𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖 ━━ 𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐤 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧

『32』

"Sweetie, you've been taking really good care of me ever since you and the rest of the team found me and Reid a month and a half ago. But you don't have to go as far as making me move in with you." I was about to get out of the bed, but he rushed towards me.

"If I want to take care of my girl 24/7, then I've gotta live with my girl. Besides, I was going to ask you to move in with me, so it all works out." Derek wrapped my arm around his shoulders before picking me up bridal style.

"Bert and Ernie seem to be enjoying their time here." I commented after noticing the two laying around on the couch in the living room. "Thank you for letting them move in with us." I kissed his cheek.

"I've always wanted a dog. And a girlfriend." He set me down on the ground. "Let's get to work. Don't want to be late on your first day back." He tucked away a strand of my hair.

"But you have to promise me something." I placed my hands on his shoulders. "If my brother orders me to stay behind, you better support me against him." I gave him a look.

"Well, if it's about your safety, I am not going against him." He shook his head.

"You're worse than my brother." I groaned in complaint. Soon, we were gathered around in the conference room.

"Sandra Davis, sixteen years old. This is her singing at her high school talent show a month ago." JJ played the clip of a young girl singing. "This is her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Ken Newcombe." She pulled up a guy's picture beside the video. "Their bodies were found in a park near the male victim's car in Groton, an affluent, mostly white suburb of New York City in Westchester County. It's the third of three killings believed to be a series of hate crimes." JJ announced.

"Hate crimes?" Emily's eyes widened in surprise.

"The first two victims were Keisha Andrews, fifteen, and Vickie Williams, seventeen." Aaron stood up and went over to the monitor. "They disappeared from their homes in central Westchester one night. Their bodies were found in a wooded area in the southern part of the county in a wooded area." We looked through the pictures.

"Strangled, beaten, stabbed." Gideon listed out.

"And this was painted on their faces." JJ changed the pictures.

"What about this couple? How were they a part of it?" Derek discreetly reached over and took my hand in his.

"Another swastika. This one on the boyfriend's car." She showed us the blue vehicle with the word 'Stop' along with the symbol spray painted on.

"It's a different victimology." Emily pointed out.

"It could be an escalation." I suggested.

"Or a different killer." Gideon spoke up.

"And it doesn't end there. Yesterday, an African-American community leader, a Reverend Williams, decided to take this on as a political issue. Racial hate in the suburbs." Aaron stated and played a video.

"What we are seeing is pure apathy. Black kids are getting killed, and the police are doing nothing to stop it. When will these racists be confronted?" The man exclaimed unsurprisingly.

"Apparently, in response to Reverend William's muckraking, a black kid was beaten on the streets of Groton this afternoon. Connecticut Neo-Nazi group called the White Stallions claimed responsibility." JJ set down the remote.

"There are Neo-Nazi groups in Connecticut?" Emily looked up at her.

"Mayor of Groton called me this morning, frantic. He's desperate to solve these crimes before it escalates even more." I noticed that Spencer was slightly jumpy.