Chapter 24

Sorry it has taken so long to update…

"I promise you Garcia. She knows you're going to see her." JJ sighed slightly. "I just wanted to warn you that she may not" she pinched the bridge of her nose as she struggled to find the correct words. Words that would soften the blow.

"She doesn't want me there?" Garcia asked.

"She doesn't want anyone there Pen. This isn't about you. She just isn't comfortable around anyone right now" JJ said softly. "I am sorry" JJ whispered.

"No need for sorry. I'll check in on her when I leave here." Garcia paused. "JayJ. Do you. I mean." She sighed.

"I think it is going to take a long time before she trusts anyone around her again. Just be patience. This is nothing against the team or us as people."

"I know, doesn't stop it hurting though."

JJ chuckled slightly. "Believe me when I say I understand and just remember what you said in the hotel room to me. She'll come around eventually." JJ said easily.

Rubbing her hand over her face she made her way back to the seat so she could work on the press release before they land. Hotch turned his attention slightly to her.

"Is everything okay JJ?" he asked softly.

JJ gave a smile. "Yes, was just speaking to Garcia about" she paused slightly as Hotch nodded.

"If you need anything JJ just ask." He said firmly, to which JJ gave a nod before pulling her paper out.

It wasn't long before they landed, JJ was to head straight to the station to set up while Morgan and Reid went to the crime scene. Hotch and Rossi headed straight to the morgue.

They made their way to the latest crime scene, it seemed that every member of law enforcement was at the crime scene, you could feel the anger and tension coming off them. They seemed to have formed a wall around the area and Morgan doubted they would allow them in. they walked up to what seemed to be the person in charge of the crime scene. Well he was holding a clip board which tagged the officers that entered the crime scene.

Morgan gave a soft smile as he walked over "Agent Morgan and this is Doctor Reid" he offered as they both displayed their badges.

"Officer Samson is waiting for you"

Morgan gave a slight nod as he lifted the tape up allowing them to duck underneath it. "Officer Samson?" Morgan asked as a burly looking man offered his hand.

"You must be the BAU guys?" he asked.

Morgan nodded. "Agent Morgan and Doctor Reid, the rest of the team will meet us back at the station" Morgan offered.

"Would you like me to walk you through the scene?" he offered.

"Can we take a look first, and then you can tell us everything you have found." Morgan gave a slight smile at the same time wishing Emily was at his side.

She always made it sound so easy. No condemnation, no malice, or just as she sometimes said fresh eyes. The officer gave him a slight nod before moving away slightly allowing them to get a good look around.

Morgan walked around the crime scene taking in a much as he could, he ran his hand over his head as he took in the scene the body had long since been moved but the blood laced the ground, a clear indicator of where the body had fell. But he had yet to notice any sign of a struggle.

"Do you know why he was in this area?" Morgan asked as he walked back over to the officer.

"We haven't managed to piece it all together yet." The frustration evident in his voice. "I mean who would murder a doctor, police officer and a lawyer. It just doesn't make sense."

"Do you know who the lawyer represented?" Morgan asked as he looked over the notes.

"No," he sighed slightly "I should have called you guys as soon as the officer was murdered."

Morgan gave a soft smile. "We are here now."

"At the expensive of another body." He muttered.

"That would have happened even if we were here. Now let's not get caught up on the what ifs, lets focus on what we can do now." Morgan said lightly. It made it so much easier if the local Leos worked with them.

They headed back to the station, the bullpen was buzzing, phones ringing, computers humming in the background, fingers tapping furiously on the keyboards, mugs placed gently on to the table tops as they talked among themselves.

"We've set you up in the conference room" he said softly as he guided Morgan and Reid through the bullpen.

JJ had set the boards up with the victims pictures up, the map pinned up next to it files neatly placed on the table in the middle of the room. Morgan smiled slightly as he could hear JJ mumbling to someone on the phone. He cleared his throat slightly to make himself known.

"Everything okay?" he asked carefully, years of working together he knew what the expression meant.

"It will be," she mused as she reached out her hand "JJ" she smiled "Nice to meet you."

"Thanks for coming" officer Samson said giving a half smile.

"Right, I have managed to get the papers to drop the gang related aspect of these murders" she looked at Morgan.

"Ma'am." He went to question slightly.

"We need to keep it away from the gangs so we can do our jobs" she said softly.

"Each gang would want to brag they've killed a cop and then we would get nowhere other than them killing each other." Morgan added.

"Never thought of that" he mused.

"I bring coffee" Reid said placing the tray down on the table. Morgan smiled as he took his cup.

"Is there anything else you guys need?" he asked.

"Can you draw a list of what gangs operate in this area?" JJ asked taking a cup out of the tray.

"Yes Ma'am" with that he left the room.

Morgan chuckled slightly. "What?" JJ asked looking at him.

He shook his head slightly. "Just forget how much people listen to you"

JJ rolled her eyes slightly. "It's all in the tone" JJ mused slightly, her attention was pulled as her phone started vibrating. "Hey Garcia," JJ asked placing the call straight on to speaker.

"So I've done some digging into the first victim" Garcia said as she pulled up all the history she had found before forwarding it to the PDAs. "They all seem clean until I dug slightly" JJ could hear the lightness in her voice as she spoke. "Doctor Scott, his wife filed for divorce last year, and from the looks of his bank account he was doing too well"

"Alimony?" Reid asked.

"No, he pays a regular sum out each month, which is to support his children. He has never missed a payment. But his funds don't seem to support his" she sighed slightly.

"Living beyond his means?" JJ asked.

"I can't work it out" Morgan looked at the phone puzzled.

"Why not?" he asked softly.

"I've sent you his finical report. It seems even though the two divorced they were still on speaking terms, I have emails going back and forth and none of them are malicious. He seems to be an all-round nice guy" Garcia said though a sigh.

"Nice guy with a gambling habit" Reid mused as he looked through his finical history. "Even though he seems to spend a lot gambling he isn't in debt with it, which is lucky"

"How on earth do you know that?" Garcia asked

"What?"

"Gambling, there's nothing in his bank accounts to say casino"

Reid shrugged slightly Southland Greyhound Park is a casino which by the looks of it he goes to every Thursday and loses around the three grand mark." He mused as he marked it on the board.

"Why you say loses?" JJ asked.

"No money goes back into his account, would be helpful if when you speak to his ex-wife to ask about it." Reid said as he began pinning the map with the locations and the area in which they lived.

"She should be here soon" JJ said softly.

"Can you look into Officer Jefferies? See if he made similar withdrawals." Morgan asked.

"For you anything" she mused before she cut the call.

JJ picked her phone up off the table and looked between the two of them. "I'll be back in a few, I just need to make a phone call" before anyone had chance to answer JJ was out the door.

Rossi and Hotch arrived a few moments afterwards. "Anything at the scene?" Hotch asked as he looked around the small conference room.

"No sign of a struggle, he was defiantly killed there, doesn't look like he was there long though before he was found." He shrugged slightly.

"Doctor Scott's ex-wife should be here in about ten minutes, JJ has just gone to make a phone call" Morgan said as he handed Hotch the file Garcia had managed to find on him.

"Nothing to say he was in debt?" Hotch asked as he looked through the file.

"No enemies, it seems he got along with his ex-wife from the emails Garcia managed to see, just seems like it was a random mugging that"

"Spiralled" JJ offered as she walked back into the conference room. "Garcia has found a slight connection." JJ added as she walked up to the board.

"Go on" Hotch said firmly.

"From what we can gather right now, doctor Scott was a mugging gone array, Officer Jefferies was lead on his case, but the link between them isn't just that, their paths seem to cross an awful lot. Garcia is digging some more but" JJ paused as her phone started ringing, her eyes flashed to Hotch. "I need to take this" she muttered through a sigh.

Hotch had told Garcia to go home for the day, they had been working none stop since they arrived and they all needed a break, the searches Garcia was running wouldn't turn any information out until the morning and even what they did have, did help much towards a profile.

Garcia tapped gently on the door before she pushed it open. "Hey" she said softly as she entered Emily's room. "I brought you some proper coffee" she said kindly.

Emily nodded "Thanks" before turning to look out the window again.

"Do you need anything?" she asked as she placed the cup on the table. Emily shook her head. "Have you spoke to JJ?" she asked softly.

"No"

"Well I know they've left for the night if you want to call her" Garcia said softly.

Emily sighed slightly and nodded. "Sorry" she mumbled as she turned to look at Garcia.

Garcia smiled kindly "No need, you need anything let me know and I'll bring it in with me," Emily nodded "See you tomorrow Em"

Garcia made her way down the hospital corridors as she hit speed dial. "Hey" her voice slightly deflated.

"What's wrong baby girl?" Morgan as ked as he sat down next to Reid.

"Just seen Emily" she mumbled.

"She okay?" he heard the sigh that escaped her lips.

"I don't know," he could hear the unshed tears in her voice.

"I'll get JJ to ring her" he offered.

"I think she'd like that. I didn't stay long. God Derek it was as though she didn't want me in the room, as though she didn't know how to talk to me"

He sighed slightly. "It's going to take a lot of time baby girl, we just need to be patience with her" he said kindly.

"I know, doesn't stop it hurting, she's family" Garcia pointed out.

"That she is, just let her know your there it's all anyone can do. But we need to be there for JJ as well" Morgan said as he looked over to her.

"She looked tired yesterday"

Morgan laughed "The woman is exhausted, hopefully she'll get some rest over the next couple of nights"