Next Door Neighbor

CHAPTER 13: FLOWERS

SPENCER'S POV:

I'm trying to work when I get a text from Stephanie. I pull out my phone to look at it.

STEPHANIE: The flowers you sent are amazing!

I frown in confusion. I never sent her any flowers.

SPENCER: I never sent you any flowers.
STEPHANIE: You didn't?

SPENCER: No

STEPHANIE: Must have been delivered to the wrong address. Well, still pretty

SPENCER: Is there a note?

STEPHANIE: Yeah, hold on

STEPHANIE: Huh. It's from the Lance guy again he must still have the wrong address. It's another romantic note, all about how much he loves his S.O.

SPENCER: Is your front door locked?

STEPHANIE: Yes, is everything okay?

SPENCER: Yeah. I'll be home soon. Love you

STEPHANIE: Love you too :)

Something seems off. Two notes, both from the same man, both obsessive and possessive. It's unusual. I get up and walk to Garcia's office. When I walk inside, she greets me as warmly as usual. "What's up, my spectacular little genius?" she asks. "Can I ask you a favor?" Garcia nods. "Of course. What do you need?" I tell her about the notes and the flowers. "I know it sounds crazy, but I think someone might be stalking Stephanie." I explain. Garcia's face is serious.

"I'm going to check the video surveillance footage, see what I can find. It's definitely suspicious." Garcia admits. She clacks away on her computer until she pulls up the footage. We skim through it, waiting for someone to appear. It's not until the mailman comes that I see something suspicious. A man in a grey hoodie with a tiger on it walks to her apartment door. He drops a white envelope in the mail slot and hurriedly walks away. Garcia rewinds the tape.

"Can you zoom in on his face?" I ask. Garcia nods and zooms in. I can't make out any facial details since his hood is covering most of his face. Worry is roiling in my stomach. "I'm not the only one who thinks that's weird, right?" Garcia says. "I need to tell Hotch. Send the footage to him please." I tell her. She nods yes. I run out of the room and straight to Hotch's office.

"Hello, Reid. How can I help?" Hotch asks, looking down at his paperwork. "Someone is stalking Stephanie." I blurt out. Hotch looks up at this, brow furrowed. "How do you know?" he asks. "Someone sent an unaddressed love letter to her, and then today someone sent her flowers and another love letter. I asked Garcia to check the security footage, and a strange guy, presumably named Lance, has been leaving her these letters. He's obsessive and possessive, and he is clearly delusional, assuming that Stephanie is also in love with him." I explain.

"Do you have any physical details we can work off of?" Hotch questions. I shake my head. "His face was covered by his hoodie. All we know so far is that he has a grey tiger hoodie and his name could be Lance." I say. "I'll get the team on it. For now, head home to stay with Stephanie. We don't want any risks." Hotch tells me. I agree and grab my stuff, heading home as fast as I can.