dinner and diatribes (s.r.)

19. nina cried power

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"Well why are we just being called in now?" Matt questions as files are being distributed around the table by Penelope.

"You know the local PD's never see connections." Emily takes a seat next to me, it's just rounding 4am when Penelope starts again, "So we're all going to Lewiston, Maine. Apparently the cops didn't think that the bodies of six men turning up, all within the month, all with their... you know what's... destroyed."

I pull out the pictures. The first victim, Thomas Carter, has significantly less damage than the most recent, Collin Hampton. "Well we can see she's obviously just getting angrier with the amount of mutilation to them, they all look the same too, that should help."

"Why'd you say 'she', Reid?" JJ inquires.

"It's rather obvious based on the dump sites, they were placed face down and they were clean, shows remorse, and the perceived hatred of men stems from a feminine life with awful male figures in their life. It was merely a guess, based on what I saw."

They all nod, implying their agreement, "We can finish this on the jet, we don't have much time before we have another body, wheels up now." Everyone gathers their things, dispersing to the bullpen to prepare for liftoff.

I haven't spoken to Y/n since last night when she showed up at my door, there's more of a strange tension between us, though not as much as there was last week. I sling my bag over my shoulder, refilling my coffee cup before heading out to the SUVs. I'm in one with Luke, JJ, Penny and Y/n. JJ, Y/n and I crammed in the backseat.

Once we're settled in the jet and in the air, everyone unpacks for the short flight, "Were there any signs of sexual assault?" Luke flips open his folder, asking. "No, but there were definite signs that... something happened." I love Penelope, and I understand she didn't go to school for this stuff, but sometimes I wish she would just say what she means.

"It says that there was hydroxyethylcellulose and saccharin on all of the bodies," I flipped through the M.E. report for what feels like the millionth time.

"Yeah so what does that mean?" Luke speaks up again.

"Hydroxyethylcellulose is a thickening agent, used in everything from soaps, cosmetic stuff to bleach and cleaners. Saccharin is a sweetener, used in basically every artificial thing that needs to be sweet."

They all nod again, what they do everytime I say something no one else knows, I figure it's so they don't have to respond, a way to avoid whatever I said. "Well if garcia said there were "traces of... something," If we put two and two together, that means-"

"-They had some sort of consensual sexual connection. But what I don't get is why he would've been the one with those traces, unless our unsub is male, which isn't likely." Emily keeps the conversation open.

Y/n chuckles, "What, are we saying she pegged them?" Scattered laughs can be heard, and everyone has a look of surprise, and realization, "That would make the most sense I suppose. So she's dominant, likes to have control over men because..."

"-They liked to take control over her. Then she kills them."

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Matt and I were in a separate office, it's been a week and still nothing, and the bodies are collecting like dust. We're going over everything we could have missed, when everyone else floods through the door.

"our unsub is Nina Albir." Emily slams a picture onto the table for us to see. She looks kind, if I didn't know her or what she was capable of, I would almost say she looks innocent. All of her features match, light brown skin with hair a few shades darker, eyes to match.