#2 Target Store

Pin Icon Target Store

Quite large store in central Cleveland. Early Evening hours.

As they gradually approached the crime scene, it was still early evening in Cleveland. The city remained bustling, but the Target appeared to be less crowded than it typically would have been at this hour. People were starting to steer clear of the area as the police presence at the crime scene grew more prominent. The entrance to the store was cordoned off with police tape, and several police cars were already parked outside. Everything for the little girl that went missing. Officers were diligently securing the perimeter, speaking with witnesses, and preparing for the arrival of the main investigators. As they arrived, a young officer approached to brief them on the situation. Her name was Stephanie, one of the field officers from the Cleveland Police Department who worked in the area.

“ Evening, Detective Ryder. Agent Matthews, ”

She greeted them, attempting to follow the hierarchical protocol. While it might have been more appropriate to mention Special Agent Matthews first, she recognized Detective Ryder, and he likely recognized her as well. Stephanie then nodded in the direction of Wilson, not yet familiar with her surname. Without wasting any time, she cut to the most critical information:

“ We have the body of the abductor, the retired ATF agent, still at the crime scene. The Balfour family is outside the building... ”

She motioned towards a large crowd of people. Initially, one might think it was just a bunch of onlookers, but upon closer inspection, it was evident that someone was addressing the crowd, with cameras and microphones in tow. The press was already on the scene and someone was talking to them.

“ Let me know if you need us to do something or if you require any assistance- ”

Stephanie said, directing her words primarily at Detective Ryder. They were from the same station, and it was apparent that their cooperation would be seamless. She understood his experience and the importance of keeping him informed. Stephanie briefly considered what else might be significant but was ready to follow any orders or directives at this point.

@Aria Matthews @Willow Wilson @Finan Ryder

Almost before the engine of the car was fully off, Finan had started surveilling the area and making careful mental notes of anything that stood out to him. He noted where the store entrance was, where the operations tent had been set up, and the perimeter, which had been carefully set up to discourage onlookers from entering the crime scene. With a small pang of disapproval he noticed they'd left one of the side entrances to the main building out of the perimeter and thus not blocked by a barrier. As an agent walked by, whom he recognized to be a relative newbie to the station, he quickly signed at her to come over. When she was close enough and looking at him with wide eyes (okay, maybe he had a habit of being grumpy towards newbies sometimes, oops.), he instructed her to expand the perimeter to include the side door and have it blocked and guarded. She nodded and ran to get it done.

He then spotted a large crowd, quickly recognizing most of them as being members of the press. When he looked a little bit more careful, he could vaguely make out someone addressing the press.

"Ah shit" he mumbled. It wasn't disastrous for the press to be kept somewhat in the loop, and with kidnappings especially Finan actually supported using them to get a bigger reach, but he hoped an agent was carefully monitoring what was being said. The last thing they needed was a 'hero' interfering with the investigation or confidential information being released. Especially with the profile of the victim and her family, it was crucial for the information being distributed to not reveal anything that might inspire their fans to take action into their own hands or upset either them or the family. He'd have to ask the current agent in charge what that situation was and how it was being handled.

As they got closer to the entrance of the store, Finan had to admit he was pleasantly surprised by the calm atmosphere created by the already present officers. They were carefully monitoring that the crime scene remained intact, and he saw some officers talking to panicked onlookers, calmly ensuring them the situation was being handled and being kindly but firmly directed to return to their houses. All officers were diligently performing their assigned tasks, and Finan was quietly proud of them. They'd grown together as a precinct in recent years, and he would trust most officers with handling whatever came their way in a professional and capable manner.
Finally, they were approached by a young officer who Finan recognized as Stephanie. He knew she was also from his station and he heard more than enough about her results, to trust her to handle a crime scene of such importance. Actually, thinking about it, Wilson might learn a thing or two from her. He'd have to properly introduce them some time after the investigation.

He was nodding quietly along while she was talking. When she mentioned the Balfour family, it clicked quickly for him who the press was talking to. He decided to start with that when she asked if they needed them to do anything. He cleared his throat.

"Thanks. Stephanie, right?. Good job with the scene, forgot about a side door though. Someone is on it now, but have someone make sure there are no other entrance or exit points left unguarded, even if they've been checked before. On another note, anything more you can tell me about who is talking to the press? Is anyone monitoring it?"

@Maggie @Aria Matthews @Willow Wilson

With her nose buried in the case file to get to know everything about the case, she felt the car stop. While everybody was getting out she hurried to put everything back in order and stumbled out of the car behind the others. The woman who spoke to them was familiar, but Willow had never worked with her beforehand.

She missed the greeting that Stephanie gave them but nodded to the officer. Everywhere something was happening and taking everything in all at once was a lot. After taking a deep breath in and steadying herself, getting used to the noise around her and observing the scene, she listened to what Stephanie was telling them. One of the things they teach you at the precinct when you begin is that civilians don't like the police, even more so higher-ranked officers and especially special forces. That's why Willow immediately thought it would be best if she would do some questioning of possible witnesses.

Finan was saying something to Stephanie, but Willow didn't entirely hear what he was saying to her. After he was done she jumped in "I was thinking it would probably be best if I split off to go and find some witnesses to question about what they saw. I'm sure you don't need me here with you guys since you're pros and stuff, I'd only be walking in your way. the Balfour family is maybe something one of you would like to deal with. They can be difficult and we want to do this right. Not saying I couldn't deal, but best if you do it for sure!" She looked at her colleagues and hoped she sounded more controlled than she felt. Willow then focused on Stephanie, "Do you know if and where they have any confirmed witnesses? and if not, would you like me to question the civilians and see if they saw anything?"

She took a deep breath and hoped she could stop rambling so much. The breath exercises seemed to work in the car, but then they stepped into the middle of chaos and she definitely had never dealt with this big a crime scene before. If she wanted to look calm enough to question people she needed to feel it too. Otherwise, nobody would tell her anything.

@Maggie @Aria Matthews @Willow Wilson

She got out of the car and immediately grimaced at the sight of the press crowd in front of the target. She heard Detective Ryder also reacting badly to the situation. Finally they agreed on something - the press was never a helpful thing in solving a case. The big group of photographers and journalists, who only cared about taking better picture of the crime scene, was always annoying and, in her opinion, unnecessary. Even if they were focused on the speaker in front of them, it would still be important to make sure that none of them tries to sneak in through the police tape.

She nodded when the new officer greeted them. They should really put the information somewhere that Willow is working with them. It wasn't nice to be skipped while being introduced to your own case.

After Stephanie, as she found out from Finan's sentence, finished speaking, she wanted to advise to check the whole perimeter once again. It was not a surprise, that the grumpy detective spoke about it before Aria. He really was a professional after all.
Detective Ryder asked also about the person talking to the press and Matthews was happy that he wanted to take care of it. She didn't like talking to people during his job. Also that was not why the FBI sent her here. Her target was the body still laying in the exact same place where the suspect committed suicide.

"I think you should question the workers first. Since they also saw the recording on the cameras. But yes, I agree that it would be helpful to find out as much information as possible from the civilians. Just remember to first go to people who got already stopped by the previous officers. And don't talk to the press. They know a lot of tricks to take out as much information from you as possible", she gave her the friendly advice. "Of course we also need to talk to the Balfours, but I guess Detective Ryder will take care of it?", she asked raising one eyebrow. He looked like a person who wouldn't make a mistake while talking to such a dangerous people. If he wanted any more information on them, she was ready to provide it.

Some would think that after their not so nice previous conversation, she wouldn't trust the nervous man. But now they were working and she knew, that she had to put aside her personal opinions.
" If you don't mind, I would like to see the body. Take some pictures, gather samples and check if I can find out anything on the spot", she added looking at them and Stephanie, who probably knew where was the forensic equipment. Aria already took her white gloves out and was ready to put them on.

She couldn't wait to be in the store where was no crowd of press and no witnesses. Always her favourite time of job was when she was alone with the body and could gather all of her thoughts. Usually people didn't want to be around the corpse. And it was so nice, so peaceful and quiet.

She thought what will Finan Ryder think of her now, when he sees that she is actually the one who wants to get her hands dirty and bloody? Will he still think that the FBI agents always need the red carpet? It was a stupid thing, but Aria didn't like the fact that he treated her like that just because of her work.

@Maggie @Finan Ryder @Willow Wilson

As Finan addressed them, it became clear that they were entrusting him with the responsibility, and it was evident that Finan was regarded as the one "in charge."

“ Of course, we will take care of that. We didn't allow anyone in or out, but it's a good call. ”

When the press question arose, Stephanie couldn't help but cringe a little, but it was her duty to share the information with Finan and the rest of the investigators.

“ The Balfours, they're quite... active in the media. It's challenging to stop them due to the crowd they're addressing. From what I've gathered, nothing harmful has been said, really. They seem to be mostly... praying? ”

As Willow addressed her, Stephanie nodded and provided further details.

“ We've secured a couple of witnesses from inside and outside the store. They're with the police over there. ”

Stephanie gestured in the direction where a cluster of police cars had gathered, and a few individuals were being questioned.

“ The store manager is also waiting inside. He apparently has the recording from the surveillance cameras. We can view the incident on that, but it's also essential for someone to speak with him. We've already secured the recording, which you can access at the station anytime, or here in the store, right now. ”

In response to Aria's request, Stephanie offered a gentle nod and a smile. She had a deep respect for Aria and would gladly accompany her to the crime scene itself, knowing that Aria was the one with the expertise in that aspect of the investigation.

“ The body is secured inside the shop. The bullet collided with a fishtank, so it's quite wet in there. I'd advise you to wear some form of plastic shoe protectors as well. ”

@Aria Matthews @Finan Ryder @Willow Wilson

Finan hadn't expected Matthews to give (actually good) advice to Wilson but he appreciated it all the same. Even if his distaste for FBI wouldn't just disappear in the span of a few hours, he could recognize that perhaps he'd been slightly wrong in his initial assessment of her. Not that he would freely admit this. She still hadn't proven that she was actually different long term, and he wouldn't trust her until he had hard proof. His gut had been wrong before.

When she mentioned him, he nodded. It's what he had been planning on doing, so he was happy Matthews recognized what the proper task distribution and procedure was in a team such as theirs. He was intrigued to hear her talk about examining the body. He hadn't been clearly informed what her exact role would be, but she was hitting all the correct marks for investigating the body, so for the sake of hurrying the investigation along, he resigned to let it be for now.
With a confident but slight smirk he quickly gave his consent to his designated task.
"Yeah, alright. Time to go swimming with sharks, my favorite."

He started to get fidgety and his instincts told him to move and start solving the case so he decided to dismiss their merry little party and get going.
"Alright. I'll go talk to the Balfour shitheads. Get a feeling for what they've said, what's happening, and their general position on it all. Matthews, you go have a look at the body. Once I've finished with the Balfours, I'll head over and we can discuss and determine our next steps. At this point, if Wilson has discovered anything, we might have a lot better image of what happened here. Sound good? Nobody's panties in a twist?"

Finan had seen Wilson's demeanor switch back to excited and nervous almost as soon as they had been approached by Stephanie. He understood where it was coming from, and knew she must be feeling pretty overwhelmed. On one hand he wanted to help and guide her, on the other he had a job to do, she was an adult and he wasn't her babysitter. He decided to settle for quickly addressing her, before letting her get to questioning the witnesses.

"Wilson, one second. These witnesses saw something traumatic, I understand you're nervous but you got to stay composed while talking to them. Make sure they feel comfortable enough to share what they saw. Lord knows some of them are probably morons, but you want to NOT stress them out more."
He then quietly dead-panned "Unless they'll talk when more stress is added. Feel free to babble their ears off then. You should have no difficulty with that."
Deciding he should have slept more and he could have been nicer, he then seriously added.
"I know what you're capable of, Wilson. Don't let yourself down. Breathe."

With that, he shoved his hands into his pockets and prepared to stomp over to the crowd, ready to face the music.

"Fucking media assholes." he mumbled as he tried to recall what he knew about the Balfour family. He'd processed what Stephanie had told him about the Balfour's and he couldn't deny his interest was piqued.

Finan rolls for Computer Use

@Aria Matthews @Willow Wilson @Maggie

As Finan realized he couldn't remember anything about the Balfour family, he decided to quickly step out of the way and discreetly check his phone. Since they apparently had such a large following, it shouldn't be too difficult to find out more about them online. He wasn't the type of person to spend a lot of time online, so he had to admit although the name sounded familiar, he couldn't place them. Looking them up first could provide him with some information on how to approach them and get the information he wanted to know.

@Maggie @Aria Matthews @Willow Wilson

She looked at where Stephanie was pointing and spotted a couple of individuals who looked like civilians. Some calmly sat on the floor looking at their legs and some were pacing back and forth. She knew that both these actions could be stress-related. She nodded towards Stephanie and said “I’ll work my way from outside to inside. These people here have been waiting long enough in this heat. After I go inside and have spoken to the store manager, I can share what I’ve gathered, and we can go over the tape together maybe? I can also do it alone, but you guys will need to see this anyway so why not do it together and share our thoughts immediately “

She just needs to get to work, that will definitely help with the nerves. Get her mind to focus on a single thing.
After Finnan reacted to Stephanie, he turned to her with a bit of annoyance visible on his face and actually did give good advice, albeit a bit harsh. Of course, she knows that adding more stress to people will not help them in this situation. But it’s good to really think about it before going towards a witness. She still felt like she already disappointed Finnan, one of the people the captain listens to when assessing employees. So, making sure this man thinks highly of her is very important. She has and WILL prove herself today.

“Yes Detective, I completely understand, I will tone it down.” Then she took a deep breath and added “I think this is a good moment to go and talk to people. A lot of work to do. I will see you all in a bit. My radio is on frequency 6 if you need to contact me. Do you want me to radio in after I learn something or just give you the gist at the end of the day?”

After a final nod, she walks off to the 1st set of officers who are watching the witnesses. The crowd is quite loud she notices, maybe it would be better to find a better spot to talk to people. Having them be distracted while she questions them isn’t good for both parties involved.

“Good afternoon officers. My name is Willson, I’m here to ask these people, would you mind pointing me to a quiet spot? I’d prefer to have the crowd a bit out of sight.”

@Aria Matthews @Finan Ryder @Maggie

As Finan headed towards the Balfour family, he could hear John addressing the press.

“ "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me." These words guide us in this time of trial, for we know that God watches over us, even in our darkest hours. ”

He spoke to the press and the public, a crowd of folks who looked up to him, hanging on his every word, utterly mesmerized. The reporters seemed eager to ask their questions, but they struggled to break into the pastor's speech. Reporters, they always found a way to sneak in the most improper inquiries at any given moment. But for now, they simply stood there, cameras and microphones in hand, soaking in his words.

“ We do not know the identity of the abductor, but we are resolved to do everything in our power to bring Regina back safely. She is our little angel, a testament to the love and grace of our Lord. We ask for your prayers, for the strength to endure this tribulation and for Regina's safe return. Our faith in God remains unshaken, and we trust that His divine plan will lead us to our daughter. ”

He continued speaking.

As Willow approached the officers, she noticed a man and a woman in their twenties – witnesses, perhaps. They seemed like siblings, exchanging glances with each other and then turning their attention to another officer who was overseeing them. The officer turned to Willow and said:

“ Of course, Officer Wilson. Let's head over there, inside the store, for a chat. It's been closed down for the investigation, and they've got a break room. ”

With that, the officer led the witnesses and Officer Wilson through one of the back entrances of the Target store. Perhaps she wanted to spare the witnesses the sight of the crime scene and the abductor's body – a wise decision. As they approached the break room, the siblings finally spoke:

“ Do we really have to repeat everything again? ”

“ Yeah, we've already gone over it. Is this necessary? We don't have anything new to add! ”

@Finan Ryder @Willow Wilson @Aria Matthews

Aria was happy to see that Finan was so gentle and kind to Willow. She looked like she needed a good mentor who could clearly guide her through the case. She was too excited and stressed at the same time, and Aria was not surprised - after all, it was her first big case. Normally Mathews would be there to provide her with her own knowledge, but this time she knew that Detective Ryder was better to do that. After all, he was working in the open, and she was most of the time in the lab.

"Inform us if you find something out. Detective Ryder can mute the radio if it will disturb his talk with the victim's family. To me, it might be crucial during examination of the body. We will also be able to help you decide who to push more and who not", she said confidently. She understood that witnesses might be tired or traumatised while talking, but there were techniques that could help them get more information if they knew who was able to provide more.

"I understand, do you have any shoe covers?" she asked Stephanie. She usually carried with her only the gloves. She was wearing her work shoes that could get dirty (though they looked spotless because Aria washed them after every case), but they would for sure soak quickly if she stepped in the water.

"Did someone already checked the body?", she asked, already on the way to the body. She needed to know if they already had any information and check it to compare with her own observations. "Also, where do you have the cameras? I would need to take some pictures."

She immediately remembered her first case. She was so terrified and stressed. Likewise, she was too scared to do anything on her own. And the case wasn't easy. It was a big murder, and they had a lot of bodies to examine. Due to her being still a student, she could even do more pathological work. Aria had then this amazing teacher and mentor. She was always waiting for him just to cut to the bone. He would always teach her how to do it and how not to destroy the evidence. Sadly, he was now dead. He died during one intervention. Now, whenever Mathews was going to the crime scene, she was thinking about Albert.

@Maggie