𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐄 ━━ 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴

⠀⠀𝟯𝟲. ❛ FINE LINE ❜

     Everything that evening had played out the way it ordinarily did up until that moment. Well, aside from the constant back-and-forth puns and giggles.

     Cara Valentine never smiled, at least not genuinely or fully. The only witness to ever catch glimpse of such a sight had been none other than Spencer Reid, and he saw it for one last time that night.

    The blonde had pressed a kiss to his cheek before moving toward her door. She unlocked it, maintaining eye contact with him. After stepping over the threshold into her humble abode, she said, 'Goodnight, Spen,' giving Reid a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes before closing the door. It'd been the first smile since they landed that wasn't natural. Finally, the door shut, and Spencer was left standing dumbfounded in the hallway for a full minute before retreating to his own apartment.

     And that was the last time anyone had seen Cara Valentine.

     "Please state your name and rank for the record," SES Mateo Cruz spoke, leaning forward and pressing one of the many black buttons on the speaker. Regaining his posture, he stared expectantly at the man before him.

     "You can't be serious. Come on, man!" Derek Morgan snapped, throwing his hands up.

     Drawing in a deep breath, Cruz gave him a pointed look. "Say your name and rank for the record," he repeated.

     Rolling his eyes, the dark-skinned man sighed, "Supervisory Special Agent Derek Morgan for the F.B.I.'S Behavioral Analysis Unit in Quantico, Virginia."

     "And how long have you known ex-convict Caralyn Valentine?" Cruz asked before walking over and seating him across from the latter.

     "Six months," Morgan reported, placing his hands in his lap.

     Picking up a pen from the long, cherrywood table, Cruz clicked it twice before placing it back down. "In your own words, how would you describe the work she had done on the team so far?" he questioned, raising his eyes to meet the next agent's.

     "Impeccable. For a woman who'd never had a proper job before, let alone interacted much with society and regular citizens, she performed the job with ease and in a cordial manner. All of us were quite impressed," Alex Blake responded, brushing away a strand of hair.

     Cruz nodded. "How would you describe Valentine's recent behavior? Has she seemed on edge or jaded? More emotional than normal? Reticent?" he suggested, raising a brow.

     Shaking her head, Blake remained stoic. "Valentine was behaving normally. However, she was already reserved, very impassive, quiet, and difficult to read. Growing up, she was trained in interrogation, lying, and manipulative methods. Factor in the environment she was emersed in and what was required of her— she learned to be emotionless. The closest I'd ever seen her resemble any type of forthright emotion, aside from amusement, was when she was asked to be in the interrogation room with former Red Scorpions co-leader Joseph Arthur," she explained, folding her hands together.

     "So, would it be acceptable to state that there was nothing odd with her behavior at work and out of?" Cruz followed up, clearing his throat as he avoided the woman's stare.

     "Yes," JJ responded, setting her arms on the table. "She was quieter than usual, but that's all."

     The SES Agent pushed himself up and out of his chair and moved around the conference room again. "What were the relationships Valentine formed like?" he asked, glancing over at the blonde.

     Furrowing her brows, she gave the man a perplexed look. "Are you insinuating that someone on this team is behind what happened?" she retorted.

     "No. We know no one on the team was behind this. However, you and SSA Morgan were the only two to initially object to Caralyn Valentine being assigned to the team. I'm just curious about your relationship with her and what the other ones she formed looked like." Cruz clarified, coming to a stop as he was only a few feet away from where the woman sat.