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"There's a form of OCD called Scrupulosity." Dr. Reid says as I look something up on my computer.
"Religious obsession and compulsion. A unquenchable fear of sinning, it creates so much anxiety that they must do something to ease it. Like..." I trail off.
Monkey suit finishes, "Like setting fires."
Gideon sighs, "Where's the behavioral evidence?" He asks.
Dr. Reid states, "Right here. All right. Remember the night of the three fires? We saw the doorknob turning against the lock. But he's not trying to get in. He's compelled to turn the doorknob three times."
"Well, what about the fires? The first ones were single fires. If the unsub was OCD, shouldn't they have all been in threes?" Gideon questions.
I answer, "They were. Trinity's of threes. Fire number one was set March 3rd. 3:00pm, third day of the third month."
"It's that convergence of threes that causes the overwhelming anxiety. Obsessive compulsives ease the anxiety by performing the compulsion." Dr. Reid sexplains.
Monkey suit asks, "What about the other fires? Professor Wallace?"
"Office three." I tell him.
"We checked for more patterns of threes. His class was on Tuesdays." Dr. Reid states.
Monkey suit realizes, "Third day of the week."
"Matthew Rowland was in that class. It was his third class of the day. If we looked into each of the fires we'd find a lot of patterns having to do with threes because are minds are incredibly adept at seeking out patterns. But to the unsub, once that pattern hits, bam--he sets a fire." Dr. Reid explains.
"But if the target was always people, why did no one die in the first few fires?" Gideon questions.
I respond, "Those were failures. Until Matthew Rowland, that is. I also think I know who it is." Everyone looks at me and I say, "Like I said, you can't assume it's a he. It's a she. Clara Hayes."
-
"She always turns the ring on her finger. Always in threes. She always does everything in threes and she's very religious. Even talking she repeats words sometimes, it's called Palilia, involuntarily repeating words." I explain.
"You and your classmates, including Clara, were working on a project about gravitational pull." Monkey suit states and I nod.
"The Three-body problem." I tell him.
-
"Moloch was the demon sun god of the Canaanites. In order to keep from incurring his wrath, the people would sacrifice their children to them by burning them alive." Dr. Reid explains as the machine beeps.
I pull out the paper and read, "'Sixteen year old survives inferno. The mother Ellen Hayes called it a miracle. 'My daughter was tested by God. He tested my child and she came through blessed.' House number three, three, three." I hand the paper to Gideon.
-
"Security's checking the science building." Dean Turner confides.
Gideon asks, "Well, where else would she be?"
"We need to find the next pattern of threes." Dr. Reid remarks.
-
"Morgan, seal the building. Get everybody out of there and walk away." Monkey suit demands and I try to think, what am I missing?
"We need to send our people into every building and have them start pulling fire alarms. Please, go. Reid, a map of the campus. We need to find anything and everything having to do with the number three. Where's the blueprint?" Gideon questions as I think, what am I missing?
