Chapter 211: The Unfortunate Couple (Part 1)

Fortunately, the hype surrounding the shooting incident died down in a few days. After all, with so many such incidents each year and fewer than ten deaths this time, it wasn't considered major news.

BAU team members couldn't become famous. This included Garcia and JJ, as all their personal information was kept confidential. The BAU had faced multiple instances of serial killers seeking fame or challenges by targeting the team directly.

Thus, whether it was the War God of Starbucks or the Suit Hero, they were soon forgotten by the internet. More people knew Jack, since many at the Wilshire division were acquainted with him. However, very few knew Hotchner's identity.

The party at Jack's house the next day was a great success. His meticulously prepared Italian cuisine was highly praised. Compared to the more pretentious French cuisine, Italian food, which could be enjoyed while sitting and chatting for hours, was clearly more suitable for a small gathering of about ten people.

Apart from Hotchner, who couldn't attend due to his pregnant wife, the first BAU gathering was quite successful. 

Rossi praised nearly every dish, including the one where Jack sneakily added a Chinese sweet treat called osmanthus lotus root. Even Reid didn't leave a single drop of the sauce.

The ladies were particularly interested in the beauty-boosting desserts. JJ, Emily Prentiss, and Penelope Garcia tried the white fungus and red date soup that Jack had specially prepared for them for the first time.

Since they learned that the pretty girl with great skin on the 12th floor was Jack's girlfriend, JJ, Emily, and Garcia had visited Hannah using various pretexts. Except for JJ, who had mixed feelings, the other two were quite impressed.

They eagerly asked Jack for Hannah's beauty secrets. Jack couldn't credit it all to massages, especially since Emily and Garcia weren't his type. So, he attributed it to his cooking skills. Eventually, even JJ subtly hinted that the ladies wouldn't mind if Jack brought similar treats to the office regularly.

They were willing to spend more time at the gym to burn off the extra calories. Even the chubby homebody Garcia was inquiring about dance classes for fitness.

After dinner, Jack introduced a new entertainment activity that quickly became a hit. His peculiar square table in the living room was finally put to its intended use: as a mahjong table.

The BAU members, all highly intelligent, had come to doubt their own smarts after meeting the genius Dr. Reid. Any board or card game was just a mental calculation exercise for Reid, who was banned from Las Vegas casinos.

After a few days, everyone started refusing to play such games with Reid. Being the smartest in one's social circle was fun, but losing repeatedly to Reid was not.

Mahjong leveled the playing field. There were many ways to win, and while card counting could improve the odds, luck was often a major factor. Plus, cooperation to suppress the frequent winner made the game even more enjoyable.

Jack had made the mahjong set himself, using some cheap African purple sandalwood and mammoth ivory to practice his skills.

Soon, the BAU members were hooked. Rossi even traded a small oil painting, supposedly worth a house, for two mahjong sets: one for the office and one for the Gulfstream jet. Mahjong became the team's go-to entertainment.

Jack guessed that Rossi, drawing on his past experiences, was preparing for the physiological and psychological pressures the team would face. 

Although it felt like the team's dynamic was shifting, Jack happily hung the small oil painting in his bedroom. He couldn't understand the abstract Pollock painting worth billions in Chris' RV, but he loved this sunflower piece by Picasso, at least recognizing what it depicted.

Soon, JJ brought the team's first case: a sheriff in Nevada requested FBI assistance regarding a series of suspicious accidents in Reno. He believed they were interconnected.

"Three days ago, outside Reno, a Honda sedan was hit by a semi-truck. The truck driver was unharmed, but Jonathan and Rebecca Gowen in the sedan were pronounced dead at the scene."

In the meeting room, JJ showed photos and information from the local sheriff.

"When the sheriff arrived, he noticed something odd: no blood spatter in the car, no seatbelt bruises, and no airbag injuries."

Reid concluded, "The couple was already dead before the accident?"

"Yes," JJ confirmed. "The coroner confirmed this and identified the cause of death."

"The couple had blunt force trauma to the head, and evidence showed the wife was sexually assaulted and tortured before death."

"And?" Hotchner prompted JJ to continue. A single faked car accident wouldn't be handed directly to the BAU; there had to be more.

JJ pressed the remote, showing a series of photos on the screen.

"Garcia found similar incidents in the California-Nevada border area in the past two months, including two other cases provided by the sheriff. In total, there were six such incidents in the past two months."

"All involved a couple in a car, hit by a semi-truck or heavy vehicle, and died. Because of the different jurisdictions between the two states, these cases weren't immediately connected. Three were treated as regular accidents."

Rossi quickly scanned the files, "Each time, a couple alone in a car, at night, parked in the middle of the road, in remote areas. This can't be a coincidence. Any other commonalities?"

JJ flipped to the next page of her notebook, "Garcia found that family members of two couples had filed missing person reports. They had been missing for at least 48 hours."

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