Lucky Season 3 Episode 8
On the jet Rossi says, "… but we never found any evidence of a killer satanic cult. In reality: there are only two types of violent satanic criminals."
Reid jumps in, "Uh, type one – teen Satanists assume the satanic identity to rebel. Minor crimes, theft, and vandalism to churches, schools, symbols of authority. When combined with drugs and alcohol, they may turn violent."
"Yes, in extreme cases, deadly. That was out of my book word for word." Rossi marvels.
"Oh, trust us, we know." Morgan responds.
Reid then continues, "Killings are accidental, usually resulting from their hobby getting out of control. Killings won't turn serial…"
Morgan jumps in as Rossi stares at Reid, "Hey Reid…" He makes a gesture at Rossi.
"Sorry." Reid responds once he realises.
"Ok. So that's one type. What is the Type Two?" Prentiss asks.
"The adaptive Satanist is the one you have to worry about. The typical serial killer rationalizing his fantasies by blaming them on outside forces."
"Like Satan." JJ says.
"Yes. He adapts Satanic beliefs to fit his specific homicidal drives. He doesn't kill because he believes in Satan. He believes in Satan because he kills."
"Well let's hope it's the teenagers." Hotch responds. "Whether you're religious or not the presence of Satanic elements can affect even the most experienced investigators. And we're not immune, so keep an eye on the locals, and keep an eye on each other."
Harley shakes her head, I hope it is the adaptive one. I haven't met a Satanist before. I wonder if he'll be anything like Mistah J. At the very least he'll be more interesting than the teenagers.
"I-I hear ya. I saw The Exorcist." JJ says looking at Hotch.
"My mother took us to church every Sunday until I moved out. This whole Devil thing doesn't spook me at all." Morgan says in almost a flippant manner.
Reid observes, "Maybe that's because you never truly bought the God part either."
Everyone falls silent until Morgan shoots back, "No offense, kid, but you don't know what I believe."
Reid responds, "Well, I mean, logic dictates that if you believe in the one, you have to reconcile the existence of the other."
"People's reaction to Satan is what gives it appeal to these offenders. It has power, and it would be a mistake to underestimate it." Hotch says figuratively drawing a line in the sand.
Later at the Bridgewater, Florida Medical Examiner's Office
"We found Abby's car at a gas station near her home. No sign of foul play. Doctor Fulton?"
The man known as Doctor Fulton looks down at the body standing next to Hotch and across from Prentiss, while the man who spoke previously stands to the side with a cigar in his mouth and Reid is near the foot of the gurney, "The gators got to her sometime during the night. Her nose was broken at least forty-eight hours prior."
"About the time of the abduction." Prentiss realises.
"A blitz attack." Hotch observes.
"Cause of death?" Reid asks.
"Her throat. It was cut roughly eight hours prior to the discovery of the body."
"Sexual assault?" Prentiss queries.
"The state of the body makes that impossible to determine."
"The pentagram?" Hotch asks.
"That was done post mortem."
"And the fingers?"
"All severed at the first knuckle."
"When?"
"I was unsure when the fingers were removed. Until I found this…" the doctor reached around him and put a tray on the table. "The contents of her stomach. The condition indicates they were fed to her just prior to her death."
"All ten fingers." Reid says amazed.
Meanwhile at a church
Harley, Morgan, JJ, and Rossi get out of the car.
Morgan stops Harley and Rossi, "Rossi, do me a favor. You talk to the priest, all right?"
"You'd rather interview the grieving parents on the worst day of their lives than the priest?" Harley rolled her eyes at Rossi's question.
"If it's alright with you, yeah." JJ looked at Morgan concerned.
Upon entering the church, a priest comes down the stairs, "Good afternoon."
JJ steps forward and offers her hand, "Hi. Father Marks. Agent Jareau. These are Agents Rossi, Morgan and Doctor Kaufman." She quickly added feeling the blond's glare, "Doctor Kaufman, prefers Harley."
Father Marks shakes their hands, "Yeah, it's good of you to come."
Rossi speaks up, "We're sorry we have to be here under these circumstances, Father."
"Well, Abby's parents, Bob and Lee-Ann, are in my office. We were discussing her service."
"Agent Morgan actually has some questions for you." Rossi states causing Harley to have to hold back a giggle. Shouldn't have asked that favor, huh, Morgan? I wonder if Rossi 'plays with his food' too.
"Well, uh, they're upstairs, first door on the right, and they're expecting you." Father Marks sounds surprised. Rossi smiles at Morgan. He, JJ and Harley head upstairs leaving Morgan with Father Marks.
"So how long has it been, Agent Morgan?" Harley hears Father Marks ask and starts silently laughing.
Once upstairs Harley and the others took positions around the room. JJ started, "We're so sorry for your loss."
"They say we couldn't have an open casket, so we need to choose a picture. I didn't know which one to use. So I brought them all."
"She's beautiful." Harley looked over JJ's shoulder as did Rossi, Hey! She looked good enough to be a dancer in one of the Joker's clubs! Joker was very picky about his dancers. Harley knew this, Gotham knew this, the word did not. This and this alone kept Harley from blurting out her thought.
"Her first steps?"
"Oh, Bob took that. Thank God. I would have missed it. I was at a church retreat for the weekend."
"Pretty young to be walking."
"Nine months youngest girl in the whole neighborhood to walk. First to swim, too. That's Abbey."
"When's her birthday."
"Uh, July 28."
"Leo. Headstrong, popular, generous, center of attention. Am I right?"
"To a "T". That's Abby. She was only seventeen when she graduated. She's studyin' to be a nurse."
"Was." Abby's father finally speaks interrupting the flow of the conversation between Rossi and the mother.
"What's that, dear?"
"She was studying to be a nurse." This makes the mother's face droop, she gets up, and leaves with JJ following suit.
Once the two left the room Rossi and thus Harley move closer to the father, Bob, as he manages to get out all while crying, "I made the identification. There was a sheet over her. Doc pulled it down just enough to see her face, but I could tell – I could s-see from where the sheet laid over her body that. That something wasn't right. Detective Jordan won't tell me the details. He says I don't need to know. And Doc says I don't need to see. This is Abby. This is my s-sweet Abby. And I trust Doc, and I trust Detective Jordan, but you're from the FBI, and if you tell me that I don't – I don't need to see, or I don't need to know, I'll believe you."
Rossi starts a few times while Harley covers her face, in almost a movement of grief, but in reality, to mask her laughter. Rossi finally says, "Trust me, Mr. Kelton. These are the memories you wanna keep." He taps at the photos.
Later Morgan is waiting outside, and the others walk out with Father Marks who thanks them. While this happens, a family shows up with food for Lee-Ann and Bob. Harley bounds up to Morgan, "So big, tall, and brooding how was talking to the pastor?" She backed away when he glared at her. 'Aw Morgie-poo isn't any fun… He's gonna be fun when this is over.'
"There is no evidence that any of the local kids were into Devil worship or the occult." Morgan stated.
"No, this is not a group of teenagers." Prentiss started.
"It's a serial killer." Harley pipped up from her spot.
"And considering what he did with her fingers, a sadistic one."
"I wouldn't say that." Harley said looking up from the folder she was reading. It was a report on her puddin' that some marshal had given her the week before. The grizzly scenes in the report were love letters to her from her J, she just knew it.
"Nor would I…" Rossi started, only to have Prentiss interrupt.
"He cut off her fingers and he made her eat them. If that isn't sadistic…"
"If it was, that's the only sign of sadism present in the crime."
Harley spoke up as realization dawned on Prentiss, "If he was purely a sadist, there would be more signs of torture. The fingers are a message."
"What the hell is the message?" Morgan demands.
"She's not my first," replies Hotch walking up. "None of the fingers found in Abbey Kelton's stomach were hers, and six of them were index fingers."
Harley's eyes widened, Ooooo. This guy is gonna be fun!
I am so sorry it has taken so long. I've had both grandmothers in and out of the hosptial. One is currently dying, which sucks. On top of my usual stuff of working, school, homework, making time for my fiance, and much more.