Chapter Two

Hannibal Lecter: Now then, tell me. What did Miggs say to you? Multiple Miggs in the next cell. He hissed at you. What did he say?

Clarice Starling: He said, "I can smell your cunt."

Hannibal Lecter: I see. I myself cannot. You use Evian skin cream, and sometimes you wear L'Air du Temps, but not today.

(Silence of the Lambs)

Derek Morgan could see hunger in Gregory Sutherland's sharp blue eyes and that disquieting gaze was fixated on Dr. Olivia Reid. Sensing Derek's protective instinct kicking into gear prematurely, Olivia simply suggested that they all take a seat. Two towering guards helped a shackled Sutherland into the empty chair across from the federal agents. Olivia sat with ease and confidence; Derek hesitated before sinking into his own chair. "Mr. Sutherland, as you know, I am Dr. Olivia Reid. This is Derek Morgan. We are Supervisory Special Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Behavioral Analysis Unit in Virginia."

"A long way from home, little girl," Sutherland said. He winked.

"You will refer to her as Dr. Reid," Morgan growled, "or Agent Reid."

Sutherland's gaze drifted to Derek. "You're here for my help," he said simply. It was as if he said you need me to solve this case, and, therefore, I can say whatever I please.

Derek Morgan shook his head. "We're here for information," he corrected. "Dr. Reid and I can end this interview at any time."

Those sharp blue eyes lightly assessed Olivia's lithe form, as if longing to caress her soft, soft skin. "Is this true?"

"Yes," Olivia replied. Her skin was crawling and she did her best to ignore it. I am not his victim. I will never be his victim. I have the upper hand here.

"It is also true that I have an admirer?" Sutherland shifted in his seat.

"You have a copycat, yes," was Olivia's even reply. She cleared her throat. "I should say, you have an almost copycat. There are noticeable differences."

"Such as?"

"This UnSub takes his victims' hearts and livers instead of the eyes and tongue."

Sutherland licked his lips. "UnSub?"

"Unknown subject," Olivia replied steadily.

"And you're sure this…UnSub…is consuming those organs?"

Olivia nodded. "I believe so, yes."

"And the bodies?" Sutherland inquired. He seemed to be enjoying the conversation.

"Cleaned," Olivia said, keeping her features and body language neutral, "and laid out in fresh clothes."

Derek added, "They're dumped in cemeteries. Sound familiar?"

Sutherland's grin was toothy and sharper than his ice-blue gaze. For someone who had been consuming human vitreous and lingua for at least twenty-one years, Gregory Sutherland's teeth were in top condition. "May I ask personal questions during this interview?"

Derek's reply was an immediate "No," and Olivia's reply was a simultaneous, "Of course." She threw him a glance that said I know what I'm doing and I can handle this. Olivia looked at Sutherland and said, "Ask away."

"Your brother," the tall former UnSub mused. Olivia prepared to go on the defensive, but she had allowed this line of questioning. "His name is Spencer, is it not?"

"It is," she replied, struggling to remain neutral.

"Hmm, Old English name and yet Olivia was first used by Shakespeare in Twelfth Night. Your parents must appreciate the classics," Sutherland said.

"Middle English, actually," Olivia corrected, "and my father is more into Asimov. It's my mother who appreciates the older classics."

"Your father, William, is a lawyer. But I can see that it is Diana Reid, former literature professor, who—"

"Okay, that's enough!" Derek warned, slamming the palm of his hand down on the table. Sutherland looked relatively impassive to this outburst but his gaze slithered to rest on the dark-skinned agent and there was definite annoyance there. "You did your research," Derek told him angrily, "good for you."

Sutherland chuckled, but there was nothing inherently humorous in the sound. It was tauntingly low, almost dark. "Research," he repeated. "I did more than research, Agent Morgan. This world isn't closed to me."

Son of a bitch, Derek wanted to shout. He looked at Olivia. "I knew we were being followed," he growled. He looked at Sutherland again, and if looks could kill… "Who did you hire?"

"I like to keep my circles of friends separate, Agent Morgan," Sutherland replied, "but I assure you that no harm will come to you or your friends. I was simply curious. When I receive visitors, I like to know about them. Anyways, tell me more about this UnSub, as you say, Dr. Reid."

Olivia was still trying to align her thoughts, trying to understand that feeling watched for the previous two days and this morning hadn't simply been contagious paranoia. They were actually being followed. Derek discreetly touched her elbow, bringing her back to the present. "Oh," she said, "I believe he is suffering from a psychotic break related to paranoid schizophrenia."

"Much like the doctors have said about me," Sutherland mused.

"You don't believe them?"

"I believe the chosen few who hear the voice of the almighty God," Sutherland said, anger coloring his tone, "and are called to do his will are silenced by the sinners we strive to save." He shifted in his chair and rested his cuffed hands on the table. The guards stood on edge, carefully watching this movement.

"I'm sure our UnSub believes he's acting on the will of God, too," Olivia said calmly. "He leaves notes on the bodies."

"Scripture?"

"Sometimes," Olivia assented, "and sometimes a single word."

"Such as?"

"One of the seven deadly sins," Olivia replied.

Sutherland sighed. "I only ever left scripture."

"We know," Derek said.

Another sigh from the inmate. "I don't see how I can help you."

"You can tell us how you evaded detection for over two decades," Derek told him.

Sutherland shrugged. "It was God's will."

Derek shook his head. "No."

"I left no DNA," Sutherland relented, "and even if I had, there was no way to test it in those days." He looked at Olivia. "I also kept up with the Joneses, if you know what I mean. I never gave anyone a reason to suspect me. Are you the younger sibling, Dr. Reid?"

"I am," she said, reviewing Sutherland's words in her mind. She recalled reading statements from Gregory Sutherland's neighbors, employer, coworkers, friends, and parents; every one of them said they just couldn't believe Sutherland was capable of such horrific crimes. It wasn't an uncommon reaction in the aftermath of an arrest for such heinous criminalities. "By three minutes and twenty-seven seconds."

"I always wished I had been born a twin," Sutherland told her. "Or, at least, that my parents had been more fruitful. I never liked being an only child. Pets were never enough, either."

He wet the bed until he was sixteen, Olivia remembered. "You killed most of your family's pets, Mr. Sutherland, and burned down the barns of three local farmers, killing the horses and cows that were inside."

"I don't deny my involvement."

"Triad of sociopathy," Olivia murmured, mostly to herself, "Macdonald triad."

"And you believe in this triad?" Sutherland wondered.

"It's scientifically sound," Olivia told him absently. She grabbed her phone. "Please excuse me." She sent a text to Garcia: Can u pull records of local fires? Unexplained, last ten yrs?

The instant reply was: Piece of cake, sunshine.

Thanks. Send to Hotch pls, she responded and tucked the phone back into the folds of her jacket. "I apologize."

"No need," Sutherland grinned good-naturedly. It was then that Olivia and Derek truly saw this man through the eyes of someone unaware of his crimes. It was nothing short of astonishing, really. Olivia thought Gregory looked relatively average, hauntingly normal; just as strangers probably viewed Olivia as unimposing, she could imagine passing Sutherland on a busy sidewalk and not sparing a second glance. He was old enough to be her grandfather; he looked like a kindly man, but fierce insanity and raging hunger in his cold eyes gave him away. "You know, I never wanted sons or grandchildren, but I'd give anything to go back and have a daughter as pretty as you."

Olivia wanted to shudder. Thankfully, Sutherland had never married. She couldn't imagine the fate of any offspring this killer might produce. Would he have killed them, too, if the God in his delusions willed it? It happened in the Bible, in Genesis, when the Lord commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac, before rescinding the order and allowing the boy to live another day. In Greek mythology, the Titan, Cronus (Saturn, in Romanized mythology), devoured his sons because he feared they would overthrow him; his last son, Zeus, was spared by mother Rhea who wrapped a stone in swaddling cloth for Cronus to consume and hid her son in Crete. The crude Goya oil mural depicted a demonic-looking Cronus in the act of anthropophagy and filicide. While considering these ancient tales, Olivia had an idea. "Derek, I think I understand why it's just the hearts and livers."

Derek felt like they were getting nowhere fast with this creep Sutherland. "Why?" He was ready to leave. Sutherland couldn't give them anything useful. It had been worth a shot to get into the mind of someone so similar, but now it felt like a waste of precious time.

"To keep away a demon," Olivia said. "Specifically, to keep away the demon of lust, Asmodeus, who is 'the worst of demons' in the apocryphal Book of Tobit."

"Seriously?" Derek asked her, raising his brow. It sounded plausible, but it seemed equally like a stretch of the imagination.

"Mmhmm," Olivia nodded, "Sarah of Media lost seven husbands to Asmodeus. Her cousin, Tobias, makes the journey to Media to marry her, accompanied by his dog and the archangel Raphael, who is disguised as a human named Azariah. Tobias is washing his feet in the Tigris when a fish attacks him and tries to swallow his foot, but the angel orders him to capture it and remove its heart, liver, and gallbladder to make medicines."

"But our victims aren't missing their gallbladders," Derek reminded her.

"Right," Olivia said, drumming her fingers quietly on the table, "because later in the story, Raphael instructs Tobias to burn only the liver and heart to keep away the demon on his wedding night, so he can safely consummate his marriage to Sarah. It works. Raphael is able to capture Asmodeus in Upper Egypt and bind him. I don't think our UnSub needs medicine, but protection from a demon—although, I guess, not necessarily the demon of lust specifically."

"We can present it to the team when we get back."

They had nearly forgotten about Sutherland. The old man looked at them and said, "I'm glad you have a lead. Now, if that's all you'll need from me," he indicated the wall clock with a short nod of his head, "my show starts in five minutes."