2 | Unforgettable Chemistry [S. Reid]

ix. tin

"ALL OF THE MILGRAM's cars are still here, so he must have taken the General in whatever vehicle he came in." Emily informs them as she walks into the living room of the Milgrams, who was given a visit from the UnSub.

"He talked about gaslighting. He thinks someone's trying to purposely distort his reality." Spencer tells them.

"He said his parents had been replaced." Derek says, making Willow frown in thought.

"He just sounds delusional." Emily says with a shrug.

"You know, he might have Capgras syndrome. It's a delusional disorder in which one believes that their friends and loved ones have been replaced by imposters." Spencer says, making the brunette nod in agreement.

"Sort of like Invasion of the Body Snatchers." Derek hums, as he looks at Spencer as Willow stands next to him.

"It typically involves only one sense, such as sight. Basically, the neural connection between the visual cortex and the emotional center of the brain becomes severed, so that looking at a loved one doesn't elicit the same emotional response one would expect." Willow explains to the team.

"You think they're an imposter." Hotch says to himself mainly.

"And the interesting thing is that the auditory connection remains intact, so that if they were to hear a loved one speak and not see them, they'd think that they were real." Spencer adds on, making Willow nod.

"What causes this syndrome?" Emily asks the two, who look at each other, before looking back at the team.

"It's unknown in 60% of the cases, but the rest have an organic cause, such as tumor or head trauma." Willow answers making Emily raise her head slightly in realisation.

"He was in a car accident Friday." Emily reminds them.

"People with delusional disorders don't all become killers, though." Derek points out.

"True, but Dolan's background as a Navy Seal, his knowledge of secret missions, plus Capgras syndrome, could result in extreme paranoia. It's the perfect storm." Spencer explains to Derek.

"Is there a cure for this?" Emily asks, making Willow shake her head with a tight smile.

"Unfortunately, no. Although medications have helped in a few cases." Willow says to her.

"So this guy's stuck with it. He's not killing for the thrill of it, he does it because he believes he has no other choice." Derek says, slight worry at the new information.

"He murdered his best friend and his parents because he believed they were imposters. So if he were to see his wife and daughter, the results would be deadly." Emily sighs, as she looks from Derek to Hotch.

"Dolan kidnapped the General and didn't kill his wife because he had never met them before." Derek says, as Hotch looks up at them.

"There might be another reason. He wants contact."