Chapter Four
BAU Headquarters
FBI building
Quantico, VA
T + 10 days
Spencer
"And we're back on Coast to Coast. This is your host Art Bell and I'm here with two members of the FBI's renowned Behavioral Analysis Unit, the noted author Dave Rossi and Dr. Spencer Reid. Before the break we heard about a case they are working on concerning missing boys in the Northeastern US. Now we're going to have pictures and information of those boys up on our website. They've come on the show hoping one of our listeners can help get these boys home to their families. Dave, what can we do to help?"
Spencer and Rossi were sitting in Garcia's lair, headsets and microphones on, being interviewed over a video conferencing link. The interview was being streamed to Bell's engineer who was mixing it with the show and sending it out all across the country. "Well, Art, a young woman wrote to us telling us that one of the children ended up at her family's home somewhere in the country."
"I assume she didn't tell you where or else you would have been there and back by now."
"Yes we would have. The problem is that while we believe that this young woman sincerely wants to help us she's blind and a shut-in, her family has never even told her her address. She did, however, say that she's a big fan of your show and that she listens almost every night. We're hoping that if we ask her specific questions she'll find answers and we'll be able to use that information to build a profile and use that to find her and then through her family the other boys."
"If she'd blind and a shut-in, what kind of information is she going to be able to give you?"
"At this point, Art, we'll take anything we can get."
"Understandable. Now, Dr. Reid, I understand she wrote to you because the boy who is with her is actually your godson?"
"Uh, yes," Spencer said. Dave was the one who was good at this sort of thing; he'd done all the talking before now. But Susanna had written to him directly so it was thought that he should be the one to ask. They also wanted Henry to hear his voice. While JJ and Will were all over every other form of media they wanted this to be more about information and not include any sense of guilt or worry to cloud judgment, so they were listening outside on this one. "His parents are very worried about him; right now they just want him home."
"I can just imagine. All right, so what are we asking this young woman?"
"Well, our first question is the names of her parents or of any other family members who may work outside of the home and if so where they work."
"What about her siblings, where they go to school?"
"She said her family home schools, but if they go to church the name of the church or the pastor would be helpful. Another thing would be the station she listens to your show on, or any other stations she can pick up with her radio."
"That might not be as helpful." Art cautioned. "We usually broadcast on AM stations, at night signals can bounce off the ionosphere and be heard for hundreds of miles."
"It's still worth a try, especially if she can tune in this station or any others during the day. A list of stations she can find with her radio would be ideal, as it would allow us to narrow down a map."
"All right, what else?"
"Another thing that might help would be to ask the boy how long he was in the car. That would help us judge location. She said she lived on a farm, knowing what her family grows and what's in season would help." Spencer had a sudden idea. "It would also help if she asked the boy to draw a picture and describe the area around the farm for us. Also what she can hear, what she can smell, if anything else has changed recently, all of that would be ideal."
"She said her family takes a lot of road trips." Dave said. "If she knew where they were going, why and how often, that would be helpful."
"She also said she gets a lot of books from the library." Spencer added. "I know the boy can't really read yet, but he might be able to sound out the letters on any library labels on the book, that would help as well; even the names of any grocery stores in the area. Also, the full address is…" He quickly rattled it off; "Also, if she has any idea why they wanted him to begin with."
"All right," Art said. "That's a lot to put in a letter. I hope she gets back to you and soon."
"So do we," Dave agreed.
"Is there any message you'd like to pass on to the boy?"
Spencer spoke up. "His mom would like him to know that he'll always be her little star."
"Awww. Well if this woman does get back to you and you have more questions I'll gladly have you on until you get those boys home."
"Thank you, Art." Dave said.
"Thank you." Spencer agreed.
"And this is Art Bell on Coast to Coast AM; we were just listening to author Dave Rossi and Dr. Spencer Reid from the FBI trying to find some missing children. Coming up next we have the Jack Kerouac of the paranormal Paul Kimbal and a travel guide to the hauntings on America's highways. Stay tuned."
Three days later a letter arrived, the same childish handwriting but now the full address and a postmark from Omaha, Nebraska. "You know, it's even good to see his fingerprints now." JJ said. "I used to get so mad when he'd get sticky ones on the counter."
"Stop," Will said, wrapping his arms around her.
Inside there was a child's drawing of a large, simple two-story house with trees around it and water of some kind and lots of people of different sizes in the yard, and some chickens and a…a… "What is that supposed to be?" Morgan asked.
"I think it's a cow." Will said.
There was also a torn bit of paper bag from a Pilot gas station. "Garcia?" Hotch asked.
"Looking sir…no good, there are hundreds of them all over the country.
"But if they hit those on their trips we know where to put flyers." Rossi said. "Maybe Henry will see one and speak up about it."
"Actually that might not be the best plan." Blake replied. "If he sees it and he's not believed then they'll restrict his movements in the stations. If that's where he's mailing these letters then we might lose communication."
Spencer leaned over Garcia's screen and started decoding the letter.
Dr. Reid,
It worked! We're communicating! Are you the same Dr. Reid who published that paper on paraphilias in the Journal of American Psychology? It was absolutely fascinating. I am very pleased to meet you.
"I never have any normal fans." Spencer murmured, even as he felt himself wanting to smile.
To attempt to answer your many questions my parents names are John and Anna.
Garcia checked that quickly. "Nothing. They must be off the grid."
No one in my family works outside of the home. I know we have a home based business although I don't know what we make and sell, it's all done in the basement and it's too dangerous for me to go down there. None of the little ones are allowed down there either. I could ask Henry to go look but if he's caught he'll be strapped for it, so I'd rather not unless we have no other options. My family travels once a week, I assume to market this product since I hear it being loaded into the vans. Henry says they went to church while they were gone and that my brother Michael didn't let him talk to anyone. He said he had to move very fast to get the letter in the mail at the gas station. He said that Michael said he would be in big trouble if he didn't remember to use his new name or if he talked to any strangers.
I find the idea of my family being in church odd since we home church. Once a week my father preaches to us and makes us recite our bible lessons and makes us listen to one of Pastor Goodwin's sermons. Pastor Bryan Goodwin is the man who has led my family into evil.
According to Henry our house is white with a grey roof and has a creek at the back. I can tell from the sound outside my window that we do not have much traffic on the roads, and right now all I smell is snow. Nothing is in season at the moment; at least we're not eating anything fresh. Everything is coming out of the jars in the pantry. We grow most of what we eat here, as far as I know none of it goes to market or comes from the market; Pastor Goodwin says that stores are dens of iniquity. The bag I sent was the only one Henry could find with a store logo. Nothing has changed of late except for Henry coming to live with us.
I listen to Coast to Coast AM on KTRS 550 AM, out of St. Louis and the farm reports on WCAZ 990 AM out of Carthage, which makes me feel a part of the world around me, but my true love is WOI-AM 640. Father would be furious if he knew I listened to NPR most of the time. I'm not sure what else I get but I'll try to keep track and put it in my next letter.
Henry and I checked my books over, but we couldn't find any labels and he said there weren't any stamps.
I told Henry what his mother said. He was very happy to hear it.
I wish I could be more help. We must keep trying. I have 18 stamps left.
- SH
PS. You have a very interesting voice. Very gentle.