"Stella Bonasera." Stella shook Reid's hand.
"Thank you for coming."
"No, thank you." Stella smiled at the young man. "We aren't found of unsolved cases, especially when there's a serial killer involved. We tend to not sleep well."
"I know the feeling." Danny watched as Agent Reid took a deep breath and a glance around the table where the whole team was gathered. He didn't really know Spencer Reid but he was certain what he was seeing was fear in the young man's eyes. Danny couldn't blame him. Tossed into a nasty case with people he didn't know in a town he probably didn't know that well either.
"Thank you very much for agreeing to do this." Reid started. "I have no doubts that together we can fill in the missing pieces."
"I'm a little confused." Sheldon cut in. "We're forensics people. Not profilers."
"You are experts at evidence. Finding the pieces, seeing patterns and connections. That's half of profiling. The rest is figuring out the why that causes the killer to do what he or she is doing. The motivation."
"And you can figure that out from the evidence." Flack shot out, a hint of disbelief in his voice. "Seems like a bunch of hocus pocus to me."
"Pounding the pavement hasn't gotten us anywhere." Mac said firmly. "If this helps."
"Whatever." Flack leaned back in his chair. "Fire away, Copperfield. Amaze us with your tricks and find our killer."
For a moment, Danny wanted to throw something at Flack. Sure the guy was his friend, but he was acting like an ass. He knew it was stress from the higher uppers constantly demanding results and an end to the thrashing they were getting from the media. But it was no excuse for being rude to Reid, who was just trying to help. Danny open his mouth to say something but Reid cut him off.
"Detective Flack. Are you from around here?"
"Yeah, Queens. Born and raised. So what?"
"I was born in Las Vegas. I actually lived in a casino for a while. My father worked there until the day he died. Both of my uncles still work there. Along with five of my six cousins and my older sister."
"Fascinating."
"I mention this because I want you to understand that gambling is in my blood." Reid leaned across the table towards Flack, his eyes never shifting from Flack, his voice calm and steady. "And I have a bet for you."
"I'm listening."
"I bet that my 'hocus pocus' as you put it will help you solve this case. So here's the deal. You drop the pissy attitude and join the game, listen and learn and do what I tell you. If it doesn't find you your killer I'll give you two thousand dollars. Twenty crisp hundred dollar bills in your hand before I get on the plane to go back home."
"And if it does."
"Well if I remember the pay for an NYPD Detective correctly, two thousand dollars is just a little over what you make in a week. So if I pull off my little magic act, I want a week of your time. And not just any week. I want the first week of next month."
"Why then?"
"Because that week, the BAU will be hosting a training week for law enforcement personnel. Our own Profiling 101. It's a little pet project of my boss. See he feels that detectives and even lab techs can be better at their jobs if they know the basics of what we do. It might help them to figure out the patterns needed to look for the next bit of evidence and even be better interrogators."
"So you want me to come to your little school?"
"Who knows, you might learn something useful?" Reid leaned in a little bit more. "Unless of course the NYPD doesn't have the balls to put his money, or rather time, where his mouth is."
Danny smiled to himself. Reid might be a kid, but he knew what buttons to push. There was a moment of silence, almost as if time stopped.
"Oh, I got the balls." Flack stood, extending his hand. "And you got yourself a bet."
The two shook hands and Flack sat back down and waited to the agent to lead them.
"Now if there are no other issues." Reid looked around the table. No one spoke. "Let's begin with the evidence."
