Charm and Harm- 1:20
Harita's POV
"What?" Elle asked, as she noticed our weird looks.
"We've only been here an hour. You've made 2 calls." I responded.
"And?"
"You hate the phone, Elle." Morgan explained.
"I don't hate the phone." Elle defended.
"Actually, you do. Did you know that Alexander Graham Bell and Eli Gray simultaneously invented electronic sound transmission devices? It came down to a race betwixt the two." Spencer recalled.
"Yeah, and Bell beat Gray to the patent office by a matter of hours." Elle finished. Now, something definitely was up. "Common knowledge."
"Why are you acting so weird?" Morgan asked.
"We're sitting with a guy who knows That there are 800 kernels of corn on the average cob-"
"Ranged in 16 separate rows." Spencer finished.
"And you're calling me weird?" Elle asked.
"I knew it. You got a boyfriend." Morgan suspected this for a long time.
"You are basing this on what exactly, that I don't like the phone?" Elle scoffed. "You've been a profiler for how long, Derek, and that's- that's weak."
"What's weak?" JJ asked.
"Morgan thinks Elle has a boyfriend.-" Spencer answered just as Elle debunked it.
"Nothing."
"You just denied it." Morgan argued as we stood up and followed JJ.
"Do you?" JJ asked.
"It's more fun not to answer that question." Elle responded.
"That right there is a yes, baby. I knew it. I told you." Morgan cheered.
"She didn't really admit to anything, man." Reid defended.
"Reid, trust me. You've got a lot to learn." Morgan said.
"You know, this is the kind of stuff I don't want to get mixed up with." I whispered to Reid, who nodded. We all got into the conference room and sat into our seats, as JJ presented the case on the TV.
"FBI Tampa has been investigating a series of murders over the past 2 months along Florida's Central Gulf Coast."
"I consulted with the SAC down there. They had a strong lead." Gidoen stated.
"And DNA evidence. All 4 women were killed by this man Mark Gregory."
"OKay, I'm confused." I said. "If they know who he is, meaning he's not an unsub, then why are they calling us?"
"They weren't able to arrest him before he disappeared." JJ answered.
"They let a serial killer get away?" Hotch outraged. "How long has he been missing?"
"About 36 hours, along with this woman, Nicole Wegener." JJ put her picture up on the screen.
"What do we know about the other victims?" Hotch asked.
"They were all abducted within a 60-mile radius, Tortured and then drowned in hotel bathtubs. They were all found a couple of days after they were reported missing." JJ answered.
"Same geographical area, And he's killing in hotels instead of private, controlled environments." Morgan observed.
"Well, he can pay for privacy in a hotel room." Elle added.
"Let's just hope he's not heading for Orlando. It's second only to Las Vegas in the number of hotel rooms." Spencer stated.
"Well, knowing who he is is certainly part of the equation, but it's a long way from knowing where he is." Hotch reminded.
"A serial killer who's been sussed out and is on the loose, He's got 2 choices. He's either hiding or, worse, he's on the run." I added.
"And if Gregory feels like he's got nothing to lose-"
"He's got the whole country ahead of him." Gideon finished for Hotch.
…
*CUE INTRO*
(For one of the 'pictures' in the intro, imagine Harita fidgeting with a pen, looking at a map with her left eyebrow raised.)
…
"This is everything the Tampa office has on Mark Gregory." JJ gave us the files. "He's a single white man, 38 years old. Graduated from FSU. Started his own real estate company with a business partner 5 years ago. He frequently travels for work around the country, Sometimes overseas. Just last year he purchased a very lavish home in Sarasota."
"What was he doing before he got into real estate?" Morgan asked.
"It says he raced cars after college, Even worked as a chef at a french restaurant."
"Jack of all trades." Elle said, as I flipped through the pages.
"Yeah, he's plenty mastered." Hotch chuckled. "He worked as a staff photographer for a couple of magazines along the Central Coast before transitioning to work with models in Miami."
"It's strange that so many serial killers make a hobby of photography. It must have something to do with the act of voyeurism." Spencer stated
"What about his bank accounts and credit cards?" I asked.
"They seized everything after he disappeared 36 hours ago." JJ answered.
"So when he uses his credit cards or goes to his house or work, then they've got him." Elle added.
...
"Gregory used different forms of torture with each one. Choking, burning, suspension, and beating. Drowning was the only constant." Hotch stated.
"They were all classified as 'wet drownings', which means the victim was alive when they were submerged. They could feel their lungs filling up with water. It's an extremely painful way to die." Spencer added.
"Why would he take the time? They were barely alive after all the torture." JJ asked.
"Drowning's a form of torture, too, and it's all part of the signature." Hotch answered.
"SSA Raymond McCarthy." A guy came in and introduced.
"SSA Jason Gideon. We spoke on the phone." Gideon greeted.
"Sorry for the temporary setup. We wanted you closer to where Mark Gregory lives." SSA McCarthy pointed to the little tent we were in. "Please continue."
"We were just discussing drowning as a cleansing ritual." I summarized.
"If we look back into Gregory's childhood, we may find what he needs to purge." Morgan stated.
"You think that's the best use of our time? We're itching to find this guy. He got away on our watch." SSA McCarthy argued.
"By studying his behavior as a child, it helps us understand why he does what he does." Hotch answered.
"You know everything about this killer except why he does it. So the further we go back, the further ahead of him we might get." GIdeon added.
"Were you able to connect Gregory to all 4 victims?" Morgana asked.
"He had a previous relationship with the first woman he killed." SSA McCarthy answered.
"We can look into that as the possible stressor." Elle stated.
"The second and third were acquaintances from business deals. The fourth worked at a restaurant the same time he did." SSA McCarthy finished.
"What's his connection to the missing girl?" I asked.
"We can't find anything. Gregory's big news in Florida. When do we hold a press conference to alert the entire country?" SSA McCarthy questioned.
"Hopefully we'll find Gregory before we have to." JJ prayed.
"So if we split up, we'll cover more ground. Does he still have family in the area?" Gideon asked.
"His dad's close by." SSA McCarthy answered.
"Why don't we start from the present and work our way backwards. Reid and I will go to Gregory's house." Gideon stated.
"Elle and I will talk with business partner, Hank Bloomberg." Hotch added.
"I'll comb through some of the evidence here." JJ said.
"Garcia's gonna want an update. Harita and I will catch up with her." Morgan added.
"Good. Let's meet back here in 2 hours. If he's following his previous pattern, We have less than 12 hours to find Nicole Wegener alive." Gideon reminded.
...
"Angel Mark Gregory was such a bad boy." Garcia said through the phone.
"How bad?" I asked.
"Well, when he was a kid, he was caught peeking in a neighbor's window."
"I'm sure it gets worse, right?" Morgan questioned.
"At the ripe age of 18, he- how do I put this delicately? Had an intense affection for ladies with learner's permits."
"That sounds like statutory rape. I'm not surprised." I mumbled.
"You talk to Hotch?" Morgan queeried.
"Yeah. It turns out his marriage lasted only 23 days. Our boy's got serious commitment issues. And fret not, my sweets. That poor girl who married him is still out there somewhere. If she were dead, it would be easier to find her."
"Well, it's a good thing because we're gonna want to talk to her." I stated.
"Some of his deviant behavior must've leaked into other parts of his life. At least she got out alive." Morgan added, then hung up.
...
"We found evidence at his house that he acclimates well to different surroundings. Possible disguises." Gidoen stated as we gave the profile to the other agents and officers.
"He's emptied his bank accounts and he's put his dogs in a kennel. We're certain he's left the area and he's not coming back. And since he's on the run, this classifies him as a 'Spree Killer'." Hotch added.
"Usually this type of killer goes through 2 phasses: Guided and Random." Spencer stated.
"'Guided' means that this killer stays In his particular geographic area or comfort zone until he breaks down." Elle explained.
"That's why he killed the first 4 women in a 60-Mile radius." SSA McCarthy asked.
"That's right. And we're hoping he's still there." Elle nodded.
"In the guided phase, they usually have a final destination in mind." I reminded.
"Like Edmund Kemper and Andrew Cunanan, they saved their most meaningful kills till last. We should find out who that would be for Gregory." Hotch recalled.
"When the 'Random' phase begins, the kills seem to be without design. There's less time in between them. At that point, he's lost total control." Spencer stated.
"And as he devolves, He's gonna take more victims and become less noticeable." I added.
"What does that mean?" SSA McCarthy asked.
"In Gregory's case, his MO is the torture." Gideon answered. "That would mean he will torture less and spend more time on the thing that gives him sexual release, drowning."
"So it's very important that we find him while he's still in the comfort zone." Hotch reminded as his phone rang.
"After that, there's no telling where he'll be. We'll get a release out to all the major networks. His face and possible disguises will be all over the country by dinnertime." JJ stated.
"They just found the missing girl's body." Hotch called out.
"Close by?" Morgan asked.
"No Georgia."
"Come on Elle and Harita. Looks like we're going to Georgia." Morgan said.
...
"Wow. Mark Gregory splurges on hotel rooms, doesn't he?" Morgan exclaimed as we walked into the hotel room.
"Yeah. Great guy. He offers them a nice, warm robe right before he drowns them." Elle sassed.
"In all other means, this would have been really nice if he didn't kill or kidnap his victims." I stated.
"But he did." Morgan argued.
"Hypothetically, Morgan."
"He spent a lot of time with Nicole Wegener. " Morgan observed. "Picked her up in Tampa And drove her all the way to Georgia. But unlike his other victims, There's no type of relationship to link the two of them."
"A random victim with a whole life ahead of her. She was beautiful." Elle stated.
"She was also a stranger. So it means he had to lure her somehow." I added
"'Mark Gregory, photographer'." Elle picked up a business card that was on the table.
"So what if he preyed on this woman's vanity?" Morgan asked. "He's a photographer. He offers her a professional modeling career."
"Well, if he has a legitimate web site and portfolio, the right credentials, Why wouldn't she trust him?" Elle questioned.
"And a perfected ruse would explain how he was able to get her through the lobby of a 5-Star hotel with no one looking. It's just a matter of time before he finds himself another victim." I added.
...
"Hey, watch it! I'm back here too." I yelled as Morgan threw a fast-food wrapper at me. I chucked it into the trunk, and adjusted my pillow so I could lie down. The three of us were going on a road trip, hence Gregory still being in Georgia.
"You really don't know someone until you take a road trip with them." Elle said.
"What are you trying to say?" Morgan asked.
"Look at this car, man. There's empty soda cans And fast-food wrappers everywhere. You're a slob. Back at Quantico your desk is all neat. But I bet if you looked in those drawers, you'll find a mess."
"Ok, we have been on the road way too long."
"You know, you could qualify as the world's worst slob." I joked, as Elle laughed with me.
"Hey!" Elle's phone rang.
"Aw. That must be the boyfriend." Morgan teased.
"Yes, it is." Elle answered the phone. "Hey, Gideon. Uh-Huh. Ok. Yeah. Got it. Yeah." Elle hung up the phone. "They found the woman from the Atlanta Airport in South Carolina."
"It feels like we're driving from body to body." Morgan complained.
"No shit sherlock." I remarked.
"Well, we know that South Carolina's part of his business route. So he's probably going back to what he knows." Elle stated, as she pulled out of the parking lot.
...
"FBI. Morgan, Harita, and Greenaway." Morgan introduced to the officer standing outside of the crime scene.
"This place is-"
"Is a hole in the wall." I finished Elle's statement. "I don't know why he's checking into a fleabag motel. Gregory's got cash."
"And he's obviously devolved Into the random phase of his kills. Must have something to do with how he views his victims." Morgan observed.
"Well, if he doesn't know these women, Maybe he thinks that they're not worthy or dirty. Are you the manager?" Elle asked a woman that stepped into the room.
"Yes. You wanted to see me?"
"Do you recognize this man?" Elle held up a photo of Mark Gregory.
"Yeah. Kind of looks like the guy. He paid his bill in cash about 3 hours ago."
"You sure about the time?" Morgan asked.
"Absolutely. My stories were on." The manager insisted.
"Well, given the lividity, I'd say she died right before that." I suspected.
"Did you happen to see what he was driving?" Morgan asked.
"Yeah. One of those black SUVs."
"That's the victim's car from the Atlanta Airport. Did you notice if it had Georgia plates?" Morgan questioned.
"No. They definitely had South Carolina plates. When he was filling out the forms for the motel, he couldn't remember the number. So I went outside to write it down." The manager recalled.
"That's why we can't track him. He's switching plates." Elle observed. "Can you get us those numbers, please?"
"Sure. I'll be right back."
"Thank you." I said. "There goes the pilot uniform." I pointed to the bed.
"Well, we know his identity. We know he likes to use disguises, And he doesn't care about leaving them." Elle stated. "Look at the level of torture here."
"He spent the least amount of time with her, But he still shocked her enough to turn her feet black." Morgan investigated.
"No normal human being can sustain this kind of torture. If he shocked her over and over again, then she must've died." I insisted.
"But the cause of death was a wet drowning. The only way he could've done that, resuscitate her every time just so he can drown her again." Morgan added.
"We know that he was spending 2 days with these women. But he picked her up at the airport yesterday. So he's spending half as much time with them now." Elle said.
"And now he's probably got himself another one." Morgan added as we walked out of the room.
...
We were back in the car when Elle's phone rang.
"Hey, Gideon."
"We think Mark's first victim was his mother."
"What?" Morgan exclaimed.
"I'm sorry. You're saying a 10-year-old killed his own mom?" Garcia asked.
"Well, it's a common theory that sons can fixate on their mothers since their mothers are their introduction to love." Hotch recalled.
"And if that mother had a negative influence, in this case she was an adulteress, it invalidated not only the father but reflected poorly onto the son." Spencer added.
"Mark Gregory was a child, but he was old enough to understand what his mother was doing. He was protecting a weak, impotent, passive-aggressive father who wanted his wife dead. He read the old man like a book and lived the life he couldn't." Gideon observed.
"Because she was his mother, he saw her as a saint. But because she was a cheater, he also saw her as a sinner." Spencer stated.
"There's a good chance he caused the car to crash." Gideon finalized.
"Do you think the father knew his son was a murderer?" SSA McCarthy asked.
"Yes. That's why he's so overprotective of him." Spencer answered.
"Got it." Elle ended the call.
...
"When I got to the pool, he said he was gonna call for help, But he just disappeared." The employee said. We went to the next location, where Gregory tried to drown the girl in the outside pool of a motel, but was caught but the employee.
"So you're thinking, 'Why wouldn't I trust this guy? What kind of psycho would kill somebody in front of witnesses?'" Morgan asked.
"Yeah. Yeah. I'd seen the news. But this man didn't look like the one you're looking for. He left his glasses in the pool. And when he left, he walked with a limp. And nobody said anything about glasses or a limp, so." The employee state.
"He might be in a hurry, but he's not looking to get caught." I suggested.
"Because he's not done killing yet." Elle added as her phone rang. She answered it, soon ending the call after talking. "He's picked up a new victim. Hey, we got to get to the mall."
"Jump on 113. It'll take you 10 minutes." The employee advised as we left.
"It was better when he had a ruse. At least that required a little planning." I complained.
...
"The police report said the accident was on route 60 Near east west highway. That was the place where Gregory killed his mother. He submerged her under any sort of water there was. He's going back there so he can end it all." Gideon said through the phone
"We're on route 60 about a quarter of a mile from rock creek. We're pulling over to check it out." Elle said, as we got out of the car. We looked around for any sign of him, but there was nothing.
"Gideon, he's not here." Elle said, defeated. Suddenly there was a loud blaring sound.
"Did you guys hear that?" Morgan asked.
"Yeah, I heard it." I responded.
"It's over there. Let's go." We got inside the car and Elle drove towards the sound. We saw a car crashed into a tree in the woods. We got out of the car, pointed our guns up, and ran to the scene.
"It's clear. Nobody in the car." I announced.
"We found the car off the road, but it's empty. We're searching the woods now, and we'll keep you posted." Elle said through the phone, hanging up. "Which way is the water?"
"It's over there." Morgan pointed to the left. We then sprinted towards it, our guns ready. A few yards later, there was a man, the same height and built as Gregory, holding a woman. He was dragging her to the lake while she was trying to break free.
"Help me! Somebody help!" The woman screamed.
"That's coming from over there." I pointed as I ran faster. Gregory started to drown the woman, who was trying to break free. He was about to hit her with a rod he found in the lake, but luckily we got there first. "Mark Gregory, FBI! Put it down!" I yelled.
"Put it down!" Morgan repeated. Mark didn't listen and was about to hit her, but luckily, Morgan shot him before he did so. Morgan and I ran to Gregory, while Elle went to check up on the woman. I tried to see if there was a pulse, but there was none.
...
Once the ambulance arrived, we got Kelly Dalton, the victim, in it. I pulled out my phone and called Hotch.
"Hey. It's Harita. Kelly Dalton's gonna be ok. Gregory's dead. Morgan shot him. We're coming home."
Did I write this and missed half of school. Yes, yes I did. Do I regret it. Nope.
Toodles,
HernameisBurrito