deep end, cm [ 1 ]

004. plain sight

Jessica, JJ, Derek, and Elle are gathered around Spencer's desk and they have a lit birthday cake on his desk. Spencer is wearing a big birthday cake hat that the others made him wear.

"Make a wish." JJ says. Spencer blows the candles and they either don't go out or only go out for a second before reigniting.

"Oh, come on, man. Blow, baby! Blow!" Derek encourages.

"I thought you were full of hot air, Reid." Elle comments.

"Come on, Reid." Derek laughs as the candles still don't go out.

"Reid, they're trick candles. They're gonna come back every time." Jessica informs with a small laugh as he still attempts to blow them out. "Hey, stop before you cover that thing with your saliva." She scolds.

"Oh, mommy to the rescue." Derek teases. Jessica gives him a weird look.

"Mommy?" Spencer asks, having a similar weird look on his face.

"Ignore him." JJ says. "Hope you like chocolate."

The three women start to take the candles off the cake, Spencer glancing between them, malfunctioning at being eye level with their chests.

"You got wax on the cake, man." Derek says.

"Wax? He probably got spit on the cake." Jessica grimaces.

Spencer manages to escape his position, going over to Gideon.

"Hey, Spence." JJ calls. "First piece for the birthday boy." She says, holding a cake out to him and smiling. Spencer walks back over, JJ giving him the cake. "Happy birthday."

They all get their pieces of cake, starting to dig in.

"Sorry, guys." They all turn to Hotch. "Party's over."

"We can at least take the cake, right?" Jessica asks.

+++

"We're going to San Diego." Hotch states as he and JJ walk into the round table room.

"Not for the surfing, huh?" Derek remarks.

"They're calling him the Tommy Killer." JJ says, passing out the case files.

"Six women raped and murdered in their homes in the last three weeks." Hotch says.

"Six in three weeks?" Elle asks.

"That's a short fuse." Gideon comments.

"And getting shorter. First two, eight days apart. Then the next four in two weeks." Hotch says.

"Rapid escalation. You think he's regressing to a psychopathic frenzy?" Spencer asks.

"No, he's too controlled for that." Hotch says. "See you on the plane." He gets up.

"Why the Tommy Killer?" Derek asks.

"You know the Rock Opera?" Hotch asks. "This unsub glues his victims' eyes wide open."

"He wants them to see him." Spencer says.

"And feel him." Gideon adds.

+++

"Brenda Samms was found yesterday by her children when they got home from school." Hotch informs. "She had been strangled with a thin ligature, possibly a wire."

"No weapon left at the scene." Elle says.

"Residue on the wrist and mouth indicate that duct tape was used and then removed." Spencer says.

"Also not found at the scene." Hotch adds.

"Brought it with him, took it with him." Jessica says.

"He also started leaving messages at the fourth scene. This was on one of the mirrors." Hotch shows Elle a photo. ""Fair lady, throw those costly robes aside. No longer may you glory in your pride. Take leave of all your carnal, vain delight.""