The rest of my night was full of the forensic workers taking pictures of my living room, the broken window and of the tire tracks outside my house, trying to learn something about the make of the car that had raced away last night. I mentally kicked myself for not thinking clearly enough to make out the car, driver, or anything that would help me recognize it.
I decided not to call the visiting FBI agents about it. It still was early in the morning, and they needed their rest to work on the rest of the case. The case that I was personally connected with now, and the unsub, or whatever they called the suspect, somehow knew where I lived- not a comforting thought.
My phone rang and I looked at the screen. Why was Kevin calling me this early? I opened his call, worry already seeping into my mind.
“Kevin? Is something wrong? It’s 4 am-”
“I know, but something’s happened hasn’t it?”
I paused; “-how do you know?”
“Someone just ditched my door after dropping a package on the steps. They rang the doorbell like five times, waking up Paul too.”
“Please tell me you didn’t open it?”
“Was I not supposed to?”
I sighed and shook my head.
“What was it?”
“A note.”
I looked at the rock still laying on my floor, the note still taped to it.
“It said you found Jenny. Is she… alright?”
Why would the unsub contact Kevin and I about it? I guessed I would have to wake up the team after all.
“You have to tell me the exact wording.”
“If just says ‘They found Jenny.”
“Kevin, can you please come to the station with the package and note? We need to examine it for prints. And bring Paul, I want to know that both of you are safe right now.”
“Are you in the middle of something dangerous? What’s the note mean?”
“Kevin, please, I’ll explain once you get there, ok?”
After a long pause, he agreed then hung up, leaving me alone in the house. Needing air after the small scare Kevin’s call had given me, I went outside and sat on the steps to my door.
I pushed the number for Agent Hotchner’s number on speed dial and waited for him to pick up.
“Lynn…? Is everything ok?” His voice sounded tired as if my call had woken him up.
“I’m sorry to call and wake you, but I think the unsub came to my house last night.”
“What? How can you be sure?”
“He threw a rock through my window with a note on it about Jenny. I haven’t told anyone about her, so it must’ve been him, right? He gave almost the same note to Kevin and he knows where we both live and-”
“Lynn.” His voice stopped me, and only then did I notice I was rambling.
“Are you and Kevin ok? He threw a rock in your window?” He sounded much more awake then.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I told Kevin to meet me at the station just in case.”
“Smart move. I still have to discuss it with my team on our way, but it sounds like the Unsub wants a confrontation or recognition of some kind, and it might not be safe to stay in your home. We’ll meet you at the station.”
“Alright, see you there.”
The call ended and I stood, going back to my room to pack a night bag just in case. The shaking in my hands had stopped after the call, and I couldn’t tell if it was either because of talking with Hotchner or the shock of the incident was wearing off.
I drove to the station, the few officers there just ending their night shift.
“I heard what happened, are you alright?”
Officer Nash walked up to me, and I nodded, just imagining how tired I must have looked.
“Here boss, fully caffeinated,” He handed me a coffee mug and I took it.
“Thank you,” I smiled at him and he tipped his cap and walked away, knowing not to push it.
As much as I didn’t like him, he still was a good officer and, dare I admit it, charming at times.
Kevin arrived shortly after I did and I picked up Paul in my arms, kissing him on the cheek before he fell asleep again. I walked into my office and rested him on the couch, tucking him in with a blanket Kevin had brought.
“Ah darn, I forgot to bring something for him to play with when he wakes up.” Kevin held his forehead, knowing what a tired grumpy three-year-old could do.
“Don’t worry, I got him taken care of,” I smiled and pulled out one of the larger green dinosaur plushies from my house and set it next to the blonde-haired boy, then rested back in the seat at my desk.
“You look tired,” Kevin sighed, leaning back on the other side of the couch, unshaved and most likely still wearing the shirt he went to bed in.
“I could say the same thing about you,” I stated.
“So, they’re checking that note I got for prints?”
“Yeah, but they probably won’t find any. There weren’t any on mine.”
I explained to him what had happened for me in the night.
“You heard about the bodies we found right?”
“It was hard not to. Was Jenny… one of ‘em?”
I nodded and he leaned forward, cupping his face in his hands, a whole other level of weariness descending onto his shoulders.
The BAU agents arrived but the sun had not. Agent Hotchner entered the building with the rest of his tired team and started towards Lynn’s office but stopped, seeing her talking with a man they haven’t met yet. Kevin, the ex-husband who had also been at the lake before the murders. He looked large and imposing from behind, but after Hotch opened the door to the office and saw his face, Kevin had the kind of softness JJ’s husband Will had to his face.
They shook hands and Hotch glanced down at the boy on the couch, fast asleep and now holding onto the stuffed animal. A small smile went to his lips, immediately thinking about Jack.
“Now that we’re all here, tell me about what happened last night.” It wasn’t a question, and Kevin went first in explaining the strange early morning delivery.
Lynn went afterward, and Hotch tried asking her questions about whether she had seen a car outside her house or tailing her on the way home, but she couldn’t remember anything close to it.
Hotch listened to her speak but saw the way she rubbed her fingers together nervously, strong hands yet probably soft still. He looked away suddenly, shaking the thought from his mind, not knowing why it had popped up in the first place.
“What are you thinking Agent?”
Kevin’s voice brought him back and he looked at the man, wondering if the other had sensed his mind wandering. He quickly recollected his thoughts, focusing back on the new developments of the case.
“This unsub hasn’t made any contact to the news yet allowed law enforcement officials to learn the truth about the second victim’s identity, which means he may have known you both personally at one point.
Do you know if any of the others who were in your group at the time were contacted at all?”
Lynn shook her head, “No, I haven’t been contacted by anyone else. Is that… a good thing or…?”
“Could you try and get into contact with them? Now that Jennifer was found, he may start to find another target. Do you know anyone who might be capable of doing this?”
She scowled, and Hotchner cringed, realizing he had obviously hit a nerve.
“No, I don’t. I was asked that question a million times during Daniel’s murder investigation. I don’t know who’s secretly a psychopath in this town or not.”
“Alright, my team and I will continue to view the victimology and build a profile. I would suggest that you try and lay low, he may try to target you-”
“No, I’m not stepping this one out. I’m going to catch this son of a bitch."
“Lynn-” Kevin started to protest but she shot a glare at him, and Hotch stood, not wanting to be in the middle of whatever they were about to debate about.
“Agent Hotchner?” Her voice stopped him, and he turned around.
“I’ll be out in a few minutes to join your team.”
He nodded and walked out, both to escape her wrath and to update his team on the details of the night.
“So, is that her family?” Emily Prentiss asked him right after he exited Lynn’s office.
“Yeah, it seems the unsub left a note at her ex-husband's house as well. I’m going to guess that means the unsub has more up his sleeve, and that he may try and contact others from Jennifer’s group at the lake from back in the day.”
“Ex-husband?” She asked, watching Hotch’s face.
“Yes,” he looked at her, neither one of them saying anything, but the silence she gave off revealed what was on her mind.
“Let’s back to the profile, shall we?” He stated and started walking back to the conference room, feeling Prentiss’s scrutiny behind him. Why should it matter to him that Lynn had an ex-husband?
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