"You don't like me, do you?"
"Wow. Nothing gets past you, Sherlock. Do you keep one of those magnifying glasses tucked away in that little vest of yours?"
•••
Lydia Beowulf works for the Hostage Response T...
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Hotch shuffled into his office early that morning, his shoulders subtly hung. Barely noticeable by most, his physical state was affected by the state of his team. He could barely sleep as his mind raced with unending possibility. The possibility that he was making every wrong choice that would endanger the people he cared for, and by extension, the people they cared for.
He tapped the desk with his index finger. The previous days since Lydia had been dismissed were bleak. They were still working angles, and digging up evidence on bodies that were already buried had proven to be not very time efficient.
They needed to know more about Anna's routines in the days leading up to her disappearance. Lydia clearly hadn't been speaking to her. Anna was a social butterfly, yes, but that didn't mean she was very open with her life with just anyone. If not Lydia, perhaps Anna's parents could give the team insight. After all, Lydia mentioned that Anna was fairly close with them and luckily for him, they were in already town.
He shot a quick text to Garcia asking her to come to his office. Not minutes later, she found her way into his doorway with her closed laptop under her arm in case he needed it.
"Sir?" She puzzled, hesitantly stepping into his office and shutting the door when she realized it was only the two of them. That usually meant that whatever he was about to ask or say, was private.
He picked up his office phone and looked her over. "I need a phone number for the Sheafson's. I wanna ask them about Anna."
Garcia looked a little stunned by the simplicity of the question, but immediately pulled up the contact information she had on Anna's parents.
Perhaps she was simply taken aback by the implied unease in his decision making, but she couldn't blame him. Especially with how Strauss was breathing down his neck about how the case was being handle, not to mention the caring eyes of the BAU.
After she listed off Anna's mother, Audrey's, number, she watched as his fingers pressed the numbers and held the line to his ear.
"Hello, is this Mrs. Audrey Sheafson?" He asked when the line picked up. He heard shuffling on the other end, like she was rushing over to someone.
"This is she. Is there any news on our daughter?" She was out of breath. Both of Anna's parents must've been listening on the other end of the line. Hotch wished he had good news for the pair, but he was still walking in circles.
"This is SSA Aaron Hotchner from the FBI's behavioral analysis unit. We are the ones heading the investigation of your daughters disappearance—"
"Yes, we know who you are. Lydia told us about your team." Audrey rasped over the line.
