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Chapter Nineteen.
Reid and I didn't talk much in the car, I think he knew that I didn't want to talk about it and Reid isn't always the smoothest when trying to think of something else to talk about. I pulled up in front of the station and I turned off the engine, my head leaning against the steering wheel.
"What do you think Hotch wants?" I asked, my voice slightly muffled.
"I'm not sure, only one way to find out." Reid stated before he opened the door and got out. Leaving me to sit in silence for a brief moment before I joined him.
"It's strange..." I said as I walked around to walk beside him.
"What's strange?" He replied, his hands in his pockets as we walked into the station.
"Being the centre of the investigation." I replied, pushing the door open and walking into the office to see Hotch in the centre speaking to one of the detectives leading the case.
"So, what's new?" I asked JJ, my eyes still on Hotch.
"Honestly, not much. This guy is harder to find than we first thought." She tucked her blonde hair behind her ear and looked at me. "Is there anyone you can think of that could be the Unsub?"
I shook my head, crossing my arms again. "I've tried, I can't think of anyone. I've not met many people except criminals since I've been here." I sighed, becoming slightly agitated.
"What about before you came here? What about in London?" Rossi asked as he approached, my eyes looking at him before gazing around the office. Where the hell did he come from?
"Uh..." I rubbed the back of my neck, shutting my eyes to think. "I can't think of anyone there either." I growled in irritation, turning away from them and pinching the bridge of my nose.
"Everything alright?" Hotch asked from beside me.
"Yes Sir, no problems." I looked at him and then the team, "Please excuse me a moment." I walked away from them and out the station, sitting down on some steps as I took a couple deep breaths. Why was this so hard, why couldn't I remember? Stalkers don't just choose someone without making some kind of contact with the person so I must have come across them at some point. I stretched my legs out in front of me and closed my eyes, thinking back. If I met this person in London then the likely-hood of them following me all the way to Washington is highly doubtful, they usually just find another fascination.
"Reid tells me you're going to stay in a hotel tonight?" Prentiss said as she sat beside me, drawing me out of my thoughts.
"I can't stay in my flat knowing that the Unsubs been there." I replied, brushing my fingers back through my hair. "It's not my little haven anymore."
"No, I understand that, I think I'd feel the same way."
I turned my head to glance at her. "Emily, I'm struggling. I feel like I'm in a dream and I'm trying to run but I'm not going anywhere." I leaned back, my elbows on the next step to prop me up.
"It's frustrating."
"Very frustrating." I replied, looking up at the sky.
"Come on, Hotch wants to talk to you." She tapped my knee before standing, pulling me to my feet also.
We both walked back into the station, heading into the large conference rooms where the team had set up a few things. "Morgan just called, they didn't find anything of any use." Hotch said as I stood on the other side of the table, my eyes glancing at the board covered with images of the victims and other documents.
"Oh, I don't know, I'm sure they learnt a lot about me by rummaging around in my draws." I replied sarcastically, sitting in the chair next to me. Hotch didn't even reply, he just gave me a stern look which in turn caused me to give him a stern look back. "I can't joke now?"
"I don't think it's very appropriate." He leaned against the table beside me and I looked up at him, my eyebrows raised.
"Appropriate? What's not appropriate is some guy going around the city and brutally torturing and raping women because he's got some bizarre obsession with me." I snapped, bringing my knee up to my chest again, leaning my chin against it. "I'm sorry... I'm just so overwhelmed with it all." I felt his gaze on me as a sigh escaped him.
"I understand this is difficult for you but you need to understand that we still have a job to do."
I licked my lips at that, standing up. "I'm fully aware you have a job to do. I'm just pissed off at the fact that women are dying because of me. Not only that, we have another victim out there without a heart, I just wish I can think of anyone who could possibly be doing this."
Hotch crossed his arms and I opened a file on the table, flicking through it. "You will, just give yourself time." He checked his watch and gazed back at me. "Why don't you go back to the hotel. Try and concentrate on who the Unsub could be and leave the rest of it to us for now."
"Hotch..."
He raised his hand at me, shushing me. "That wasn't a suggestion." He kept eye contact with me as I tried to stare him down. Who the hell am I kidding, I'll never win with this guy.
"You..." I pointed at him a moment before clenching my fist, my eyes rolling. "Fine. But keep me updated with everything." I paused, standing on my tip toes. "And I mean everything." I tapped my phone against his chest before walking away from him.
"Take Reid with you, an unmarked car will follow shortly. I don't want to draw too much attention to you."
I nodded, turning and leaning against the frame to look at him. "Please stay safe out there." I gave him a small smile and he returned one and when I say he returned one, his lips twitched for less than a second.
"You too."
Reid and I made it to the hotel, checking in and dropping the bags off in the room. "I don't know about you Doc, but I'm starving." I stood at the end of one of the two double beds, apparently it would be better for Reid to actually be in the room. Great, I know.
"I am rather hungry." He replied, which then made me immediately turn and pull him out the room.
"Good because I'm craving a pizza."
Reid twisted and grabbed my wrist, stopping me from going any further down the hall. "Clara, we should stay in the room."
I huffed, rolling my head back dramatically. "Reid come on..."
"You know I'm right."
"Your always right." I muttered, pushing my bottom lip out before striding back to my room. "First my flat, now my stomach." I hissed, slumping on the bed and staring at the ceiling.
"I'm starting to gather you can be rather dramatic." Reid said out of the blue, causing me to lift my head to look at him with narrowed eyes.
"I am not dramatic." I said, sitting up. "I am hungry it's very different." I kicked off my shoes and crossed my legs, taking the room service menu which Reid kindly passed to me.
"You don't want to look at it more?" I asked, my eyebrows raised.
"I have an identic memory.
I peered at him over the menu. "You are kidding?" Reid shook his head and I smirked. "Alright let's try this. You looked at this for less than ten seconds. What's the third meal under the mains section."
"Lasagne with a side of either fries or salad."
My jaw dropped and I grinned at him, whacking him with the menu. "Cool and smart, ladies will fall at your feet." He let out a laugh, tucking his hair behind his ear.
"I don't know about that."
"You're great Doc, don't let anyone tell you otherwise." I winked at him before his phone began to ring, my eyes darting to it. "Who is it?"
Reid picked it up, looking at the name of the caller. "It's Hotch." He answered the phone, putting it on speaker so I could hear.
"You two doing ok?" Hotch asked down the phone, my eyes briefly gazing at my colleague.
"Fine. What have you got for us?" I asked, all my amusement dissipating.
"We found a body, same MO. Only difference between the others is a missing heart."
I went silent, my skin suddenly crawling. "The Unsub isn't going to stop..." I whispered, looking at Reid. "And when he does it will be because he's finally ready to meet me..."