puzzles of a heart | spencer reid ✓

eight

The road off the main street near the university was taped off by the notorious yellow crime scene tape and five cars were parked out front in an attempt to block out the media vans already at the scene. Spencer examined the puddles of crimson by the brutal murder and heaved a shaky breath, it was enough to make his breakfast go sour in his stomach. 

The victim hadn't been identified and Spencer wasn't sure if people would be able to just by her physical form. Her throat was slashed open alongside her chest, creating a gaping hole in her upper body. She lied in a pool of scarlet blood and her face was an expression of terror, mouth open for a scream that never reached anyone's ears and eyes widened at the evil she had faced.

"This is expected, we always knew it was going to happen - just a matter of when and where." Hotch had said simply to Rossi and Spencer when they first arrived and went back to his sullen inspection of the body. Spencer joined him and Rossi was pacing around the site, making a careful estimation of the killer's thought process, physical features and clues. 

Spencer hated the sticky feeling of the gloves on his hand as it touched blood. "Have you told the rest of the team?" 

"JJ is doing a press conference as we speak." Hotch carefully brushed back a strand of hair from the deceased's face to see her more clearly. "Morgan and Prentiss are interviewing the collection of suspects you compiled yesterday. I figured it would be more helpful to have you and David here instead, you've never seen the crime scene and the workings of this sicko, hopefully, we can get something." 

"Yeah, uhm, Hotch, we left Valeria back on campus, alone."

Hotch doesn't seem to be surprised at his words. "That's for the best anyway, she wouldn't be allowed near the crime scene and I'm sure she wouldn't want to. I'll call Morgan to make sure she's with them, you're doing a good job, Reid." 

The chief of the investigation, a precise and stubborn police captain crouched down beside Spencer as Hotch stood to make the phone call. 

"So, you guys are supposed to stop this from happening."

"We are. We're doing the best we can-"

"The best you can." He mocked Spencer's stutter. "You guys are the FBI, you were invited for a reason. It's been three full days and all you've done is watch us discover another body. Do you even have a suspect?"

"Well, we've made a list and the rest of the team is at-"

He appeared annoyed at Spencer's answer. "Just answer the question."

"No..." Spencer was used to dealing with frustrating police officers, they just needed to catch whoever's responsible to prove themselves. The FBI name definitely has an unpleasant reputation amongst the lower levels. "Chief, I promise-"

"Oh please, you guys are just a bunch of egotistical puppets in expensive suits. Do you even care about the victims and the family? Hold on, don't answer that because I already know." He stood up and left to speak with another officer before Hotch hung up, and Spencer was barely containing his irritation at the accusing expressions made by the chief detective.  

"What was that?" Hotch's voice was low when he joined Spencer at the body again. 

"You know, just the usual," Spencer forced a chuckle and felt another wave of nausea overwhelming him. "Saying we're useless and stuff like that. It doesn't bother me anymore, how many times have I heard those exact phrases in the past years? I've lost count."

"Good. Don't listen to him and get to work with Garica and the rest straight away. You should try to narrow a suspect soon, check with Prentiss and Morgan and get Valeria to be your assistant. We need to hurry, our unsub is getting more and more out of control."