To Solve

Chapter 27: Jones

Parker was way too late.

They forgot to set the alarm clock, dropped a glass and cut themselves while picking it up. And as if that wasn't bad enough, the train had a technical breakdown.

All of this resulted in Parker being completely out of breath at that moment

Entered the meeting room as JJ began to present the case.

"We've got a serial killer in New Orleans who killed at least three men pre-Katrina. Until now, the New Orleans Police Department believed that the serial killer died in the storm."

"And what's happened to tell them otherwise?" asked Derek.

"A fourth body was found in the French Quarter last night. Same MO, another male, throat slashed, eviscerated."

"A year and a half. That's a long cooling off period. Are we sure this is the same UnSub?"

"He claims to be. He sent a letter to William Lamontagne, the head detective on the case."

"Lamontagne has any leads?" asked Gideon.

"He died in Katrina. His son is actually heading the case now," explained JJ.

"That can't be easy."

"Well, we need to pore over the evidence from the first three murders and determine the pattern."

"Katrina washed everything away. The three victims we know of, their autopsy reports, witness statements, DNA test results," JJ broke the bad news.

"Great," Parker muttered.

"So, basically all we have to go off is the latest victim?"

"Until he kills again."

The team stood up to grab their bags

"Hey, Parker."

The agent turned around. Emily waited until the others had left the briefing room and then pointed to Parker's shoes, which were two different ones.

"Damn," Parker cursed.

"I have a second pair if you want to borrow some," Emily suggested.

The younger agent nodded in relief. Different socks were one thing, but shoes? That didn't make a good impression.

"Thank you, Emily. I didn't even have time to have a coffee this morning. The line at the coffee shop was way too long and Spencer forgot to buy some for home," Parker babbled while the two of them were talking Bags left the office.

"Or he did it on purpose," she added quietly.

~~~~

Robert Kennedy once said,

"Tragedy is a tool for the living to gain wisdom, not a guide by which to live."

On the jet, Parker did their best to increase the caffeine levels in their blood. And Parker did this with a double coffee on the small coffee machine.

"Right. My bad," Emily murmured as Parker sat down next to her.

The young agent overheard that they had been talking about Ethan, an old friend of Spencer and Parker. And Emily seemed to have said something that Spencer didn't like.

"These are copies of the newspaper articles on the murders dating back to early August, 2005. It's all we have to go on," JJ changed the subject.

"He killed three times. He stopped for 18 months and then he started killing again."