Secrets || Spencer Reid

T E N

Season 6 Episode 17 "Valhalla" + Season 6 Episode 18 "Lauren."

I was eating breakfast when I got a call that we had an emergent case. I quickly changed and slid on my heels, after brushing my teeth. I heard that it was in D.C. so I didn't need my go-bag.

I grabbed my keys and my gun out of my safe, then went over to the BAU.

"Two D.C. homes torched, two families, on the same night, last night," Garcia starts. "I'm surprised it still hasn't hit the news. It's already midday," Morgan says.

"Yeah. All anyone's talking about is this storm that may or may not hit. I managed to find an online article about the fires written by this guy Jeff Hastings, but no one's running with it," Garcia says. "How strange. They usually thrive on tragedy," Rossi says. "Yeah, and it gets weirder," Garcia says. "Ron and Lauren Consenza and their ten-year-old son were found in the master bedroom of their home, each shot in the forehead. The gun belonged to the father," Hotch says. "Murder-suicide?" I ask. "Well, Metro P.D.'s investigation is going that way, but it's still the first forty-eight. They want our help," Morgan says.

"Kerry and Frank Fagan, like the Consenzas, were found in their master bedroom from a suspected gas leak," Reid says. "It had to be massive to cause that. How does the news miss a house explosion?" Rossi says. "Any connection between the families?" I ask. "Only one. A continent, Kerry Fagan was born in Germany, Ron Cosenza is from Italy," Garcia says. "So two of the five victims are from Europe. How does that help?" Derek asks.

"It doesn't. I'm just stating the facts, and the facts happen to be-" Garcia gets cut off. "Guys, I'm sorry I'm late," Emily walks in. "You ok?" Hotch asks. "Yeah, it's just one of those weeks, I guess. I'm sorry. What did I miss? Arsonist?" Emily sits down. "One appears to be a murder-suicide, the other a freak accident," Morgan says. "So why are we looking at it?" Emily asks. "House fires are rare. Add to that a few miles apart, within the same hour, kind of tips the scales of coincidence," Rossi says.

"Yeah, if somebody did this, they're highly motivated and organized," Reid says. "And if he wants to strike again, he's got seventy-two hours before the storm shuts the city down," Hotch says and we all get up.

Emily and Rossi went to the house that caught fire and I stayed back at headquarters with Reid and Garcia. "There is no history of any kind of psychological weirdness with either family. They were healthy, happy, fit," Garcia says. "Until last night. Any signs of financial stress?" I ask. "No. They were healthy on that front, too," Garcia says. "What's with the..." I started to ask Garcia because she was still wearing her winter clothes. "Oh. The heat is out in my lair. Not a single snowflake has fallen, and yet the weather remains the top news story," Garcia says.

"Nothing about these cases?" I ask in disbelief. "No. They're bound to get hip to it. Once your presence is felt and we connect the cases, it'll be a ballroom blitz," Garcia says. "Hmm," Reid hums. "What is it?" I ask him. "You know, considering the time these fires occurred, the habitual patterns of both families were in direct conflict with where the bodies were found," he says. "The master bedroom," I say. "Yeah, normally Lauren Consenza would be downstairs helping her son with homework, and Ron wouldn't even be home from work yet," he says.