Son of a sinner

23 - Reckoner

"Do not indulge in dreams of having what you have not, but reckon up the chief of the blessings you do possess, and then thankfully remember how you would crave for them if they were not yours."
― Marcus Aurelius

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Soren stared at the photos on the screen. The first of a man with light brown hair who had a wide smile plastered on his face the next of the same man on a chair lifeless and still.

"What have we got?" Hotch asked walking into the room and coming to take his seat at the table.

JJ stood from her chair and moved over to the screen with a remote in the hand of the blonde "Ben Vanderwaal was killed in Commack, Long Island, Last night, shot at close range, Once in the heart, once in the head, .22 caliber shell." The display of the screen changed to show an up-close photo of the man's wounds blood visible on his skin "They found hair and blood traces From ben Vanderwaal's wife Heather." JJ explained.

"But not heather?" Rossi questioned.

"No, she's still missing, presumed dead." JJ answered the Italian mans question before continuing the briefing. "The caliber and placement of the bullets Match that of two previous victims. The first, rita haslat. 8 months ago she went missing from her home in new jersey.
4 weeks later, she was found in a trash bin."

"She went from that to this in under 3 weeks?" Emily said looking at the photos of the woman's body displayed on the screen "She's totally emaciated."

Spencer to looked at the picture "Ligature marks on her wrists and ankles Indicate she was constrained." He said taking note of the visible markings where she would have been tied down.

"One in the heart, one in the head-- same as vanderwaal." Derek remarked.

"Sounds more like an execution." Hotch stated.

Spencer spoke looking at his coworkers "Then why cut off vanderwaal's hands postmortem?" He pondered.

"What about the third victim?" Rossi asked his gaze fixed on JJ.

The woman leaned against the table "Bill levington." She spoke pushing off of the wooden surface to turn around and change the pictures currently being shown "His appearance was certainly altered." She commented.

Soren looked at the photo of the dead man sprawled out across the floor. He took note of the three very noticeable patches of blood that stained the blue fabric crimson.

"His genitals were missing." Emily said.

Hotch spoke up his tone of voice holding no emotion as normal "Though the method of mutilation is different in each crime," Derek turned to look at him as he spoke "Clearly there's a signature." Hotch said "The question is, what?" He stood from his seat.

"Wheels-up in 20 minutes." He told the team tossing a manilla folder that landed on the table directly Infront of Spencer.

"What's this?" He asked reaching out to grab it.

"You told me you were cleared to travel." Hotch told Spencer "you lied." He said simply.

Soren smirked "Didn't know he could do that." He joked.

Emily chimed in "Naughty boy."

"Uh, no, I didn't." Spencer insisted "I am a doctor, so technically, It wasn't a lie." He said.

"What was it, then?" Penelope asked him.

"Um...second opinion." The genius laughed nervously as he answered her.

"Hmm. you're my bitch now."

Derek laughed looking down at Spencer with a huge smile that showed his teeth before walking off.

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"In the ben vanderwaal case, His hands were taken. Uh, bill levington, his genitals.
Only in the rita haslat case she was starved and tortured, Then executed, And there's no sign of postmortem mutilation."

"Why would he take heather vanderwaal And not simply kill her?" Hotch asked.

JJ looked up at him from where she was sitting beside Emily "Maybe he hasn't and she's still alive." She suggested.

"The only solid thing we have to go off is the unsubs m.o." Soren said "And that depicts an efficient no-nonsense murderer."

"Well, then we need to figure out What each act of mutilation means to the unsub." Hotch said leaning back. "Or to the victim