Scarlet Rose

3

The week came and went, and soon it was Saturday. Reid had finally bought me new clothes to wear, and I was keeping to myself as much as possible so he and I didn't have to interact when we don't have to.

I sat in Reid's—mine now—room, reading The Great Gatsby for the fifth time that week. I was always a fast reader, and I liked that about myself. One of the few things, actually.

A knock came on the door and I looked up with a frown when Reid opened the door and walked through, shutting it behind him.

"The Great Gatsby, huh? That's a good read." He said.

"I know. I've read it four times this week." I replied, looking back down at the book on the bed.

"What books are you into?" he asked.

"Why?"

"Just trying to get to know you a little better is all. We're going to be living together for who knows how long, so....."

"Yeah, okay." I closed my book and looked at him. "Tell you what. I tell you something about me, and vise versa. Okay?"

"Sounds fair enough." He nodded and walked over, sitting on the edge of the bed as I moved away from him.

"Favorite book and genre." He said,

"I'm really into the classics. Mainly Shakespeare, and my favorite book would probably have to be A Midsummers Night Dream." I said.

"'Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind'" he quoted. "Seems like I won't have an awful roommate after all."

"Don't get your hopes up. My turn."

"Ask away."

"Did you always want to be an FBI agent?" I asked him.

"Yeah. I mean, I had some doubts for a bit, but I knew what I wanted. What about you? What was your dream job?"

I thought about it for a moment. "Becoming a writer. I always loved to write."

"Then why'd you end up killing those people? You could have had a bright future ahead of you."

"Key word being 'could have'. I'll tell you though. My last foster father was a serial killer, as you know. He made me kill my first deer when I was thirteen. Then he told me to venture further out. So I did."

Our phones beeped and we took them out, seeing a text from Garcia that we need to get to the BAU. They have a new case.

"Looks like the questionnaire will have to wait for another day." Reid said, getting up and looking back at me. "Good choice of outfit, by the way."

"Oh. Thanks." I said, getting up and following him out of the room and apartment.

———

"Pack your cowboy hats, because we're going to Texas." Garcia informed everybody as she clicked on the button of a small remote and pictures of dead bodies filled the screen.

"We have been called in by the Texas PD. They found five bodies all displayed on billboards, hanging from their necks." Garcia showed us the pictures, turning away. "Their tongues have been....cut out. And—"

"A brand behind their ear in the shape of a star?" I interrupted, having everyone go silent and look at me.

"Er—yes. How'd you know?" Garcia asked.

"I know who did this." I told the team. "...I trained him."

"Who is it?" JJ asked.

"William Griffin." I said, "but he's going to be hard to catch. I trained him well. If you guys could catch me for five years.......he can double that time."