The Usual Rules

Chapter 2

The woman wouldn't wake up. The girl had tried everything. She sang some songs, sat patiently until she was hungry again, then tried shaking her. By the time the girl got hungry again, she left the bathroom to try and find something to eat. The only thing that was in the refrigerator was old moldy cheese. The last time the girl had eaten that, it had made her sick. She closed the door and went back upstairs. The woman still hadn't moved. It was dark, and the girl was scared, she began to cry.

The girl went back downstairs and outside. Sometimes when she got too hungry, the old lady next door would feed her. She knocked softly on the front door and waited patiently, hugging her teddy bear.

"Come on in." The old lady said, recognizing the girl.

"Mommy won't get up." She whispered.

"Kid, that's nothing new."

"She's all red in the bathroom."

The old lady paused in the doorframe. "Red how?"

"Her arms. It's sticky and it smells bad."

The old lady finally noticed the blood all over the side of the girl's pants. "Shit." She whispered. "Go into the living room, take those pants off and sit on my couch. Stay here." The girl did as the old lady said. She stayed still long after the old lady came back into her house looking horrified. She stayed still when the police came and talked in whispers, glancing over at her every few minutes. She stayed still as the old lady gave her a new pair of pants to put on, after she gave her food, and while the police talked to her. The police just watched. It was unnatural how still the little girl remained.

Emily woke up with a pounding in her head that didn't go away after her forth cup of coffee. There had been no new leads all morning. The team had been scoping through file after file on performers, club workers and regulars at the club. By the afternoon, they had interviewed at least one family member or friend of all six murdered women and had contacted the families from the previous six to find any connection.

"They're all women in their early to mid twenties, all brunettes, and all performers in some way or another. Or at least involved behind the scenes in some way." JJ said. "He's got to be involved in some way as well, a fan wouldn't have the access to all of them, most of them weren't even that big."

Hotch nodded, agreeing with her and told Garcia to focus on men involved in show business surrounding the women. Everyone was spent and frustrated, with twelve murders there should be more evidence, but it seemed like he only got better and better with each kill. "I hate to say it but..." Morgan trailed off.

"We kind of need something new to go on." Rossi finished for him solemnly. Emily watched JJ look down at her hands, needing someone else to die, to save them was a catch-22 that pissed her off and Emily could tell. She was determined to find something now.

"We need to talk to other performers. See if they noticed anything." She stated.

"We already did." Morgan said.

"Only a few, it can't hurt to try more."

Hotch nodded. "JJ, you and Emily head out, Reid and Morgan, take the rest, Rossi, you and I will keep going over victimology." Everyone nodded and stood up to take on their tasks. "Meet back her by nightfall if you don't get anything sooner."

JJ leaned her head against the window and remained silent the first ten minutes of the car ride. "Jen?" Emily prodded.

JJ rolled her head over. "Hum?" She murmured.

"What're you thinking?" Emily asked softly.

"That this case sucks."

Emily chuckled softly. "All of them kinda do, but I agree, this one has a bit more suck to it." Emily smiled as JJ laughed at Emily's wording. She took pleasure in being able to cheer her wife up through these cases, even if sometimes only momentarily. "We'll figure it out. We always do eventually."