Embers~Criminal Minds 2

From Childhood's Hour

Rossi: "Hey, I'm sorry I'm late. I got hung up with something. What do we got?"

Hotch: "A child abduction in St. Louis."

Garcia: "Yeah. Bobby Smith, 9 years old, vanished 48 hours ago from a residential area, where his mother, Marlene Smith, claims to have dropped him off."

Morgan: "48 hours and we're just learning about it now?"

Garcia: "Yeah. That's 'cause mom didn't know her son was gone. She assumed that he was with the grandmother and just left him there."

Watson: "Sounds familiar." she mutters

JJ: "So, she's not exactly on the short list for mother of the year."

Emily: "What about the father?"

Garcia: "Uh, he was convicted of embezzling from his workplace 2 years ago. Currently cooling his heels in state prison."

Reid: "If it's a stranger abduction, the first 24 hours are critical. This kid's already been missing twice that long."

Hotch: "Which is why we shouldn't waste any more time. Let's go."

Reid: "From childhood's hour I have not been as others were, I have not seen as others saw." Edgar Allan Poe."

On The Plane

Rossi: "St. Louis. Oh, probably a couple days. I'll let you know. Can't wait. Bye" he hangs up his phone and turns to see the look the others are giving him "What?"

Morgan: "Nothing. Just somebody's got a lot of extra pep in their step this morning, that's all."

Emily: "Probably doubled up on his vitamins."

Morgan: "Oh, he doubled up on something." he gives Rossi a teasing look making JJ and Watson chuckle

Hotch: "Garcia, what have you got on the mother?"

Garcia: "Oh, I have so much on the mother, and try as I might, none of it is good. Marlene Smith has a history of erratic behavior, seriously clinically depressed, two suicide attempts in the last 5 years."

Reid: "Was she being treated for her depression?"

Garcia: "Oh, my gosh, yes. Like more pill-popping than Elvis. Yes."

JJ: "Depression is one of the few things that can overwhelm the maternal instinct."

Emily: "What about the grandmother?"

Garcia: "I don't have anything on her yet, but don't reach for your remote. I'll be ba-a-ck." she says the last word in a sing-songy way before hanging up

Morgan: "Two suicide attempts. Why hasn't child services intervened?"

Rossi: "Probably talked her way out of it."

Watson: "Most social service organizations are overworked and underfunded. Things slip through the cracks."

Reid: "If this boy's mother tried to commit suicide and he's from a chronically unhappy household. Maybe this wasn't an abduction at all. What if Bobby simply ran away?"

Rossi: "When 9-year-olds run away, they're usually home for supper."

Hotch: "JJ, you and I will talk to the mother. Morgan, Watson and Reid, go to the boy's house. Prentiss, you and Dave assess the site where the mother claims to have dropped him off."

➰

Morgan: "Cheerful." he says when they enter Marlene's bedroom and find it pitch black with stuff all around the room