Eidetic - A Criminal Minds/Spencer Reid Story

Chapter Six - Lost and Found

"Loss and possession, death and life are one. There falls no shadow where there shines no sun." - Hilaire Belloc

*Spencer Reid*

Doug basically told us that his parents had fabricated this whole story that his mother was pregnant and kidnapped a baby in order to keep the lie alive. It wasn't until this year that Doug had learned of a baby named Jessica Smith that went missing the day of Hailey's "birthday" and he was able to put two-and-two together, and he was the one who had given Hailey that note.

He also explained in great detail what his parents went through the effort of painting her to be the "perfect little girl" and would sometimes beat her if she did something wrong. Throughout the years, he looked out for her and would always make sure she was alright.

"I don't want to believe that my parents had anything to do with this, but deep down I know they're behind Hailey's disappearance," Doug said, with tears brimming his eyes. "I promised her that I would do everything I could to bring her back to her real family." He was on the verge of breaking down in sobs, so Viv did her best to calm him down.

"Okay, it's okay," she said, rubbing his arm. "Doug, this is important." He looked up at her after rubbing his eyes. "When did you give Hailey the note?"

"Last week," he replied. Viv and I looked at each other, and then she smiled softly at him.

"Okay, thank you, Doug. We're going to have to have you wait here," she said.

After questioning Doug, we hurried to the security office to check in with the rest of the team who had been watching the interview from there and also checking Doug's story. "If what Doug is saying is true, then Mr. and Mrs. Waters must've found some way of getting rid of Hailey when they found out that Doug had learned Hailey is really Jessica Smith," JJ said when we walked in.

"Yeah, but they wouldn't kill her though," Viv replied. "When I first met them they seemed way too calm to be guilty of murdering a ten-year-old girl."

"So, they must've thought that if they didn't give her her insulin, it would eventually take a toll on her," I added in. "Garcia, did you run Jessica Smith through missing persons?"

"I did, and Doug's story holds up. Jessica Smith went missing from her home after her parents were killed on January 13, 2006 and that is the same date of Hailey's supposed birthday," Garcia said. "The case went cold after a few months."

"That's extremely bold to abduct a child from her home, murder the parents, and then get away with it for ten years," Hotch said. "They must've done this before."

"If this theory is true, wouldn't they have more kids in the house then?" JJ asked. "The only other kid they have is Doug."

I went completely silent and then thought to myself. Hotch was right, they have done this before, but there is no evidence of any other kids having lived in that house. Doug also never mentioned having any other siblings. That is unless...

"Spence, you have that thinking look on your face, what is it?" JJ said.

"Garcia, did Mrs. Waters have a hysterectomy?" I asked. She typed a few things on her computer and then a window with a medical record popped up.

"Okay, junior G-man, I have no idea how you could've known that but yes she did because of ovarian cancer."

"When was the procedure?" I asked.

"Let's see." Garcia scrolled through the record and then stopped at a date. "December 12, 1997." Viv gasped when the realization hit her.

"Guys, Doug's birthday is in 2000," she said. "Reid, I see where you're going with this."