Criminal Minds Series Rewrite: Season Two

Psychodrama: Final Part

You, Spencer, Gideon, and Hotch all went to Karen Sheppard's house to talk to her about her son. Of course Caleb wasn't there, but that doesn't mean you won't be able to retrace his steps. Karen isn't what you were expecting because she looks like an absolute mess. She is high out of her mind, her hair isn't brushed, and she has a crazed look in her eyes.

"Mrs. Sheppard, do you know where your son is?" Spencer asks gently.

"Dale doesn't live here anymore."

"Where is he, Mrs. Sheppard?" Hotch asks.

"He's a grown man."

"You have any idea how much trouble your son could be in?"

"Dale? He's a good boy. Lost his way a bit, that's all."

"Well, that's one way to look at twelve years in and out of prison," you scoff.

"You've never made a mistake?" she asks, glaring at you.

"Your son spent time in a juvenile home?" Gideon asks, bringing the attention to him.

"He was out of control and even attacked his own sister once, but his father died. It wasn't his fault."

"Was it yours?" you ask.

"Excuse me?"

"Was it your fault?" you ask slower.

Spencer finds a bottle of pills on the table and picks them up. After examining them, he knows she isn't in her right mind.

"How many of these did you take today, Mrs. Sheppard?"

"I had... back problems my whole life," she makes an excuse for taking narcotics.

She won't be able to give you anything right now, so there is no point in sticking around. Caleb is out there, and if you don't hurry up, then someone else will die. You take your little party outside to speak privately away from Karen's prying ears.

"She is high out of her mind," you state. "She's so lonely she'll just keep talking to us. I doubt she'll tell us where he is."

Spencer's phone rings, and he looks at the message that Penelope texted to him.

"This is Garcia. Apparently Sheppard's sister died twelve years ago to suicide."

"Lady sure did a number on her kids," Gideon sighs.

"She's probably lonely after the husband died and on painkillers, she's not in her right mind. There's nobody there to turn to but Sheppard and his sister."

"So, now he's symbolically punishing his mother?"

"He's playing out a fantasy. Sons gaining total control over their mothers."

"We got something," Murad interrupts your chat.

Karen had given Murad a slip of paper with "Dale Daybreak Hotel" written on it. It's where he's been staying this whole time. You're not close there, but Derek and Elle are. You text Derek where to go next, and since you can't just stay here and wait for them to contact you with what they find, you have to go on patrol. You get in the car with the three men, and Hotch peels away from the house.

The car ride is silent as you four keep your eyes peeled for Caleb. It's not long before Derek calls Hotch with what he found at the Hotel.

"Look, he's not here. From the looks of it, he just left. Hotch, he's tweaking. He's unmasked and he's probably on foot," Derek informs.

"Alright, stay there. Call if there's any sign of him."

"If he's on foot," Spencer starts after Hotch hangs up, "he must still be in the neighborhood. How do we find him?"