Forensic Psychology (Spencer Reid/Criminal Minds AU)

Three

Dr. Reid gets to work on a geographical profile while I try to figure out the victimology. Reid has a map on the board and I am sitting at a nearby table with pictures and bios of the victims. Our unsub obviously goes to or works at Vanderbilt. I am going with him working there because our unsub is probably over the age of forty (due to no evidence of sexual assault). All the women are on the attractive side and are heavily involved on campus so they associate with many of the staff members. As I am figuring this out, Spencer's phone rings and he puts it on voicemail. I hear Morgan's voice through the speaker.

"Reid I am at the crime scene of Georgia Burke and there is something written on her notepad that I don't think she wrote" Morgan explains

"What is it?" Spencer asks

"It says: Murmuring how she loved me. She Too weak, for all her heart's endeavour, to set its struggling passion free. From pride, and vainer ties dissever, and give herself to me for ever."

I know exactly what it is so I jump in before Reid could respond, "That's from Porphyria's Lover! I read that in high school"

Reid says, "Yes, I read that too"

Morgan asks, "Do you think the unsub left this?"

"Of course he did" I say, "That poem is about a man that strangles a woman with her hair"

"It is the perfect example of situational irony. The entire poem is romantic and the man is in love with Porphyria. You don't expect him to strangle her, but even the murder keeps to the romantic tone" Reid elaborates

"I don't think we are looking for someone who isn't impotent. We are looking for someone that expresses their love through strangling someone instead of traditional intimacy" I say

"That would explain the long cooling off period in between kills" Morgan elaborates. The period has lasted between three and six months.

"Morgan, can you check if there is anything similar to that note in evidence?" I ask him.

"On it" he says and hangs up.

"That was good" Reid tells me.

"It was lucky that our unsub used one of my favorite poems" I assure him.

"Well you are doing great"

"Can I ask you something?" I say, still wondering how he got into the FBI

"Sure"

"Well you are obviously a genius and the FBI is lucky to have you but how did you-"

He cuts me off, "Pass the physical examination. The waived me from that because of how intelligent I am. I almost didn't get in"

"Oh okay, I'm sorry if I offended you or anything"

"No I get it. I am not kicking down doors or getting the ladies like Morgan"

I scoff because of how attractive and intelligent he is, so the ladies comment is ludacris

"What? " he asks.

"You seriously think that you can't get a girl?" I raise my eyebrows.

"Well there is evidence that I can't"

Any girl that turns him down has to be the biggest idiot, "Stop going after girls that aren't smart enough to see what a catch you are"

He doesn't respond to this comment so I got him thinking. We resume our work and I see him glancing at me every once in a while but I assume he is just curious about what I am doing.

"That was an odd part of the poem that he used. I think Morgan and Prentiss will find the other pieces of it" I speak up

"He either dated the women or stalked them but you think we would have found any evidence of boyfriends or stalkers" He tells me.

Just then, Prentiss walks through the door with five pieces of paper and sets them in front of us. It is parts from Porphyria's lover. I get to work on putting them in order of the poem. Morgan then walks in behind her.

"How did no one notice this?" Reid asks.

"These weren't in plain sight like they were in Georgia's dorm room. They were buried in a spiral, binder, or folder" Prentiss explains.

"Okay I think this is the order" I say.

The rain set early in to-night, The sullen wind was soon awake, It tore the elm-tops down for spite, And did its worst to vex the lake: I listened with heart fit to break.

When glided in Porphyria; straight She shut the cold out and the storm, And kneeled and made the cheerless grate Blaze up, and all the cottage warm; Which done, she rose, and from her form

Withdrew the dripping cloak and shawl, And laid her soiled gloves by, untied Her hat and let the damp hair fall, And, last, she sat down by my side And called me. When no voice replied,

She put my arm about her waist, And made her smooth white shoulder bare, And all her yellow hair displaced, And, stooping, made my cheek lie there, And spread, o'er all, her yellow hair,

Murmuring how she loved me — she Too weak, for all her heart's endeavour, To set its struggling passion free. From pride, and vainer ties dissever, And give herself to me for ever.

"He is writing down two stanzas at a time. He won't stop until he makes his way through the entire poem"

"That means he has seven more women to go" Reid says.

I am baffled by the fact he knows exactly how many stanzas are in Porphyria's lover.

"He has been shortening his time between kills. His last victim was almost two months ago, that means that at any moment we can have another death on our hands" Morgan says.

Hotch and Rossi walk through the door meaning that they are done with interviewing the families.

Prentiss says, "Hotch I think we are ready for a profile"