Honesty - Criminal Minds || Spencer Reid Fanfiction

2. Team

"Actually," I cleared my throat, planning on injecting myself right into the discussion with what I'd told Hotch the previous night. "I studied the case before today and there's something bugging me about the way he dismembers the women. He's clearly a stalker, who else would know that these women wouldn't be disturbed for three days straight? He knows them well enough to be let into their houses as there are no signs of forced entry. That got me thinking that maybe he's some sort of maintenance guy. Someone who the victim would let into her house, someone who would get to know her routine if it was a lengthy job, someone who would know he'd go un-disturbed in her house, allowing him to do all of these things.

"But then I realised that all women are defence lawyers, and all are extremely committed to their jobs. The only time they get off is three days out of every month, and you can bet that those are the days the Unsub held them.

"I'd bet he's a failed professional in the law area; maybe a lawyer himself or even in law enforcement, that's why he has so much hatred for them, because they were successful where he wasn't. Also, it doesn't really make sense as to how skilled he is at the hunt, the stalk, the torture, the kill, the post-mortem attacks, the trophy taking and then the dumping, and yet he's only on his fourth victim."

"Oh my giddy aunt are you saying there are more women?" Garcia gasped from the opposite side of the table. I shrugged and sighed.

"I don't know, I really hope not, but looking at the skill of this guy, I'd most likely bet there are more women. Maybe not quite as brutal as this, and maybe not so public. But he's definitely done this before."

The three men in the room were looking at me in slight surprise; evidently not expecting me to come out with all of that on the first job.
"Hotch mentioned that you'd worked a preliminary profile," Garcia smiled proudly. "I think it's a good shot." She added comfortingly.

"It makes a lot of sense if he failed in their line of work." Morgan admitted.

"But what's bothering me is Rochelle. All the other victims lived in upper-class, family-oriented areas. Rochelle lived in a middle-class apartment block. The other victims were single, hard-working women wanting to send money back home to provide for their families. Rochelle was significantly younger than the women and had all of her family living a few blocks away. She doesn't fit his victimology." Rossi admitted.

"Maybe a witness?" Morgan suggested.

"Too coincidental. She fits the victimology in every other way. She was abducted around the same time the Unsub was most likely to strike again. And she works in a lawyers office."
"But she wasn't kept in her apartment like the others." JJ pointed out.

"Maybe she's special to him," I suggested. "Maybe she's been the ultimate target he's been aiming for."
"Then why not pick victims the same as her in terms of her residence?" Morgan posed.

"Maybe they were as close as he got." I suggested. Morgan pondered this for a second before answering,
"But surely there's going to be more African-American women in their twenties with family close-by than what there's going to be of single lawyers between the ages of thirty and thirty-five living in California sending money home to their families." We were all silent in agreement with Morgan before JJ spoke again.

"Press reported on all cases and made the connection. They're calling him The Californian Warrior."

"Warrior?" Rossi echoed.
"That's making him out to be a fighter, a hero, that's only going to widen his ego and make him kill again." Reid explained in a horrified tone.

"Damn press will be the death of me," JJ mumbled under her breath, gathering her papers. "I'll sort it when we get there, get them to tone it down a bit." She added.
"Why do they have to name these people? It only gives them reasons to kill again." Garcia pouted.