magnetic ◊ criminal minds

xxxii.

xxxii. the uncanny valley
( season five, episode twelve )

"I think they're getting suspicious," Lyra signed. Lorna had come over to visit again, having had a break in cases at the same time Lyra did for once. They had gotten on the topic of coworkers somewhere down the line, which led them to where they were now.

"Getting suspicious?" Lorna repeated. "Ly, you defend mutant rights like a closeted teenager defends gay rights."

"With my team, I'm technically both," Lyra signed, shrugging. She honestly did not care whether her team knew she was into women or not, it was never something she deemed important. They did not need to know for any reason, so she never shared.

"How's it going with Ororo, anyway?" Lorna asked, a teasing smirk on her lips.

"How's it going with Alex?"

"Don't change the subject."

Lyra's phone went off, a text from JJ saying they had a case. "Gotta go, I have a case," she signed.

"Oh, saved by the bell." Lorna's phone went off too. "And... I have one too."

Lyra shook her head with a small smile as they both left the apartment. "See you later, Lorna."

"Have fun, Ly!"

"It's a murder, so I won't."

At the office, JJ had put up a picture of the victim, who looked incredibly doll-like. It was eerie. The team was sat around the table, files in front of them. "Rita Stuart, twenty-five, second victim in Atlantic City," JJ said.

"Pretty public spot for a dump site," Rossi noted.

"You know, technically, I think it would qualify more as a disposal site," Reid said. "You don't leave a body on a merry-go-round out of convenience."

"Seems more like somewhere he wants the body to be seen," Lyra signed.

"He took some time with her appearance, didn't he?" Prentiss said. That was an understatement.

"Yeah, her nails were polished, her hair was cut. Her clothes were brand new," JJ said.

"He wants her to look her best when found. That's a lot of remorse," Morgan said.

"Who's victim number one?" Hotch asked.

JJ put up another picture. "Stacia Jackson, twenty-nine. She was found at a local playground," she said.

"Quite a change in victimology," Rossi remarked.

"What's the connection between these women?" Hotch inquired.

"There is none. Rita was married, Stacia was single. Rita worked at a diner, Stacia was a corporate lawyer," JJ responded. "According to their credit cards, they never came within ten miles of each other."

"Both women were taken two months ago?"

"Yeah. They led such completely different lives the police didn't tie their abduction together until now."

"Was there any evidence of sexual assault?" Reid asked.

"There was no evidence of violence at all," JJ said.

"So how did they die?" Prentiss questioned.

"Rita had a stroke, Stacia had a brain hemorrhage."

"Look at this. The UnSub gave them a battery of drugs. Atracurium, Doxacurium. These are neuro-inhibiters," Reid read. "They block signals from the brain to the muscles."