CM: BigBang 2011
Chapter 3
A tall, thin man, with sandy blond hair and dark eyes met Jo and Reid at the station. Reid was a bit surprised when Jo stepped forward and held her hand out.
“I´m Detective Buckner. Are you the BAU?” The man said and shook Jo´s hand.
“Yes,” Jo said, “I´m Agent Davenport and this is Dr. Spencer Reid.” Jo glanced over her shoulder when she said Reid´s name. Detective Buckner extended his hand and Reid shook it briefly. Reid instantly noticed Buckner´s grip wasn´t very firm, more of grab fingers and shake once.
“I thought there would be more people?” the detective asked and turned to Jo. “SAA Hotchner and SSA Rossi are out in the field. Is there a room where we can set up?” Jo said and Reid wasn´t sure if he heard a hint of disapproval in her tone.
“Ahh, yes, right this way.” Detective Buckner led them to a small room with cork - and white boards.
“Thank you,” Jo said and smiled pleased.
“And here are the information your unit chief asked for,” Detective Buckner said and held out a thick manila folder toward Jo.
“Excellent, thank you.” Jo replied and accepted the folder only to hand it over to Reid. Reid set the folder on the table and opened it while he listened to the conversation.
“Any ideas of who this guy might be?” The detective asked and scratched behind his ear.
“We´ve barely started to put together a profile. So far we only have theories that we need to look into and see how and if, they fit into the profile. The more answers we get, the more accurate the profile,” she said patiently. Reid was impressed by her reply.
“Okay, I´ll leave you to it then,” Buckner said.
“Thank you, detective,” Jo said and waited until he´d closed the door behind him. She moved to Reid´s side and looked into the folder. The closeness made him feel uncomfortable and he took a step away. She looked at him, her eyebrows raised in surprise. Then she glanced at the papers on the table and pulled out a map. “Here,” she said and held it out. “Pick a spot.”
“What?” Reid replied startled as he accepted the map.
“I don´t know how you like to work, so you get to pick the first spot. I´ll work around you.” Jo was organizing the information in the folder into the three piles, one for each victim.
Reid smiled shyly and walked into the furthest corner and fastened the map up on a cork board with pins already on the board. He started putting in the information he knew and heard Jo work on the opposite end of the room, moving papers, talking on the phone and typing on the laptop that accompanied the team everywhere they went. He was too focused on his task to pay any attention to her and frankly he wasn´t sure what he should be saying. His map soon became colorful; he´d found the unsub´s comfort-zone and had colored in the triangular, put pins in where the victims lived and was trying to find the fastest way to figure out where the unsub would strike next. The air in the room was stuffy and he soon felt a start of a headache coming on. Closing his eyes and rubbing his temple, he tried to relax the muscles in his shoulders and neck.
“Dr. Reid,” Jo called.
Reid turned his head and looked at her, ignoring the dizziness the sudden motion caused. “Yes?”
“It´s after three, I was thinking of getting something to eat for everyone. Care to join me?” she asked smiling.
Reid nodded tiredly. Some fresh air and good coffee along with food might actually lessen his headache. “Sure.”
“Are you alright?” Jo asked as he walked past her to get his bag.
“Yeah, I´m fine,” Reid threw over his shoulder defensively as he walked out of the office.
When they arrived back at the office, Reid felt much better. Hotch and Dave had arrived and where looking over Jo´s work on the boards. Rossi quickly claimed a take-out tray when Jo started picking up salad trays, juice and energy drinks from a paper bags. Reid set down the carry-on tray, holding two to-go coffees. Hotch stepped up to him and Reid quickly picked up Hotch´s cups and handed it to him with a smile. Hotch looked pleased and briefly touched him on his lower back as a thank you. They didn´t notice Jo watching the exchange and frowning slightly before locking her eyes with Rossi. Reid sensed the tension in the air and glanced uncomfortable between them as Jo and Rossi stared at each other until Jo looked away with a slight nod. They all settled down with food, drinks and coffee.
“What have you got?” Hotch asked as he took a first bite.
“I sent the security footage to Garcia and she´s running her facial-recognition-program to see if she can find anyone who was at all of the bars. She´s going to edit the stage-footage for us when she´s done.” Jo started, “I´ve also contacted the reporter who´s been the most vicious in his writing, Josef Riley. The other reporters have mostly picked up what he wrote, I´m confident that if I can get him to tone it down or stop, the others will follow. I´m talking to him in an hour.”
“I´d like to be there when you talk to him,” Hotch told her. Jo leaned back in her chair and stared at him in thought. “If you are uncomfortable having me in the room, we can use an interrogation room,” Hotch added.
Jo let her gaze fall to the table as she played with the fork with her fingers. “No, that won´t be necessary,” she replied firmly when she looked back at him.
Hotch nodded before prompting the others to continue.
In middle of throwing around ideas the laptop buzzed in front of Reid. He hit a button and Garcia came on screen.
“Hello, my heroic crime fighters! I´ve got good news and I’ve got bad news and some more bad news, which do you want first?”
“How about the bad news,” Reid told her as he turned the laptop so everyone could see as they leaned in closer.
“Alright, the bad news is, there are on the average of twelve rapes a day in Massachusetts alone and roughly forty percent of those get reported. That said I´ve found two hundred and eight women that reported attempted rape or a sexual assault in the past three months that fit your criteria. Now I´m only talking about blonds in their early to mid twenties, I need more to narrow it down,” Garcia said sadly.
“How about attacks that happen in their homes on Thursday nights? The rapist would have brought a kit with him.” Rossi asked.
They watched as Garcia picked on her keyboard. “Sorry, that narrows it down to eighty five.”
The room fell silent when they realized that was still too many.
“And the other bad news?” Hotch asked.
“My program is all done and didn´t find any matches but I want it noted that some of the audience were wearing hats and caps that make it difficult for my baby. The good news is that I´m done with the editing and the footage of the victims is on its way to your inbox now,” the tech said as she hit enter with small drama.
“Thank you, Garcia,” Reid said.
“You´re welcome, my genius. Talk to you later.” And with that the screen went blank.
Detective Buckner chose that moment to stick his head inside the door. “There is a reporter here to talk to you.”
“Thank you,” Jo replied and picked up a file. “Is there anywhere I could speak with him in private,” she asked as the door fell shut behind her and the detective.
“Watch the footage, see if there is anything that we can add to the victimology or the profile,” Hotch said and followed Jo and the detective.
***
Hotch found the office that Agent Davenport had borrowed to interview the journalist. So far, her work had been excellent and on the spot. She seemed to have a good sense of what was important and what wasn´t, and it was good not having to watch her every step, not that he was going to take his eyes completely off of her. She might not be a trained profiler but had every potential to be an excellent one.
He watched her hand over a mug of coffee to the journalist, who sat in a chair with his back toward the desk. Jo took a seat on a small sofa across from the reporter, facing the door and with a small coffee table between them. She smiled and said something to the reporter who nodded his agreement.
Opening the door, Hotch stepped inside and closed the door behind him. “This is SAC Hotchner,” Jo said immediately, “he´ll be observing the interview.”
Mr. Riley looked at Hotch over his shoulder before turning his attention back to Jo. “Is he here to supervise you?” he asked mockingly with a grin as Hotch took a seat in the visitor chair by the desk. Hotch found it an excellent strategy to place the reporter between them even though he had a clear view of Jo, it would make the reporter a bit on edge. Without a word, Hotch crossed his legs and folded his hands in front of him, resting his elbows on the arm rests.
Jo stared Mr. Riley in the eyes without as much as a smile and Riley´s gaze became tensed as he glared back at Jo. Hotch had to bite back a smirk at Jo´s play when the reporter quickly turned serious. “I´m not pulling the story,” the reporter stated defensively, leaning forward in his chair.
Jo looked at him for a moment before opening her file and pulling out a print out. “Mr. Riley, I read your articles,” she said patiently, “They are really good.” She let a couple of seconds of silence pass and the reporter´s gaze didn´t flutter. “Some of the key facts are wrong but they are good. You are a good writer,” she said conversationally and looked at the man.
Mr. Riley leaned back in the chair. “What facts are wrong?” he said in a conversational tone.
Jo smiled but Hotch saw it barely reached her eyes. “I won´t let you use me as your resource but your current one isn´t very good.” Jo leaned back in the sofa and Hotch noticed she was observing the man really closely.
“What will it take for you to stop reporting the story?” she asked, never taking her eyes of Mr. Riley.
Hotch raised his head and watched her carefully, she didn´t even glance his way.
The reporter leaned forward again: “I want in, be there when you make an arrest, I want names, dates and everything else you got.”
Jo smiled sadly. “You know I can´t allow that,” she said and looked away in thought. “What about you´ll be the first phone call I make after the arrest,” she asked and locked her eyes with Mr. Riley´s.
Mr. Riley became thoughtful. He looked at Jo, who didn´t look away, and then looked over his shoulder at Hotch. Hotch made sure his face was neutral and met his gaze without hesitation.
“I need more,” Riley said.
Jo nodded thoughtfully. “How about I´ll be available to answer all the questions I can answer without jeopardizing the trial?” Jo looked at the man very carefully. “That´s the last of my leverage, Mr. Riley,” Jo said after a short pause, indicating either the reporter would take it or face the consequences.
“And if I don´t?” Mr. Riley asked Jo and Hotch knew she had him.
“I´ll have to arrest you for interfering with an ongoing investigation and have you held until you give up your poor informant,” Jo said fiercely to indicate she was more than willing to do that right now. “Either you´d give up your informant and walk, throwing away your reputation as a journalist, or you´ll be brought before a judge and held in contempt of court until the case is closed, ending up with nothing.”
Mr. Riley sighed and nodded. “Okay, I´ll take it. First call and an exclusive interview,” he said.
“Yes,” Jo confirmed and stood up. “Do you have a number I can call?”
The man rose as well and handed her a card. Jo extended her hand after she made a point of setting the card in her folder. “I´m sorry,” Jo said, “I know you are just doing your job but right now you’re keeping us from doing ours.”
“Yeah, I understand,” Mr. Riley replied and shook her hand. “I´ll be waiting for your call,” he said as he turned around and walked out of the room, completely ignoring Hotch.
Hotch stood up and looked at Jo, who met his gaze. “Did I pass the Hotchner test?” She asked teasingly and gave him a genuine smile, this one reaching her eyes.
“A-plus,” he replied and returned her smile. “An interview?” he added with raised eyebrows as he held the door for her.
“Sometimes you just need to give that little bit extra,” Jo said and shrugged as her phone started to vibrate in her hand. She looked at the caller ID. “Excuse me,” she said and looked at him, “I have to take this.”
Hotch drew in a deep breath. He had no doubt that the reporter had left with nothing more than Jo had originally decided to offer him. He looked her over, she was definitely his type, blond, blue eyes, physically and emotionally strong and extremely independent, but he felt nothing around her. He was just relieved that she didn´t remind him of Haley and all of the mistakes he´d made.
He watched as she took the call on her cell. She looked around before walking to a quiet space in the station, her back against the wall and watching anyone who came within four feet while she spoke. The serious expression on her face indicated this was not a family call. That gut feeling that told him she was hiding something, flared.
He waited for her by the door, holding the knob to prevent her from entering the room.
“Everything alright?” He asked.
“Yes, sir,” she replied and met his eyes without faltering. “Shall we?” she asked a few seconds later and he opened the door for her.
“Judy Garland,” Rossi said when he noticed them.
“What?” Hotch asked and walked up to the chair Reid was sitting in, looking over his shoulder at the laptop.
“I Got Rhythm, Meet me in St. Louis and But Not For Me are all songs that Judy Garland sang,” Rossi said.
“I don´t even want to know how you know that,” Jo said and grinned. Hotch pretended to clear his throat when Dave glared at Jo. Jo turned serious moments later, “Didn´t she die in the nineteen seventies?”
“June twenty second, nineteen sixty nine,” Reid said immediately.
“That means the songs must be from the early to mid twentieth century,” Jo said.
“Written in nineteen o four and nineteen thirty,” Reid replied instantly.
“Judy Garland made them famous in the nineteen forties,” Rossi said harshly. “She sang over a hundred songs in her career,” Rossi said, “Most of them were for films and many of them were duets with men. A lot of her songs are still known today and are popular in karaoke.”
“Right,” Jo said dragging the word out, staring at Rossi with humor in her eyes.
Hotch looked at his watch. “It´s getting late, we should find something to eat and head over to the hotel. We´ll give the profile in the morning.”
Everyone agreed and they followed Hotch out of the station, each carrying a folder under their arm.
***
Ch: 4