"Amish?" J.J. frowned skeptically.
"Yeah, yeah." Spencer nodded enthusiastically. "Or isolated communes - anywhere that might discourage interaction with the outside world or would actively alienate anyone who would defect or try to leave the community." He looked around the table to the others. "Think about it, 78% of people on the planet have some form of social media, and those that don't still end up on it by proxy."
"I take pictures of you and put them on my facebook page." J.J. postulated.
"Right." Spencer nodded. "Our victims were entirely isolated from the modern world."
"Well, anyone who'd leave an insular community like that would be completely disenfranchised." Rossi reasoned. "They'd be easy targets."
"We've been so busy trying to find some trace of our victims," Reid said "we never stopped to profile the kind of person who wouldn't leave one."
"It's got potential." Hotch admitted thoughtfully, his arms crossed. "Let's look at communities near where the bodies were found. See if we can find anything. Good work, Reid."
"Thanks." Reid nodded as the team dispersed, heading back to their desks.
The young agent sat in the conference room, ankle balanced on opposite knee, idly fiddling with the pencil in his hand. Maps covered the table, detailing the locations where the bodies were found and known insular groups in the surrounding area. Reid's eyes stared at the papers without seeing. Instead, the sound of Iris humming floated through his thoughts and his skin prickled as he relived the sensations in his dream, both impossibly ethereal and deeply intense. Reid envisioned Iris, standing in the kitchen drinking coffee, the grey light of morning peacefully bathing the apartment. He replayed their conversation.
"Reid."
The agent jumped, shaken from his thoughts by Rossi's entrance.
"Yeah." His voice cracked dryly and he coughed. "Yeah." He tried again.
"Whaddaya got?" Rossi closed the door behind himself and looked at the maps.
Spencer sat up straight, using the pencil to indicate areas surrounding crime scenes.
"Looks like we have possible groups within reasonable distances of all the body sites. Some with overlap." He said. "More than that, if our questioning turns up anything, we might be able to use the widened area to build a workable geographic profile."
"Well, we've got the local authorities out asking around now." Rossi said, examining the maps over the young doctor's shoulder. "Fingers crossed."
A moment of silence past between them.
"This may be a solid lead." Rossi sounded more than his usual level of impressed. "What made you think of it?"
Reid shook his head slowly.
"Just... finally got a good night's sleep." He said as nonchalantly as possible.
"That's a victory in itself." Rossi said wryly.
"Yeah." Reid breathed in agreement.
The light behind the register was on, despite the lateness of the hour. Spencer pounded hard on the locked door of Cloak and Dagger, chewing his bottom lip. A shadow moved across the wall and Iris appeared from the direction of the office.
She gave Spencer a strange look as she turned the lock and opened the door.
"Dr. Reid -" She began in curious surprise.
"I... I think after last night we're on to first names now." He said sheepishly. "Fitting, seeing as I still don't know your last name."
The corners of her lips flitted up.
"Layne." She told him. "Okay, Spencer, what are you doing here?"
"We got a break." He confided. "Can I come in?"