The Confusing Killer
“Agent Hotchner?” A woman in blue came up to them, to shake their hand. “So we meet again...” she chuckled.
“Unfortunately, it has to be under these circumstances...” Hotch responded, as they were lead to the same room they had been in just 2 month earlier, solving another case. They entered the familiar room, setting their files on the table, and turning their attention to the transparent board in the back of the room, where there were pictures and colorful index cards supported by little rectangles of clear tape on it. Each picture of a victim, and their names written below them, on the neon pieces of paper. Next to it was a map with three pins, marking at the body disposal sites.
“Do we know where the victims could have been abducted?” Hotch asked, looking back at the chief of police. He was met with a sad up and down nod.
“Never came home from a night out with their friends, who claimed to go to the same bar.” Hotch and Rossi furrowed their brows, before the chief continued, “the Angels and Devils, it’s a restaurant/bar in Rivergrove.” She clarified.
“So we know where he’s getting his victims...” Rossi said flickering between Hotch and the board.
“He?” The chief asked, and they both turned to look at her, but she gave no time for them to answer. “How can you tell it’s a male? I mean, all the victims were between 21 and 22, they’ve got slim shape—“ she was cut off by Rossi’s defensive tone.
“I meant ‘he’ the unsub, not specifically a male.” He said, waving his hands, “I apologize.” She nodded, and gave him a playful smile that told him I’m just messing with you, as she left them to it.
“Just because she has a gun, doesn’t mean she’ll shoot you.” Hotch said, grinning at the scared look that had grown on Rossi’s face. They chuckled as the phone that was placed on the table, next to the, now open case files, rang.
*********
“You must be Dr. Reid? I’m Dr. Lee!” A young man cane up to them. He had black hair falling below his shoulders on ponytail behind his neck, and welcomed look on his face to match. He extended his hand to Spencer, but Emily took it instead. He looked a little confused, but chuckled.
“He’s got a germ thing...” she said with a smile, raising the opposite hand to cover the side of her mouth, playfully.
“So, we ran a few more tests aft—“
“Why’s the cut half healed?” Spencer cut off the doctor.
“Remorse, maybe?” Prentiss supplied shaking her head, and crossing her arms.
“That’s the thing. There was no evidence of the wound being cleaned, if it weren’t for the amount of blood loss, I’d say the wound was about 2 months old.” The ME told them, as they looked at their third victim’s corpse.
“But couldn’t the blood loss be from the new substance in their system?” Reid said, staying up straight and looking at the other doctor in the eyes.
“The substance we found was, in a way, overwriting the blood, but it was still there, it was just being taken over. And the stab wound cause her to “bleed” out, that substance included.” The ME explained.
“Do you have a sample I could look at?” Spencer asked.
“I’m afraid we can’t show you, Dr. Reid,” the Doctors said, giving him a look, as he moved to the other end of the room, to close the doors. He moved to to the closet closest to it, and took a vial from it. He closed the drawer, and moved next to agents. “It’s classified, only the doctors are able to see it, my apologies.” He said slipping the vial into Spencer’s bag, and re-opening the doors.
“We understand.” Emily said, and the nodded at each other and the ME.
“If you take a look at where the heart was removed, who ever did this, somewhat knew what they were doing.” The Doctor gestured around the whole in the victim’s chest. “There are a lot of hesitation marks,” he pointed to specific parts on the corpse’s skin, “but they used the right amount of force, for the others too! A sharp knife, angled just right, this was well executed, but... I don’t know, something’s off...” the ME frowned.
“Off? Off how?” Prentiss asked.
“Well, all of the victim’s were killed professionally, but all of this hesitancy... professionals aren’t this soft on their victims” he elaborated.
“There must be a personal connection, and if it’s with the other victims too, their paths had to have crossed at some point, or at least with the unsub.” Reid said, as he stepped away from them taking out his phone. Prentiss said their goodbyes to the doctor, and left with Spencer, heading back to station.
*********
As they arrived at the victim’s house, Morgan and JJ were greeted by a handful of officers.
“Agents Morgan, and Jareau.” Morgan said as they flashed their badges. They opened the door to a pool of blood on the couch, and someone wailing in the room next to them. They gave each other a look, and JJ left, walking towards the sound, while Morgan looked around at the crime scene in front of him.
“Hello, I’m agent Jareau, I’m with the FBI.” JJ said to the man with tears in his eyes. He was sitting at the end of a bed, in what JJ assumed to be their bedroom. “Can I sit here?” She asked him, and he nodded, trying to calm himself down and wiping the tears off his face. She shot a look at the officer in the room, telling her I got this, and the officer removed herself from the room with a nod and soft smile.
“I’m Ajay,” he said with a shaky voice, “Johnny is—was—“ he broke crying once again. She put an around his shoulders, and pulled him close.
“It’s ok, it’s gonna be ok...” she tried reassuring him. “Do you want to talk about him?” She asked. They weren’t expecting him to be there, but since he was, they wouldn’t mind trying to get some extra information. He nodded, and separated from her, sitting sideways, crossing his legs.
“What was he like?” She asked, and there was such a gentle tone in her voice, so calm and understanding.
“Kind.” He looked up, trying not to cry again. “No matter how depressed he got, he was never not kind. Everyone loved him, everyone at work, everyone at church, everyone that knew him... he was always so kind, and he could brighten anyone’s day, with a simple smile.” She gave him a soft smile of her own, and patted his shoulder.
“So there was no one that would want to hurt him?” He nodded and she continued, “ok... did he seem, strange lately?” He got up quickly, placed a defensive look on his face.
“No! No, he was fine. Nothing was wrong!” That same defensiveness reflecting on his tone. She raised her hands, getting off the bed.
“Ok, ok! I believe you... it was just a question, I’m sorry it upset you.” She said, and he moved to the bag on the floor, shoving some clothes in it, tears streaming down his face once more. She knelt beside him. “Something happed, didn’t it?” She asked him, and he shook his head yes at her. “Will you tell me?” He nodded no at her this time, instead responding with:
“But I can show you...” he told her, moving to open the drawer on the nightstand next to him. He pulled out a clear case with a CD in it, and handed it to her. “He sent me this—not Johnny, the k-“ he cut himself off, and she took the CD from his hand.
“Why didn’t you give this to the police?” She asked him, furrowing her brows.
“I was scared, I- I- I don’t know wha-“ he stuttered. She rubbed his back, comforting him, as he resumed crying while packing his stuff.
“Shhhh, it’s ok, you’re not in trouble! It’s ok...” she reassured him. They left the room a few minutes later, and the officer that was previously in the room, escorted Ajay out through the back door.
“Morgan!” She said, waving the CD in the air, and he looked at her in confusion. “What did you find?” She asked him.
“There was no signed of forced entry, and there isn’t that much blood, so he’s been dead for a while. What about you, what’s that?” He motioned to the transparent case on JJ’s hand.
“The unsub sent Ajay a CD, and he was too scared to give it to the police...” she told him as they entered the SUV they came in.
“We need to figure out what’s in there!” Derek said, slipping in the car keys.
“And if the others also received one too...”