Crossfire

She walked away from the window and joined Rossi inside the house with the detective. I kicked a rock and put my hands in my front pockets as I followed her slowly. By the time I reached them in the front room of the crime scene she had latex gloves on and was looking up the chimney.

She pulled out something that was sticking to one of the bricks. Rossi asked,” What is that?”

She replied curiously,” A raven feather…”

I whispered,” Edgar Allan Poe.”

Rossi, Rory, and the detective looked at me. I stated,” Well think about it. He had a horrible life which led to the inspiration of so many poems and Gothic short stories. For example, The Raven. Matches the raven feather and with the chimney…”

Rory gasped,” The Murders in the Rue Morgue.”

Rossi looked completely confused like he hadn’t ever read any of Poe’s short stories. I nodded,” Exactly.”

She continued,” In that short story, mother and daughter were found dead in their home. Mother’s head was barely attached and the daughter was strangled than shoved up the chimney.”

Rossi finally caught on,” Just like this crime… So we are looking for a poem fanatic?

I shook my head,” Not just any poems, poems with more of a gothic feel to them. I’m beginning to think it’s a specific author too, Who ever had done these incorporated two things from the works of Poe.”

Rory asked,” Do we know how these two lived?”

The detective answered,” Well they mostly kept to themselves. They didn’t have any close family members or family.”

Rory looked straight to me and said,” Exactly how the family was in the short stories.”

Rossi concluded,” They were high risk victims. They weren’t exactly like prostitutes or drug dealers but somehow the killer knew that they wouldn’t be missed by anyone.”

Rory questioned,” But what if they are just copying Poe? The victim’s range in most of his stories, they aren’t just people who aren’t missed.”

I agreed,” I don’t think we can fully say the killer just straight hunts for high risk. Like Rory said, we have to consider the fact of an extreme Poe fanatic.”

Rossi nodded before heading into another room to let Hotch and Morgan know of our findings. I searched through my mind to figure out some way Garcia could search up some suspects. They possibly could be someone who idolized him so they dress up like Poe and tell his stories to audiences.

I dialed Garcia and when she answered I asked,” Hey can you look up any Living Poetry groups near Baltimore?”

She replied,” Sure sugar, hang on one second.”

By the time she had got done looking she was on speaker so Rory could hear too. She sounded disappointed as she stated,” There are about twenty of them…”

I opened my mouth but Rory interrupted,” Well think about it. Poe was born in Baltimore so of course there would be a lot of Living Poetry groups in the birth place of a this famous poet. Try being more specific, like groups who specialize in gothic poetry or just poetry by Poe.”

Garcia exclaimed,” Alright. I’ll give you guys a ring in a few minutes.”

Rory and I walked off the crime scene and we leaned against the black SUV. I Raised my eyebrows at her,” I didn’t peg you as a Poe fan.

She nodded,” Yeah his poems were the only ones during school that I really liked and could really understand. He puts so much emotion into his poems and short stories, whether they’re creepy or not.”

I smiled,” I completely agree with you! Like he is so creative and unique. It was many and many a year ago, in a kingdom by the sea that a maiden there lived whom you may know by the name of ANNABEL LEE. And this maiden she lived with no other thought
than to love and be loved by me.”