Chapter Text
Prologue
It was the sound of a large knife blade that took the place of the woman's screams. Then it was the arrival of her boyfriend that broke the silence that had settled in the home of the deceased. It was not until fifteen minutes later that officers arrived and declared the murder. It was only an hour after this declaration that a second murder was committed a few streets away. A third murder committed the same time later alerted the FBI. Panicked, the police station could not afford to wait any longer and risk another victim on this night of October 31st.
___________
"Why am I not surprised that we got called in for murders," Morgan said.
"Indeed, you shouldn't be surprised since the murder rate is the same on Halloween as on any other day of the year. If the deaths are so high today, it's because of car accidents, with many pedestrians being hit while candy hunting," replied the genius.
The team had been warned only about thirty minutes earlier, the debriefing having to be done in the jet to save as much time as possible. Hotch, having been woken up suddenly in his office by the phone, was trying desperately to stay awake. Not easy when your wife had been brutally murdered only a few months earlier. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw his wife lying on the floor in a pool of her own blood, covered with deep wounds. Their son could have died. Jack could have died. But even though his son was still alive, he kept blaming himself that he could have saved Haley.
It was Dave who first noticed his friend's condition. Of course, everyone knew that Haley's sudden death was still bothering him, but not to that extent. Not to the extent of the multiple antidepressants and painkillers he had to take every day to keep from succumbing.
"Our first victim was Joanne Davis. She's from New Jersey and has never left the city. She's pretty ordinary; a boyfriend, a job as a cashier at the local grocery store, with a small family... It was her boyfriend, Alan Wade, who found her stabbed in the face late tonight." the grimace Garcia made was noticed by the team members.
"To have the strength to stab a bone as strong as the skull, our suspect probably has to be a male. 20 to 35 years old. Especially with the violence of the murder and the damage that was done," Reid continued.
Without adding, the technician followed her lead: "The late Kyle Montgomery was the second victim, 1 hour 15 minutes later. Same for him, his life was pretty bland. Single, worked as a clerk in the same grocery store as Joanne..."
"Maybe revenge against the employees?" Rossi offered.
"I don't think so. The third victim who was found 50 minutes ago. Vanessa Vale worked as a secretary in the town's only law firm, she had just arrived from New York after placing a restraining order on her ex-boyfriend."
"I think we can take away the angry ex-boyfriend lead, the first two victims don't fit at all. Maybe victims of opportunity?" JJ lifted her gaze from the file she held in her hands.
"Maybe, but why all of a sudden, in a town as small as this? Wait... ah yes, Haddonfield, that's right."
"Are you kidding Reid?" Derek seemed surprised. "No one thought to tell me what town we were going to?
"I thought you could read for yourself.
"You know very well I'm leaving that task to you, handsome..."
Peneloppe exclaimed. "I hadn't even noticed! Derek is right, it could be related to the city?"
It was Aaron who asked the question first, having finally faded from his thoughts.
"Could we be dealing with a Michael Myers?"