Butterfly Kisses
Chapter III
After the team had eaten, I decided to help Mom clean the dishes. However, that didn't last long.
“Kenna, you have to come down to the police station with us,” Hotch stated. “We're going to set up down there. I want to watch you as much as I possibly can.”
“No problem. Let me put these dishes away and we can leave.”
I piled into one of the SUVs, riding shotgun with Hotch, who decided to throw his team into the other.
“Sorry, I wanted to talk to you before we get to the station,” he said. “I want you to know that I trust all these people with my life, so you should, too. At the end of the day, one of them will be assigned your 'protector'. Lucky for you, I'm letting you pick,” he smiled.
“I guess there's a first for everything,” I laughed.
We pulled into the police station five minutes after the rest of the team. Everything was already set up. I walked into a conference room, where pictures of the four victims covered the four corners of a white board. I stared intently at the faces of my missing classmates. I lost touch with everyone, except my best friend Carly, after high school.
“Kenna,” a soothing voice spoke, bringing me out of my trance. It belonged to JJ. “I'm very sorry that you have to spend your summer like this, but would you mind taking a seat and describing the kidnappings to us?” She gestured to a chair at the head of the table.
“Yeah, no problem,” I stated, sitting down. JJ sat to my left, and Hotch sat to my right.
“Take your time, sweetheart,” Hotch said, grabbing my hand.
“Well,” I started, standing back up, and taking a blue marker from the basket on the table, and began to write notes.
“Nathan Ritewig, age 23 when he disappeared. He was last seen taking the trash out behind his parent's auto shop. After ten minutes, his father went out to check on him. There was no sign of him, but there was a note.” I wrote 'Unnatural muscle tone is a sin' on the board.
I picked up a pink marker next.
“Nichole Grizald, age 24 when she disappeared. She was last seen walking out to her car after her shift at the bowling alley. She never made it home. When her mom woke up the next morning and noticed that Nichole wasn't home, she went to the bowling alley, where a note was found on the driver's seat of the car.” I wrote 'Dye your hair all your life, and die too' on the board.
I plucked a green marker from the basket.
“Kollin Kissinger, age 24 when he disappeared. He was last seen by our other victim Abigal, his girlfriend. She left his house the night before, returning the next morning to find a note on his bed.” I wrote 'Too white of teeth can blind you' on the board.
I grabbed a purple marker.
“Abigal Sulder, age 23 when she disappeared. She was last seen leaving the police station after reporting her boyfriend's disappearance. An officer went out to search the premise three hours after, only to find the high heels that she was wearing and, of course, a note.” I wrote 'Beautiful eyes should never be hidden' on the board.
I turned around, only to see everyone staring at the board, taking this information in.
“Before you ask,” I spoke, “these victims have one major thing in common; they were not perfect.”
“So, the unsub kidnapped them, just because they aren't who they claim to be?” Derek asked. “But why take someone who isn't perfect?”
“To find the real perfection...” Spencer trailed.
“Exactly!” I exclaimed.
“But how do we know what he wants is perfect?” Rossi questioned. “Maybe he just hates fake people.”
“Because I know...” I slowly pulled out the surprise from my pocket, unfolding it for the umpteenth time, lying it on the table.
“'I want my perfection, beautiful Kenna',” JJ read.
“He wants me,” I stated, holding back my fright. “I don't understand why, though. I'm far from perfect.”
“Kenna, honey,” Hotch said, wrapping his arms around me. “We will find the unsub, and they will never touch a hair on your beautiful head.” He kissed the top of my head.
“Kenna, you have to come down to the police station with us,” Hotch stated. “We're going to set up down there. I want to watch you as much as I possibly can.”
“No problem. Let me put these dishes away and we can leave.”
I piled into one of the SUVs, riding shotgun with Hotch, who decided to throw his team into the other.
“Sorry, I wanted to talk to you before we get to the station,” he said. “I want you to know that I trust all these people with my life, so you should, too. At the end of the day, one of them will be assigned your 'protector'. Lucky for you, I'm letting you pick,” he smiled.
“I guess there's a first for everything,” I laughed.
We pulled into the police station five minutes after the rest of the team. Everything was already set up. I walked into a conference room, where pictures of the four victims covered the four corners of a white board. I stared intently at the faces of my missing classmates. I lost touch with everyone, except my best friend Carly, after high school.
“Kenna,” a soothing voice spoke, bringing me out of my trance. It belonged to JJ. “I'm very sorry that you have to spend your summer like this, but would you mind taking a seat and describing the kidnappings to us?” She gestured to a chair at the head of the table.
“Yeah, no problem,” I stated, sitting down. JJ sat to my left, and Hotch sat to my right.
“Take your time, sweetheart,” Hotch said, grabbing my hand.
“Well,” I started, standing back up, and taking a blue marker from the basket on the table, and began to write notes.
“Nathan Ritewig, age 23 when he disappeared. He was last seen taking the trash out behind his parent's auto shop. After ten minutes, his father went out to check on him. There was no sign of him, but there was a note.” I wrote 'Unnatural muscle tone is a sin' on the board.
I picked up a pink marker next.
“Nichole Grizald, age 24 when she disappeared. She was last seen walking out to her car after her shift at the bowling alley. She never made it home. When her mom woke up the next morning and noticed that Nichole wasn't home, she went to the bowling alley, where a note was found on the driver's seat of the car.” I wrote 'Dye your hair all your life, and die too' on the board.
I plucked a green marker from the basket.
“Kollin Kissinger, age 24 when he disappeared. He was last seen by our other victim Abigal, his girlfriend. She left his house the night before, returning the next morning to find a note on his bed.” I wrote 'Too white of teeth can blind you' on the board.
I grabbed a purple marker.
“Abigal Sulder, age 23 when she disappeared. She was last seen leaving the police station after reporting her boyfriend's disappearance. An officer went out to search the premise three hours after, only to find the high heels that she was wearing and, of course, a note.” I wrote 'Beautiful eyes should never be hidden' on the board.
I turned around, only to see everyone staring at the board, taking this information in.
“Before you ask,” I spoke, “these victims have one major thing in common; they were not perfect.”
“So, the unsub kidnapped them, just because they aren't who they claim to be?” Derek asked. “But why take someone who isn't perfect?”
“To find the real perfection...” Spencer trailed.
“Exactly!” I exclaimed.
“But how do we know what he wants is perfect?” Rossi questioned. “Maybe he just hates fake people.”
“Because I know...” I slowly pulled out the surprise from my pocket, unfolding it for the umpteenth time, lying it on the table.
“'I want my perfection, beautiful Kenna',” JJ read.
“He wants me,” I stated, holding back my fright. “I don't understand why, though. I'm far from perfect.”
“Kenna, honey,” Hotch said, wrapping his arms around me. “We will find the unsub, and they will never touch a hair on your beautiful head.” He kissed the top of my head.