Bedelia walks out of the elevator, fumbling with her bag as she tries to find her phone.
"Hey." She stops short at the voice, looking up to find Spencer.
"Hi." She greets.
"Hey. Uh... I-- are you... are you okay?" Spencer asks.
"I'm... I'm fine. Why?" Bedelia lets out a soft, confused laugh.
"I just-- the-- the whole thing with... with that last case. In-- in Chula Vista." Spencer says.
"Oh." Bedelia mumbles. "Yeah. Yeah, no, I-- I'm okay." She nods, giving him a tight lipped smile.
"It just... it kind of seemed like you wanted to talk about it that night and... and I shut you out." He says.
"Reid, it-- it's fine. You're not my therapist or anything." Bedelia says.
"Right. But I-- look, I-I'm not very good with the whole... social thing." Spencer winces. "I just..."
"Okay, hey, hey." She holds her hand out to stop him. "It's okay. We don't have to talk about anything -- especially traumatic stuff."
"I get it." Spencer says. "The-- the pain and... and the nightmares. So if-- if you ever did want to talk, I... I'm not opposed." He says. "I just don't read between lines very well so-- so you'll have to say you wanna talk about it or something."
"Got it." Bedelia nods.
"Do you want to talk about it?" He asks.
"Not-- not right now, no." She says.
"Right." He awkwardly chuckles. "Uh, but, yeah."
"It's okay. If I wanna talk to you, I know where you work." Bedelia says.
"Right. Okay." Spencer mumbles, scurrying off.
+++
"Yeah, JJ." Hotch says on the phone. "Um, no, it's-- it's-- it's a personal matter. Yes, thank you. I will take care of it when I get back." He hangs up.
"Is everything all right?" Spencer asks.
"Yeah, fine." Hotch says.
"We can do this interview another time." Spencer offers.
"Well, he's scheduled to be executed next week." Hotch says.
"I can take the lead if you--"
"Reid." Hotch holds his hand out.
"Sorry." Spencer whispers.
"Agent Hotchner?" A man walks in.
"Yes." He answers.
"Ah." He shakes Hotch's hand. "And, um, Agent Davis?" He asks the woman.
"Yes." Bedelia stands up and shakes his hand, politely smiling.
"You must be Dr. Reid." He says, Spencer standing up and shaking his hand. "Abner Merriman, assistant warden. You're here to see our infamous inmate Hardwick."
"Yeah. He agreed to meet with us as part of our criminal personality research project prior to his execution." Spencer says.
"I've read some of your studies in police journals." He tells Spencer who gets a large smile on his face. "Serial killers are a kind of hobby of mine. Chester's the only one I've ever met in person, though. I bet you've met quite a few."
"Sir, we'd very much like to get started as soon as we can." Hotch says, preventing Spencer from any sort of reply.
"Oh, of course, of course. Forgive me." Abner says. "Uh, we, uh... we don't really have interrogation facilities, but I do have a small room that you can use. You're not armed?"
"We secured our weapons before we arrived. It's not our first time in a prison." Hotch says.
"No, no, I suppose that's true." Abner chuckles. "I have to say, when I heard that he contacted you, I was surprised."
"Why?" Bedelia asks.
"Chester Hardwick? He doesn't really talk much. To anyone." Abner says.
"Well, that usually changes when someone's about to die." Hotch says.
+++
"The, uh, door will of course be locked from the outside." Abner says. "And this button here, it sounds audibly as well as triggers a flashing light to signal the guards when you're finished."
"Thank you." Spencer tells him.
"Are these the crime scene photos?" Abner asks, picking two of the photos up.
"Uh, some of them, yes." Spencer answers.
"God... I knew what he did, of course, but I... you know, never saw... 23 victims like this." Abner says.
"Sometimes in these interviews they talk about crimes they were never charged with, so it might even be more." Spencer says.
"Is it ever less?"
"No."
"Please." Hotch takes the photos. "Paying attention to these items projects a kind of importance on them. When he comes in, I'd like to give him the opportunity to show us which parts of the crimes he thinks are important."
"Sorry. Of course. Sorry." Abner says.
"It's all right." Hotch says.
The door opens, guards leading Chester in.
"Chains left on, right?" One of them asks.
"That's probably a good idea." Spencer says.
"Yeah." Bedelia nods in agreement.
"No. It won't be necessary." Hotch states.
"Uh, say what now?" Bedelia frowns.
"It won't?" Spencer asks. The two agents share a nervous look.
"You sure?" The guard asks.
"Mm-hmm. We're just gonna talk, right, Chester?" Hotch asks.
+++
Spencer and Bedelia are sitting at the table while Hotch stands a bit away and Chester stands by one of the two windows in the room.
"Sit down." Hotch orders.
"I'd like this window opened." Chester says. "I'll answer any question you have, but only if this window is open."
"Go ahead." Hotch says. "Reid."
"You were born April 4, 1950?" Spencer asks while Chester opens the window.
"Does my birthdate really matter?" He asks.
"It's customary for us to start at the beginning. We want to try to know as much as we can about your childhood." Spencer says.
"There's nothing to know. It was average. I lived in a nice house on a quiet street. I ate cereal. I went to school. I watched cartoons." Chester says.
"I don't have time for this." Hotch snaps. Bedelia and Spencer share a look. "You didn't live in a nice house on a quiet street. You grew up in a series of projects in east Bridgeport, each one worse than the last."
"You spent your teenage years peeping into your female neighbors' windows and burglarizing their underwear drawers when you got the chance. And you set 100 small fires for which you spent 2 years in juvenile detention."
"We've done extensive research, Mr. Hardwick, and we've talked to almost everyone you've ever known... including your mother." Spencer says.
"Good old Jean?" Chester asks, turning to them and away from the window. "I'll bet she was a real treat."
"Good old Jean's down the street in the state hospital." Hotch says.
"At this point, lying to us isn't really possible or helpful." Bedelia says.
"Well, then, you're wrong." Chester says.
"About what?" Hotch asks.
"I started a lot more than 100 fires." Chester says.
~ ~ ~
"Temperature's dropping. It's that time of year. Warm days, cold nights." Chester says.
"It'll be summer soon." Spencer says.
"But not for you." Hotch says.
"No... not for me." Chester says, turning away from the window.
"Let's, um, let's talk about the specifics of the case." Spencer says. "Why did you choose Sheila O'Neal?"
"You gotta show me a picture. I don't know their names." Chester says.
"Is that what this is all about, some chance to relive all of this?" Hotch asks.
"I have an excellent memory. I thought you wanted to hear the truth." Chester says. "Truth is, they meant nothing to me. They were toys, a diversion, and from the moment I decided to kill them, they were dead."
"They begged, they cried, they bargained, and it didn't matter, because they didn't matter. Sometimes I wish I was normal. That I'd had a regular life. But I didn't."
"Why did you ask us here?" Hotch asks.
"I wanted to smell the air." Chester says.
"What?" Hotch asks.
"They've got me on death watch. 24 hour a day isolation, and I will be until they take me to the death chamber. So I wanted to smell the air one last time before I die. Thank you for giving me that."
"Let's pack it up." Hotch says, walking over to the door.
"Should we at least--"
"No." Hotch cuts Spencer's question off.
Spencer and Bedelia stand up, Spencer putting his satchel over his shoulder.
"Have a nice trip, Chester." Hotch says, pressing the button. "You're going where you belong." He presses the button again.
"It's 5:17." Chester states. "Evening yard started at 5:00. Guard staff's outside with the population. There won't be anyone to open that door for... at least 13 minutes." He picks up one of the crime scene photos. "And it took me less than 5 to do this." He drops the photo back on the table.
Bedelia glances between the three men as she slowly moves closer to Spencer.
"While you were doing your research, maybe a question or two about security tones would have been a good idea." Chester comments.
"I heard the tones." Hotch says.
"So you planned to be locked inside with me, with no guns or weapons." Chester says.
"I won't need a gun." Hotch says.
Spencer reaches around, grabbing the sleeve of Bedelia's shirt, dragging her with him as he walks around the room, trying to be far away from the two.
"There's no way they're gonna execute me next week. Not after I kill three FBI agents. You saved my life by coming here." Chester says. "Might even start with the pretty one." He smiles at Bedelia making her tense up.
"But unfortunately for you, I'm not a 5 foot tall, 100 pound girl." Hotch says. "All your life, you've gone after victims who couldn't fight back." Hotch says, taking his jacket off. "And the rest of the time you spent looking over your shoulder, worried about the knock on the door, scared that somebody like me would be on the other side waiting to put you away." Hotch takes his tie off.
"At your core, you're a coward."
Chester goes to attack Hotch.
"Chester, do you want to know why you killed those women?" Spencer quickly asks.
"What?" Chester asks.
"Earlier you said you wish that you were different. I can tell you why you killed them, why you are what you are." Spencer says.
"You can tell me why I did the things I did?" Chester asks.
"I think so. I do." He says. "Your mother's bipolar and almost certainly an undifferentiated schizophrenic. Your father suffered severe shell shock in the war, what we now refer to as post traumatic stress disorder. As far as I can tell, he remained clinically depressed the rest of his life."
"53% of serial killers have some form of mental illness in their family. In your case, both your parents suffered psychological disorders, which they largely took out on..."
"They beat each other as much as they beat you, so violence became a natural expression of love..."
"There's something called the hypothalamic region of the limbic system. It's the most primitive part of the brain. It wants what it wants without conscience and without judgment."
"It's what makes babies cry when they're hungry, uh, scream when they want affection, become enraged when a toy is taken away. In most children, a healthy relationship with their mother counters the hypothalamus and maps the child's brain into a healthy emotional response..."
"Your hypothalamus never learned control. It still operates on that primitive level..."
"Your records indicate that you display the symptoms of satyriasis. You're obsessed with sex. Sex and love are cross-wired with pain. Additionally, your hypothalamus won't allow you to stop seeking the-- the desires it wants. So you became a sexual sadist..."
"No functioning sexual partner will ever willingly submit to the painful desires that you have. The only way you can serve them is by making a partner complaint, making sure that they do exactly what you want them to do. And you ensure that by killing them."
"Earlier, you said your victims never had a chance. I think you know deep down... it was you who really never had a chance."
The door opens and a few guards walk in.
"Everything all right in here?" One guard asks.
"Fine. We're done." Hotch states. He grabs his jacket and tie and walks out. Bedelia quickly follows him, Spencer walking behind her.
"Is that true, I never had a chance?" Chester asks.
"I don't know. Maybe." Spencer says, walking out.
+++
Hotch is driving and Spencer is in the passenger seat while Bedelia is in the back.
"That was smart to get Hardwick to focus on himself long enough for the guards to come back." Hotch says.
"I find that I do some of my best work under intense terror." Spencer says.
"I'm sorry." Hotch tells them.
"For what?" Spencer asks.
"I antagonized the situation." Hotch says.
"No, you didn't." Spencer argues.
Bedelia bites the inside of her cheek, not wanting to risk getting fired so soon.
"Well, I certainly didn't help." Hotch says.
"Ah... I guess you really didn't help." Spencer agrees.
"So Haley wants me to sign the divorce papers uncontested so nobody wastes money on lawyers." Hotch says.
"You don't want to?" Spencer asks.
"What I want I'm not gonna get." Hotch says.
+++
Spencer and Bedelia are sitting at their desks.
"Pretty boy and pretty girl." Derek grins. "How was Connecticut?"
"Uh... I would say interesting." Spencer awkwardly smiles. "Sir, there's somebody waiting to speak to you in your office." He tells Rossi. They all turn to Rossi's office where Kevin Lynch is sitting inside. He gets up when he sees them and walks out of the office.
"Agent Rossi. We need to talk... about Penelope... man to man." Kevin says.
Bedelia shares confused look with Derek, Emily, and Spencer while JJ is smiling.
"Man to man." Rossi says, walking to his office, the two going inside.
"What about Penelope?" Derek asks.
"I don't know." Spencer says.
"Garcia and Kevin sitting in a tree." JJ sings, grinning.
"Get outta here. Are you serious?" Derek asks. Emily laughs.
"Just when I thought nothing scandalous was ever gonna happen around here." Emily says.
"What? What does that mean?" Spencer asks.
"Didn't you hear JJ?" Emily asks.
"What? The song meant something? No. No, I missed it." Spencer says.
"It-- it-- it..." Emily stares at the confused man. "You know what? Never mind." She sits down.
"What?" Spencer asks. He looks between the two women in confusion, Emily focused on Rossi's office. "What?" He asks Bedelia who only giggles.