Murder in the Forest, Chapter 19
Hotchner, Morgan, Ford, and a deputy assigned to drive the unmarked sheriff's car prepared to cruise past Michael Bamka's house with both movie and still cameras at the ready.
"We can't pause long," Hotchner pointed out. "If anyone is home and sees an unusual car, they'll spot us. And if we show interest in his house, the neighbors may warn him, thinking that we were possible burglars scouting the house. With any luck, he's at his store now."
He turned to Rossi and Jareau. "Dave, I need a respectable married couple to go shop that hardware store and see if you can lay eyes on Bamka. Make up some story to meet him. I suspect that if you browse the store and JJ walks around looking bored, like a typical wife would, Bamka may rush over and talk to her. Try to draw him out; get a feel for him."
"As long as I don't get a feel from him!" joked the blonde agent, to general laughter." But, seriously, what if some clerk asks to help me instead of Bamka? That seems more likely, really."
Rossi answered. "Just brush him off and wait until you eyeball Bamka. We have his description, and his manner will probably make it clear that he's in charge. Give him a shy, admiring look and he'll come over. If I've profiled him right, that'll happen. Of course, you're rather good looking, so I could profile that about most men. But kidding aside, his personality will be geared toward wanting to throw his weight around and impress women."
"That should work," agreed Hotchner. "But get together a cover story. If he starts talking, you need to be able to tell him how long you've been married, where you're from, that sort of thing. Why you're in town… Be sure your stories jive. If he's at all suspicious, you can't afford to be caught in a lie. Of course, your whole story will be a lie, but make it consistent. You know the routine. Remember, lives may be riding on how well you pull off this performance."
Jareau nodded, blushing a little and fingering her wedding rings, glad that she was wearing them. She looked to her "husband" and said, "We can do this, Dave. I'm totally on it."
He smirked. "Yes, dear, if you say so."
Hotchner and Ford smiled. "I see that you two will manage, "chuckled the sheriff. "But try to park your SUV out of sight of the door. He may sense a G-ride if he's hinky. Many crooks are, and I've met him a few times. He's no dumbass. In fact; I'd say that he's probably quite shrewd."
"What's a G-ride?" asked a secretary who'd brought in some papers for the sheriff to sign.
"Means a government-issued vehicle," replied Rossi. "We can maybe park where he can't see our plates. If he sees those US Government license plates, it'll cook our goose. Hotch, should we rent a car? He may come out of the store as we leave to see what we're driving."
Hotchner thought quickly. "Yes, unless you're so pressed for time that your cover story includes you being an employee of some other US agency. Nothing on the vehicle specifically says that it's a Bureau car. But you'd have to explain why you have it instead of a rental car if you're visiting in town, maybe thinking of moving here. On balance, I think you'd better let someone drive you by whichever rental agency the sheriff thinks is best and rent something. We can't afford to tip our hand. Use your own credit card, I guess, and the Bureau will reimburse you for the rental. If I loan you my FBI credit card, it has the wrong name on it for your ID and we don't know if the rental agent may talk about renting a car to FBI agents. It's a small town, and the wrong person may hear that. In fact, rent that car for several days. Tell them that you may need it for a week. We can probably use it otherwise when we need an unmarked car that doesn't say 'cop' about it to a savvy observer. Better get something with four-wheel drive in case we need it to go out into the forest."
"We'll rent something good, and comfy," promised Jareau. "Right, Honey ?" She winked at Rossi and took his arm.
Ford laughed. "You have quite a team, Aaron. I see why you solve cases if you always work as well as you do now.
"Look, Alicia," he addressed the secretary. "Why don't you use your own car to run Mr. and Mrs. Rossi here by the rental agency and see that they get a car okay. Once they have it, just go on home unless you have something urgent to finish here. The afternoon is getting on and it'll be close to quitting time before they have that car rented and rolling. By the way, that hardware store should be open until nine tonight. "
"We need to leave soon to have enough light to get good photos," reminded Hotchner. "Grant, what's most urgent after we case that house?"
The sheriff smiled. "Getting some good barbeque. I'll treat. We'll do that on the way back here to get the pictures enhanced and sent to your team's tablets. Unless Dave and JJ learn something vital at that store, that should do it for tonight. Tomorrow, Judge Frost should be back from vacation and I'll see if he thinks the fact that one of those sexy bras that Donna sold is an exact match to the one the Cassidy girl was wearing in the phone video is enough for a warrant, in view of the shackles sold, etc. The lingerie is all pretty unique for Elk Pass sales, according to Donna at the shop. Judge Frost's more conservative than the other judge and he may just grant us a warrant. Then, we'll have to decide whether to risk a raid that might tip off the kidnappers if we don't find those girls. That's going to be a tough judgment call."
And on that note, they left on their respective missions.