Ghost Whisperer
I own nothing
This is after the Series Finale
Stephanie stood in front of her tennis team after school. Mrs. Rinehart stood next to her. Stephanie looked at her fellow teammates. They looked at her, waiting for her to speak.
"I wanted to talk to you briefly." Stephanie started. "I know that this is going to be hard, knowing that Emily is still missing. That we all wish she was here with us, that she should be." Stephanie paused. "We all know that the FBI is working hard to find Emily and the other girls that have been taken. We need to trust that they can find them and bring them back to us." Stephanie sighed. "We all know that Homecoming is next Friday, October 2nd. We have improved in the last few weeks of practice. Emily would want us to keep practicing and trying our hardest." Stephanie said. "Even though she is gone, I know that she wouldn't want us to stop practicing because of current events. She wants this team to thrive, just like the rest of us." Stephanie looked at her teammates. "Before we start practice, I want you to know that if you need to talk to someone about current events, Mrs. Rinehart and myself are here, along with the other captains, to help you." Stephanie smiled. "Let's practice, for Emily." The tennis team smiled nodded in agreement.
"Mr. Parkenson, my name is SSA Aaron Hotchner. This is SSA David Rossi we are with the FBI's Behavior Analysis Unit." Hotch said as he and Rossi entered the room and sat down.
"I've already talked to two agents." Parkenson said, standing up. "When am I getting out of here?"
"I suggest you sit down, Mr. Parkenson." Rossi said calmly. "We have some different questions to ask you." Mr. Parkenson looked at Rossi and Hotch before sitting down.
"Mr. Parkenson, our sources tell us you were the seen at both crime scenes." Hotch started as he laid out photos of the four missing girls. "We need you to explain what you saw."
"I didn't see anything." Parkenson said.
"Then I guess we will hold you on the charge of kidnapping four teenage girls." Rossi stated.
"I didn't kidnap them."
"Then tell us what you saw, so you can clear your name." Rossi snapped. Mr. Parkenson sighed.
"I really didn't see anything." Mr. Parkenson explained. "I was on a business call, walking down the street, Friday late afternoon, around 4:30." Parkenson explained.
"You didn't notice anything out of the ordinary? A vehicle? Perhaps a suspicious looking gentleman?" Rossi asked.
"No. Business call." Parkenson said. "And I can get you the number if you need verification."
"No need." Rossi said smugly.
"Anyway, when I finished my call, I noticed something was in the bushes next to me. So I picked it up in hopes to return it."
"Did a drive car by?" Hotch asked.
"Uh…" Parkenson thought. "Yeah. Everyone was going home from work. It was the weekend after all."
"Maybe one that seemed out of place." Mr. Parkenson gave Rossi a weird look.
"They were cars." He said. "None of them are the same as the day before."
"How about yesterday afternoon." Hotch asked. "Why was your car in the parking lot of the high school?"
"My sister needed a ride." Parkenson said. "She's a school teacher there and her car was in the shop. She needed a life to go pick it up." Parkenson paused. "Nothing out of the ordinary." Parkenson paused.
"But?" Rossi wondered.
"There was this truck, a moving truck. White with black writing."
"A moving truck?" Rossi asked.
"A moving truck." Parkenson repeated. "Hartford's Moving Trailers."
"Hartford Moving Trailers." Hotch wrote down. "And where exactly did you see this truck?"
"Near the locker rooms." Parkenson exclaimed quickly. "No one else was around and my sister got in the car so I left. I didn't really take the time to look."
"What about Friday? We need you to think back to Friday afternoon." Rossi told him. "Did you see this truck around you at all? Maybe driving by or parked on the street." Parkenson thought, but shook his head.
"Close your eyes, we are going to take you through a process that will help you relive that afternoon." Hotch said. Parkenson hesitated, but closed his eyes. "Friday, September 18th. What were you doing?"
"I was walking to my car." Parkenson said slowly.
"What's the weather like?" Rossi asked.
"Cool, like a normal fall day." Parkenson said. "The wind was blowing slightly and it was cloudy."
"When did you're phone ring?" Hotch asked.
"Right after I crossed the street from my work place." Parkenson said. "I answered it because it was important. I walked to my car and talked on the phone to work out an important deal."
"We need you to look around town." Rossi explained. "Tell us what you see."
"The phone call is too important." Parkenson said. "I wasn't paying attention."
"Try." Rossi said. Parkenson was quiet.
"There are a lot of cars heading home." Parkenson said. "There is a park where the Ice Arena is and it was quiet, no one was there." Parkenson paused and snapped opened his eyes.
"What is it?" Hotch asked.
"Hartford Moving Trailers." Parkenson said quickly. "I saw the truck pull out of the parking lot near the Ice Arena."
"Thank you Mr. Parkenson that will be all." Hotch said before he and Rossi stood up. Hotch grabbed his phone and punched a few numbers in.
"Thank you for calling the one and only Penelope Garcia. Here for you 24/7." Garcia said when she answered the phone.
"Garcia. I need you to get me the address for Hartford Moving Trailers." Hotch said.
"Yes sir." Garcia said on the other side of the phone. "Anything else?"
"Yes. Look into Mark Parkenson's phone records and get me the number he was on the phone with around 4:30pm Friday afternoon." Hotch told her. "I also need the name and address of Parkenson's sister."
"Done and done." Garcia said before hanging up. Hotch and Rossi went and joined the others.
"Hartford Moving Trailers." Hotch said, putting up the picture he had printed onto the board in the meeting room. "Spotted by the locker rooms on Monday and near the Ice Arena Friday."
"I've sent the address to your phones." Garcia said on the phone. "It's a family owned business, founded in 1985. Its current owner is Kevin Hartford."
"What can you tell us about Kevin Hartford?" Hotch asked.
"Born in 1975, making him 40 years old." Garcia said. "Grew up in the outskirts of Grandview. He is the second to last child in the Hartford clan, making his brother, Victor Hartford, the youngest." Garcia was typing on the other side. "Kevin was the star child in the family it looks like."
"How so?" Rossi asked.
"Star quarterback on the football team." Garcia said. "Highly praised in old newspaper articles."
"Rossi and Prentiss. I want you to head over to Hartford Moving Trailers and see if there were any trucks checked out on Friday or Monday around the time of the kidnappings." Hotch said.
"Let's go." Rossi said to Prentiss. Prentiss followed Rossi out.
"Garcia, did you get the other information I had asked for?" Hotch asked.
"I've sent the number to your phone." Garcia said. "The number is an extension to a business in New York City."
"What type of business?" Hotch asked.
"A new Italian restaurant is going up and Parkenson is the head of the construction." Garcia said. "Another Del Posto, since it's so popular." Garcia explained. "I also sent the phone number and address of Parkenson's sister. Her name is Sarah Jefferson."
"Thanks Garcia." Hotch said, pushing a button to end the call. "Reid and Morgan, head over to Sarah Jefferson's house and talk to her."
"You ok?" Breanna asked Jennifer after they returned to the barn for the night.
"I've had worse." Jennifer said, attempting a weak smile.
"You broke your arm, it's extremely swollen and you dislocated your shoulder." Breanna exclaimed quietly. "And all you have to say is that you have had worse?"
"I play hockey." Jennifer stated. "Trust me, I have had worse." Morgan started coughing.
"I'm sick." Morgan said between coughs.
"We're all getting sick." Breanna said, looking towards Emily.
"Who are you?" Emily asked in a whisper.
"Emily's becoming delusional." Breanna told the others. "She's talking to herself."
"We're sorry." A brunette ghost girl, one that Emily found out was named Faith, said to Emily. "We are trying our best to keep you all safe."
"You can help by getting help." Emily said weakly. "Melinda, my aunt, can see you and talk to you. Eli, he can hear you." Emily started coughing. "Tell them something so we can go home."
"If we leave, who will protect you and the others?" A second, blonde, ghost girl, named Miranda, asked.
"We're all ill, hurt, and hungry." Emily stated. "We need to get out of here."
"We're sorry." The two ghost girls disappeared. Emily sighed.
"Emily, what's wrong?" Breanna asked. "You were talking to yourself." Emily looked at Breanna.
"I know why we're here." Emily stated simply.
"You do?" Breanna asked, skeptical. Emily nodded slowly. "How?"
"I'm just gonna to be straight forward and tell you the truth because I don't have the strength or energy to go deep into thinking." Emily rambled. "I can see the spirits of those who have died."
"You see ghosts?" Breanna asked. "You are worse off than I thought."
"Breanna now is not the time." Emily snapped quietly. "Our kidnapper lost his twin daughters in a car accident a few weeks ago." Emily explained slowly. "He's trying to replace them with two of us. One brunette, one blonde, good at sports and about our age." Emily closed her eyes. "He's training us to see who would be a better fit."
"Ok, let's say for a moment that we believe this to be true, what's he gonna do to us?" Jennifer asked from behind.
"I wish I knew." Emily sighed, her eyes still closed. "I'm gonna get us out of here."
"How?" Morgan asked.
"I have to convince the ghosts to talk to my aunt or Eli and they can tell the cops."
"We are just getting our hopes up." Breanna said. Breanna turned and looked at Emily. "Enough." Breanna closed her eyes. "We all should rest before he comes back."
"I'll show you." Emily said. "We'll get out of here."
Morgan and Reid pulled up to Sarah Jefferson's house. They got out of the car and started walking towards the door. Morgan knocked and waited for an answer. A blonde haired woman opened the door.
"Sarah Jefferson?" Morgan asked.
"That's me." Sarah said. "Can I help you?" Morgan and Reid flashed their badges.
"My name is Derek Morgan and this is Dr. Spencer Reid. We're with the FBI. We are here to ask you about your brother, Mark."
"What has he done?" Sara asked, worried about her brother.
"May we come in?" Morgan asked.
"Of course." Sarah said, inviting them inside. Sarah shut the door behind Morgan and Reid and led them into the living room. "Please, sit." Sarah said. Reid sat down but Morgan continued to stand.
"Mrs. Jefferson, your brother is a suspect in a kidnapping case." Reid explained. "He was at both crime scenes around the time of the kidnappings."
"What!" Sarah exclaimed, shocked and confused. "Are we talking about Jennifer, Morgan, Emily and Breanna? Because the only reason my brother was even at the school Monday was to pick me up."
"Ma'am, we understand that. What we would like is to confirm his where about." Morgan stated. "What time would you say your brother picked you up?"
"I was picking up my car from the shop. I was told it would be done by 3, school ends at 2:35, so I told him to meet me outside at 2:45, giving me a chance to pack up." Sarah said. "I met him outside at 2:45 and we were at the car shop till four." Sarah explained. "My car wasn't ready."
"Was your brother with you while you waited for your car?" Reid asked.
"Yeah." Sarah said. "He didn't want to leave just in case they didn't finish in time."
"Thank you Sarah." Reid said, getting up from his seat. Morgan and Reid left and got back in the SUV. "Mark Parkenson is not our guy." Reid said. "Not only did he not fit the profile, he has alibis for both kidnappings."
"We also got the call around 4. Parkenson was already at the shop." Morgan added before pulling away from the curb. Reid grabbed his phone and dialed a number. "Hotch. We need to speak with the people who last spoke to the girls again. It might help us complete our timeline."
"This place looks well kept." Prentiss said as she and Rossi pulled up to the Hartford Moving Trailers. Rossi parked the SUV and Prentiss got out.
"Hopefully we can get some answers." Rossi said.
"Can I help you?" A black haired man asked as he came out of the office buildings. Rossi and Prentiss flashed their badges.
"I'm SSA David Rossi. This is SSA Emily Prentiss. We are with the FBI. We are looking for a Kevin Hartford."
"You're talking to him." Kevin smiled. "What can I help you with?"
"You wouldn't happen to keep record on who rents your trucks lying around." Rossi asked.
"Of course." Kevin told Rossi and Prentiss. "I take down all kinds of info. Name, address, date of rental, location to and from for truck mileage. Everything."
"We're investigating the kidnappings of four girls and one of your trucks was spotted at both crime scenes." Rossi explained. Kevin's face went serious.
"Come to my office. I can get you what you need." Kevin led Prentiss and Rossi inside to his office. Kevin shut the door before grabbing the log book off his desk. "No one but my brother and I know about one of our trucks going missing on Friday." Kevin handed the log book towards Prentiss.
"You didn't tell the police?" Prentiss asked, taking the log book that was handed to her.
"No. By the time we noticed it was missing, it had returned five minutes later." Kevin explained. "We thought we just over looked it." Kevin sighed. "But the same truck was missing Monday." Kevin explained. "We were supposed to lend it out to someone and when they came to pick it up, it was missing." Kevin pointed to the log book. "Each truck has an assigned number. The truck that went missing was truck number 81615." The office door opened.
"Kevin, we need…" the man paused.
"Carlos. These people are with the FBI." Kevin said.
"Nice to meet you." Carlos said. "Kevin, we need to talk."
"Right." Kevin gave Rossi and Prentiss a smile. "If you need anything, please do not hesitate to drop in or give us a call."
"We will. Thank you." Prentiss said before her and Rossi left. Prentiss and Rossi walked back to the SUV and got in.
"Something was off about Carlos."
"You're not the only one." Prentiss sighed as Rossi started to drive. Prentiss grabbed her phone.
"What can I do for you?"
"Garcia. Find whatever you can on Carlos Hartford and see if the number 81615 is important or symbolic or has any connection with the four missing teens." Rossi said.
"We also need you to access the Hartford's moving trucks GPS, see if you can find out where it went."
"10-4." Garcia said, hanging up.
"Call Hotch." Rossi said. Prentiss dialed Hotch's number.
"Hotch." Rossi said. "Hartford Moving Trailers ended up having one truck go missing on both of the days the girls went missing."
"We have Garcia looking into it now. We got the truck number and we got to meet Kevin's brother Carlos."
"How'd he seem?" Hotch asked.
"Something felt off with this guy." Prentiss said. "We both felt it. We have Garcia looking into him now."
"We are on our way back."
"Good work. See you in a few."
Rossi and Prentiss walked in as the phone in the meeting room rung.
"Garcia, what do you got for us?" Morgan stated.
"So I looked into the trucks GPS and it was shut off on the days of the kidnapping, so I don't have anything there."
"What about the number 8-1-6-1-5." Prentiss asked. "Is it important?"
"You were right. 8-1-6-1-5 is important and has some connection to our four missing girls."
"Alright Baby Girl, lay it on us." Morgan smiled.
"The number 15 is Jennifer's jersey number. The number 81 is Morgan's jersey number. 18 is Breanna's jersey number." Garcia paused. "Emily's birthday is the 16th of October." Garcia paused again. "It's also a date. August 16th, 2015. I've been shifting through the computer database, and I'm still searching."
"Keep us posted." Hotch said.
"I also have information about Carlos Harford." Garcia said. "He's the oldest of the family, but it looks like he caused a LOT of trouble." Garcia started. "He's been arrested a few times for violence while being under the influence. Was caught stealing in his teenage years."
"Send us the files." Hotch said. "Thanks Garcia." Hotch hung up the phone before Sheriff Stone entered.
"We have Stephanie Green, Courtney Anderson, Jacob Cruz and Miranda Young here." Hotch looked at JJ.
"On it." JJ said.
"Take Reid with you." Hotch said. Reid and JJ left.
"Now what?" Morgan asked. "We have only a few leads, all which are at a standstill." Morgan said.
"We'll have to wait." Hotch said.
"Here's a question." Prentiss thought. "Why kidnap the girls without contacting families?"
"We already figured that our Unsubs are looking for support, or giving support to the girls he has taken." Morgan said.
"No, Prentiss is right." Rossi said. "There's something we missed. Another piece of the puzzle."
"Our Unsubs never contacted families, so we know it's not about money." Prentiss said.
"He has a type." Morgan said. "Only brunettes and blondes in their teenage years who are good at sports."
"Exactly." Prentiss said. "So why care for a type of girl when you could take anybody?" Prentiss asked.
"A replacement." Rossi said.
"The Unsub must need these girls because they replace someone he lost." Prentiss said.
"Call Garcia. Have her look into girls around our missing teen's age. These girls have either died or been taken." Hotch said. "Prentiss, come with me. We need to re-brief."
This Story is after Close Callings.
Sorry it took so long to finally post again. I have had a very hectic year. I have at least 1 more year of school if everything goes right. I also have taken on a higer roll at my work, so I've been working A LOT.
This was just a little "I'm still here" intro chapter.