Disclaimer: I own nothing.
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Author's Note: This is my first full-length Criminal Minds fic. Some chapters from my other Emily/Hotch fic 'The Simple Life' will be removed and written into this story.
This story starts at the end of 2008, and some dates and ages may be fudged, but bear with me.
Enjoy!
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October 2008:
Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Hotchner was away on a week's leave, spending time with his son, and so when Agent Jennifer Jareau had a case to present to the team on Wednesday afternoon, Acting Agent in Change Special Agent David Rossi called the team to the meeting room.
As the team gathered around the table, JJ commenced her brief. 'Two weeks ago Kelsey and Les Doyle were stabbed to death when out shopping in Manchester. Six days ago, partners Jacinta Yentz and Oscar Wellington-Moore were found stabbed to on the front lawn of their home. And then two days ago, this...' said JJ, clicking her remote for the image to appear on screen.
'Wow,' said Dr Spencer Reid. 'That's one heck of an escalation,' added Special Agent Emily Prentiss. 'Richard and Shauna Schmeltz, found stabbed to death in their house,' concluded JJ.
'How do we know it's the same guy?' asked Special Agent Derek Morgan.
'The autopsy reports show the same blade was used on all the victims. There was a knick in the blade that left a mark on all six bodies,' said JJ.
'Any connections between the victims?' asked Rossi, head in the file in front of him.
'Apart from the same knife, no. The Doyles had two kids, the Schmeltz's had a son, but the other couple weren't married and had no children. Doyle's are mid-forties, Schmeltz's mid-twenties and the other two victims are early 30's. They all have different jobs and move in different circles. The Manchester Police Department have found no other connection between them, and have asked for our help,' said JJ turning to Rossi.
Looking up from the file in front of him, Rossi nodded. 'Wheels up in forty.'
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Arriving in Manchester, New Hampshire, there were mere hours left until nightfall. Sending Morgan and Prentiss to visit the Schmeltz household crime scene, he took JJ and Reid with him to the police station. Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia was working furiously in her lab at Quantico to find any connections between the victims.
When JJ, Reid and Rossi walked in the Manchester Police Department station door, they are greeted by the lead detective. 'Detective Robert Pendlebury, Manchester PD. Call me Bert.'
'I'm Agent Jareau,' said JJ, shaking the proferred hand. 'This is Agent David Rossi and Dr Spencer Reid.'
'I appreciate you coming. You'll be wanting to set up I imagine. I've cleared the conference room for you,' said Detective Pendlebury. 'Right this way.'
Meanwhile, Morgan and Prentiss have arrived at the Schmeltz house, escorted by Sergeant Lauren Annenburg, the first cop on the scene two days earlier. Unlocking the front door, she allows Morgan and Prentiss to enter. 'I've seen some pretty gruesome things in my time, but this takes the prize.'
Stepping into the main bedroom, Prentiss sucks in a sharp breath as she notes the blood splatter. The pictures had not done it justice.
Morgan questions Detective Annenburg further about what she saw and heard when she arrived on the scene. 'The funny thing is that when I stepped into the house, it looked so normal. And then I came upstairs and saw this,' said Detective Annenburg, spreading her arm out. 'The worse part was that poor kid. We found him hiding under his bed.'
'Did the boy see or hear anything?' asked Morgan. 'No,' responded the detective. 'He'd woken up in the morning and gone to find his parents. He'd found them like this, rang 911 and then hid in his room.'
Shutting the case file closed, Emily makes her way over to Morgan. Nothing seemed to be out of place.
By the time they wrap up their conversation and return to the station, night has fallen. Heading to the conference room, Emily and Morgan are introduced to Detective Pendlebury, before the team turns their attention to the speaker phone as Garcia's voice came over the line. 'Greetings crime fighters.'
'Hey baby girl. What have you got for us?' said Morgan. 'Not going to disappoint us are you?'
'When do I ever?' smirked Garcia, before snapping into business. 'Kelsey and Les Doyle recently relocated to Manchester from Cleveland, Ohio. Jacinta Yentz is another out-of-stater, but Oscar Wellington-Moore is a born and bred Manchy...'
'Manchy?' mouthed Emily to JJ, who rolled her eyes in response and laughed.
'... Richard and Shauna were both born in rural New Hampshire and have lived in Manchester for the last five years,' continued Garcia. 'On the surface, there's no connection between all your victims, but your technical genius has managed to find something between two of them. Les Doyle and Jacinta Yentz both went to the same gym. It's a gym called 'Empire Fitness' on Cannington Road.'
'Thanks Garcia,' said Rossi.
'And there's more. Richard Schmeltz and Oscar Wellington-Moore worked in the same building at 106 Main Street. Schmeltz worked on level three with a computer company 'Tech', whilst our other victim was up on the eight floor working for an architect company Charles and Sons.'
'Good work Garcia,' said Rossi as Prentiss hung up the call.
After two hours compiling and discussing the information they currently knew, Rossi notes the late hour and orders the team to the hotel. 'Everyone get some sleep. We'll meet back here early tomorrow morning. Derek and Emily – you'll be going to 106 Main Street, and Reid – you and I are heading to the gym.'