Son of a sinner

9 - Paradise

"A lie twice believed is self-deceived"
― Brandon Mull

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"Hey, if you guys are hungry, I know a pretty good Indian restaurant that's open all night," Spencer suggested as he made his way to his desk.

"Oh, I can't. I have a date." Emily said.

"Date?" Soren repeated looking up from what he was doing.

Derek leaned back in his chair "You got a date?" He questioned, "With who?" He stood up.

"My hot tub."

"Now that sounds like a party." He commented.

"You're so not invited." Emily chuckled.

"Hold up, guys," Emily told them walking over.

"Change of plans," Spencer remarked.

"I'm glad I caught you," JJ said.

"Everything alright?" Soren asked.

"I've been on the phone with a sheriff in Nevada." She explained, "There's been a series of suspicious accidents In the reno area that may be connected."

"Jj, this can't wait till morning?" Derek asked.

"I don't think so." JJ shook her head "If I'm right about this, I think we'll be leaving first thing tomorrow. Sorry." She apologized before walking away from them

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

"Three nights ago outside of Reno, This car was hit by a tractor-trailer." JJ clicked a button making a picture of the car appear.

"Any survivors?" Derek asked.

"The truck driver walked away unharmed." JJ said glancing down at the file "Jonathan and Rebecca Gallen, the passengers in the car, were doa." A picture of a couple appeared on the screen "When the local sheriff arrived on the scene, He noticed several things No blood spatter inside the car. No seat belt burns. No lacerations from the airbags." She explained.

"They we dead before the accident," Spencer noted.

"The autopsy confirmed that and the cause of death." JJ informed them "Blunt force head trauma And evidence of rape and torture to the woman."

"The unsub wasn't very successful at hiding the fact that he murdered two people," Hotch remarked.

"There's a chance he has gotten away with it before." JJ said "After I spoke to the sheriff, I had Garcia look into any similar accidents Near the California and Nevada border. She found two with a similar m. O. In the past couple of weeks. Both were couples, in a car, hit by a tractor-trailer."

"It's always a man and a woman stopped right in the middle of the road." Derek noticed looking over the file.

"It's always at night on a remote highway," Emily added.

"It can't be a coincidence the victim type And this very specific m. O. Are the same in all three cases." Rossi spoke.

"Was Garcia able to find any connection between them?" Hotch inquired.

"One thing they have in common is that they all disappeared For 48 hours before the accidents," JJ informed him.

"We know what he does to his victims during that time." Rossi glanced at Hotch.

"We just need to figure out where he finds them," Hotch commented looking up at him.

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

Soren tilted his head as he watched JJ put headphones on her stomach.

"It's so the baby can't hear," JJ explained noticing his confusion.

"What's he listening to?" Emily asked.

"Beethoven."

"I preferred Mozart, myself." Spencer said turning to JJ "But be careful to limit his exposure to one hour a day. Amniotic fluids have a tendency to amplify sound." He explained talking with his hands.

JJ pat his shoulder and smiled "Thanks for the reminder, doc." JJ said before reaching for the file "Ok, so, all three crashes were on highways Outside of Carson City, Lake Tahoe, and Reno." She explained.

"All cities with a large and diverse, transit population." Emily remarked, "Not to mention the thousands of locals mixing with seasonal workers."

"An endless pool of victims to choose from," Rossi said.

"Rebecca Gallen was beaten badly." Hotch noted "Ribs broken ante-mortem. He'd need time and privacy to do this."

"That would suggest the k*ller either lives or works in the area," Spencer spoke.

"He's going to such extremes to try and hide the murder. Maybe he has a connection to the victims." Derek suggested.

"What does the press know?" Rossi asked JJ.

"All media outlets are reporting an accident." She answered.

"One thing going for us, the killer has no idea we know," Emily commented.

"That helps us." Hotch said, "Jj, when we land, would you explain to Sheriff Bruner and his deputies How important it is to keep this quiet?"

"Got it."

"If the unsub finds out we're here, All bets are off," Hotch stated He could change his MO. Or just pick up and find his victims somewhere else."