Chapter 10
Dave left the files for Richland to look at and headed out the door. Hotch looked at the rest. "We need to re-group in the conference room." Rossi followed the rest in.
"Aaron, he gave up too soon," Rossi said as the rest dispersed around; none of them sitting down.
"I know that Dave; we've got to re-group and think this out. He wants to give up where the kids are; alive or not, which he's hoping is not. Now that's he's caught and you've offered him the carrot, it's his final trophy; 'I've won'. I don't want that bastard to win." Cait looked at her husband a saw the passion for two kids missing in his eyes. She was silently right there with him, standing at his side, while she was standing off from the team.
"Ummm guys; we've got to look at this from a logical standpoint," Reid said. The rest looked at him. "With his timeline with the latest abduction, there's no way he could have made it to any of his properties that are far away. It has to be one of the close ones."
Just as Morgan was about to touch his laptop to get in touch with Garcia, she appeared on their screens. "My intrepid team, I just heard back from Jeff, our red-coated wonderful neighbor to the north. Even though neither of Richland's vehicles pinged in a border cross, he went ahead just to be sure. Two officers from the RCMP checked his place in Ontario. It's a single farmhouse and they turned it upside down. It was clean and there were no clues to where he might be holding the kids."
"Thanks Mama; but Garcia, pull up the properties that Richland has around the Duluth area. The kids, with his timeline have got to be close."
"How close my chocolate thunder?"
"Within a three hour radius Garcia; factoring city time and then highway time at posted speed limits, 150 miles or less," Reid said. The team looked at him. "That's a four hour drive both ways. He couldn't have time for nothing more to get back to the city."
Garcia typed away. "I have three." She popped the three locations up on the map. Two were in northeastern Minnesota; one was in Wisconsin. Reid quickly studied them.
"Garcia, eliminate the one in Wisconsin."
"Spence," JJ asked.
"Jayje, it doesn't fit. Richland would have had to drive through Superior to get to the site. And it's still 150 miles past Superior; it doesn't work."
"OK," Hotch said, "We've got it narrowed down to two places."
"Spencer," Cait said. "Did you notice what he said last?" Reid looked at her. "It's a 'deep issue'?" That fits with his psychopathic mindset. He's giving you a clue."
"I got that Cait. The problem is…," Reid answered.
"Is whether it's a clue or a ruse to make all of you look in the wrong place."
Reid nodded. "He knows we've got more information on him than we thinks he knows." Prentiss looked at Blake.
"Em, he's right; Richland is playing us."
"Alex; I get that as well. But we've got two possible sites with two possible scenarios to where those kids are. We've got to narrow it down because those kids," Emily emphatically pointed to the Jack and Jenny's picture, "don't have the time."
Rossi looked at Reid. "You ready to go at him?"
"Garcia," Morgan said, "we need satellite imaginary of those two properties ASAP."
"On it Sir Derek; Garcia out." Garcia disappeared from the screens.
Reid looked at Rossi. "Any thoughts before I go in?"
Rossi shook his head. "He's all yours Kid," Dave smiled. "Reid, just play this bastard around; you, more than anyone on this team can turn his head upside down. He wants to give up some hint of the kid's location. We can work the rest. Just get him talking." Hotch nodded his agreement.
Reid started to head out the door and looked at Cait. She smiled and nodded her head. Reid smiled back and headed into the hallway.
As he entered the door to the interrogation room, JJ, Blake, Emily and Morgan stayed in the conference room as the cameras from the room blinked on. Hotch, Rossi and Cait went to the window in the hallway.
Reid nodded at the suspect. "Mr. Richland, I'm Dr. Spencer Reid. As you said in the SUV earlier, I don't look like an FBI Agent. But I am." He pulled out his credentials. "I'm also SSA Reid. But I prefer Dr. Reid."
Rossi smiled at Hotch and Cait. "He's good."
"And how did you earn that status Dr. Reid," Richland asked.
"I hold doctorates in Mathematics, Chemistry and Engineering from CalTech. I also have BA's in Philosophy and Sociology, with a Master's in Psychology. You wanted an expert," Reid said, sitting down, looking Richland in the eye.
"That's impressive credentials Dr. Reid; but you are not an expert in my criminal pathology."
"Oh, he's trying to play Reid," Blake said. Emily and JJ nodded their heads.
Reid looked at him. "Mr. Richland, don't let my youthful looks deceive you; I graduated high school at 14 and joined the BAU just after I turned 21. I've studied hundreds of cases like yours over those years."
"But do you understand my behavior Dr. Reid?"
"In 1952, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders first included pedophilia. Subsequent DSM-II listings for the disorder define it as one subtype of the classification of 'sexual deviation'. The ICD-10 defines pedophilia as 'sexual preference for children, boys or girls or both, usually of prepubertal or early pubertal age'."
"Dr. Reid, I don't understand what all that means."
"The DSM and ICD-10 are diagnostic manuals used in medicine; both for physical and mental disorders; it's the standard for all doctors in the whole medical field."
Rossi shook his head. "This isn't working; he's not going to get into facts and statistics."
"Dr. Reid, you haven't told me a thing. I already know I'm a sexual deviate; I've been classified by you people in law enforcement as that. I want to know why I'm this way. You tell me that; why my brain got wired this way and I'll tell you where those kids are."
"Mr. Richland, you do understand by your last statement that you have confirmed that you abducted and are holding Jack and Jenny in an undetermined location? Agent Rossi confirmed on video that you understood your rights."
"Yes, I do Dr. Reid," he smiled, sitting up in his chair to look Reid in the eye. "I also know that there's a cart blanche ticket to federal prison and protection if I talk. But I won't do that until I know specifically why I am this sick."
Hotch looked at Rossi. "Shit; I've got to play it." He started to head to toward the door.
Reid took Richland in his eyes with a confident look. "I think I can provide that; will you excuse me please?" Richland nodded.
Rossi pulled Hotch's arm. "Aaron," he said, "Reid was playing him all along. Stay put." Hotch looked at him; ran things through his head and nodded his acknowledgement as Reid came out the door. The rest of the team waited in the conference room for the other four.
"Hotch, you know we've got the perfect person here to do this," Reid asked.
"He's right Aaron," Dave added, looking at Cait.
"God dammit Dave; not me," Cait said.
"Yes you Cait," Dave said.
"Cait, you know the subject matter better than any of us when it comes to what he is asking. You study it and teach it," Reid said.
"Spencer, all I can give him is the same thing you've said. What I've read in diagnostic manuals. That's why I'm here; remember?"
Emily rubbed her shoulder. "But Cait, you've got the experience and expertise to validate going in there. And you're good; you can pull this off. Think of it as a lecture on the subject to your students."
"And from there Emily?"
"Don't be afraid to play him Cait; he's not as smart as you," Morgan said. "And I've played poker with you; you're a world case bluffer. You've just got to make him believe it."
"I agree," Alex said. "You know serial killers backward and forward. Give him your expertise of that pathology; he won't know the difference."
"You can do this Cait," Rossi said.
"But how do I explain to him why I'm here in the first place?"
Hotch softly smiled. "Tell him the truth."
Cait looked at him. "Aaron, I can't do this alone; I've had zero contact looking these monsters in the eye with this much on the line. You know me." Hotch nodded. "I'd just as soon reach across that table and threaten to ripe his windpipe out if he doesn't tell where those kids are."
"I know Cait; we all feel the same way. But that is the job we do. I'm sorry you've got sucked into this; but Reid is right. You're the one." Cait started to open her mouth. "And I agree you can't go in alone; I'll be there."
Cait walked out of the room into the hallway, gathering herself. Dave shook off Hotch and followed her. "Cait; talk to me," he said, gently grabbing her arm by the elbow and leading her further down the hall to talk in private. "Tell me what is bouncing around in that head of yours right now." Cait looked at him. "Right now; the first thing; talk to me."
"Aaron can't be in there," Cait whispered. "I would rely on him too much."
Dave smiled. "I agree; I wouldn't be much better for you either."
"You've already established yourself as the bad cop," Cait said, pacing a bit. "If I'm going to make some rapport with him, you're the last person he'll want to see next to me," Cait said.
Dave smiled. "You're right; keep talking." Cait looked at him. "Talk this out with yourself; I'm listening."
"I'm too close to Emily and JJ as well; plus I don't think Richland would handle two women in the room with him." Dave nodded. "Morgan handcuffed him; he could be adversarial as well."
"Who does that leave," Dave asked.
"Spencer and Alex," Cait answered and then looked Dave in the eye. "And I've already ruled out Alex with two women and you took me down here to find the right person you knew all along."
Dave smiled and nodded. "Cait, you've got to get him talking; somehow, some way. The clock is ticking."
Cait bored a look into Dave's eyes and testily said, "I know the goddamn stakes Dave; why do you think I'm agreeing to this."
Dave rubbed her shoulder and smiled. "Then find a quiet place where you and Reid can work out your game plan. You can do this."
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