Question D

[Jonetta]

Were you surprised to learn that the FBI will not consider connecting mysterious disappearances like these in this story without first establishing a common link? Is it a logical, sensible policy?

[Charlene]

Is this a question about actual FBI policies, or the story world? In the story, I wonder how many FBI agents would be assigned to seemingly unrelated series of disappearances.

[Jonetta]

It's about actual FBI policy.

[Charlene]

Oh, boy. My last sentence above was meant for the real world, not the story world. It makes me wonder if special investigations beyond FBI [like LCR] would be routinely necessary to get the best results.

[Jonetta]

I just accept it as fact that there are covert groups out there that gather info the government can't legally sanction.

It makes sense that agents wouldn't be assigned unless there's an established pattern but somebody's got to do the work to figure out those patterns when it isn't clear. I thought that was one of the roles of the BAU.

[Quynh]

Hm, good question. I would think they would make the connection in the lack of similarities like Seth did. They would have the manpower and intelligence to do it. Bookwise, I think it was left out for plot development.