Chapter Six

Raoul tried to chase after the phantom, but it was too late.

"Raoul, Raoul," Hotch said, "he's gone."

"Dammit!" Raoul yelled. He turned to Madame Giry, who was casually standing there.

"Madame Giry," Raoul pleaded, "for all our sakes. Tell us what is going on!"

Madame Giry stood there, shocked.

"Okay, right now we have enough to charge you with accessory to murder," Hotch threatened, "so I suggest you start talking."

"Okay," Madame Giry whispered, "follow me."

The team, plus, Raoul and Madame Giry were standing in Raoul's dressing room. Garcia was on speaker too, ready to search for information.

"Madame Giry," Raoul asked, "do you know this man? This man has been torturing us for long enough."

"Yes," Madame Giry answered, "I know him."

"Then why are you helping him?" JJ asked.

"Because I rescued him."

The team looked confused.

"When I was thirteen years old, I went to a local circus. It was fun. There was music, dancing, and laughing. And there was this...music box..."

"Go on," Rossi urged.

"This music box. It was in a cage. I looked in it and saw a young boy horribly disfigured. It was awful."

"They obviously used the boy for show," JJ mused, "what happened?"

"His face—it was burned and contorted. His whole right side. People were laughing and making fun of him. I'll never forget those jeers."

Tears welled up in her eyes.

"The ringmaster came and beat his face. He put a bag over his face to prevent people from seeing it. That's when I knew I had to help him. While no one was looking, I grabbed his hand and we ran as fast as we could. I saw the tunnels in the opera house and shoved him in there. That's where he made his home. He's a genius on multiple levels. He began composing music and building things. He built his lair there."

"And you never took him out or introduced him to anyone?" Reid asked, his anger boiling over.

"I was afraid of what people would think of his face."

"So you just kept him there," Reid accused, "that's why he became so fixated on Christine. He heard a beautiful voice and he foud someone to accept him."

"Do you know his name?" Rossi asked.

"I don't know his name."

"Okay Garcia," Hotch started, "did you get all that?"

"Yeah, I got it. So I'm gonna search birth records for disfigured faces and boys who were sold to the circus and I come up with one Erik Destler."

"What's his story?" Morgan asked.

"I can't make this ugliness up," Garcia replied, "he was born disfigured and doctors don't know why. Dad ran away because he was spooked. His mom was cruel. Made him wear a mask over his face at all times because he was an 'abomination.' When he was six years old, his own mother sold him to the circus where he endured unspeakable cruelty," Garcia fumed, "they beat him, tortured him, and did what they wanted to him. He never had a chance."

"And he took up music at the opera house where he became the phantom," Hotch finished.

"Okay, riddle me this," JJ started, "if he lives under the opera house, how does he know so much about us? How did he know about Foyet?"

"He's had ample time to read about you," Madame Giry answered, "he overhears everything going on here. He knew that name meant something to you, otherwise he wouldn't have brought it up. He stalked Christine and knew that Dr. Reid was protecting her. He wanted to know everything about your team."

"Because in his mind we were hindering his interactions with Christine," Rossi finished.

"So how do we catch him?" Raoul asked.

"We use his favorite bait, Christine Daae," Rossi answered, "and we use his own opera Don Juan Triumphant against him."