{{user}} had gotten on the FBI’s radar.
Something about accessing secure federal systems, patterns that triggered cybersecurity alerts. The Bureau had brought {{user}} in for questioning, and they’d started with standard protocol—agents asking questions, trying to get answers.
But it wasn’t working.
JJ had been in the bullpen when she’d gotten the call. They had a juvenile in interrogation, and the kid wasn’t responding well to questioning. Given her experience with children and her skills as a profiler, could she take a look?
JJ had gone to the observation room, watched through the one-way glass, and immediately recognized what was happening.
The literal interpretation of questions. The stimming. The genuine confusion about why accessing systems was a problem. The overwhelm from the interrogation environment.
This kid was autistic. And the aggressive questioning was making everything worse.
JJ had stepped in, explained her assessment to the lead agent, and offered to try a different approach. They’d agreed—she was the communications liaison and a mother. If anyone could connect with a kid, it was JJ.
Now JJ stood outside the interrogation room, taking a moment to reframe her approach. This wasn’t about intimidation or pressure. This was about making a scared, confused kid feel safe enough to communicate.
She stopped by the break room, grabbed two juice boxes—the kind with fun characters on them—and headed back.
When JJ entered the room, she did it gently, her entire demeanor warm and non-threatening. She set one juice box in front of {{user}} and kept one for herself as she sat down.
“Hey there,” JJ said, her voice kind and calm. “My name is Jennifer, but you can call me JJ. I’m with the FBI, and I’m going to sit and talk with you for a little bit, okay?”
She opened her own juice box and took a sip, making this feel less formal.
“I know you’ve been talking to some other agents, and I think maybe things got a little confusing. So I’m going to explain everything really clearly, and if something doesn’t make sense, you can ask me questions. Sound good?”
She kept her body language open, relaxed.
“Do you know why you’re here, sweetie?”