Paranoia - s.reid

Behind the Mask

(Hi everyone, sorry this took so long to come. Criminal Minds was just taken off my streaming service, so now I'm on the hunt to watch it for free so I can continue writing this book and referencing. I also spent a few days doing a laptop switch with my dad, so it's going to take a while to get used to the really old Mac I have now. 

And I've been in the worst pain for days, think I'm dying, idk.

If anyone has any recommendations for websites that let me watch CM for free that work, please comment. Keep in mind I don't live in America, so Netflix doesn't work. And yes, I've tried with a VPN.

Enjoy!)

The stress weighing on Liz was evident as she scribbled words onto a form, brows creased and lip caught between her teeth. With Kate gone and JJ on maternity leave, the BAU had to hold up the fort with two absent agents, leaving Liz to take on JJ's workload.

When she'd received word that Rossi and Morgan had returned from Seattle, connecting the same unsub in two different states, she sped to the conference room, getting to work.

"We know for a fact that victim number one was bound and gagged, but it doesn't look like number two was. Windows in both residences were tampered with, so he knows how to get in and out undetected."

"Okay, that's impressive because aluminum foil is super crinkly." Garcia attempted, growing nervous under the profilers' gaze. "I'm sorry, I'm not a profiler, I'm doing my best."

Liz gave her a reassuring smile. "No, it's a fair point. He snuck up on a tweaker who probably hadn't slept in a couple of days. MO said this guy's good at hunting. Cause of death was cardiac arrest but Dr. Mertz in the crime lab can't pin down how. He might hide it under the face paint. What we're assuming is could be a forensic countermeasure."

"What do we know about the face paint?"

"Traditional greasepaint used by clowns, but applied to resemble a pulcinella." Spencer spoked, earning confused looks. "Sorry. The clown archetype that we recognize today actually leads back to a 16th Century stage tradition called commedia Dell'arte, where actors wore masks to resemble their characters. The pulcinella was the trickster character, usually without a voice. He used a horn to make funny noises."

"Maybe the victims tricked him and he's remaking them in death how he saw them in life. So this is a vendetta by the unsub and not a compulsion. It's gonna make this guy really hard to profile." That's exactly was Liz needed, a harder guy to profile.

Hotch pursed his lips at her, silently apologizing for the heavy workload. "Alright, Dave, keep working on victimology. Morgan, stay on the MO, Reid, did deeper into the ritual. Elizabeth, you're with me."

"Interviews?" He nodded, guiding her to the hallway.

The pair stood before a bustling group of interviewees. 

"Can I have everyone's attention, please. The BAU is working an active case, so this interview process may take some time. Does anyone need to return to their field office?" Small choruses of 'no's were heard. "Good. Dr. Lewis, we'll start with you."

Lewis nodded, swiftly picking up her briefcase and shaking both of their hands.

They chose to enter Liz's office, due to the nicer furnishings and the more laid-back nature of the room in general. "Have a seat, Dr. Lewis."

"Thank you. And you can call me Tara. The only person that calls me Dr. Lewis is my father, and that's only when he's bragging and/or drunk."

With a humorous smile, Liz continued. "So your AD in the San Francisco field office says that you're the best field agent he's ever worked with."