Chapter 52

Because I Love Her

I was still angry with Spencer the next day. He knew me better than anyone and he still wanted me to sit on the sidelines. He went with Morgan and Emily to see about a new body that had turned up. Rossi stopped me in the hall.

"You okay kiddo?"

I sighed.

"Spencer asked me to sit this one out. He thinks I'm in danger."

Rossi looked thoughtful.

"He said this because that family wouldn't let you through the door?"

"I think so. He's worried if the unsub finds out about me they'll try and hurt me because I'm Wiccan or something."

Rossi sighed.

"He's scared, he doesn't want to lose you."

"But asking me to sit on the sideline while someone uses a religion as an excuse for murder?! How could he do that to me?"

"I agree he should've gone about it a different way, but he's only thinking of you."

I sighed and then took a deep breath.

"I know, but he knows me better than anyone. He should know that I will never sit out unless I'm sick, pregnant or being targeted."

Rossi chuckled and shook his head. Emily, Morgan and Spencer came back. Spencer looked at me but didn't say anything. I walked away angrily.

Spencer's POV

I still didn't understand how I was wrong. Freya walked away angrily and I sighed. Morgan and Rossi were looking at me.

"What?"

"You'll have to apologize sooner or later kid."

"What why me? I'm only thinking of her." I said.

"Right we know, but you know how Freya is. She's tough and independent."

"I don't want her to become a target! I only want her to be safe."

"Reid you guys have only been married a month. And you know Freya, she's not one to sit out." Morgan said.

"Unless as she said she's sick, pregnant or being targeted." said Rossi

Morgan nodded and I shook my head.

"Why should I apologize for trying to keep my wife safe?"

"Because that's what we husbands do! We hunt, we fish, we watch sporting events and we apologize!" said Rossi.

"Now you're both on her side!? Isn't she like a daughter to you Rossi? And like a sister to you Morgan?"

"Yeah, and we want her safe too, but this kind of case is important to her. We all know that."

I sighed and pushed my hair back. Hotch came over and looked a little troubled.

"What happened?"

"We've had a complaint. JJ's trying to smooth it over with the DC police. But we haven't been invited in on the case." he said.

I slowly looked at Emily. As Hotch walked away she and Morgan started to argue. I went to find my wife.

Freya's POV

"Freya?"

I slowly looked at my husband.

"I came to apologize."

I sighed and stood up.

"I sort of owe you an apology too. I know you were just thinking about my safety, and I was wrong to get so upset."

He hugged me.

"I'm sorry Freya. I know that cases like this are important to you. I'm just a little freaked out by it all and also scared to death I could lose you or you could get hurt."

I smiled.

"But I have you to protect me."

He chuckled and then Hotch knocked on the door.

"Sorry to interrupt but Freya I need you in my office."

I nodded and went with him. I sat down with Rossi and he looked at me.

"Did you feel anything when we were outside the house or do you actually have to be in the room?" Hotch asked.

"I did feel a little bit of fear and anger and stress, but it was faint. I usually have to be in the room." I said.

He nodded and JJ walked in.

"As far as the police are concerned there is no open murder investigation. We have no reason to be investigating if they're not." JJ said.

"Well they're right. All we have are three men who died in three very natural deaths."

I frowned.

"So we give up?" I asked.

"Freya do you really believe we're dealing with someone trying to exorcise demons?"

"No, I believe we're dealing with someone using religion as an excuse to murder."

"And people are dying. This isn't about religion, it's about evil! We attack it with analysis and diligence. For this unsub it's a fight to the death." Rossi said.

I nodded and Garcia walked in.

"All hail the mistress of information."

"You got something?" JJ asked.

"You know I do. It's a posting from a web bulletin board by Matthew Benton to create a support group for people who feel have bee betrayed by their faith."

"Well that explains how these three men came together." Hotch said.

Finally! A lead!

"It gets better, the week the three of them were in Spain the services at Santiago de Compa Stello were canceled when the priest there died." she said.

I looked right up at her.

"How did he die?"

"Heart attack, but if you listen to the conspiracy chatter there is a strong belief he was killed to interrupt services during the height of the pilgrimage." she said.

"How?" JJ asked.

"Well their best guess is some kind of gas. Something that wouldn't show up in an autopsy, but it could be anything that could induce stress and cause a heart attack." she said.

"Then we have a motive." JJ said.

"And a potential MO, an eye for an eye." Rossi said.

"Without an official invitation from the police I cannot authorize an investigation. So this has to be kept quiet." said Hotch.

We all nodded and I saw a man talking with Emily. I had abnormally good hearing and so even though I didn't want to hear them, I did.

"Exorcism is a tough thing to sell, the police don't think the deaths are connected." she said.

"But you do." he said.

"You're gonna have to give me some time here."

Rossi walked over and Emily looked at him.

"David Rossi this is John Cooley. He was also a friend of Matthew's."

Rossi shook his hand.

"I'm sorry. You saw him recently?" He asked.

"Yeah."

I zeroed in on his feelings and found him nervous, stressed and anxious. Rossi took him Emily for coffee and I looked at the man again. He locked eyes with me and then Spencer touched my arm.

"What's wrong? Do you know him?"

"No, he's a friend of Emily's. What is it mi amor?"

"Rossi called. We're going to meet him at a church and give the profile to some priests and other religious men."

I nodded and we went to the church.

Spencer's POV

The priest didn't shun Freya, he invited her in and she smiled. When everyone was seated the priest, Jimmy, spoke.

"As I was saying to the agents, this is a topic on which we silently agree to disagree."

"And we all respect that." said Emily. "We are not here to examine your beliefs in demonology or exorcism, but we are operating on the theory that the person responsible for these deaths does believe." she said.

"We believe the inciting incident was the death of Father Raul Del Torro in Galicia, Spain four months ago." Rossi said.

"How so David?" Jimmy asked.

"There's an element who actually believes the death was a murderer." I said.

"You're not suggesting that this is some kind of retribution?" asked an older priest.

"Even a priest can have a psychotic break. He may be under the delusion that he is working for god." Emily said.

"The man we're looking for would be obsessed with the event in Galicia." Rossi added.

"He believes he is fighting evil and may very well have followed these men here to Washington." Freya said.

"Ah we believe that one of the exorcisms took place over enough days for the victim to die of dehydration." I said.

"If I may, an exorcism is like a prize fight it's completely draining both physically and spiritually. Now if this man truly performed three rituals within the last few weeks he would need medical care." Jimmy said.

I looked at Freya.

"Is there somewhere he would go to?" she asked.

"Um anything less than a working hospital would be too dangerous."

I stood up and walked outside. I called Garcia.

"Garcia it's Reid."

"Speak boy wonder."

"I need you to run Catholic hospital records, look for any entrees for exhaustion immediately following Patrick Cavanaugh's death. You got it?"

"You know I do."

"Alright now run the same search for the days immediately following the first two murders." I said.

Freya and Emily came out.

"Oh I sense a crosscheck in my future."

"Do you have anything?" I asked.

"One hit, father Paul Selvano. St. Agatha's hospital at 2:14."

I hung up and looked at them.

"We got him." I said.

Freya touched my arm.

"I'm going with you."

I nodded because I knew that arguing with her wouldn't get me anywhere. We went to the hospital and found the priest.

"Are you father Paul Selvano?" Rossi asked.

"Yes."

"Were you present at the deaths of Thomas Valentine, Matthew Benton and Patrick Cavanaugh?" He asked.

He turned and looked at Emily.

"I've been expecting you."

Freya got in front of her.

"Answer the question."

He narrowed his eyes.

"Do not speak unto me witch!"

I pulled Freya back almost as though he was going to strike her with a lightening bolt.

"Yes I was present."

"You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against….."

He said something in a language I didn't understand. And he was looking at me.

"What did he say?"

"He wants you to look in the drawer."

I looked at Rossi and he nodded. Freya stood near him and I looked at the drawer.

"We're both fighting the same evil. Though perhaps not the witch."

I turned and glared at him.

"Watch how you talk to my wife!"

"Reid!"

He looked between Freya and myself. Freya didn't seem afraid. I looked at the paper.

"What is it?"

"Diplomatic status."

"He has immunity?!" Freya and Emily asked.

He smiled and I went back to Freya.

I didn't want her near him.

"Freya come on, please."

"No. I'm not afraid of him."

We still ended up bringing him in.

Freya's POV

I was on the other side of the glass when Emily was interrogating him. She walked in and sat down.

"Explain to me why you were the last person in the room when three men died." she said.

"I'm a priest, I was there for them spiritually."

"They weren't on their deathbeds."

"No physically."

"Did you kill them?"

"No."

A damndable lie!

"But you're not sorry any of them are dead." she said.

"Physical death is always sad, but now their souls are in heaven, for that their families have peace."

Rossi and JJ were in the room with me.

"Up until four months ago his record is spotless. No history of mental illness, no centurs, he was even invited to say mass at the Washington national Cathedral." JJ said.

"What happened four months ago?" I asked.

"No details, just says he took a sabbatical for personal reasons."

"Four months ago was just after the death in Spain." Rossi said.

"It looks like he lobbied the Vatican for a diplomatic posting but they refused. After that he took the world hunger mission for the Italian government." JJ said.

"Which brought him here with immunity." I said.

"Where's Hotch?" Rossi asked.

"He's on the phone with the state department."

"Gather the others, I'll be there in a second. Freya go with her, and stay close to Reid."

I didn't like it but I nodded.

Spencer's POV

When Freya came out I ran to her.

"Did he try to do anything to you?"

I noticed the rest of the team waiting for my answer.

"No of course not. I just want to get this bastard deported."

He nodded and squeezed my hand.

"I think we all do."

She sighed and we sat down. I took her hand and held it tightly. When Rossi walked in I looked at him.

"What did he say?" I asked.

"He claims to have been invited by the families." he answered.

Freya squeezed my hand and I stroked hers with my thumb, trying to calm her.

"And now he has them believing their sons are in a better place." JJ said.

"And it doesn't matter either way we can't arrest him." Rossi said.

"Please tell me we can at least deport him!" Freya begged.

"Probably not."

"This is crazy, diplomatic immunity wasn't intended to shield people from murdr charges." JJ said.

"So Hotch bypasses the state department and goes straight to the Italian councilet." Garcia suggested.

"And he loses his career. State department won't risk the potential embarrassment they'll shut us all down." Rossi said.

"Well there's some real politic for you." Morgan said.

Freya nodded.

"So what do we do now?" I asked.

"Did you check his papers with I.C.E?"

"Yeah he has diplomatic status till the end of the month." Garcia said.

Freya groaned.

"Hm."

"What?"

"Well he told Emily the storm would soon be over."

"So?"

"So forget priest think usub. He's a believer he deals in certainties, in his mind he has a job to do." Rossi said.

"Which doesn't end until the end of the month." I said.

"The storm's almost over." Rossi repeated.

"There's another victim on his list." Morgan said.

I saw the priest walk out and he looked right at Freya. I stood up angrily and got in front of Freya. Hotch came in and told us all to go home, that the case was over.

Freya's POV

I was angry and frustrated, but I knew it wasn't Hotch's fault. Spencer drove home and I just sat in the car. He came around to the other side with an umbrella but I just walked through the rain. We went inside and I went upstairs to take a hot bath. I sat there with the book in my hands, but I wasn't reading. Spencer knocked on the door and then came inside.

"Freya honey I know you're upset. I'm upset too, but there was nothing else we could've done."

I didn't look at him and he came and knelt down beside the tub.

"Freya please look at me."

I sighed and looked at him. I immediately raised my brows when I found him only in a towel.

"Where are your cloths?" I asked.

"They were wet remember?"

I smirked.

"Alright get in you fiend."

He laughed and got in behind me. I leaned against his chest sighed. He stroked my arm and I closed my eyes.

"We can't always catch them all." He said.

"Yo se mi amor. Yo se. But we should be able to." (I know my love. I know.)

He chuckled and kissed my hair.

"I know. And if we lived in a perfect world we would."

I took his hand and looked up at him.

"How do you know my world isn't perfect?" I asked.

He raised his brow and I smiled a bit. I cupped his cheek and kissed him. I pulled back slightly and said,

"Siempre y cuando te tengo a ti, mi mundo siempre será perfecto. So long as I have you, my world will always be perfect."

He pulled my lips back to his and kissed me hard. I slipped my tongue into his mouth and he moaned while holding me tighter. One of his hands tunneled into my hair and the other began to slowly massage my breast. I started to move my hand down but then the phone rang. Spencer groaned and I answered.

"Reid residence." I said.

"Hey I think your doorbell is broken." came Emily's voice.

I frowned.

"Emily are you okay?"

"Actually….no, no I'm really not."

"Okay there's a spare key underneath the garden fairy. Let yourself in and I'll be right down."

I hung up and then looked at Spencer.

"Emily needs us." I said.

He nodded and we got out. I got dressed and ran down the stairs and found Emily in the living room. She looked between us both and then smiled a bit.

"Sorry to interrupt."

I smiled.

"It's alright. There's always tomorrow night."

Spencer just nodded but I knew he was disappointed.

"We caught him. Hotch called the Vatican and he's been deported."

I smiled and kissed Spencer and then hugged Emily.

"This is amazing! I think it calls for a celebratory dinner! Please stay and join us."

I rushed off to the kitchen before she could refuse.

Spencer's POV

I smiled as Freya ran off.

"Well I guess I'm staying for dinner."

"Yeah, if you don't she'll drag you back and force feed you."

She laughed.

"I wouldn't doubt it. You know that priest might've gone after her and you for being in contact with her."

I nodded.

"I know. But after the argument we had at the beginning…..I couldn't ask her to sit out."

I looked at her and she looked at me curiously.

"Why not?"

I smiled and looked back at Freya.

"Because I love her."