THE COMEDOWN AFTER THE FOYET CASE WAS BRUTAL. Knowing he was out there and he outsmarted us is just sickening to me. To all of us. I can't help but feel like he's plotting something big.
Emily and I try not to talk about it. When we do, it just makes us so....angry. We can't drop everything and look for him because we have other cases. Foyet on top of it all is just so stressful. It looms over my head and in my dreams.
Living with Emily has helped a lot, though. Living alone can be scary in situations like these. Take Frank, for example. He called me when I was home alone. He could have shown up at my door. I think of Elle when she went home alone and she was shot.
Hotch was distant about it all. I know he felt so accomplished when we got him and we could finally put this case to rest after 10 long years. But of course, something else happened. He never leaves the BAU as it is. He might as well upgrade the couch in his office to a bed.
We were back at the BAU for a case. JJ was starting to brief us.
"Daniel Keller, 21, a junior at Benjamin Franklin University. He was killed last night while spring breaking in South Padre Island. COD, asphyxiation. He was the 2nd victim to be murdered there in the last 3 nights. The first was William Browder, also on spring break, COD asphyxiation. They were both sexually assaulted prior to death." JJ explained. Now, that's different.
"Men being raped and murdered on spring break? Well, that's a twist." I let out.
"So far the deaths have been localized to one hotel." Hotch spoke.
"The Hudson Street Hotel. Initially, the hotel was filled to capacity but lost 20% occupancy over night." JJ replied. Yeah, I see why.
"We should get a list of everyone who works there. There's a good chance one of them is the unsub and at the very least, interacted with them." Derek said.
"Garcia's already on that. Both victims were discovered by hotel staff. The last after online checkout indicated the room had been vacated." JJ replied.
"So he wanted the bodies discovered, and sooner rather than later." Emily added.
"Look at the way their posed- naked, cowering in the fetal position." Spencer made notice. It was strange.
"He's sending a message. Something about this is important to him. We just need to figure out what." Rossi said.
"And we need to do it soon. The police suspect the unsub could be another vacationing student, though I'm not willing to rule out local involvement." Hotch stood up.
"Makes sense. If the killer is a student, they could he halfway across the country by the time we're onto them." Rossi said.
"If he's a local, we could lose him as soon as his victim pool dries up." I added.
"Either way, we're almost out of time. South Padre spring break season ends this weekend." Hotch said as he walked out.
__
On the jet, we were watching the news. The media caught wind.
"National media has picked up on the story. We're gonna have to make a statement when we land." JJ said.
"We want to make people aware without obviously causing panic." Hotch said.
"Stress hypervigilance, the whole buddy system. Yeah, I'm all over it. I just don't think anyone's gonna listen." JJ said. I agree.
"What do you mean?" Spencer asked.
"Come on. Drunk college students don't exactly want to hear they shouldn't talk to strangers." JJ said and I nodded.
"Was there any DNA left on the scene?" Emily asked. Her and I always sit next to each other on the plane. It's our way of being a "couple" while working.
Garcia on the phone answered that. "Uh, yeah. Too much DNA. This portion of the Garcia Show will be brought to you by the letter "I" for icky. The lab has recovered over 100 different trace samples, as multiple guests create a cesspool of DNA. Also, there is no way to determine the exact time of "secretion" or to eliminate anyone actually working at the hotel."
"Were you able to find any connection between the first two victims?" Derek asked.
"No. They grew up in different states, they went to colleges on opposite coasts. I did the whole cross-reference credit card thing, couldn't make it connect."
"So the hotel's the only common denominator." Rossi spoke.
"Yeah. And it should be noted that the first victim, William Browder, wasn't exactly a registered guest."
"Well, that's a popular thing to do. I mean, youngsters do it all the time. They rent a room, they pack in as many kids as possible to save costs. We could be dealing with hundreds of unregistered guests." Derek said. I used to do it myself in college.
"We need to check every guest, whether they were on the books or not." Hotch said.
"Male raping male. So are we presuming our unsub or victims could be gay?" JJ asked.
"That's not necessarily true. In male rape, sexual preference typically has less to do with the crime than the power and dominance the attacker feels from the act itself." Spencer said.
"Still, it's a question we should ask the families when we interview them. It could help us determine how the unsub met the victims." I let out.
"We got a lot of work to do. Emily, JJ, Delia and I will go to the P.D and start victimology. The rest of you, there's your new home." Hotch said and set down a picture of the hotel.
__
At the station, we met with the detective on the case. She walked over and introduced herself. "Reese Evans."
"Agent Hotchner. These are Agents Parks, Prentiss and Jareau." Hotch introduced us. We smiled and shook her hand.
"Well, thanks for being here." Reese told us.
"If it's alright with you, we'd like to talk to the victims' friends and family as soon as possible." Hotch said.
"Of course. Michael Browder, the father of the first victim has just arrived to claim his son's body. And the second victims' girlfriend should be here within the hour." Reese said.
"Does Mr. Browder know the details of his son's murder?" I asked.
"Not everything. I mean, there were certain matters I didn't want to bring up on the phone." Reese replied. Probably a good idea.
"If you don't mind, we'd like to handle that ourselves. We're gonna have to ask him a few difficult questions about his son." JJ replied.
"Honestly, I have been dreading it all day." Reese replied honestly.
"JJ and Prentiss, talk to the girlfriend. Parks and I will talk to the father." Hotch said and I nodded. I figured he'd have me talk to the father.
Emily and JJ walked away. The detective walked away and left Hotch and I.
"We have to ease into the...difficult questions." I let out.
"I'll let you take the lead when we get there. I'll warm him up." Hotch said and I nodded.
We sat the father down and Hotch started right away. "Mr. Browder, did your son have any history of drug abuse? Marijuana, methamphetamine. Anything?"
"None. He was an athlete in high school and college. Tested regularly."
"Did he mention anything about meeting someone here in South Padre? Old aquanitences?" I asked.
"He came down with some friends from his school. They wanted to blow off steam before finals." He replied. Hotch looked to me and nodded. So much for easing into it.
"Mr. Browder, I hate to ask you this, but was your son gay? He had had sex with a man before he died. Knowing whether or not it was consensual will help us determine how he was targeted." I asked cautiously. This is either going to go one of two ways. He'll lash out at me for asking such a thing or he'll answer calmly. I just prepared for whatever would happen.
"No. William was not gay." He said passively.
"Thank you." I nodded.
We finished the interview and went into the room with Emily and Rossi. Morgan and Reid were finishing an interview.
"It doesn't look like either victims were gay." I spoke.
"Dan Keller's girlfriend describes him as overtly sexual and aggressive towards women. It caused quite a few problems in their relationship. And his friends said they were partying prior to his death, and he was definitely willing to overlook the fact he had a girlfriend." Emily explained. Men are pigs. Rest in peace, though.
"Does that match what you found at the scene?" Hotch asked Rossi.
"Yes and no."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"The victims were both big guys, yet there were so signs of a struggle. We profiled it as either being consensual or...the unsub had a partner." Rossi went on.
"Sounds right. What's your hesitation?" Hatch asked.
"What if it was both?"
"How so?"
"Well, even if he was confronted by two men, the first reaction of an alpha male would be to fight." Rossi said.
"But not if it were a woman." I let out.
"It's spring break. She lures the victim to her hotel room, ties him up, then once he's subdued...her partner arrives." Rossi said. Now, that made a lot more sense.
"That could explain the posing and the rape. The victims are alpha males with aggressive sexual tendencies. The unsub treats his victims the way they treat women." Emily explained.
"So we have a team. A woman who lures them back to their hotel room and ties them up..." Hotch trailed off.
"And a man who rapes and murders them." I finished.
__
That night at the hotel Emily and I stayed at we were talking in bed.
"What did you do on your spring breaks?" She asked me.
When I was in college, times were a little different. Especially in NYC.
"I made a few friends who had rich families and had beach houses in the Hamptons. Usually, we would go there and get wasted for the week. What about you?"
"Myrtle beach was my favorite spring break spot." She let out. I don't know why, but I find that surprising.
"Really?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"I don't know. You grew up all over the place. I thought you'd go to Europe or something."
"I thought about it but I think I just wanted it to be...normal." She replied honestly. "Be honest, did one of those rich families belong to a girlfriend?" She asked. Profiler.
"Why? You jealous?" I asked sarcastically.
"A little."
I chuckled softly and moved closer to her. "One of them was. Her name was Emma. Nice girl but very much closeted. In college, all I wanted was to have a girlfriend to show off to the world but she didn't want that. We broke up and stayed friends for a while but fell out of touch a few years ago." I revealed and she nodded.
"I had a few boyfriends and girlfriends in college. The boyfriends were more to appease my friends who kept trying to find someone for me. None lasted longer than two months." She chuckled.
"Well, we're a little over a year so we're winning." I smiled and she nodded.
"I never thought in a million years I'd find someone like you at work." She let out. I reached over and kissed her. "Who's your most memorable?" She asked.
"Ex?" I asked and she nodded. It took me a second but I remembered. "Bella. I dated her when I started this job. She was happy for me, at least she let me think she was. She then started getting mad I was never home, which I understand that part now. It comes with the job. But then she started cheating on me with men. I only found out because one of her friends messaged me."
"I'm sorry." She said sincerely.
"Please don't apologize. We were both unhappy." I paused. "How about you?"
She sat there for a moment. She was debating on telling me something. I could tell. She was battling herself.
"Can I tell you something?"
"Of course."
"You can't say it anyone else. It's serious, Lia." She let out and I just nodded. "I never dated him. It was just the most...memorable, to say the least. I was undercover in Ireland as Lauren Reynolds as an arms dealer and the only way we could get any information was by me acting like I was in love. His name is Ian Doyle. He was...intense. I hated myself for what I had to do to get close with him. I never wanted to....I never wanted to sleep with the enemy but it was the only way. He had a child and the child I did love. He was the sweetest little boy. In order for him to be safe, I had to separate him from Ian. He thinks the boy is dead but he's not. Ian thinks I died in a car accident but I was the reason he was finally caught. I don't know...it just always stuck with me." She revealed. I knew she went undercover in Ireland but I didn't know the extent.
"Thank you for telling me." I said honestly.
"I just love you. You make me feel like I'm worth fighting for. No one else ever has. And then man that did, was a serial killer."
"Emily, I'll always fight for you. No matter what. That is something you never have to question." I told her. I saw her eyes start to water.
Sometimes we have nights like this. We recount every single time we've felt alone and neglected and remind ourselves we have each other. The reassurance goes a long way. With everything we see, it's hard to see the good in our lives. We see a lot of evil and sometimes, it just consumes every aspect of our lives. I love my job but sometimes it's too much mentally and emotionally. You get so involved in these cases and remember just how lucky you are.
What I went through when I was younger will forever be stuck with me. The feelings and the wishes it would just stop. I prayed and prayed that it'd end. That I wouldn't be here anymore.
And then it did stop. And I was still alive. I still have the scars but it just reminds me of how far I've come on my own.
__
And of course the unsubs strike at a different hotel. We had to give the profile.
Emily, Hotch, Reese and I were at the station for the profile and Rossi, Reid and Morgan were back at Hudson Street.
"We believe at least one of our unsubs is either a guest at the Hudson Street Hotel or possibly an employee there. We have agents in uniforms recanvassing the entire property." Hotch spoke.
"But we all know kids on spring break, they migrate from place to place. We can't be sure that the killer's still on site." Reese said.
"Which is why we need you to circulate this profile." Emily said.
"We believe we're looking for a dominant/submissive team, man and a woman probably in their 20s." I said.
"We are looking for a heterosexual male who most likely is submissive in his everyday life, with everyone except his partner. To her, he becomes the dominant." Emily explained.
"His submissive female parter will be socially awkward, of average intelligence, and emotionally unstable. Look for women who are reclusive, have a problem with authority, and can't interact with dominant personalities." Hotch said.
"This form of male rape is about power and dominance. It is not about sexual orientation so victimology is key. This team targets alpha personality males who think that women are their right. Add drugs or alcohol to the equation and now we're dealing with eager victims." I explained.
"Even with the mention of rape, an alpha personality fueled by intoxication believes that he can control the situation and eventually gain the upper hand." Hotch added.
"We'll need to blanket the beach with fliers, talk to other hotels and bartenders. We have got 2 days until the spring break season ends, so let's get to work." Reese finished.
JJ came in after and said we might have something. Hotch, Emily and I followed JJ to the computer Garcia was on.
"Check this- no report of male rape anywhere in the area. It's not surprising since it's like one of the least reported crimes on the books. I also looked at video surveillance for the Hudson Street Hotel on the days of both murders, and zip."
"Tell me there is a "but" coming." Emily let out.
"But, I also looked at the days leading up to the murders, and wouldn't you know it, jackpot of jackpots, that would be William Browder aka victim number one. I would like to call him jerkface, seemingly making advances at damsel in distress, aka hotel employee Madison Cooke." She paused and pulled up the picture. We were watching him try to grab at Madison. "See jerkface grab damsel, see Adam Jackson- let's call him White Knight- intervene. See jerkface knock White Knight down. See White Knight pause. See White Knight go postal."
We watched Adam, another employee tackle William into the pool.
There's a trigger. It's like he was loading.
"Didn't the maintenance man find the second victim?" Hotch asked.
"Yeah." Emily replied.
"And he told Reid and Morgan that he'd never met either of the first two victims." Hotch added.
"Uh-huh, so why lie?" I asked. We may have found unsub number 1.
Hotch called Rossi to tell him.
Garcia called us shortly with more information on Adam Jackson.
"Adam Jackson's life reads like a "How to Make an Unsub" manual. Born in Corpus Christi, biological mother Rosemary Jackson. In and out of the hospital- broken arm, broken rib, exhaustion."
"The polite way of saying spousal abuse." I muttered. If Adam is the unsub, I see why.
"Exactly. And then she died suddenly when Adam was 5. Father unknown. Adam was left in the custody of his stepfather, Mark Harrison. Then it became Adam who was in and out of the emergency room. He was eventually foster-homed in Dallas until he was granted emancipation at the age of 16."
"I would bet you if we could see Mark Harrison back then, he would bear a striking resemblance to our unsubs' victims." Emily let out.
If Adam isn't our unsub now, he has the upbringing to become one, that's for sure.
__
Derek and Spencer brought Adam in. I took one glance at him and get a weird feeling.
"He doesn't really look like the dominant partner type, does he?" I muttered. He was pale, small in frame, very skinny, cowardly, etc.
"No." Hotch replied.
Derek seemed to be convinced, though. He fits the profile, that's for sure. His past screams unsub behavior. The only one who was able to get through to him is Spencer. He just kept asking for Julie, his boss.
Julie is the dominant, not Adam.
We ended up giving them both a polygraph. If we catch them in a lie, we can get a confession.
We decided to change interrogators so they can't get into a rhythm with their answers. I was in with Julie and Derek was in with Adam.
When they were all hooked up, we started.
"State your full name." I said.
"Julie Riley."
"What color are your eyes?"
"Blue."
"Where were you the night Carl Cade was killed?"
"At home."
"Who is the current president of the United States?"
"Barak Obama."
"Did you murder Dan Keller?"
"No."
"Did you murder William Browder?"
"No." She was starting to get angry.
"What is 32 minus 19?"
"13."
"You lied about the altercation with William Browder. Is there anything else you've lied about?"
"No."
"What time did you leave work the night William Browder was murdered?"
"I-I don't remember."
"Who is Adam Jackson to you?"
"He's just a friend."
"Would Adam kill for you?"
"No."
"Did you murder William Browder?"
"Absolutely not."
Everything was no.
And the kicker? They passed. They passed with flying fucking colors.
"The only spike I got on Adam was a control question regarding geometric equations, but...honestly, I think I just flustered him." Derek let out.
Spencer was rewatching the video of Adam pushing William into the pool over and over again.
All of us sat at a table and tried to brainstorm. We just watched the only two suspects walk right out the door.
"If Adam isn't our unsub, he has all the makings to become one someday." Emily muttered. That's for sure.
"Reid?" Hotch asked. His wheels were turning.
"Tell me the question Adam spiked with on the polygraph."
"It was a control question to set the baseline." Derek replied.
"It was a geometric equation?"
"Reid, I really think he was just intimidated. He tried, he got it wrong, but he wasn't supposed to know the answer anyway."
"What if he lied? What if he know the answer to the question but intentionally got it wrong?" Spencer went on.
"Why would he do that?" JJ asked.
"Because he realized that he wouldn't know that answer."
"You're losing me, kid." Derek muttered. Me too.
"Adam said he wasn't getting any rest. He takes midday naps because he's always exhausted. He has a history of blackout behavior from prolonged related abuse suffered at the hands of a dominant male who transferred abuse from his female spouse to his prepubescent child." Spencer kept going. I'm still lost.
"Where are you going with this?" I asked.
"What if your unsub couple isn't a couple at all?"
Oh my god.
"Dissociative identity disorder?" I asked.
"You think Adam's a multiple personalty?" Rossi asked.
"Well, it fits the profile. Recurrent physical abuse, knowledge he shouldn't have. We've seen this before." Emily said. It makes a lot of sense.
We suited up and went back to the hotel. We knew Adam's split personality did it. There was a change in his demeanor a few times but the interrogation blurred the line between Adam and his split identity.
As soon as we got there, we split up. Hotch, Emily and I's attention got called to the back.
It was Julie. She was hurt.
I got down to her level. "Julie? Can you hear me?" I asked. She was coughing.
"Adam." She let out.
"Okay, help is on the way. I need you not to move."
"It wasn't...him...strange." She choked out. She was covered in blood.
"Julie, did he say where he was going?" Hotch asked.
"He called himself Amanda."
He's going to go after Mark Harrison. I stayed with Julie while Rossi, Reid and Derek went to his step-father's house.
They got him. At least they're going to get him the help they need.
Another case in the books.