Author's Notes: I know you've all been waiting, so here's the next chapter! Enjoy!
It took fifteen minutes before Anya calmed down, with Annette reminding her to take several deep breaths as she cried. She rubbed her back, burying her nose into her auburn locks atop her head. When she finally calmed down, Anya pulled away and wiped her eyes, which she was sure were red from her crying fest.
"I am sorry for your loss," Detective Brady said, reaching out to touch Anya's shoulder.
"How did she die?" Annette asked, trying her damnedest not to break down herself.
"Asphyxiation with the scarf she was wearing after she suffered blunt force trauma to her head," Detective Brady replied.
"Detective, I noticed some sealed evidence tape at the front door of the house when we arrived," Anya said once she found her voice. "Did this property harbor another crime before Zoe's murder?"
"Yes," Detective Brady replied with a nod. "The house belonged to Kayla James. The killer strangled her with a plastic bag over her head and raped her three days ago."
Annette and Anya exchange shocked expressions when they realize they're standing in the very location of one of the murder cases they were investigating with Zoe.
"When you talked to Zoe last night, did she mention anything about this to you?" Annette asked.
"I remembered her saying she had one last stretch of research she had to do before our intended meeting this morning," Anya replied.
"You spoke with her?" Detective Brady asked.
"Yes. She called Annette on her phone last night," Anya replied. "I asked if she wanted Annette and I to tag along on her research mission, but she declined. If I had known, I…"
She stopped short of herself; the tears threatening to spill again as Annette reached out to squeeze her shoulder.
"Anya, her death is not your fault. It's the fault of the UnSub you two wanted to pursue. What we can do is go back into each of these cases and look for the connection the two of you have been trying to decipher. We'll add her case to the pile too."
"I don't know, Annette. This has become personal for the both of us. What if our connection to Zoe triggers a conflict of interest?"
"Look, I understand where you're coming from, but we have to do this for Zoe's sake. She started this, and you were helping her at my insistence. So, let's finish what she started and catch the bastard who killed her."
Anya looked at her without saying a word, and just as she was about to give her reply, Annette's phone rang, causing her to breathe out a sigh.
"Hold that thought, Anya," Annette said before answering the incoming call.
"Agent Lennox? Yes… I'm at the crime scene with her right now. Uh-huh… Really? Okay. I will talk to her. Thanks for the call. Yes. I will call you later. Okay. Bye."
"What is it?" Anya asked.
"That was a quick conference call with Professor Hendricks and the Director," Annette replied. "You've got both their blessings to investigate the case with me, and if you accept and we catch the UnSub, you'll get credited for investigating on-the-field.
"The Director has allowed us a day to give it some thought. He'll call me back later."
"I think I might need the day to think about it. Give me some time to clear my head," Anya said.
"Let me know what you decide," Detective Brady said, and Annette nodded.
"Detective Brady!"
The coroner came forward, holding what appeared to be a business card.
"Is that the business card I gave her?" Annette asked.
"No. This is the card of an Agent David Rossi."
The sisters exchanged looks as they each felt their hearts fall to the deepest pits of their stomachs.
"Aren't you his protégé, Agent Lennox?"
"I am, and if he's here, he's going to summon his team," Annette replied. "They're good, and I know I learned from the best."
She breathed out a sigh.
"Detective, if you plan on calling Agent Rossi, can I ask you not to mention Anya and me until we've made up our minds on whether we'll investigate?"
"Sure," Detective Brady replied with a nod. "Just know I can only keep quiet for so long, especially since you two were the last ones to speak to Zoey before she died. It will be a matter of time before he finds out."
"I know. Just give us a day. We'll clear our heads, study the cases in depth, and we'll decide from there," Annette said. "Either way, we'll see you later at the station."
When Detective Brady nodded, Annette gave him a small smile before she and Anya took their leave.
Rossi was in shock and disbelief as he found himself lost in his thoughts following his conversation with Hotch outside the station. Leaning back against the empty desk behind him, he watched as the team set up the evidence boards in the empty conference room reserved for them. The guilt over brushing off a fan of his that was later killed by the serial murderer she suspected haunted the city ate away at him. When he saw her body the morning Detective Brady called him, the faces of both Annette and Anya flashed before his eyes. The thought of his "daughters" being strangled by this UnSub unnerved him, further fueling his desire to catch the bastard responsible.
Especially when he pictured the UnSub as a younger version of Michael Boudreaux attempting to strangle Anya.
He walked back into the conference room as the team was throwing around potential theories, with Garcia on the other line.
"Garcia, mind looking into Zoe's phone records and see if she called anyone before she died?" Prentiss asked.
"Give me a quick second… Whoa."
"What is it, mama?" Morgan asked.
"The last person she called was Annette. Our Annette."
Everyone exchanged surprised looks.
"Anya is here with her criminology class on a field trip. Annette tagged along with them," Spencer explained.
Detective Brady let out a sigh, and upon seeing the guilty look on his face, the team realized there was something he knew.
"Detective?" Hotch asked.
"I spoke to Agent Lennox and Miss Anya Lennox this morning. They confirmed Zoe called, and they spoke to her regarding the assignment they were working on."
"Why didn't you say something sooner?" Hotch asked.
"Agent Lennox asked me not to," Detective Brady replied. "Zoe's death shook her and Miss Anya up, and even though they got the okay to investigate through Anya's professor and the Director, they're hesitant."
Upon hearing this, Rossi was quick to pull his phone out and dial Annette's number. Everything that made little sense before had come together at that very moment. He heard her phone ring four times before it went to her voicemail, and he let out a frustrated sigh when he flipped his phone shut.
"Is she not answering?" Spencer asked.
Rossi shook his head, and Spencer texted her.
"Garcia, can you track Annette's phone and find out where she is?"
They soon heard typing on the other end.
"Her phone is pinging off a tower near Lincoln Park."
"You're the best, baby girl," Morgan said.
"Take Reid with you," Hotch announced.
Annette felt her phone vibrate in her back pocket, and when she pulled it out, she saw she had a new text from Spencer.
Rossi and I are coming to get you and Anya. We know you're at Lincoln Park. Stay where you are. Love you.
She chuckled and shook her head before putting her phone away.
"Of course they would find out."
"Spencer?" Anya asked.
"Yeah, but he and the old man are the least of my worries," Annette replied. "Right now, my priority is you."
"You can't ignore them forever, Annette," Anya said.
"I'm not. What I'm doing right now is taking advantage of the time given to us, and we still have a few hours before the Director calls me back. You need me, and I'm here to be the rock you need to lean on."
Anya nodded as she leaned against a nearby post holding up the gazebo they stood under. A gentle breeze picked up, ruffling their hair and blowing a few strands in their faces.
"Did we do the right thing in paying for Zoe's funeral services?"
"I think so," Annette replied with a nod. "We were the last ones to mingle with her and talk to her, and even though you asked, she declined your offer. At the very least, we're owning up to not being there for her."
Anya nodded.
"As we come down from the shock of earlier, how about we review what we know?" Annette suggested, hoping some insight into her assignment would help ease Anya of her anxieties. After a beat of silence, Anya nodded.
"So, we know the crimes are within a seven-mile radius, meaning the UnSub is a geographically stable offender, and most likely a native of Cleveland," Annette began.
"I am convinced that it is only one UnSub, especially considering he killed Zoe at the crime scene of Kayla James, the victim before her," Anya said. "If the UnSub was there, most likely reliving the crime, Zoe's appearance surprised him. Without a gun or a knife, he used his scarf to strangle her."
"Was there anything in her notes showing a connection?" Annette asked.
"Not from what I can remember," Anya replied, shaking her head. "Her notes had the typical data criminology students gather for statistics and theory."
As she stared off into the distance, she thought of the couple that was shot in their car, and based on the look of deep thought, Annette could tell her gears were grinding.
"What kind of gun was used to kill June Appleby and Troy Wersteler?"
"A forty-four Bulldog revolver," Annette replied. "Why?"
Anya gasped at the realization of something.
"That's like the young couple shot in a parked car by David Berkowitz, the Son of Sam, and he also used a forty-four Bulldog revolver."
Annette also let out a gasp.
"Yeah, you're right."
There was a beat of silence before Annette spoke up again.
"Oh, my God. The murder of Lily Nicks makes me think of Jack the Ripper. A prostitute with her throat slashed.
"Kayla James was bound, tortured, and raped with a plastic bag over her head…"
She gasped again, and she and Anya exchanged the same looks of realization.
"BTK killer Dennis Rader," they said in unison.
"But what about the first victim, Travis Bartlett?" Annette asked.
Anya thought about it for a moment before a light bulb clicked in her mind.
"When Spencer called you, Zoe told me Cleveland's famous serial killer was the butcher of Kingsbury Run. He found his victims in gay bars, killed them, and dumped their bodies in Kingsbury Park.
"Travis Bartlett was last seen at a gay bar, and they found him in Kingsbury Park."
Annette leaned back against the post behind her when she put two and two together.
"Son of a bitch. He's a serial killer, trying to find his own style, by studying the of other famous serial killers."
Anya rubbed her forehead as she felt her heart stop for a moment.
"Zoe wasn't kidding. There is a serial killer haunting Cleveland."
"You know, you could put those active brains to good use back at the police station."
The sisters thought the world stopped at the sound of Rossi's voice. Anya gripped the railing as she hung her head down, engaging in an internal battle with her emotions as Annette looked at her. A beat passed in silence, with neither sister moving for a moment before Rossi spoke up.
"Are you two going to look at me?"
Anya turned to look at Annette, and when Annette placed a hand on her shoulder and nodded, Anya took a deep breath before turning around to face Rossi. Annette followed suit, and she gasped and covered her mouth when she discovered Spencer was with him.
"So, you found out," Anya said.
"Garcia did some digging, and when we found out about the phone call Zoe made to Annette, Detective Brady filled in the rest of the blanks," Rossi explained, to which Anya nodded.
"Why didn't either of you say something to me?"
"We didn't even know you were here until the coroner found your business card on Zoe," Anya replied. "Annette and I both freaked out from the inside. Me more than her, most likely, and with Zoe's death, I needed time to process it all."
"Why didn't you answer me, kiddo?" Rossi asked, the hurt and concern clear in his voice as he looked at Annette.
"Anya's well-being was my priority," Annette replied. "My not telling you wasn't from a lack of trust. As her older sister, I had a duty to answer to. You, of all people, should know that best of all, old man.
"However, I am sorry for worrying you if I did."
Upon seeing the sincerity in Annette's eyes, Rossi nodded.
"Are you going to join us in the investigation? Like I said, your smarts and active minds would be a big help."
"I'm not hesitant to offer my help, but I will only do so if Anya accepts," Annette replied.
Anya gulped, biting her bottom lip as she struggled to decide. Upon seeing this, Rossi placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"You and Zoe were working on this together for your assignment. Finish it by helping us catch the bastard who murdered her."
Anya reached up to squeeze his hand, and when she offered her free hand to Annette, Annette gave her a small smile when she took it and gave it a squeeze.
"Okay. Let's get this son of a bitch."
"You two go on ahead," Annette announced. "I'd like to have a word with Spencer, if you can give us a moment."
"Sure," Rossi said with a nod, and he and Anya stepped down from the gazebo. Rossi placed his hands on Anya's shoulders as they walked across the open, grassy field, leaving Annette alone with Spencer.
"I wasn't expecting our next meeting to be over another case, much less one Anya and I got caught up in," she said, running her fingers through her hair.
When Spencer opened his arms to her, Annette didn't hesitate to throw herself into them. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, rubbing her back to comfort her.
"Now, not only am I having to fulfill my duties as an agent, I also have to play my assigned role as the older sister I'm supposed to be for her."
"And you have me, Rossi, and the team to help ease some of the tension," he assured. "You and Anya don't have to take this on by yourselves, okay?"
Annette nodded.
"I know. I don't want her becoming a hermit like I did. My aim is for her to feel at ease in confiding in her peers. She's been open with me, Mom, Dad, and her small circle of friends, but she needs to expand on that."
"And maybe working with us on this case will help her realize that. Everything will work out, Annette. Trust me."
"I hope so."
"Come on. Let's get back to the station."
When she nodded, she pulled away from him, and Spencer took her hand, leading her off the gazebo.
Anya will have hands-on experience with the team. This will be a splendid opportunity for her, and they will credit it on her transcripts.
She pulled her phone out and dialed the Director.
"Hi. Agent Annette Lennox. I need to talk to you about something."
End Notes: Check back in a few days for the final chapter!