, sitting area and bathroom, on the third floor and the top floor had a large room attached to the office where the books meet, it seems to be an extension of the office with shelves that are only half-filled with books. The first floor had the office and the nursery, which they haven't seen yet.
In the office is heard a slight cry, that Angie and David heard, the cry occurred just as the other agents came in and Morgan asked, "What is that, a baby crying?"
Angie gets ups and says, "No, Aaron." She leaves to go to the nursery and closes the door behind her.
