Close | A Spencer Reid Story

39. Nebula

Spencer's POV

I did what she asked. I stopped trying to reach her, but I couldn't stop thinking about Y/N.

Could she really hate me that much? I wanted to apologise to her. I was prepared to grovel. I maintained my distance though. I didn't need to hurt her anymore.

"Round table, Reid." Emily knocked on my desk as she rushed past my desk.

I took a deep breath and lifted myself out of my chair.

I sunk down in a chair in the conference room as Penny began introducing the case. I wasn't paying attention. I stared at the words on the file, but I couldn't concentrate on any of it.

"This is the third body that has been found. However, there is a projection of potentially four other victims. There is no apparent link. The only connection between the victims so far is their involvement with the same charity." Penelope tapped the screen to the next slide. "Nebula Children's foundation, founded in 1968."

I sat up in my seat, startling everyone. "Who?"

Penelope frowned at my outburst.

"Who?" I repeated urgently.

Penelope eyes widened in disbelief, but she complied pulling up images of the three confirmed victims and the four missing persons.

My heart stopped from sinking when I saw the images but not enough to comfort me. "What's the motive?" I see the odd looks I'm getting and try to mask my alarm. "I mean do we know why they are targeting people associated with The Nebula Foundation?"

"No," Emily slowly replied, narrowing her eyes at me.

"To be honest finding much information other than what is already public knowledge is quite difficult." Penelope shook her head in awe.

"What sort of information do you need?" Matt enquired.

"I'm finding it hard to believe that you can't find a way to find out. I thought you were like a computer genius or something." Luke smirked, but he caught Penelope glaring at him and his mouth quickly snapped shut.

Penny's voice filled with scorn. "Believe me, if it were available, I would find it."

"What do you need to know?" I tried to bring the conversation back in line.

"A significant number of the sponsors and donors are anonymous. It's difficult to get the full scope of who's involved. We need that information to push forward the digital investigation."

"Have you tried getting in contact with the organisation?" JJ's question was valid but a bit silly. Of course, Penelope had.

"If only it were that easy," Penny sighed. "The only information we can get is their charity work and founders. There's not much on the donors. We pieced together the connections we have found through press coverage for events and social media activity of the victims."

"Founder's?" Rossi questioned.

"The Windsor's." Penelope pulled up some news articles. "Carla and Niklaus Windsor founded the charity in 1968 in New York, to support underprivileged children with their health, education and necessities. Their own children went on to develop the foundation to support nationwide and in recent years they have taken a more international stance with the support of the third generation of the Windsor's."

"Wait... Go back." Rossi waved his finger at the screen. "I recognise that bracelet."

I immediately knew what he was referring to. The simple thin black band that that met at either end of a gold swirl representing a cosmic nebula. Y/N had one.

I rushed out my seat, wading towards a phone.

"Where are you going?" I heard a few people ask behind me, but I disregarded it.

"Spence," JJ filed out behind me. "What is it?"

I didn't know what to say. I wasn't really ever supposed to say what was told to me in confidence. "Nothing," I murmured, trying to call Y/N. I was hoping that calling from a phone that wasn't mine would deter Y/N from her pledge of silence. But the call just kept dialling through ring after ring. "Damn it." I slammed down phone.

"Spence?"

All it took was a puppy dog look from JJ and I was spilling my guts, before I could stop myself.

"We have to talk to Y/N," JJ concluded.

"NO! We absolutely shouldn't. I don't want to involve her."

"It's not really up to you, Spence." JJ began heading back to the round table.

"JJ, you don't understand. I don't want to bring that up for her. She already hates me."

"She doesn't hate you as much as she would want to help." JJ told me over her shoulder.

She disappeared into round table room to inform the others.

"You have got to be joking," I heard Rossi scoffed.

After much back and forth, Emily decided that someone had to talk to Y/N.

"I got in as fast as I could. What did I miss?" Tara panted as she skidded to a stop in the doorway as we tried to leave.

Rossi frowned, still not onboard with our plan. He made his speedy escape.

"What?" Tara asked again.

"We have to speak to Y/N in relation to our case." Penny looked up from her screen at me, but quickly looked away.

"Oh." Tara looked over her shoulder searching for Rossi.

"Alright, let's see if we can bring her," Emily's shoulders slumped. I think she was ashamed that she hadn't been the one to tell Y/N first, before she found out on her own accord.