Early the next morning Reid was the first team member to arrive in the hotel lobby for the drive to the sheriff's office. As he stepped off the elevator, he saw Dr. Hayward standing at the front desk speaking with the desk clerk. He noted that this morning the self-important doctor was dressed in tan khaki trousers along with a matching jacket and safari hat.
"Dr. Reid," the UFO expert called across the hotel lobby to the agent and graced him with a smile.
"Dr. Hayward," Reid replied coolly. He hadn't forgotten their initial meeting the previous evening and was uncertain about how he should respond now. Looking around, he located the coffee maker and walked over to help himself.
The older man bustled over to join him. "I really need to apologize," he began. "I googled you last night and even I was impressed."
"Oh?" Reid was busily adding spoonful after spoonful of sugar and creamer to his cup of coffee.
"It appears you have quite a reputation in several circles," the man continued. "And, I suspect there are several topics you are interested in obtaining my opinion on."
"Well, I was interested in your view of the Drake Equation," Reid admitted as he turned to face Dr. Hayward. "I wanted to know if you thought it was a viable way to estimate the possibility of life on other planets." He thought that was a fairly safe topic to begin with.
"I have always considered the Drake Equation to be nothing more than a meaningless conjecture by the SETI League," the scientist stated definitively. "Now, for the serious scientist such as myself – and you, too, of course - "
"Reid?" Morgan's voice sounded across the lobby from the direction of the elevators. "Spencer?"
"Morgan," Reid looked over at the other agent. "You're ready to drive over to the sheriff's office?"
"If you are ready to go," Morgan replied as he joined the two men. "Hotch is on the phone with Cruz, updating him on our investigation, so he is going to be a while yet."
"Well, I need to get out to the location of the latest sighting as soon as possible," Dr. Hayward declared emphatically. "Being stuck here at the hotel is impeding my investigation!"
"Why don't you ride over to the sheriff's office with us?" Morgan offered somewhat reluctantly. "I am sure that once you're there it will be easy to find a deputy to drive you out to the site."
"Excellent idea!" was the declaration. "And, on the way I can give you my insights into your case. I am sure you will find them most helpful."
As the two agents reluctantly followed the UFO researcher towards the door to the parking lot, the elevator opened again, disgorging Rossi.
"Agent Rossi, here you are!" Dr. Hayward exclaimed. "I was beginning to think I would have to leave without you."
Rossi grimaced as he made his way across the lobby. "Well, here I am," he muttered. "And I suspect we had better get going."
With Morgan driving, the group arrived at the sheriff's office in record time, rendering even Dr. Hayward speechless.
Once there, the UFO researcher immediately went in search of someone to escort him to the location of the last sighting. "I have to get to work," he declared importantly as he directed the long-suffering deputy who was carrying his research equipment out to a patrol car.
When Hotch, JJ, and Blake arrived at the sheriff's office a short time later, Reid was busy studying the report from Washtenaw County that Dr. Warner had faxed over.
"It certainly looks like the same unsub," he replied to Blake's question as he handed her the sheets of paper. "But, we probably need to speak with the Washtenaw County Coroner to make sure."
"Before we do anything further, let's see what Garcia has discovered," Hotch suggested as he logging onto the computer.
"Greetings Crime Fighters!" Garcia appeared on the screen. "I hope everyone had a good night's sleep!"
"As good as can be expected under the circumstances," Rossi assured her.
"And what about you, Mama?" Morgan began. "Did you miss us?"
"Actually, I need to thank my favorite genius," Garcia returned. "He sent his wife over with dinner for me, and the two of us visited and got caught up while my babies here churned out valuable information for all and sundry."
"And, exactly what information did your computers come up with?" Hotch interrupted.
"Well, first, I investigated the bereft husbands," Garcia began. "And, as much as I hate to tell you this, I couldn't find anything on either of them."
"It seems that Dr. Donald Snow is a pretty straight arrow," she continued. "Went right through college and graduated in record time with a PhD in Botany. Married his college sweetheart and then went directly to work at Center Line Labs where he has been working for the past 19 years. Paid off mortgage, good credit rating, and not so much as a parking ticket."
"What about while he was in college?" Blake asked. "Anything there?"
"Nothing I could find," Garcia reported. "However, he did have several roommates while he was there and I am still looking at them."
"Sounds too good to be true," Morgan opinioned.
"Repressed personality?" Rossi suggested.
"Someone who is ready to break loose and break some rules?" was JJ's assessment.
"Someone like that usually starts small," Reid pointed out. "Garcia, what did you find out about his work? Anything questionable there?"
"Not as far as I can see, but let me check further," the tech replied. "Maybe he is working some hocus pocus with his herbs."
"What about our other victim, Lillian Williams?" JJ asked.
"Pretty much the same there," Garcia reported. "Her husband finished four years of college with an engineering degree and no problems that I can find. They married shortly afterward and I can't locate any reported problems at home, at work, with the kids, or elsewhere. She also doesn't seem to be the type to attract a stalker."
"Although stalkers, in general, don't appear to follow a particular type," Blake pointed out as she glanced worriedly at Reid.
"You said the husband has an alibi?" Rossi questioned.
"An unbreakable one," Garcia told him. "He was doing chauffeur duty with a group of his son's friends."
"Sounds pretty straightforward," Blake remarked.
"Now, moving on to the Jane Doe from a year ago," she continued. "That poor woman is still unidentified. Of course, that area is home to several colleges and universities and they do get a lot of runaways. So, there is no telling where she may have come from originally."
"What can you tell us about her injuries?" Blake questioned.
"They are quite similar to Lillian Williams'," Garcia reported. "I have sent that report, complete with pictures, to your tablets, and I don't want to have to look at it again - The first time was bad enough!"
"Okay, Garcia," Hotch concluded. "If you will continue looking into the backgrounds of the two identified victims and their families, as well as searching for missing persons who fit the description of last year's Jane Doe – "
"I'm already on it," Garcia declared. "Over and out!"