deep end, cm [ 1 ]

038. fear and loathing

Jessica knocks on Spencer's door, the man answering the door after a few seconds.

"Hey." Jessica softly greets.

"Hi. What are you doing here?" Spencer frowns.

"I'm always here." Jessica says. "But we-- we agreed that I'd pick you up for work today."

"Oh. Right." Spencer mumbles. "Yeah, okay, sure."

He starts to scramble around, much more fidgety tha normal.

"How much coffee have you had?" Jessica asks.

"Like two cups." Spencer says. He glances at Jessica, noticing her concerned look, practically watching the wheels turn in her head as she tries assesses his state. "I'm fine." He says.

"Okay." Jessica nods.

Spencer finally gets his stuff, throwing a cardigan on. He walks out, shutting and locking his door.

Jessica frowns as he proceeds to jog down the stairs, in a rush for no reason. She sighs, knowing he's still struggling with Hankel, but refusing to let her help him. Any time she can, she does, but he doesn't even let her spend the night, only making her suspicions grow.

+++

"Sandra Davis. 16 years old." JJ says as they watch a video. "This is her singing at her high school talent show a month ago." She pauses the video and pulls up a picture of a guy. "This is her on again, off again boyfriend, Ken Newcombe. Their bodies were found in a park near the male victim's car in Groton, an affluent, mostly white suburb of New York City in Westchester County. It's the third of three killings believed to be a series of hate crimes."

"Hate crimes?" Emily asks.

"The first two victims were Keisha Andrews, 15, and Vickie Williams, 17." Hotch says as JJ shows pictures of the two. "They disappeared from their homes in central Westchester one night. Their bodies were found in a wooded area in a southern part of the county near the city."

"Strangled, beaten, stabbed." Gideon lists.

"And this was painted on their faces." JJ goes through the two photos of the girls' faces when they were found.

"What about this couple? How were their bodies found?" Jessica asks.

"Another swastika. This one on the boyfriend's car." JJ says, showing the pictures.

"It's a different victimology." Emily says.

"Maybe just an escalation." Derek says.

"Or a different killer." Jessica says.

"And it doesn't end there." Hotch says. "Yesterday an African-American community leader, a Reverend Williams, decided to take this on as a political issue. Racial hate in the suburbs." Hotch says. JJ plays the video.

"What we are seeing is pure apathy." Reverend Williams says. "Black kids are getting killed and the police are doing nothing to stop it. When will these racists be confronted?"

"Apparently, in response to Reverend Williams' muckraking, a black kid was beaten on the streets of Groton this afternoon." JJ says. "Connecticut Neo-Nazi group called The White Stallions claimed responsibility."

Jessica constantly glances over at Spencer as he fidgets and rubs his face, obviously a bit uncomfortable.

"There are Neo-Nazi groups in Connecticut?" Emily asks.

"The mayor of Groton called me this morning, frantic. He's desperate to solve these crimes before it escalates even more." JJ says.

"What are the racial demographics of Groton?" Gideon asks.