"It looks like someone is taking the term "Motor City" too literally." Penelope says. "In the last month, Detroit P.D. has found two different crime scenes in the trunks of two different cabs."
"Married couples in each trunk?" JJ asks.
"Yeah. Brian and Melissa in car number one. Paul and Elizabeth Garrett in car number two." Penelope says. "Elizabeth was found alive by a couple of kids, but by the time the paramedics got there, she had lost too much blood."
"Well, it takes a lot of skill to force a couple into their own car, even with a gun." Derek says.
"But once he does, it's one stop shopping for this guy." Rossi says. "This car becomes an abduction vehicle and a dumping site."
"According to missing persons reports, he holds on to them for about a week." Spencer says. "Do you know what he does with them during that time?"
"Yes, unfortunately I do, and that information is on your tablets in picture form." Penelope says. "And if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go to my happy place." Spencer leans over to look at the tablet in Bedelia's hands.
"Ah." Rossi comments.
"Wow, this guy sure likes to cut, doesn't he?" Derek asks.
"Mostly shallow. They could almost be considered hesitation marks, except for the sheer number." JJ says.
"M.E. puts the count at nearly 50 per victim, and the cause of death is one final stab that's fatal." Penelope says.
"Physical and psychological sadism. They never know if the next cut is the one that will kill them." Blake says.
"And the amount of urban decay in Detroit gives him a lot of room to maneuver. We need to stop him before he takes another couple." Hotch says.
+++
"What'd you find?" Hotch asks.
"Well, date night is very important to this unsub." Spencer says.
"He goes on dates?" The detective asks.
"No, but his victims do, and the unsub knows that." Spencer says. "Brian and Melissa Cain were abducted on a Saturday night. Their last known credit card purchase was at an ice cream shop they regularly frequent."
"And then Paul and Elizabeth Garrett had a standing matinee they went to every Sunday. They were abducted in the early evening, most likely on the way to their car." Bedelia says.
"He stalks them and learns their routines." Hotch says.
"Picks couples oriented activities as his moment to strike." Spencer says. "Seeing them happy could enrage him."
"It gives him the upper hand." Hotch says. "They're focused on each other. They don't see him coming."
"Okay, then, but how does he get them both into the car?" The detective asks.
+++
They're at the crime scene and talking to the victim's husband. He sobs when he sees her body in the trunk.
"Oh, God." He cries.
"Uh, Mr. Hammond, if you want, we can do this at the station." Blake offers.
"No. No, what do you need to know?" He asks.
"Can you explain why it took you two days to file a missing persons report on Mary?" Spencer asks.
"I was traveling. I didn't know." He says.
"You didn't check in with your wife?" Bedelia asks.
"We'd been fighting." He says.
"About what?" Blake asks.
"We have a standing Thursday night dinner at our favorite restaurant. Last Thursday my boss told me I had to stay in Cleveland through the weekend. But I didn't get around to telling her that... till later that night." He says, looking at her body.
"When she went to the restaurant by herself." Blake says.
"Yeah." He nods.
+++
"Agent Hotchner, what you're asking for is extremely sensitive." One of the men say.
"We're asking for you to cooperate with a federal investigation." Hotch says.
"You're presuming that the 3 different car companies represented in this room track our drivers via their GPS." He says. "That's a bold presumption."
"Actually, it's not bold, and we're presuming nothing." Spencer counters. "When customers access their GPS for the first time, they go to a "terms and conditions" screen. They scroll to the bottom, they click the box that says "agree" so they can start using it. They don't realize they've just agreed to allowing their car to communicate its entire driving history with your corporate headquarters. For research purposes only, of course. The only reason these people agree to share this information with you is that they don't take the time to read the fine print. But I do."
"We'll, uh-- we'll need to consult with risk management." The guy says.
"We don't have time for lawyers. A woman's life is on the line and we need an answer now." Hotch says.
+++
Blake is driving and Spencer is in the passenger seat. Blake's phone goes off.
"You don't want me to--"
"No." She tells Spencer. He watches her mouth move and she taps her fingers on the steering wheel.
"You want to talk about what's bothering you?" Spencer asks.
"No. Nothing's bothering me." She says.
"Something's bothering you. I can always tell when you're bothered because you whisper lyrics to yourself. Hip hop specifically." Spencer says. "I thought it was odd at first, but then I remembered your dissertation was on the fluidity of metaphor. You seem to have a particular fondness for Nas."
"Wow. How did you know?" Blake asks.
"Morgan made me listen to him when we started working together. He said anybody that can't quote "Illmatic" is ignorant." Spencer says. "So... do you want to talk about it?"
"Oh. The text, it's from my husband." Blake says.
"Is that a bad thing?" Spencer asks.
"He just wants to know if I've thought about his offer." Blake says.
"What offer?" Spencer asks and Blake sighs.
"To teach with him at Harvard."
"How would you tea-- oh." He looks down.
"Yeah." Blake says.
"Tough call. What do you think you're gonna do?"
"When we got married, part of the attraction was that we were both obsessed with our work, and for a while that was okay."
"Yeah, the last time we talked about it, you seemed to prefer it."
"Oh, not anymore. I don't like coming home to an empty house."
"Can I offer some advice?"
"Sure."
"We need to turn around. You just passed the house."
"Oh." Blake turns around. She drives to the house, parking in the driveway.
"That's not the advice, though." Spencer says. "Blake, for the last 10 years, this job has been my life. And a few years ago, I found someone who really makes me happy. Even though it took forever for us to do anything. So, work... there's always work, and there'll always be work. What's rare is finding someone who makes us happy."
+++
"How can number 6 be the unsub?" Rossi asks. "We profiled a sadist."
"That all changed when he had Mary Hammond alone. He found something else that worked for him." Blake says.
"The guy's wife left him because he was a cutter. So he took those women not because of sex but because of something better." Derek says. "They validate his obsessive compulsive disorder, turn it into a shared bonding experience."
"Then he got to play two roles -- the unsub who tortures and the sympathetic prisoner." Hotch says.
"So I just spoke with Phillip's soon to be ex-wife." JJ walks over. "According to her, he lives in a day-rate motel."
"He'd need more space and privacy than that." Bedelia says.
"I'm here, sir." Penelope says.
"What do we know about Phillip Connor's work history?" Hotch asks.
"Uh, he freelanced in the area, mostly computer stuff, that the car company subcontracted out to." Penelope says.
"He needs infrastructure. Something he could convert." Rossi says.
"Garcia, what work site sticks out as the biggest?" Blake asks.
"There's a microprocessor plant in foreclosure." She says. "Is that the kind of thing you're looking for?"
"The clean rooms. He could seal his prisoners in there and no one could hear them scream." JJ says.
"We're gonna need a strategy. If he's got abandonment issues, he won't hesitate to kill Emma." Hotch says.
"Unless we give him something he wants even more." Blake says.
"Can you make that happen?" Hotch asks.
"If I can't, it's gonna be one hell of a bluff." Blake says. "And I need your help." She tells JJ who nods.
+++
They caught the unsub and were able to save Emma. Blake leads her outside.
"There he is." Blake says. Emma looks up before running to her husband who meets her halfway, the two tightly hugging. Spencer walks over to Blake who is watching them.
"You've made up your mind, haven't you?" He asks. Blake nods. "I'm happy for you."
Spencer looks around, spotting his girlfriend and walking over to her.
"Hey." He greets making her turn away from JJ, the blonde walking off.
"Hey." She smiles. "You good?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm good. Are you okay?" Spencer asks.
"Yeah." Bedelia nods. Spencer smiles at her, Bedelia giving him an inquisitive look. "What?" She asks with a small laugh.
"Nothing." Spencer dismisses. "I just... really love you."
Bedelia smiles, feeling her heart melt as it always does.
"Well, good, cause I really love you, too." Bedelia grins, pecking him on the lips.
+++
Bedelia reaches for another slice of pizza and takes a bite. The two are on Spencer's couch and are relaxing, the two making sure to have at least a few minutes of peace each day.
"Hey, B." Spencer calls.
"Yeah?" She asks, taking another bite of her pizza.
"Would you... would you, uh... maybe, um... would you want to move in?" He quickly asks making Bedelia freeze.
"Wh-what?" She asks, swallowing the pizza.
"Would you wanna move in?" He forces himself to talk slower despite having his anxiety be at a max.
"Really?" Bedelia asks.
"Well, we-- we already basically live with each other anyway. Why not... make it official?" Spencer wonders. "And-- and I really wanna live with you."
"I would love to." Bedelia smiles.
"Re-really?" Spencer stammers.
"Yeah." Bedelia nods. "Yeah, it'd be nice to... have it be official." She smiles, tucking some of his hair behind his ear.
"Oh, good." Spencer lets out a large breath of relief. "I was so scared you'd say no." Bedelia chuckles.
"I'd never say no to you." Bedelia says. "Well, that's a lie but, you get it." Spencer smiles. He leans over and kisses her, cupping both sides of her face. Bedelia blindly reaches out, putting her slice of pizza down and wrapping her arms around him.