New Girl(A Spencer Reid/Criminal Minds Fan-fiction) BOOK ONE

Chapter Forty-Two: The Aftermath

        ~~~Marianne~~~

  My composure left as the door shut. I broke down, sobbing. I slid down the door, sitting against it. I didn't want to break up with him. I didn't. But if he can't talk to me, then it would have ended eventually.

~~~

    "Charles Luvet was found floating in a Miami Marina last night. Local M.E. thinks he was only in the water about an hour." JJ told us.

        'Any attempt to weigh the body down?"

        "Doesn't appear to be."

        "Well the dumping could be convenient as opposed to means of hiding the crime." Morgan suggested. The door opened and Reid came in. 

        "Um...sorry I'm late." He came and sat down. I looked at my hands folded in my lap, ignoring all of the eyes that flitted between us.

        
        "Anyway, he's the third victim found in Miami over the last two months. Though the locations of the bodies are different, many of the elements are the same. All males, Twenty-Five to Thirty-five, All traveling, All asphyxiated with no signs of sexual assault."

        "Tourists, though, could just mean a robbery." I suggested.

        "Well, there are some personal items missing."

        "He's targeting travelers for a reason." Garcia came in.

        'I am so sorry. It's -alarm, I am so sorry."
         

        "It's alright. Everyone is allowed to be late. Once."

        "It won't happen again."

        "You guys notice the red flag on the autopsy reports?" Rossi asked.

        "Yeah, none of the Hyoid bones were fractured."

        "No visual sings of trauma. No ligature marks. Yet the unsub still managed to asphyxiate grown men."

        "Maybe a choke hold. Wouldn't leave any signs of trauma."

        "It would also be a way of controlling a male. A powerful grip from behind gives the unsub all the leverage." Reid said, for the first time this morning."None of these victims look out of shape or easy to control. In fact, they all look remarkably fit."

        "Well, as I said the recovery locations are very different. Charles Luvet was found in the water, Daniel brown was partially buried in a shallow sand dune, Paul Hayes was stuffed into a dumpster."

        "It's not much of an effort to hide any of them." Emily said.

        "They were all found in high traffic areas."

        "Miami PD is asking for our help, considering there are now four other men missing that match this victimology."

        "I can dig up what I can from the victims from their hometowns." Garcia said.

        "Miami's a mecca for potential targets and anyone traveling is more vulnerable then they normally would be."

        "Case in point, Charles Luvet, the latest victim, he was a vacationing cop."

~~~

        We stood up, ready to head to Miami. Hotch stopped me and Reid.

        "You two aren't going."

        'Why?" I asked.

        "I don't think either of you are...emotionally fit to be at work right now."

        "I think I speak for both of us when I say that we can do our jobs just fine-"

        "Dr. Harper, I am putting the both of you on suspension. Go home, sleep, do something. If I catch either of you within twenty feet of this building, I'll fire you." He turned and left. I sighed.

        "Great...Just great...what else could go wrong?" I asked out loud. I had forgotten that Spencer was in the room. I looked at him and sighed. I left the room without saying a word.

~~~

        I laid down on the couch. I was happy a few days ago. I was engaged! And now look at me! It is my fault I suppose...

        "Ugh!" I groaned. Soon, Grumbling turned to eating, which then turned to crying. Everything is going down hill fast and there's nothing I can do to stop it.

        I'm so pathetic. And hopeless. And a horrible human being. My phone rang.

        "Hello?" I asked, my voice nasally from crying.

        "Mari? Honey, what's wrong?" Mom asked me.

        'Nothing."

        "Marianne Jean Harper, tell me what's wrong." I sighed, before quickly breaking down and telling her the whole story. "Oh, Sweetheart I'm so sorry."

        "Did I do the right thing? I mean, should I have broken up with him?"

        "Do you know what I think you should do?"

       "Hmm?"

        "Talk to him. Hear him out. Then that's when you decide if you made the right choice. I can't decide that for you. Only you can do that."

        "I think I will. Thanks Mom."

        'You welcome."

        "Bye. Love you."

        "Love you too." I hung up the phone and grabbed my coat, stepping outside. It started to rain, but I walked anyway. I was shivering by the time I reached Spencer's building.

~~~

        I paused at the door, hesitating. Would he even want to talk to me? I took a deep breath and knocked. The door opened and Spencer stood there.

        "Marianne?"

        "I need to talk to you...Can I come in?"