Hey my lovely readers! So I decied to skip episode "Won't get fooled again" sorry, Reid wasn't in there a lot, and I couldn't ind good places to fit Tessa it, but I'm picking up with "Plain Sight" So thanks for reading! Enjoy!
"They have a cake." I commented as Reid and I watched discreetly from outside the glass doors.
"They also have a hat…" He mumbled, "I don't want to wear the hat."
"You might not have too? It's your birthday."
"I'll have too…" He sighed.
"It might not be that bad." I mused. Reid shrugged and sighed before gently grabbing my hand and walking into the office.
"Would you look at that." Morgan laughed as we entered hand in hand, "Genius boy finally got his pretty girl."
"What?" Reid asked laughing, I could tell by his voice he was a bit nervous. I felt myself blush.
"Well it certainly took you two long enough." Morgan added while putting candles on the cake, "happy birthday Reid."
"Thanks." He nodded.
"Well come on, blow out the candles." JJ waved him over, we began to walk over but not before Morgan could place a birthday hat on Reid's head.
"Week go on Genius, blow the candles out." Morgan clapped him on the back. Reid began to blow on the candles but they didn't go out. I glanced at Morgan as he held in laughter., again Reid tried to blow out the candles.
"Come on baby blow! Blow!" Morgan laughed.
"In think they're-" I was cut off by Morgan gently covering my mouth. He looked at me and shook his head with a silly grin on his face.
"Come on Reid, I thought you were full of hot air!" Elle egged him on. He kept trying to blow out the candles, finally I maneuvered out of Morgan's grasp.
"They're trick candles Spence, they're just gonna come back on." JJ told him.
"Aw, mommy to the rescue." Morgan teased.
"Mommy?" Reid asked confused.
"Ignore him." JJ threw a glare at Morgan, "hope you like chocolate." Glancing around I saw Gideon watching us and smiling, slowly I walked over to him.
"I knew you two would always end up together." He commented as I stood next to him.
"Did uh, everyone think that, and Spencer and I were just didn't?" I asked. Gideon shrugged, "probably," I laughed lightly as Reid came over.
"Having fun?" Gideon asked.
"Yes, definitely. I'm definitely having fun." He replied unconvincingly.
"Make a wish?"
"Can I take this hat off?" Reid glanced up.
"I wouldn't." Gideon shook his head.
"Spence, Tessa, birthday cake." JJ held up two pieces on a plate.
"Happy birthday." Elle said as we all sat around Reid's desk.
"Thank you." Reid nodded.
"Sorry guys." Hotch walked over grim-faced, "parties over."
"We're going to San Diego." Hotch told us, as we were now all seated in the round table room.
"Not for the surfing huh?" Morgan asked.
"They're calling him the Tommy Killer." JJ set down files in front of all of us.
"Six women raped and murdered in their homes in the last three weeks." Hotch continued.
"Six in three weeks?" Elle asked.
"That's a short use." Gideon commented.
"And getting shorter. The first two were eight days apart, then the next four in two weeks." Hotch informed us.
"Rapid escalation. Do you think he's regressing to a psychopathic frenzy?" Reid asked.
"No, he's two controlled for that…" Hotch replied before getting up, "see you on the plane."
"Why the Tommy Killer?" Morgan called. Hotch turned back.
"You know the rock opera? Well this unsub glues the victim's eyes wide open."
"He wants them to see him.." I commented looking through the pictures.
"And feel him." Gideon finished before getting up, "we need to get there as soon as possible."
The team departed to gather their belonging and to meet back up on the plane.
"Do you always keep a bag of your things under your desk?" Elle asked as I put my bag on my shoulder.
"Yeah…?" I said slightly confused.
"Well, I mean it's efficient." She nodded, "see you on the plane."
"Ready?" Reid asked walking over his pack over his shoulder.
"Yeah." I nodded, he extended his hand slowly, taking it we walked to the plane.
"Brenda Sams was found yesterday by her children when they got home from school." Hotch read aloud once we were all seated on the plane, "she had been strangled with a thin ligature, possibly a wire."
"No weapon left at the scene?" Elle asked, Hitch shook his head.
"Reside on the wrist and mouth indicate that duct tape was used and then removed." Reid held up a picture.
"Also not found at the scene." Hotch stated.
"Brought it with him, took it with him." Elle nodded.
"He also started leaving messages at the fourth crime scene. The was on the mirrors," he held up a picture before he began to read aloud, "Fair Lady, throne those costly robes aside. No longer may you glory in your pride. Take leave of all your carnal, vain delight." I stopped what I was doing recognizing the poem.
"I've come to summon you away this night." I finished for him, looking around I found everyone looking at me, "it's a, uh, ballad from the late 1600s. A dialogue betwixt death and a lady."
"A century old ballad?" Elle asked skeptically. I nodded.
"Essentially, a women begging death to live." Reid spoke up.
"What kind of person knows this balled? Are we looking for a literature professor?" Elle looked between Gideon and Hotch.
"Anyone with an internet connection, actually." Reid picked up, "you should see what comes un with you type "death" into a search engine." He laughed lightly.
"Do these two just keep getting weirder?" Morgan looked at the others, I looked back at my paper.
"Reid, Tessa you two stay on the ballads see if there's a deeper meaning." Gideon announced.
"Well, it definitely looks like he ransacked the crime scene pretty well." Morgan picked up a picture off the table.
"A lot of damage, nothing taken." Hotch replied.
"The eyed are the thing, the signature." Gideon spoke, "the behavior that isn't necessary for the murder, but necessary for the emotional release. That's what he's there for."
"There used to be a wide know belief that the eyes record a snapshot of the last thing a person sees before they die." Reid added.
"That's right, people used to write poems about talking to death." Morgan noted.
"Ballads." Reid and I said in unison.
Morgan sighed raising his hands, "whatever." I nodded slowly.
"You think they'll ever run out of new things to do with their victims?" Elle asked hints of annoyance on her voice.
""Well, finding new ways to hurt each other are what we're good at." Gideon answered grimly.
Soon the plane landed and we arrived at the San Diego Police Department. Immediately Reid and I found where they had put the ballads.
"Do you not know me? I will tell you then: I am he that conquers all the sons of men, No pitch of honor from my dart is free. My name is death! Have you not heard of me?"
"My name is death. Have you not heard of me…" Reid mumbled to himself.
"Creepy huh." JJ came over.
"A-actually, conversation between death and his victims was a fairly popular literary and artistic theme throughout the renaissance." Reid explained. JJ looked at him oddly.
"Yeah, creepy." He laughed uncomfortably. JJ nodded before leaving.
"Hey Reid…?" I asked looking over the ballads.
"Hm?" He looked over at me.
"This is only one part of the ballad." I replied, "the lady never answers."
"Let's go tell Hotch." Reid replied before we joined Hotch who was talking with Elle.
"Looks like what he's written at the scenes are most of the first three verses of the ballads." Reid told them.
"Most?" Hotch asked.
"It's only one part of the conversation." I explained, "there's no betwixt." I cleared my throat, as Hotch and Elle looked at us in silence not understanding.
"Uh, death speaks but the lady never answered." I explained further rolling my thumb over my fingernails.
"Maybe he feels like there bodies are answer enough." Elle commented. Hotch nodded slowly, "Tessa, and Reid keep on the ballads, Elle, we need to know what kind of rapist he is." Elle nodded, while Reid and I went back to the ballads. Gideon and Morgan went to the recent crime scene with one of the officers.
Reid and I were sitting at a desk looking over the ballads, and the other parts that were missing from it.
"There was another attempt about six miles from here." Hotch announced coming over, "Elle and I are heading over there now."
"Attempt?" I asked.
"The husband interrupted and the attacker got away." Hotch replied walking away, I returned to the papers. After a while of going through papers Reid handed one to me.
"Look, it's the original ballad."
Sanding them over I found that the verses that the unsub were identical from that of the text, he's following them precisely." Reid nodded as I handed the paper back.
"This ballad is ten verses long…" Rend murmured.
"Just on death side." I nodded then a thought hit me, "if he has so much to work with why didn't he leave verses at the first murders." Reid looked up at me thinking.
"Gideon's back." Reid noted before getting up and walking over.
"Gideon." He caught his attention, "the verses."
"Find anything?" Gideon took the paper and looked between the two of us.
"Uh, not an answer, a question. I found the full text. He's pretty much following it to a T." He answered, "at-at least the death side of the conversation."
"But?"
"Why didn't he leave them at the first three murders?" Reid asked.
"The ah, ballad is ten verses long, just on death's side so why start now?" I joined in, "he's got plenty to work with."
"But if it's not part of his signature, if it isn't something he has to do it for an emotional reason, then why start?" Reid asked. Gideon's face went blank for a moment as he thought, suddenly his lip moved into a half curbed smile.
"JJ, find out when the press ran the first story on this unsub." He said.
"When?" She asked.
"After which victim." Gideon replied.
"Yeah you got it." JJ picked up a phone.
"What you thinking?" Morgan asked.
"He wasn't getting enough attention." Gideon said his tone obvious.
"The police department sometimes don't even realize they're looking at a pattern." I noted glancing at the others
"Yeah, not until somebody tells them." Morgan replied.
"The first story ran the morning after the fourth victim was found." JJ said from her desk.
"The increased patrols didn't begin until after the fourth victim, either." Morgan said looking through a file.
"Yeah." Gideon nodded, "yeah the police didn't realize what was happening, he writes his verse-"
"And everyone knows he was there." Reid finished. Hotch and Elle walked over to us, coming back from the other attack.
"The offender in this new attempt is a black male." Hotch announced.
"Black male? That's cross racial. That doesn't happen." Morgan replied.
"Herbert Mullin." Reid and I spoke at the same time.
"He killed 14 different people of completely varying ages, races, and creeds." Reid explained.
"But there was no sexual component to his crimes." Elle shook her head, "and this new attacker wore a ski mask."
"Tell 'em we're ready." Gideon said staring at the far side of the room.
"For our profile?" Morgan asked. Reid and I glanced at each other.
"We're gonna make Tommy contact us." He answered before walking away. All of the police gathered in one room to hear our profile.
"The unsub brought the weapons with him," Gideon began, "tape, glue, wire. He did not leave them at the scene. He took them when he left. He has a kind of killing kit that he carries."
"Organized killers usually have a skilled job, likely technology related." Hotch picked up, "which may involve the use of his hands. The crime scenes are far enough apart that he needs a vehicle. This will be well kept, obsessively clean, as will be his home. He's diurnal, the attacks occurred during the day so the vehicle may be related to his work, possibly a company car or truck."
"We believe he watches the victims for a time, learns the rhythms of the home, knows his time frame." Morgan jumped in. Reid and I listened standing near a wall.
"You're not gonna catch him accidentally."
"He destroys symbols of wealth in the victims homes." Gideon turned towards the board, "he harbors envy of and hatred toward people of a higher social class. He feels invisible around them."
"Class is the theme of the poem which he left at the various crime scenes." Reid spoke up.
"A-at one point in the poem, the women attempts to bide death." I continued, "but he doesn't accept it. He says this is the one moment when riches mean nothing."
"When death comes, the poor and the rich are exactly alike." Reid finished.
"So he's poor?" One of the policemen asked.
"Probably middle class." Hotch answered, "a decidedly lower-class person would stick out in a highly patrolled neighborhood. This guy appears to belong there he blends in."
"Why does he glue the eyes open?" Another cop asked.
"The unsub, is an exploitative rapist." Elle stood by Hotch, "most rape victims close their eyes during the attack, turn their heads. For some rapist this destroyed the fantasy. For this type of rapist, the goal is more related to the victim watching than the act itself."
"The verses, the staging, the aggressive language, "I am death," this guy who, while being in control of the crime scene almost certainly feels inadequate in the rest of his life." Hotch said.
"That why," Gideon stood up, "why he couldn't wait for you to figure out what he'd done. Why he need to make sure all his crimes were counted. His victims, they represent whatever it is that's controlling him and we wants that control back. He is under the thumb of a powerful women who frightens him. And a final point. He is white." Gideon stated firmly.
"We have witnesses that identify him as a black male." The lead detective stated.
"The attacker was black," Gideon nodded, "he is not the Tommy killer."
"Mrs. Gordon's husband came home at the same time that he always does. The Tommy killer would have known that." Hotch added.
"And Mrs. Gordon's attacker wore a ski mask." Elle joined, "the unsub knows when he walks into a house he's going to kill the woman who lives there. You're not leaving any witnesses, why wear a ski mask?"
"And he wants the victim to see him anyway." Morgan spoke up, "your attempted rapist is a garden variety disorganized young man."
"As the victim's age goes up, generally the attackers age goes down. Mrs. Gordon is about 60, which puts her rapist at about 20."
"And it takes years to develop the level of calm and sophistication that Tommy displays at a crime scene." Gideon inputted, "and the rapist it far too young for that."
"Mrs. Gordon told me that there's a young man who delivers groceries to their home. He fits a lot of what we're describing here."
"Great." The lead detective sighed standing up, "so we're back to zero on Tommy."
"Not at all." Hotch changed his tone, "may I see you in your office for a moment?" He looked at the detective before walking away.
"Now if you can all remember this profile and get back to work on finding the attempted rapist, agent Elle will assist you." Gideon announced and Elle went to talk with some policemen.
"JJ." Hotch came out of the office, the detective on his heels, "I need you to get a news crew ready, when they arrest the attempted rapist we need them to walk him right by the cameras, and you need to tell the world that he is the suspect in the Tommy killer crimes, alright?"
"Yeah, on it." JJ nodded, picked up her cell before walking away.
"Morgan, go help Elle with the arrest." Gideon announced, Morgan nodded and was off. Hotch went to talk to the detective again while Gideon went back to the board of all the victims.
"Coffee." I set down a warm cup down on the table before taking a seat next to Reid. I looked up when he didn't answer or touch his coffee, instead he was staring at his phone.
"Spence?" I asked looking at him.
"I got a call from an unknown number…they left a voicemail." He answered before handing me the phone. I clicked a button before putting it to my ear, a man's voice began to talk.
*phone call*
"Spencer? Hi bud…it's your father. I know you probably confused as to why I'm calling right now…but-uh, I was thinking maybe we should meet up sometime? Get some lunch? Anyway, let me know if your interested."
Slowly I took the phone from my ear and looked at Spencer. He was just staring at the table.
"It didn't sound like William, the voice was tired and ragged…"
"He didn't sound like himself." Reid finally spoke up.
"What are you gonna do?" I asked gently, he shrugged. Slowly I grabbed his hand, and leaned on the table looking at him. He looked back and me and gave me a small smile. Suddenly the doors busted open, Morgan holding a black man pushing him towards the back of the office. I watched as Elle told Hotch that he confessed to Mrs. Gordon's attack. Reid sat up more and took a sip of his coffee, he was still holding my hand.
"Did they get a good look at him?"
"Yeah, couldn't miss him." JJ nodded.
"Good." Gideon nodded, "everyone make sure you're at a phone, now we wait."
"God, I hate waiting like this." Elle sighed as we sat at a desk
"Do you think it's odd that Spence and I knew that ballad?" I asked playing with a paper clip. Elle laughed lightly, I glanced up at her.
"I don't know how you two know half the things you know, but I'm glad you two do." She replied.
"Thanks." I smiled softly.
"You and Reid are a good couple by the way." My eyes rose to look at her, "took you two long enough." I looked at her leaning back in my chair.
"Was everyone just watching waiting for us to fall in love?" I laughed lightly.
"Oh yeah, Morgan and I had a bet." Elle smiled.
"Of course." I rubbed my eyes still smiling.
"I think you two will be happy."
"I dare say we shall." My eyes glanced over to where Reid was sitting. A phone rang, and suddenly Detective Martin jumped and waved at us frantically. Gideon and Hotch came over quickly.,
"Line six." JJ said holding a phone. Elle pressed the button on the phone and it erupted into noise.
"You stupid, incompetent sons of bitches!" The voice screamed, "I don't make mistakes! I am death! You hear me?! I AM DEATH! You'll see now! Tomorrow, mark my words, you will see! And while I'm takin her I'm gonna be thinking of you." The line went dead.
"Anything?" JJ asked Garcia on the other line, "she says she got nothing."
"Nothing?!" Morgan exclaimed
"We missed him?" Hotch asked. I glanced up at him, he looked shocked. I leaned back in my chair sighing. We missed him.
The next morning we all got ready to go out in groups and cars.
"We have an undercover car for each of your teams." The head Detective told us, "and the entire damn department out there too.
"Remember a truck. Maybe a work truck in excellent condition." Gideon told him.
"Everyone knows." He nodded.
"All right, he might make a mistake today." Hotch announced looking around at all of us, "he's angry and he probably hasn't done the kind of surveillance he'd like."
"Yeah, well neither have we," Morgan replied, "let's go Reid, Tessa." He walked away, and Reid and I followed. Morgan drove our red cover car to where we were suppose to watch. The neighborhood seemed calm and peaceful.
"It's ten thirty already." Morgan sighed tapping the steering wheel.
"All he said was tomorrow." Reid replied, "he didn't…specify morning."
"Reid, this guy's gotta spend a lot if time in that house. A lot, he need it to be morning." Morgan explained. I looked behind me at the road and sidewalk.
"Are you sure this is a good spot?" I asked.
"Three of the victims lived within a block of this street." Morgan answered, "its the main artery through the neighborhood.
"True…" Reid began, "but three victims in the same block could mean he's done with the area."
"Or that he's reallys familiar with it."
"And comfortable in it."
"But then on the other hand, the other victims lived more than a mile in either direction." Morgan let out a breath hitting the steering wheel, "God, I hate not having a plan. We're looking for a needle in a haystack here."
"Actually, it's more like we're looking for a needle in a pile of needles." Reid proposed. I nodded in agreement.
"What?" Morgan looked at the both of us.
"A needle would stand out in a haystack," I spoke.
"Okay," Morgan chuckled, "and we're not looking for someone who stands out?"
"No, we're looking for a particular needle in a pile of needles." I replied. Reid picked up a pair of binoculars and began looking around. After a while of waiting my phone rang.
"Tessa." I answered.
"Tessa, it's Gideon, listen," his voice was serious, "I need you three to go down to the San Diego Bell office, the unsub is a telephone technician who works there. His name is Franklin Graney."
"Okay, got it." I hung up the phone, "Morgan drive."
"What?" He asked confused.
"We need to get to the San Diego phone repair company, the unsub is a guy who works there, named Franklin Graney." I told him as quickly as my lips could move.
"Okay, let's go." Morgan started the car and drove off. Once we parked Morgan jumped out of the car and ran into the building, Reid and I right behind him,
"FBI." Morgan pulled out his badge to show the desk clerk, "I need to know where one of your technicians is."
"FBI?" The man asked his voice shaky.
"Where are your technicians?" Reid asked.
"They're all out-out in the field." The man answered.
"Listen!" Morgan slammed his hand on the counter, "I need Franklin Graney right now."
"Okay, okay." The man hurried away and came back a few moments later with a location scribbled on a notepad, "here." Quickly I took out my phone and called Elle.
"Elle? He's on service calls in the area of Orange and chandler." I replied before hanging up.
"Come on, let's get over there." Morgan ran back out the door. We were driving down the road until we met up with the others.
"We got him." Hotch said running over, "this house, stay here and fan out. Make sure he doesn't escape." He ordered before running into the back yard with Elle. We stayed with Morgan staked out in the front of the house. After a few minutes Hotch came out of the house with Franklin in handcuffs. Next Elle and Gideon came out with the women who looked shaken up but seemed to be unharmed.
The plane ride home was quiet, everyone was doing there own thing, I sat next to Reid as he stared at the chessboard before him. Gideon was playing with him, but he had fallen asleep.
"Spence?" I asked quietly.
"Hm?"
"What are you gonna do about your dad?" I looked over at him. He looked at the chessboard a moment longer before looking over at me, "I don't know…I mean, should I talk to him? I-I don't really know him…W-would you wanna talk to your dad?"
"Yeah." I nodded, "but my situation is different than yours. Your father left, mine…" I took in a deep breath, "mine was taken from me." I glanced at Gideon, "ask Gideon when he wakes up, or Hotch."
Reid nodded but didn't say anything else, I shifted so I could rest my head on his shoulder, memories slowly coming back, flooding my head.
*FLASHBACK*
"P-please, please don't." The dark haired women begged as she knelt on the floor tears running down her cheeks. The little watched through a crack in the closet door. The man moved his gun over to the husband.
"You were wrong." He spat before pulling the trigger. The women screamed as her husband dropped to the floor. The little girl cried silently, and closed her eyes before hearing another gunshot.
So there you guys go! Hope you liked it, and I hope you liked the ending bit, a but more insight on Tessa's past, I'll be updating more frequently. Since it's now summer, and I have more time on my hands!