A series of newborn kidnappings and murders near Cumberland, Maryland, catch the attention of the F.B.I.'s Behavioral Analysis Unit. Dr. Spencer Reid finds the case particularly fascinating. It's not just the mind of the killer that enthralls him-bu...
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THE BAU REGROUPED at Cumberland Police Department by four that afternoon. They ordered takeout from a local restaurant and discussed what they had learned over dinner.
"I still think that the park was an odd choice of a dump site," Prentiss said, taking a sip of her soda.
"It could represent childhood, though. The unsub took it away from Gianna so he decided to leave her there," Rossi commented.
J.J. shrugged, "Cumberland's a small, urban town. I mean, how many newborn girls could actually be here right now?"
"The birth rate in Maryland on average is 61.3 per 1,000 women. The population of Cumberland is just over 20,000 with 52% being women. Based on that, there's about 637 children under the age of one," Reid explained. Everyone looked at him with an odd expression, which was the usual result of his statistic-spitting.
Morgan was the first to speak after that. "Well, that leaves a bigger pool than I thought. It all depends on his comfort zone, though."
"The two abduction sites were about 3 miles apart, and the park was within 4 miles of them both," Reid added.
"And there's no common link between the families?" Hotch asked.
"Garcia couldn't find one. Carina is a teacher from the area. Melissa Fuller is a bank teller and John is a realtor, and both are transplants here," J.J. said.
"Pretty Ricky over here spent most of the day with Carina. Does she seem like the kind of person to have suspicious stuff going on?" Morgan asked, nudging Spencer.
"No, absolutely not. She seems like an average single mother. She couldn't even afford to stay in a hotel tonight."
"She did remember seeing the unsub. In the cognitive, she said he was a white male dressed in all black. No prints at the scene either. He's organized," said Rossi, standing up to throw his garbage away.
"He has to be young enough to be able to climb to the second floor. There wasn't enough time for him to get a ladder," Derek added.
"Was her house that tall?" Prentiss asked.
"No, split-story. But the window was still pretty high up."
"The roof of the garage was right underneath. He most likely climbed on there, which gave him an easy way back down and to his car," Spencer stated.
The team continued their discussion of the facts until the sun had set and the sky was dark. They had developed a preliminary profile and decided to call it a night. Tomorrow, they would work out the last few kinks and deliver it to the local police.
Everyone had gone to their hotel rooms for the night except for Spencer and J.J. He swore to Carina he wouldn't rest until they found Desdemona, and he planned on keeping that promise. J.J. stayed behind so he wouldn't be alone all night.
Spencer was in the conference room looking over the map again, trying to pinpoint the neighborhood that the unsub lived in. J.J. walked in with two coffees, setting one down next to him.
"Thanks," he said without picking his head up.
"Mhm. Have you watched the news at all?"
"No. They were a little annoying at the crime scene, though."
"They're always a little annoying, Spence. But wait till you see what they did now," J.J. said, turning on the television in the corner of the room. The late night news was on with an earlier recording of a reporter standing outside of Carina's home.
"The agents from the F.B.I. have declined statements on the investigation so far. However, we do know that this twisted case of the 'Sweet Baby Killer' will be something that Cumberland will remember for a long time."
Spencer stared at the screen in disbelief for a second before turning to his friend, "They named him?"
"Yep. It was only a matter of time."
He sighed, "That's the last thing we needed. The nickname could be fueling him now."
"I could try to talk to them tomorrow and iron things out," she said, taking a seat at the table.
"No, don't worry about it. It's not your job anymore. We just have to deal with it now," Reid replied, sitting down as well. "I'm worried what Carina's going to think about that."
"Spence, I know you might've taken a liking to her, but—."
"I know," he said, cutting her off. "I can't lose sight of the case. I understand that. But she just lost her boyfriend, and now she might lose her daughter. It's all on us to keep that from happening."
"This isn't about her, though. I mean, it is, but it's more about the babies. We are focused on saving Desdemona and getting justice for Gianna. I feel for the families, I really do, but you just have to understand that sometimes we have to hurt them in order to save them."
Spencer nodded, taking a sip of his coffee. J.J. sighed, "I know you're still acting out from the whole thing with Maeve, but we really need your brains in this one. Alright, Spence?"
He laughed lightly, "Okay. Thanks for talking to me."
"Of course. Now, if you're gonna go see her tomorrow, go before Hotch has his coffee. He won't notice."
"Will do."
"Good. Now let's get some sleep, yeah?" she asked, reaching for her jacket.
"I think I'm gonna stay a little longer and keep looking over the maps."
"Suit yourself. Goodnight," J.J. said, patting his shoulder.
"See you in the morning."
Spencer heard the door close, then rubbed his eyes tiredly. Sure, he would love some rest, but he had the life of a baby girl resting in his hands. And that seemed so much more important.
——
Carina Maye cried as she watched the late news. They flashed Desdemona's picture every few minutes, reminding the community to keep a look out for her. Worst of all, they named the man that took her.
Sweet Baby Killer.
It played through her mind over and over again. She couldn't believe that the media could be so inconsiderate as to give that human being a nickname. And it wasn't even a clever name. It was gruesome and offensive.
"Cari, honey, you gotta quit watching this," Mrs. Chapman said, switching the channel to a game show. "It's just gonna make you feel worse."
"Sorry," Carina muttered, adjusting her position on the couch.
"It's alright, dear. I'm about to call it a night. Are you sure you don't want my room? I'm fine right down here."
"No, you've done enough. I'll sleep here."
"You're sure?"
"Yes, Mrs. Chapman," she laughed. "I really appreciate you letting me stay here."
"Of course. It's nice to have some company. Sleep tight, now," the older woman said, giving Carina a quick hug before heading towards the stairs.
"Goodnight!" Carina called after her. She heard a door upstairs close, then spread out across the couch. She grabbed an afghan blanket from the top of the couch and covered her legs with it. Reaching for her overnight bag, she pulled out a picture of her baby girl and placed it on the coffee table. She stared at Desdemona's curly blonde hair and big brown eyes. She was dressed in a little Santa onesie from her first Christmas. She was born on Halloween, so she was still pretty small by the time December rolled around.
"Please be safe, Mona," Carina whispered, brushing a tear from her eye. Before she knew it, she was fast asleep.
