Cowboy Like Me: Criminal Minds

Secrets

The morning sun filtered through the windows of the BAU headquarters, casting long shadows across the conference room. The team gathered around the table, their expressions a mix of curiosity and concern.

"We have a new case," Hotch began, his tone grave. "In the past two weeks, three women in their mid-thirties have been found murdered in their homes in Baltimore."

He clicked a button, and images of the crime scenes appeared on the screen. Each scene was eerily similar: the victims lay in their beds, hands folded over their chests, with a single red rose placed atop.

"No signs of forced entry," Hotch continued. "The unsub may be someone they knew or someone who can easily gain their trust."

Sloane's mind raced as she took in the details. The meticulousness of the scenes reminded her of Daniel's obsessive tendencies. But she pushed the thought aside, focusing on the task at hand.

"Garcia," Hotch turned to their tech analyst, "see if you can find any connections between the victims."

"On it," Garcia replied, her fingers already dancing over the keyboard.

The team arrived at the modest suburban home of the first victim, Lisa Turner. The neighborhood was quiet, the kind of place where everyone knew each other.

"Neighbors didn't report anything unusual," Morgan noted, flipping through his notes.

Sloane examined the bedroom, noting the pristine condition. "No signs of a struggle. She might have known her attacker."

"Or he caught her off guard," Prentiss added, pointing to a half-empty wine glass on the nightstand.

Reid stood by the window, deep in thought. "The rose is significant. It could be a signature or a message."

"A symbol of love or apology," Sloane mused.

"Let's see if the other scenes offer more clues," Hotch suggested.

Back at the BAU, Garcia's monitors displayed profiles of the three victims: Lisa Turner, Sarah Mills, and Emily Ross.

"All three were single, lived alone, and had stable jobs," Garcia reported. "No obvious connections between them."

"What about their social lives?" Rossi inquired.

"They frequented different places, had different circles of friends," Garcia replied. "But..."

"But what?" Hotch prompted.

"They all used the same online dating app," Garcia revealed.

"That could be our connection," Morgan said. "The unsub might be targeting women through the app."

"Garcia, can you access their accounts?" Hotch asked.

"Already on it," she replied, typing furiously.

Late that night, Sloane sat in her dimly lit apartment, her laptop casting a pale glow. She navigated to the dating app, creating a profile to see if Daniel might be using it to find his victims.

Her heart raced as she scrolled through profiles, looking for any sign of her brother. She knew it was a long shot, but she had to try.

A message notification popped up. She clicked on it, her breath catching when she saw the username: "RedRose."

"Hello, Sloane. It's been a long time."

Her blood ran cold. Could it be him?

The next morning, the team gathered to discuss their findings.

"The unsub is likely charming, able to gain the trust of these women," Reid began.

"He might present himself as the perfect gentleman," Prentiss added.