Thanks for the support! By the way: Platinum Flats comes from the comic Birds of Prey.

Chapter Four:

An hour after Riley's press conference, the team caught a break. A neighbor noticed some suspicious activity going on in the garage next door. The person matched the profile. Leo Kane was a recently laid-off software developer who used to work on the Village Mystic. He became obsessed with the game after his mother died of cancer. His older brother was a vet in Fresno and recently reported a theft of the kind of drug used to kill the victims. Kane lived alone and aside from fixing computers he had no other source of income.

His house was at the end of a dead end street. Kane's car was parked in the driveway. There were many trees to their advantage and disadvantage. It was early seven o'clock when they arrived.

Riley ordered Alves and Reid to the front and he, J.J. and Rossi would take the back.

"I know you're all more experienced at this than me but I feel the urge to reiterate the need to brink Kane in alive if at all possible," Riley said before they left. "He is our key to understanding what motivates a man to murder for the sake of a game. Good luck and stay safe."

Alves and Reid reported the ground floor was empty and were dividing up to check the basement and the upper floor. Rossi and J.J. went to the garage while Riley noticed a light on in the tool shed.

Kane was waiting with a gun to Hastings' head. Riley leveled his.

"Drop the gun Mr. Kane," Riley said. "No one wants to hurt you unless absolutely necessary."

"They don't get it none of them do!" Kane yelled. "None of them have the key to enlightenment, none of them care. So I had to kill them when they couldn't show their worthiness."

"Enlighten me then, Mr. Kane, I'm a computer programmer."

"You're a suit with a gun! You have no understanding of enlightenment!"

"Would it help if I told you I know how to shut the internet down? I carry a gun now because it part of my path to enlightenment."

He stabbed Hastings in the head. "He couldn't so I can't let him live!"

"Then you won't live to continue your quest for enlightenment."

"It doesn't matter anymore!" Kane shouted. "I'll never get it!"

Before Kane could act Riley pulled the trigger. He shot him squarely in the chest. The gun fell from Kane's hand as he slumped to the ground.

Rossi arrived first followed by local police and EMTs for Hastings. Riley took a few steps back out of the shed.

"You okay boss?" Rossi said.

"Not now Dave, but I will be," he said catching his breath.

"That you're first kill?" Rossi said.

"There are different ways to get blood on one's hands Dave." Riley said. "Any loss of life is unfortunate however necessary to save others. Mr. Kane seemed like a man driven by grief to seek answers where none could be found."

The rest of the team arrived in the backyard. Riley addressed them:

"You all did a tremendous job today. There is paper work waiting for us though and I'd like that done tonight. As this case wrapped up at unusually rapid speed. I'd like to get on the jet by eight o'clock. Go home to where loved ones can be found as this is no paradise."

Riley walked out of the yard and the rest of the team followed him.

On the plane ride home J.J. talked with Will, Rossi and Alves played poker, and Riley and Reid played chess.

Rossi looked over as Reid and Riley played. The game was fairly even.

Reid's hands shook slightly and Riley smiled.

"Don't be afraid to beat your supervisor Dr. Reid."

"You can call me Spencer or Reid," he said as he took another piece.

"I'm the only one who gets to call him Spence," J.J. called out.

"Very well Reid, you are a superb player."

"So are you Riley," Reid said.

After another half hour Reid ultimately beat him. Riley clapped and they shook hands.

It was past midnight when they arrived back at the office. Waiting for them was Garcia and a woman with bright red hair.

Riley rushed to embrace her. "Grace," he said hugging her. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to welcome you here for your first case. Garcia filled me in. You did a good work!"

"Thank you Grace. Grace this is my team."

She shook hand with each of them and waved at Spencer.

Riley turned and addressed them again. "While I would have preferred another outcome we did save lives today and get justice for the victims. I am proud of every one of you. I do hope this is a sign of great things to come from our joint venture. Good night and I'll see you in the morning."

Grace took Riley's arm and walked down the hall. "Don't stay up too late profiling him," she called out.

The team turned and stared at each other. Rossi spoke up:

"Well he adores his wife," Rossi said. "That doesn't surprise me but it adds to the picture."

"Let's take this to the conference room," J.J. suggested.

"Are you sure we should be profiling him?" Reid asked.

"How many beats did his pulse go down when he saw Grace?" she asked as she followed Rossi up the stairs.

"Eleven, but that's not the point," Reid said but he followed her anyway.

Garcia pulled out a white board.

Alves took a seat. "Did you learn anything interesting from Mrs. Riley?"

"She made me do most of the talking," she said. "Asked about your work backgrounds. Admired my office. We discussed cats versus dogs and I found out she is a dog lover."

"Do they own a dog?" J.J. asked.

"A mutt named Linus."

Rossi began to write things down. "Dog lover. That is something to go on," Rossi said sarcastically.

"But his love for his wife is," J.J. said. "Riley seems so by the books but he let himself go the minute he saw Grace. Added with that comment about us profiling him, there are probably few secrets between them."

Rossi added: "Loves wife," and turned to Reid.

"He seems to relate the most to you."

Reid turned red. "He seems more scholarly than anything. Almost every question he asked me, he seemed to know the answer to."

J.J. grinned. "Are you saying he is smarter than you?"

Reid turned away. "How did he land a job of this height from cybercrimes? Did you find anything about that Garcia?"

"I am kind of nervous about going near any of his files," she said. "If he is half as good as he says he is I'll set off alarms before I breach the perimeter."

Rossi rolled his eyes. "So what did you bribe Monty into finding for you?"

"Someone in the last sixty days helped take down a plot to ground half the planes in LaGuardia as part of a terror attack."

"That's good way to get the authority needed for a job like this but why?" Rossi asked.

"I think that is the biggest question, we won't find an answer to," J.J. said. "Why is he here?"

Riley closed the laptop he had in bed with him. "I think someone there has figured out I stopped the LaGuardia terror attack."

Grace adjusted her pillows. "They do seem like an energetic and persistent group. Do you think you'll ever trust them?"

Riley put the laptop on the bedside table. "With my life, yes. With the mission I was given by the machine, I don't know."

"Did you kill the UNSUB? The news reports said it was an FBI agent."

"Yes," he said and turned off of the light. "I don't know how John did it all of those years or how anyone uses such a weapon regularly."

"You will too." Grace said and then paused. "Do you still miss him?"

"Him, Sameen, and Bear," Riley said. "Even Detective Fusco."

"But you know what I mean Harrold," Grace said. "That is why you chose his last alias."

"I do Grace," he said suddenly turning tearful.

Grace hugged him. "It will be okay Harrold."

"With you Grace, I know it will be," he said as turned to kiss her.

Endnote:

I think I broke a few hearts but spoilers for Person of Interest: I can get Harrold surviving a single gunshot, but Reese surviving after getting shot at multiple times before a rocket hitting him, that I can't believe. It also adds to the story of Harrold needing the team more for support.