Chapter 07

Mercy General Hospital
Manzanita Country, OR

Morgan

"Alice Huntington." Garcia said over the video connection. "Alice Huntington. Yep, she has an Oregon license now but she lived in California until four years ago."

Garcia put her picture up on the screen. Sure enough that was the fine featured woman with the big, green eyes Morgan had seen. She wore her dark curls in a short bob when the picture was taken but it was longer now. Spencer got all dreamy when he saw her, even though he was squinting hard. "What can you tell us about her?" Morgan asked.

"Alice Huntington, of the Big Four Huntingtons..." Garcia said.

"The Big Four Huntingtons? Why are you squinting like that?"

"No glasses." Spencer said between coughs. "She's a direct descendent of Collis Potter Huntington. He was one of the founders of the Central Pacific Railroad in the late 1800's along with Leland Stanford, Charles Crocker and Mark Hopkins. They were called the Big Four, being the four wealthiest men in the west in their day."

"You can tell me when you're healthier." Morgan said, heading the lecture off at the pass.

"Your spare glasses are on their way out with your go bag." Garcia said. "Can't they do something about that cough?"

"It's better if I cough." Spencer replied. "It's getting the ash and soot out of my lungs."

"Ouch. Okay, so those Huntingtons, meaning she has the kind of money that involves a trust and lawyers and that sort of holy wowness. She's 30, is a writer and photographer for Victoria magazine which is very frilly and shows a lot of stuff I can't afford but would really like to, travels a lot but her important mail goes to a lawyer's office in San Francisco."

"She has a business partner named Tomás." Spencer said. "They owned an inn in Lakeland."

"They did." She confirmed. "Tomás Urquizo. They owned the Winchester Inn, twenty rooms, a very well reviewed restaurant, an award winning wine cellar; it looks like it was actually profitable for the years they owned it. But then they put it on the market for much less than it was worth...less than a month before the first victims went missing."

"I'm getting the sense that there's a trigger in there somewhere." Morgan said.

Spencer nodded. "Tomás' romantic partner Joey Bauer was the Unsubs first victim. Tomás helped him escape."

"And that was the trigger. But how was Alice involved?"

"That's kind of complicated." Spencer was still coughing.

"Short form?"

"The Unsub attempted to assault and possibly kidnap him. They panicked. Tomás took Joey to their other property to get him out of range, Alice stayed behind to close the sale of the inn."

"So she was the target of opportunity. But what was he doing with her all this time?" Morgan asked.

"Like I said, complicated." Spencer replied.

"Okay." They could get into that later. "So you think she went to be with her partner?"

"She would feel safest there."

"They also own a place called The White Swan Inn." Garcia said. "It's a B&B in San Francisco."

"There we go." Morgan said. "However she left the hospital she'd go there. Garcia, tag all three names and their accounts, if they go anywhere..."

"I will be all over it. You take care of him my love."

"I always will my goddess." Morgan smiled as he hung up. "So we need to go find this Alice."

"We need to go find the other bodies. There's evidence out there, we just need to get to it."

"How is going to be the question."

Station 7
Manzanita County Sheriff's Department
Manzanita County, OR

"You just leave that up to me." Sheriff Johnson said.

"It's in his jurisdiction." Hotch said.

"I know."

"It's in the middle of a fire zone." Rossi said.

"I know."

"If there are bodies out there they've been all but cremated."

"I know." Sheriff Johnson smiled. "You all just give me a better idea of where to look then 'somewhere downriver'. Once we get a location if there are bodies out there we'll find them. Sheriff Blackburn won't be covering anything up once I get the state police and you all involved."

"I hope you're right." Hotch said.

"Don't worry. We've got our ways out here in Oregon."

BAU jet
Between southern Oregon and northern California

Now that the witness had been located the Director gave the go-ahead to proceed with an actual investigation. Hotch sent agents from San Francisco to pick up Alice Huntington and at Spencer's suggestion Tomás Urquizo and Joseph Bauer as well. As the plane leveled out Morgan, who was chilling with his music, looked over at Spencer as he heard something drop with a snap. "What are you doing?"

Garcia had sent Spencer's go-bag and satchel out overnight, so he had what he needed for a few days, and also a good sized leather book. Now Spencer groaning and rubbing his eyes. "Um, writing down what happened. At least I was trying to."

"Why? It's not like you're going to forget."

"No, I'm not." Spencer managed a small smile. "It's generally considered good therapeutic practice to journal something like this. Helps you sort out your thoughts and emotions. I figured I'd get a head start."

It made sense, Morgan thought, and was sensible and not a big deal. Except for one slight problem. From the microexressions Spencer was lying about something. "Not a bad idea." He said. It really wasn't, so why lie about any part of it? "What do you mean trying to?"

"I mean my glasses are not helping." Spencer rubbed his eyes again. "My prescription is substantially different."

That was honest frustration. He wasn't lying there. "Something they did?"

"Yes." He sighed, but those microexpressions signaled concern bordering on fear. "Hopefully not permanent."

Morgan knew there had to be something. "Let's find out." He pulled out his phone. "Baby Girl!"

"Talk dirty to me darling." Garcia replied.

"Can you get our boy here in to see an eye doctor..."

"...ophthalmologist..." Spencer said.

"...ophthalmologist in San Francisco today? The Unsub left him with an injury after all."

"Oh. I can make that happen, leave it up to me."

"Thank you momma." Morgan rang off. "Any chance it can be fixed?"

"I hope so." Spencer replied quietly. "You know with Alice...is this the same ethical conundrum I faced when Lila..."

"No." Morgan replied. "You and this Alice girl are both victims. With Lila you were an agent on the case."

Hotch was walking back from the galley with some coffee. "Know what I think?" He said casually. Spencer and Morgan looked around at him. "I think you should be happy."

Well. That settled that. Spencer smiled, nodded, murmured his thanks and went back to not writing. Morgan followed Hotch's nod and joined him and Rossi at the four person table. "The Winchester Inn." Rossi said as they sat down.

"That mean something?" Morgan asked.

"It might. I stayed there on a book tour a few years back. I met Tomás Urquizo. He seemed like a very efficient, level headed sort. He ran a nice place. Now, ask me why I stayed there."

"Why did you stay there?" Hotch asked, humoring him.

"Because they cater to the BDSM community. I found the place listed on a social media site dedicated to that community. According to said site The White Swan Inn is owned by LVC's Good Daddy, aka Tomás Urquizo from the pictures, who is the 'daddy' of one CountryBoy21." He chuckled a little. "It even comes with a dungeon."

"CountryBoy21?" Hotch asked. "Joseph Bauer?"

"Uh huh. His picture matches his license. But LVC's Good Daddy is, quote, in service to, unquote, one Lady Victoria Collis. She does not have an actual picture up."

"Who is Lady Victoria Collis?" Morgan asked.

"Collis Porter Huntington." Rossi replied

"And Alice Huntington works for Victoria Magazine." Hotch added.

Rossi nodded. "She lists herself as a Leather Top. A Leather family or house is small community of people who participate in BDSM or Leather Culture whose bonds mimic that of a birth family. A leather family often has a 'Head of Family', and some sort of hierarchy between members."

"And Sheriff Blackburn and his crew were twisting BDSM fantasies to meet their own ends." Hotch replied. "He at least must be familiar with the culture. Reid said that Alice said that Joseph Bauer was Blackburn's first victim."

"Yeah, but he's gay, from what we know." Morgan replied. "Sounds like he's hooked up with Urquizo."

"But Alice might be head of house." Rossi replied to that. "If Blackburn is familiar then he would blame her for stealing his sub. It would be her responsibility in the end. That could explain why she ended up in his torture chamber."

"But she wasn't tortured." Morgan said. "Why not? Why did he let her go at the end? And what happened between her and Reid?"

"And how did someone like her end up heading up a leather family of gay men?" Rossi asked. "Urquizo lists eight former partners he's still connected with."

"This is what we have to find out." Hotch replied.

"Hey Rossi." Morgan asked after a beat. "Do you have an account on that site?"

"I will never, ever answer that question." Rossi replied. "I wonder though..."

"About?" Hotch asked.

"I know a Lady Victoria from the scene. From San Francisco too. Not closely." Rossi held up a hand to ward off concern. "I met her at a couple of parties, that's all. I just wonder if she's the same one."

"Hopefully soon we'll find out."

.

Notes: For all those familiar I'm taking two inns in San Francisco, the White Swan and Petite Auberge and combining them into one mental image.

And for all of those who want me to update Percival's Dominatrix and The First Run, I will get new chapters up on both sometime this week, but since I generally don't publish a story until I'm 10 chapters ahead publishing will also continue on this one.