The Female Unsub

Chapter Twenty: Spencer's POV

"Have you gotten any more letters?" Tara asks me.

I'm sitting across from her, playing a game of gin rummy on the jet on our way back from our latest case. There was a serial killer in Spokane, Washington who was abducting petite brunettes that were surrogates of his fiancé that left him at the altar for his best man.

I nod, "I don't know how she got my address but I've been getting one a week since she's been locked up."

Her letters consist of her telling me about how awful the food is, cases that I've been a part of and she's read about, books she's reading, and how excited she is to get out and see me again. She thinks my testimony at her sentencing was to get her a lesser sentence. Based on what she writes, it appears that she's developed feelings for me and is under the impression that it's mutual. I told Hotch about the letters after I received the first one and we've been logging all of them. We told the team after the third letter.

"That's real commitment," Tara says, not looking up from her cards, "have you responded?"

"No," I pull another card, "I'm trying to not encourage the fantasy but she also mentioned in one of her latest letters that she's not upset about the lack of response. She stated that she understands that it would be suspicious if an FBI agent who was on her case started writing her letters in prison."

Tara scoffs, "damn, Reid. What are you going to do once she gets out?"

I shrug, "unless her obsession escalates, probably nothing." I place my cards on the table, face up, "gin."

--

Another letter is waiting for me when I get back to my apartment. She's persistent, I'll give her that much. I place my other mail on the table near the door and sit down on the couch before opening her latest letter. I glance over it and see that it's much shorter than her other letters. Maybe she's finally running out of things to say.

Dearest Spencie,

Do you miss me yet? You haven't seen me since my sentencing, but I like I've told you before, I'm doing okay and I will get through this. I'm a lot tougher than I look, but you already know that.

How's the case of the missing men going? I gained computer privileges and read online that two more who fit your victimology went missing a few weeks ago. Have you finally realized that I'm not your unsub? I mean, how could I be responsible for this when I'm behind bars?

I might get out soon. My lawyer said that I could be released early due to overcrowding. Wouldn't that be amazing? I would be able to see you again, and maybe we could do a redo on our last date? I would really like that. I've been re-reading Jane Eyre this week and I'm reminded of why I love it so much. I relate to Jane, trying, and failing, to find love. I feel the way Jane is wanting to when I'm with you. You make me feel valued and seen, Spencer, even with all of my baggage. I hope I make you feel the same. I look forward to seeing you soon!

Love,

Sloane

She might be getting out? Why haven't we been notified of this? I read the letter again, even though the words are already burned into my mind. She may be released due to overcrowding; there has to be a way for me to stop this.

She also mentions the latest men who've gone missing, Roger King, a 49-year-old dermatologist, and Daniel Nigara, a 54-year-old CFO . According to both of their bank records they had a shared fondness for strip clubs and they both regularly were taking out large sums of cash, assumingly to pay escorts and prostitutes. Mr. King was reported missing two weeks after Sloane was sentenced and Mr. Nigara just last week. Which means she didn't physically commit the crimes, but I still have a feeling that she was involved in some way.

Maybe she does have a partner after all, but we profiled that Sloane needs too much control to allow a partner in. Also, we never found evidence of one during our surveillance. But then again, the missing persons cases stopped during that period of time.

I rub my temples, this girl is getting under my skin from a minimum security prison across the country and I hate that she has that ability. She's still playing the game and I have an idea on how to throw her off.

--

"Absolutely not," Hotch says to me after I propose my plan to him.

"Come on, Hotch," I plead, "it's a good plan."

"In what world?" he asks. "Reid, you are asking for time off to go visit a murderer. There isn't any concrete evidence to tie her to the other missing men and until we find another body or another man goes missing and we catch her in the act, we need to look at other suspects."

He stands up from behind his desk, walks around to the seat next to me, and sits down. His hands are folded in his lap and he's leaning forward towards me, "what is the real reason you're wanting to go to Arizona?"

"I already told you," I say, trying my best to keep my cool, "I think if I go there, I can play into her fantasy that we have feelings for each other. She might open up and tell me if there are other bodies and about how to find them."

"Reid," Hotch crosses his arms and sighs, "you're just as obsessed with Sloane and this case as she is. You need to let this one go."

I sigh and run my hands through my hair, "I just need to see her one last time. I promise you if nothing comes of this last meeting, I'll let it go. I'll never mention Sloane Williams in connection to this case ever again."

He shakes his head, I know he's frustrated with my persistence.

"Fine," he finally says, "but I swear to God if you come back with nothing and you don't let it go, I'm going to be forced to put you on temporary leave pending a psych eval. As agents, we can't allow unsubs to consume us like this. That's why a lot of great agents get burnt out and leave the Bureau."