Chapter 266: The Recording
Lindsey Vaughn's father, Jason Vaughn, gave off a different vibe compared to the Owen couple. The BAU team could hear the anxiety and unease in his voice, but he was making a concerted effort to maintain his pace and clarity of speech. Even his volume was carefully controlled—loud enough for everyone to hear without seeming too forceful.
He continued, "I went into the cinema to look for them but found nothing. The usher told me they left halfway through the movie."
"Where did they go?" Hotchner asked.
"He said they went out for a smoke," Jason Vaughn replied with a hint of helplessness.
"I didn't even know Katie smoked," Mrs. Owen sobbed in her husband's arms.
No one was particularly surprised. Teenagers in their rebellious phase sneaking a smoke wasn't anything shocking. In his previous life, Jack had picked up the habit during college.
"So they never returned to their seats?" JJ asked.
"No," Jason Vaughn shook his head, looking despondent.
"We've been waiting here all day. Why won't you let us in?" Mr. Owen, holding his wife, looked at the group.
Before the FBI could respond, Jason Vaughn answered for them, "Because they don't know who it is in there, do they?"
"Why? What did they do to her?" Mrs. Owen cried out, the answer becoming evident.
"You're FBI, right? So you're in charge here now?" A slightly overweight middle-aged man next to Jason Vaughn spoke up.
Jack gave the official response, "We're here to assist the police."
"Don't you think it's a bit late for that?" Jason Vaughn suddenly showed a burst of emotion, a stark contrast to his earlier composure. Realizing his outburst, he stepped aside and took two pills from a small bottle.
"I'm Pat Mannon," the chubby man introduced himself. "I'm a friend of Jason's. Please don't mind his attitude. His wife passed away a few years ago, and Lindsey is his everything now."
No one took offense. They had seen plenty of distraught family members; those who remained rational and communicative were rare and welcome.
Hannah walked over, having been discussing with the Southeast Division sheriff as the initial FBI agent on the case. "The coroner's office needs to move the body for further examination."
Jason Vaughn took a few steps forward, blocking Hotchner and Rossi. Clearly, he believed the formally dressed, always serious Hotchner, and the oldest member Rossi, were the ones in charge.
"Let me try. I can recognize her," he pleaded.
"I can tell if it's Katie or Lindsey. Please."
"Come back to the station with us first," Rossi replied gently but firmly.
The chances of identifying the mutilated, head-smashed corpse by the family were slim. Overwhelming emotional shock could lead to denial, a typical first stage of grief.
Such an outcome would likely lead to mutual accusations or even direct conflict, which would be detrimental to the investigation and the discovery of further clues.
Given that one girl was already dead, finding the other who might still be alive was now paramount.
When they reached the Southeast Division station, it was past 7 PM. Garcia had already analyzed the audio file Jack had sent her.
"The call lasted 55 seconds, but the extracted voice only lasts for 23 seconds before going silent," Garcia said, her face grim as she played the audio.
The recording had two girls' voices. One girl was screaming for help, begging the attacker to stop, repeatedly shouting, "Dad, help me!" Clearly, she was the one being assaulted, the body they had found in the drainage ditch.
The other girl sounded relatively calm. She said two things: she told the assaulted girl not to resist and not to further provoke the attacker. Her second statement was particularly memorable, "Don't let them see you're afraid!"
"I think she was strangled right after. What do we do next?" Emily asked, her face grim.
Everyone had some idea by now. From the parents' behavior earlier, they could roughly guess which family's daughter the victim was. But they needed concrete evidence.
"What do we do? The parents can recognize their daughter's voice," Rossi said decisively.
Emily was shocked, finding it hard to believe he would suggest such a thing. Maybe the emotionally fragile Rossi from the last case had left too deep an impression on her.
"Are you serious?"
"This is the fastest way right now. We need to quickly identify the other girl," Rossi said, his face stern but determined. Clearly, men and women had different takes on emotional sensitivity.
Emily insisted on opposing this, the girl's screams still echoing in the room.
"There must be another way."
"I can try to expedite the DNA testing," Hannah said softly, unable to bear the situation.
But everyone knew that even if they could push the DNA testing ahead, ensuring accuracy required numerous repeated tests, which still needed significant time.
Even an hour could be crucial for the possibly still-alive girl.
Jack didn't speak, but he pushed the evidence board he and Reid had just prepared in front of everyone.
It was covered with gruesome photos of the mutilated body, the girl's entire body covered in cuts and large bruises.
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"After discussing with my colleagues, we believe waiting for identification results before acting will be too late," Hotchner played the bad guy, making the difficult suggestion in the Southeast Division's conference room.
"Ultimately, it's up to you. We hope this will buy us more time to save the other girl."
Jason Vaughn asked the critical question, "What was said in the recording?"
"That was the voice of one of your daughters moments before she died," Hotchner said candidly.
"Oh my God," Mrs. Owen cried out, barely able to stand without her husband's support.
After getting my bones adjusted, I feel a bit better. I've scheduled a course of treatments, going once a week. Meanwhile, I'll pay attention to my posture while typing and move around to speed up recovery.
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