It took a week.
Only a week for Mitchell Diaz's life to go down the drain.
It started out with the murders of two strangers in a city miles away. But once the BAU show up after the third murder occurs in her city, everything gets put together.
She...
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CHAPTER 42: BURN
THE NEXT MORNING, THERE WAS A NEW VICTIM.
Mitchell was frustrated. Different victimology, another new M.O. This man was hung in the middle of a park.
This unsub wanted this victim to be found.
But why him?
"So this guy's killing men now." Sergeant Mahaffey stated as Spencer finished putting up the crime scene photos.
"Parker Mills must have had a hidden or perceived connection to the other victims." Blake stated, staring at the photos.
"Or Mills got in the way somehow and had to be killed so the unsub could return to his preferred victim type." Spencer suggested,
"If he was in the way, then why would the unsub bother with the cutting and the burning?" They all looked over at Mitchell, "I mean, if he wanted to throw us off the trial of confuse us even more, he could've just killed Mills and dumped him in an alley somewhere. We might've not known it was from our unsub if they did that. Instead, they branded him. They wanted us to know that they killed Mills."
"Excuse me." An officer walked inside and handed Alex a piece of paper.
She picked it up and began reading the contents, "Interesting."
"What is it?" Spencer asked,
"Tox report on Abby Stafford. Our conservative, studious girl had cocaine in her system at the time of her death." Alex informed them.
"Well," Mitchell looked at everyone, "That changes everything, doesn't it?"
Hotch called the officers into the station to give the profile, "We're looking for a physically fit male from his late 20s to mid 30s. He's brazen, confident, and organized."
"This person may be a moral vigilante. Abby Stafford had drug issues. Gloria Carlyle moved in with her boyfriend. Parker Mills was a sexual deviate." Morgan continued,
Spencer stepped forward, "Moral vigilantism typically has its roots in repression and guilt. This generally manifests itself in low self-esteem and self-loathing. By punishing others, the unsub may also be punishing himself."
"He's also literally branding his victims. We're not sure why, but most likely, he's marking them as his own." Mitchell stated, crossing her arms over her chest, "He's letting someone know that he's there. Whether it's us, or his next victims, we don't know."
"His organizational skills suggest someone who can get and keep a full-time job." Alex began,
"But the work is likely low level. His impaired social development would not allow him to move very far in the professional world." Rossi finished,
"Consequently, this is someone working in solitude, having minimal interaction with others." JJ commented,
"And this makes it a challenge to determine how and where this person is choosing his victims." Morgan stated,
"The two female victims were reserved and studious. Parker Mills lived quietly in the margins of conventional society." Spencer announced,
"Therefore," Mitchell continued for him, "the killer may frequent or work in locations that attracts this type of person. Uh, places of solitude, contemplation. Museums, gardens, parks, bookstores, libraries even." She listed off,
"His choice of a city square rather than a remote canyon means he's gaining confidence." Rossi said, referencing to the victims and where they were found,
"But the recklessness of killing in such a public space suggests that this confidence may be stemming from a delusion." Morgan stated,
"Hence, the robes." Mitchell piped up,
"He may believe he's in a place and time that makes him invulnerable." Blake said,
"And if his delusion is gaining in strength, then his next killing may be riskier and more dramatic. Thank you." Hotch nodded.
Mitchell walked back into the conference room and pulled out her phone, "Hey, P?"
"Hello, my pretty, fire away." Penelope greeted on the other end from Quantico,
"Is there any way to figure out where the victims were days before they were killed? Like if they used a credit card at a bookstore of coffee shop?" Mitchell asked,
"Of course. Do you want me to send you any of the places that they had in common?" Penelope asked,
"No, actually, can you just send me the list?"
"Yep! And I will send that list to you once that list is compiled, my crime fighting Wonder Woman." Garcia stated,
"You're the best." Mitchell smiled,
"And you are not wrong." Penelope hung up and Mitchell walked over to the coffee station.
Mitchell had made two cups of coffee, one she put many, many, many spoonfuls of sugar into before putting only two in her own. She made a mental note to leave them some money to buy more sugar since Spencer will probably use all of it before they were done here.
She placed the lids onto them before walking into the Sergeant's office, where Spencer was sitting on the floor with piles of books surrounding him.
"Hey." She handed him his cup, "You mind if I, uh, share the office with you? JJ and Morgan kinda took up all the table space."
Spencer nodded, taking the cardboard cup from her and taking a sip, "Yeah, go ahead."
She gave him a small smile in thanks. Grabbing her tablet, she found the email that Garcia had sent her and printed them out before grabbing a map of the town.
She marked large 'X's where the victims spent the last of their days. The two women went to coffee shops the day before they were killed, however they were different ones on different sides of the town. Abi went to the library the night before she disappeared and checked a few lit books out, probably for a class.
Mitchell's head shot up as Spencer rushed out of the room with a book grasped in his hands. She hummed a bit before looking back down at the paper.
She paused. Both Abby and Gloria were at the library days before they died.
Mitchell went to call Garcia before Rossi interrupted, "We're all meeting in the conference room."
