Say It Again

Chapter 5: The Undoing

"You've reached the most amazing and beautiful tech genius in the world, speak to me," Garcia says as soon as JJ dials her number.

"Garcia, a girl was just reported missing, and with the unsub's increasingly accelerated timeline, she may only have a few hours to live. We need you to 'work a little magic' as Morgan says," JJ begins, her voice focused and direct.

"Okay, how can I help? I need her to be found alive so this case can have a happy ending."

"We realized each of the victims is connected to the local community college in one way or another. Since that's the only thing they have in common, we think the unsub is involved with the college as well."

"Garcia, look for students and faculty from the college from the past ten years. We think he may have been scorned by someone there or by the institution itself, so look for people fired or expelled recently," Hotch interjects.

"I only have two recent expulsions and one professor fired within the past year," Garcia says, the sound of her keyboard punctuating each word.

"Shit. Okay what else do we know?" Morgan asks, sighing softly.

"Hey guys think about where the bodies were dumped. Each of those places seems to be extremely public and significant to the city. I feel like there must be some other connection between them as well," I say, writing each dumpsite on the whiteboard in front of me.

"Garcia, can you pull up pictures of each of those locations for me? I think I might know what the common denominator is," Reid says, squinting at the board.

"Okay boy genius what am I looking for?" Garcia asks a few seconds later.

"Start with the park. Do you see a mural anywhere?"

"Ummmm, yes I do! What about it?"

"Zoom in. Can you see who the artist is that created it?" Reid asks, twirling a marker in his fingers.

"I see the initials RD," Garcia responds quickly.

"Okay now look at the second dumpsite: the courtyard at the high school. I remember there being a mural in one of the crime scene photos I saw," Reid says.

"Oh I remember that mural. It's beautiful," Gideon adds with a nod.

"Okay I see it!" Garcia says a moment later.

"Zoom in on the artist's signature again," Reid responds.

"The initials RD again. Let me look at the one from the ice cream shop...RD. I feel like I already know what I'm going to see, but I'm looking in the background of photos from the monument where victim number four was found and....RD."

"I think it's time to find out who our mystery artist is," Gideon says, standing.

"Okay, local artists with the initials RD..." Garcia is quiet for a moment as she types. "I've got one: Ronald Dawson. He's twenty-nine years old, went to the junior college for two years before transferring to Auburn University to get an art degree. He's done several local murals, and was hired for another a few months ago at..."

"I'm going to guess the junior college?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Yep! But it looks like they removed him from the project two weeks ago after a sexual assault allegation was filed against him by...oh no. By the first victim, Juliet Monroe."

"There was the trigger," Gideon says with a humorless laugh.

"Garcia can we get an address?" Hotch asks quickly.

"Already sent. Go find her, please." Garcia says before hanging up.

...

Ten minutes later, the squad cars pull up outside an old, dingy house. The grass desperately needs to be cut, and the roof is missing several of its shingles. The only visible window has one shutter that's barely still attached to it.