Chapter 42

JJ and Nick were sitting in the conference room with everyone else, including Warrick who had come in with Catherine. Lindsey and Ella were playing in Catherine's office until it was time for them all to leave and head home. The whole team had come together to decide what could be done to find a way to trap this guy and they wanted to find a way to see what it was that seemed to be bugging everyone about the evidence, because everyone had a feeling that there was something they were missing, something that could break the case wide open and lead them to their killer. Although JJ and Nick were sure they knew why this guy was suddenly doing these things, they still didn't have the proof that they needed and they didn't know where he could be.

"Look, we all agree that there has to be something that we are missing." Catherine said as she leaned back in her chair and looked around the table.

"No one is talking?" Nick asked, wanting to know about those they had in custody that they knew had worked with the main suspect.

"Nope. If they know this guys identity, they aren't giving it up not even to make a deal." Catherine shook her head.

"So, then, we need to figure this one out ourselves, which we've done in the past." Warrick said with a sigh.

"True, but this time it's very important that we do this fast." Sarah added from where she was sitting.

JJ and Nick were sitting alone at home later on, and they were both making notes on what they all could be missing. JJ knew that Nick was wondering what they could be missing that was right in front of them. They were both more than aware of what this guy could do next if he decided to escalate a lot more than he already had. JJ wanted to make sure that no one else lost their life because none of the officers or crime scene investigators could find the necessary evidence to identify the killer.

"Hey, whatever it is you're thinking, stop." Nick said suddenly.

"We could be the reason that someone else dies. We could be the reason this guy snapped and decided to start his killing spree." JJ said softly.

"We aren't the reason someone decided to become a psychotic killer. If this is about something that happened when we were kids then we can't be blamed for that either." Nick said, trying to be as reassuring as he could be.

"I just can't help thinking that I should know something that would help us solve this case and identify the killer." JJ said as she looked at everything and then grabbed it all and threw it to the floor in frustration and anger at herself.

"Hey, it's going to be all right." Nick said as he got up from his seat and pulled her up. He kissed her lightly on the lips and then just held her in his arms. "It will be all right honey."

"I hope so." JJ said as she clung to him.

He was laughing as he watched what was happening. He loved the fact that he could keep his camera's and things hidden inside the homes of all the people that were looking for him and they couldn't find them. He had the inside view on how the case was coming along and the fact that he had planted the clues and everyone was following the clues he had left, they were thinking exactly what he wanted them to think and he knew they would never figure out the truth. He glanced over and looked at the young woman he had been so lucky to find. He hadn't been planning on grabbing anyone anytime soon but suddenly there she was and she looked just like JJ and so he had decided it was time to really freak her out.

He wasn't sure what the torture method should be or what his plan was for her death, but whatever it was that he chose, he was going to make sure it made everyone aware that their time with JJ was limited. He had his reasons for choosing who he chose and he was pretty sure that once JJ was dead, he wouldn't need to kill anyone anymore, but there was always a chance that he could find someone else to torment and torture through terror and guilt before he had to kill them.

"Now, this isn't your fault lady, but you look just like the woman who I have been playing a deadly game with, and you are the final warning and the final chance for the cops and her to figure out who I am and what this is all about, really." He said as he grinned at the woman and could see her getting even more scared at the sight of his smile.

Grissom wasn't sure what it was, but he had a feeling that he really did know what this was about, he could see it but it wasn't clicking within his mind. There was something that was staring him right in the face but he couldn't seem to make it clear in his mind just yet. He moved his eyes, randomly, to different pictures, hoping there was something hidden but nothing was coming to him, nothing that would explain the aha moment he had going on. There was something there, he just wasn't sure what it was but he was going to find it, he had to.

JJ and Nick kissed and then she turned to pick up the pictures when she saw it, and she felt like she could kick herself. She stared at the photo's and how they had landed, making a pattern that she never would have seen. The pictures had covered parts of the other pictures up and making one thing stand out more than anything and as she stared at the photo's a sick feeling started to churn in her stomach. When Nick moved to pick up the photo's she moved her arm and pulled him back, shaking her head as she slowly dropped to her knees. She noticed Nick following her lead out of the corner of her eyes, but she couldn't make the words come out of her mouth that would tell him why she was acting like she was now.

"Nick, do you see what I see?" JJ asked softly.

"No, what do you see?" Nick asked confused as he studied the pictures the way she was. He couldn't tell what she was seeing, but he could tell she was seeing something important. "Do you want a marker?"

"Yes. We should also make the calls to everyone and tell them that I think I might have figured out something about this guy." JJ said excitedly. She was finally starting to see things like she used to, she was finally seeing something that would lead her to tracking down a major creep! She had to do this, she had to stop him for all the women he had killed already, for the families of the deceased and to protect all of those that he would kill if they didn't catch him. She had to take him down to protect her daughter, her precious little girl. "I am so close and soon, soon I am going to take you down and make you pay." She muttered under her breath, not wanting Nick to hear. She wasn't sure if she could simply arrest this guy, but she wouldn't stoop to his level. If she didn't trust herself to make the arrest, she would send someone else in and stay out, making sure that everything went by the book and justice was served.