To Solve

Chapter 20: The last Word

The couple heard the familiar 'bing' and the elevator door opened.

Parker and Spencer walked through the glass doors and headed towards their desks.

The young adult saw the flowers, tulips, in the vase that Parker had noticed the other day.

"Someone sent you flowers," Garcia said and stood next to Parker with JJ. "Who send them?"

"What do you think?", JJ replied, pointing to Spencer.

The young genius was already too immersed in the files to notice that the others talked about him

~~~~

"St. Louis is in trouble," JJ began to explain as Hotch and Gideon were the last to enter the briefing room.

"They've got two serial killers."

There were already two evidence boards on the walls, one for each case.

"This killer abducts his victims from public places, dumps them in the woods. They consulted us months ago after the third murder," Gideon recalled.

"Well, now it might be up to six. Ellen Carroll's been missing since yesterday. The first two victims were found near Mill Creek in Mark Twain National Forest," JJ continued.

Parker and Spencer stood in front of one of the boards and looked at the map connecting where the victims were kidnapped and later found.

"No wonder it takes days to find the bodies. The forest is 1.5 million acres, and 78,000 of that's wilderness."

"What's the story with these women?" Hotch wanted to know.

He stood in front of the other board with the information about the second case.

"Eight victims. All prostitutes. Latest is Marci Mitchell. She was killed last night with a .44 Magnum. All are tied to a serial shooter, claiming responsibility. He's contacted Jim Meyers, a reporter at the Missouri Herald."

The self-written letter from the second Unsub appeared on the screen.

"So he's not getting the attention he thinks he deserves," Hotch commented. "He signs it the 'Hollow Man', names himself for the press."

"Why Hollow Man? What, does he feel empty inside or something?"

"He uses hollow point bullets. No one even knew this guy existed until he sent this letter."

"Well, he's killed more victims, but look who he's chosen. Hundreds of victims go unnoticed because they're social outcasts who never make the front page," Parker murmured.

"When Mill Creek kills, the Hollow Man shoots another prostitute," summarized Spencer.

"So one doesn't want to be outdone by the other. Sounds like sibling rivalry to me."

"They've been killing independently of each other for a year now."

"With each killer learning something from the other."

~~~~

Elbert Hubbard once wrote,

"If men could only know each other, they would neither idolize nor hate."

Half an hour later the team was in the jet. JJ handed each of the others two files– one for each case.

Parker thanked her and passed two files to Spencer. The young man was lost in his thoughts and looked out the window.