deep end, cm [ 1 ]

029. north mammon

"Well, as much as we might wanna take this case, we have to be invited by local authorities." Hotch says. "I'm sure that this friend of your aunt's is very concerned, but it just doesn't work that way."

"I called the police chief. He faxed over an official request for our assistance." JJ says, handing Hotch a piece of paper. She turns the TV on. "This is Brooke Chambers. Her father, Peter, a widower, left her home alone for the weekend. Polly Homefeldt and Kelly Seymour were sleeping over Saturday night. At 9:35 P.M. during the town's pep rally for the high school football team, both Kelly and Polly called home."

JJ plays one of the voicemails.

"It's me. I know this is last minute, but please don't be angry. Brooke, Kelly, and I are going to take off on a road trip for a few days. Sort of our last adventure before graduation. We'll be back Friday night. Love you. Bye."

"Kelly Seymour left this message on her parents' machine 44 seconds later." JJ plays the voicemail.

"It's me. I know this is last minute, but please don't be angry. Brooke, Polly, and I are going to take off on a road trip for a few days. Sort of our last adventure before graduation. We'll be back Friday night. Love you. Bye."

"Exactly the same." Spencer notes.

"Word for word." JJ states. "Both calls were made from Brooke's cell, which has since been turned off."

"And there's been no activity on their cell phones or ATM cards since Saturday." Penelope informs.

"It sounds like they were reading from a script." Jessica says.

"And obviously, since the phone's turned off, I can't use it to locate the girls, but I have an open trap on the number in case it gets turned back on." Penelope says.

"Okay, guys, guys, not for nothing." Derek slightly chuckles. "I remember my senior year in high school. Isn't it possible these girls just took off on a road trip?"

"No." JJ immediately shoots down. "Absolutely not." She shakes her head. "Polly accepted an athletic scholarship to Penn State. I was a high school athlete, just like these girls. I was these girls. They don't smoke, they don't do drugs, they don't drink during the season, and they do not jeopardize a full ride scholarship by cutting school and missing practice."

"Okay. I hear you, JJ." Derek says. "It has been five days. There's a chance these girls... there's a chance we may not find them."

"I don't think so." Gideon argues.

"Why not?" Hotch asks.

"The phone messages." Spencer says. "If they were reading from a script, they said, "I'll see you next Friday." Not 2 days, not 2 weeks, Friday."

"Why be that specific? My guess is we have until Friday to find them." Gideon says.

"Two days." Spencer says.

"So are we taking this case?" JJ asks.

Gideon and Hotch both nod.

"Wheels up in 30 minutes." Hotch states.

+++

They pull up outside the station and get out.

"Chief Yates, Jennifer Jareau, we spoke on the phone." She says, shaking his hand. "This is Agent Hotchner and Agent Taylor."

"Hi, Jeff Yates." He informs, shaking their hands. "Hi, Judy. Hey, why don't you, um... why don't you go on inside and make yourself comfortable. We'll be in in a minute." He tells her and she goes inside.

"Chief Yates, there's not much of a case file yet." Hotch says.

"Listen, I can't get anyone to agree the girls are actually missing." Yates says.