People are supposed to fear the unknown, but ignorance is bliss when knowledge is so damn frightening.

-Laurell K. Hamilton

"So run the details by me, one more time. We actually have a witness to this last murder- but their refusing to spill the beans to what happened last night?"

Reid nodded his head slowly at Morgan while talking

"A girl was brought in by police last night after they found her sulking by the crime scene. She was covered in blood and wasn't able to provide an alibi and they considered her a prime suspect."

"Well, how do we know she didn't do it then? Maybe we did catch the Unsub after all"

"Someone vouched for her. The owner of the deli next to the ally where our victim was killed saw the girl come into his shop and they struck up conversation" Reid continued, "only after there was a scream did she run out and chase after what was assume has to be the Unsub. Owner sees her run out, chase a man, as the man manages to get into a car and speed away girl goes back into alley and that's where police found her."

"Well Reid. You're the brainiac. Why isn't this girl talking? Do you think maybe she is related somehow to the Unsub and is trying to protect him? An accomplice maybe?"

Reid thought for a moment before replying.

"I don't think so. Given the severity of these crimes and what we profiled to be a sadistic killer it doesn't make sense the Unsub would have an accomplice of any sort. If she's related to the Unsub, why would she choose now to confront the Unsub, in the middle of a kill? And why wouldn't she just talk to us to help catch him?"

"Do you think maybe she is some sort of thrill seeker? This is her way of getting off" Morgan disgustingly asked Reid.

"Maybe. That would explain the unwillingness to give a statement. This girl is our only lead to the Unsub though. There's been no break in the cases. If she doesn't have any information, then we are stuck at another dead end. I don't think-"

Reid was cut off by the slamming of an interrogation room door. J.J looked frustrated and annoyed.

"It's all fake, this whole facade! She won't tell us her name, we ask for a description and she tells me to go suck a—"

"J.J baby it's ok. I don't think I've ever seen you this upset" Morgan spoke calmingly, placing his hands comfortingly on his coworkers arms

"If you let her get to you then she wins. Calm down, it's ok."

"I know Morgan. I just desperately need a break in this case. All these women, and we have no leads, and I just don't know how—"

"Hey, maybe I can talk to her."

Both heads whipped in Spencer's direction.

"I'm the closest in age to her, and maybe I can get her to see me as less of an authority figure and more of a friend. Get her to trust me." Spencer gave a simple shrug of his shoulders. "Seventy nine percent of people polled in a recent study regarding—"

"You know what. Go give it your best shot. What do we got to lose at this point? Rossi and Hotch are still out with the police investigating the crime scene and we can't keep this girl for more than forty eight hours. No time to waste" Morgan gestured to the interview door "Go get 'em tiger"

"I'm not entirely sure what that meant" Reid remarked as he swung open the interrogation room and made a show of walking in.

After seeing his friend disappear, Morgan turned to J.J.

"You know. I never can tell if he is being serious or not."

—-

Reid looked over the girl with interest. Blonde dirty hair, beat up boots, and a bandage wrapping her right hand, she screamed the part of 'sullen teenager'. Time to appeal then.

"Hi, my name is Spencer Reid. I'm with the behavioral analysis unit of the FBI, I'm just need to ask you some questions about what happened tonight"

The girl looked up with mild curiosity. To Reid's surprise there was almost an immediate response.

"They really just let anyone into the FBI nowadays. What are you, twelve?"

Reid was momentarily caught off guard. He had know how much it took to rile up J.J, and now he could see what had pushed her past the breaking point. This girl had just... sassed him?

"I can promise you I'm not twelve. Now, as I was saying, we really just have a couple of questions and then we will get you on your way. If you wouldn't mind we would like to bring a sketch artist in and—"

"Look. I have this handled. If you guys hadn't shown up I would've caught the thing that has been doing this."

Spencer blinked at this in confusion. Did this small girl really think that she was capable of capturing a murderer that had both police and FBI stumped. And how could she have gotten there before the police arrived, did she have an inside source?

She simply moved her head down to rest on her palms with her elbows on the table. As if to signal that their conversation was over.

But Spencer wasn't about to let this deter him. This conversation wasn't over.

"What's your name?" Spencer moved and sat down across from her, giving his best puppy dog eyes and making an effort to make sure his body language was as open and non threatening as possible.

The girl took a moment to respond as if debating her options, biting her lip.

"Sarah. Sarah Gibbs"

"Alright Sarah" it was a start, "why were you out tonight?"

"Did you not listen to a single thing I just said? There is a creature on the loose and more people are going to die if you don't let me handle it" Her eyes alighted with a fire. She truly believed that she was the only one able to take this threat down. He had touched a nerve.

"I see, I see. Of course you're the only one able to take it down. Of course." Spencer spoke calmingly, "Sarah, do we have any way to contact your parents? We really should let them know your safe, it's a school night after all."

She snorted.

"I'm nineteen dipwad. No parents to be seen here."

That statement confirmed Spencer's suspicions.

This girl was lying to him. There was no way she was a day over 16. She looked angry and scrappy, like it had been days since she'd eaten. But then that begged the question,

Why was she trying to lie to a FBI agent? What did she have to hide?

"Sarah. We just are hoping to bring a sketch artist in. You may be the only lead we've had in weeks. Please, we don't want any more women to have to face the same fate as the girl you saw last night did. I think that maybe—"

She slapped her hand on the table, cutting him off.

"Did you even know her name?"

Spencer did a double take,

"I'm sorry, no. We haven't identified her yet due to the state of the body. Police are doing a reconstruction to get to the news to identify her though."

"Well I can save you the time" she leaned further back into her chair, "her name was Jennie Prince. She had been complaining to police for weeks of a stalker, but every time she reported she was laughed off. You had a chance to save her life and you didn't take it, and now it's to late. Jennie died in that ally, scared and alone. You guys failed. So I suggest you take your smart 'the FBI can do anything' motto and shove it up your as—"

Chapter end