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CHAPTER THIRTEEN: HEART'S DESIRE ( aka 03x17: in heat )
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"CHARLES LUVET WAS FOUND floating in a Miami marina last night," JJ said, and a close-up image of a water-logged body appeared on the screen. "Local ME thinks that he was only in the water for about an hour."
"Any attempt to weigh the body down?" Hotch asked.
JJ shook her head. "Doesn't appear to be."
"The dumping could be convenient as opposed to a means of hiding the crime," Morgan remarked.
"Well, he's the third victim found in Miami over the last two months," said JJ as she took a seat at the table beside Dallis, who craned her neck to look at the screen when two more photos appeared of other bodies. Each victim, like the most recent, was male. "Though the locations of the bodies are different, many elements are the same. All males, twenty-five to thirty-five, all travelling, all asphyxiated with no signs of sexual assault."
"But tourists could mean just simple robbery."
"Were any of their belongings missing, Jajy?" Dallis asked.
She nodded.
"He's targeting travellers for a reason," Rossi insisted but he was interrupted by Garcia stumbling into the room, her hair only half-done and her arms cluttered with her bags as well as her files.
"I'm so sorry," she said, staring at Hotch with wide eyes. "The alarm, sir... I overslept... I'm so sorry!"
"Everyone's allowed to be late," he muttered. "Once."
Dallis fought back a smile.
"You guys notice the red flag on the autopsy report?" Rossi regained their attention, for most of the team had forgotten the files in front of them and were instead exchanging knowing looks. Garcia told Dallis she'd had to reschedule a dinner she was supposed to have with Kevin the night before. From the looks of it, Kevin had taken the dinner (and more) to her.
"None of the hyoid bones were fractured," Emily answered.
"No visual signs of trauma, no ligature marks, yet the unsub still managed to asphyxiate grown men."
"Maybe a chokehold?" Morgan suggested. "Wouldn't leave any signs of trauma."
"It would also be a way of controlling a male," Reid seemed to agree with the theory. "A powerful grip from behind gives the unsub all the leverage. 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," JJ said.
Dallis raised an eyebrow at her. "How different are we talking?"
