S.S.A Herrmann (Criminal Minds / One Chicago Fanfic)

Chapter 2

Pittsburgh Police Department, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania

Nikki sat in the conference room of the station with Spencer while he began triangulating the unsubs comfort zone and Nikki was sifting through the victimology of their unsub hoping it would tell them more than what they already know causing her to sigh staring at the photos of the woman starring back at her. 

The sound caused Spencer to lift his gaze to her, "You okay?" he asked keeping his eyes on her. "Yea, just thought maybe looking over these again maybe there was something we missed but the only thing I can see..." Nikki sighed sitting back. "What are you thinking?" Spencer asked walking over to the table she was sitting at keeping his focus on her. "It's classic arrogant, alpha male behavior. If there's no signs of sexual assault of any kind that could mean a few things," Nikki said. "I'm not following," Spencer replied, "Either the unsub is old enough he physically can't, the victims aren't our unsubs type but that wouldn't explain the pattern or he's self medicating and whatever he's using is making it so he can't perform, which in turn could trigger the rage, I don't know it was a stupid thought. Sorry," Nikki said as she stood up. 

"I'm gonna go make some coffee- They don't have any here," Spencer said sadly. "Okay, Boy genius wanna come with me to get some caffeine so maybe I can revive my 1 brain cell that's still awake?" Nikki asked him. Spencer laughed at the comment before listing the exact number of brain cells that don't rest even when you sleep. "I could really use a coffee too," Spencer agreed as the two walked out of the conference room and out of the station walking across the street to a small coffee shop named 'Van Houte' 

Nikki and Spencer ordered their coffees and grabbed coffee for Morgan, Rossi, Hotch, and JJ before they started heading back to the station. "That wasn't a bad theory you had, the substance use could definitely play part in his rage and remorse," Spencer said as they entered the police station again.  "Maybe, but we're still missing half this puzzle," Nikki said, "And we'll figure it out, like we always do," Spencer said looking at her with his intoxicating brown eyes. "Hopefully before he attacks another woman," Nikki said sadly as she walked back over to her seat in the conference room setting the other coffees on the center of the table. 

Nikki shifted her focus back to the photos again as another memory went through her mind of that night in university. "What made you think of substances playing into this?" Spencer asked trying to read her. Nikki scratched the back of her neck anxiously keeping her eyes on the photo of the bruises around their victim's throat. 

"I um saw it happen in university, minus the murder at least," Nikki said looking to meet Spencer's gaze before instantly looking away uncomfortable by the topic. Spencer went to say something when Morgan and JJ walked into the room. "Oh my gosh coffee?!" JJ said excitedly taking a cup and passing one to Morgan. 

"Your amazing boy wonder," Morgan said sipping his coffee as Nikki kept her focus on the case. "Actually it was Nikki's idea," Spencer said as she felt their eyes move to her. "Thanks, Nikki, how'd you know what we order though?" JJ asked her confused. "You all drink the same order of coffee every day, and I couldn't just come back with coffee for ourselves. That'd be rude," Nikki said lifting her gaze to take a sip of her own coffee. 

"Thank you really, so JJ and I canvased motels Garcia connected the shower curtain our victim was discarded in and we tracked it back to a motel up the road from the gas station our unsub picked our vic up at," Morgan told them. "We also found a used condom in the toilet he tried to flush but backed up the plumbing," JJ said. 

"It doesn't make sense, the unsub doesn't have sex with his victims so why the need for protection?" Spencer said as Nikki stood up from the table walking over to the case board. "We're looking for 2 unsubs," the brunette said, "Wait you think he has a partner?" Morgan asked Nikki. "I think we're looking for a male, female partnership. These girls are just a means to please his partner, who seems like the type that likes to watch if you ask me," Nikki said. 

"Agent Herrmann might be onto something, the Hotel manager said the room was rented for the night by an older man and his wife. We sent the names to Garcia and they were fakes," Hotch said walking into the room with Rossi. "I think it's time we delivered the profile," Rossi added as Hotch nodded agreeing with the older agent. 

All the BAU agents gathered in the main office of the police station looking toward the crowd of officers, detectives, and other local law enforcement they were delivering their profile to. "We believe we're looking for a married couple, to whom we can attribute at least 13 deaths since 1994," Hotch said starting the profile. "He's a sexual sadist, and she's a scopophilic which is Greek for 'love of looking' meaning she gets off on watching her husband kill," Nikki added. 

"Like Karla Homolka and Paul Bernardo, who raped, tortured, and killed at least 19 people. This couple's homicidal tendencies most likely surfaced once they met," Spencer added. " It's possible that the use of a shower curtain is a sign of remorse on the part of the female unsub," Rossi said. "Up until now all the victims were females, so it's possible that the change in victimology could be the husband's way of subjugating his own needs for his wife's happiness," Morgan told them. 

"But a sexual sadist doesn't typically subjugate, we think he could have committed crimes on the side that have gotten him arrested," JJ added. "But wouldn't we have the bodies to prove that?" one of the detectives asked her. "Yes, which is why we need to take another look at all strangulations within the geographical profile that occurred during the gap years," Rossi replied. "Without his female partner's influence the male's independent MO should present differently," Morgan adds. "Learning the nature of how that differs from their team dynamic will be the key to driving a wedge between their partnership," Spencer said. "And in the meantime, all transients are at risk, now that the wife has gotten a taste of control, she'll crave that feeling again," Nikki added. 

"And if the husband sublimated his needs with the last kill, his desire to fulfill his own will be what drives him now. Thank you very much," Hotch said as they finished up the briefing and Nikki went back to the conference room. "You mentioned Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka, that's the Ken and Barbie killers from Canada right?" Nikki asked Spencer confirming that fact. "Yeah, why?" Spencer replied. "Well newspapers came out last year after a documentary came out about what they did and turns out Karla only served 12 years before she was released and she sipping on Iced Capps in Quebec and living her best life right now as a free woman after she helped her husband murder her own sister," Nikki said shaking her head. 

"Wait seriously?" Morgan asked, Nikki nodded "She changed her last name to Leanne Teale, and has 3 kids. A girl and 2 boys, oh, and she volunteer's at her kid's school," Nikki said as she pulled up the multiple articles from Canada and handed her phone to Spencer who stood there shocked. "Unbelievable," Morgan said shaking his head in disbelief. "I'm just saying if she showed up as a volunteer at my sibling's school, I'd do time and feel no type of way about it," Nikki said earning a look from her colleagues.