The Lady and the Genius.

The crown of thorns.

(River p.o.v)

We walked into the cop station and I felt a bit nervous since I hadn't been in one for so long. I felt a hand on my shoulder and I looked up to see Rossi give a smile and a gentle squeeze.
"It's ok il mio piccolo genio. We are here for you."
"Just feels weird being here. Like I don't belong."
"You do. If anyone belongs here as much as these cops it's you."
I gave a nod and a smile as we made our way to the chief of the station.
"You must be the team I was expecting. I'm chief Stiles." He told as he began to shake the hands of Hotch.
"Agent Hotch. This is Agent Prentiss, Agent Rossi, Agent Morgan, our communication liaison Jareau...."
"Call me Jj it's fine." She told as she began to shake his hand.
"And these are Dr.Reid and Dr.Finley."
He went to shake our hands but we both declined. Spencer told his usual reason and I simply told I don't shake the hands of people I don't know well.
"Your last name sounds familiar." He told as he looked at me.
"I get that a lot. But what do you know so far about the victims?"
"Eager aren't we." He told as he began to lead us to the conference room.
"Well for us to get closer to creating a profile we need to know as much as we can. Time runs out more and more as they get more confident in not being discovered that time between killing often get shorter." I told.
"She's smart."
We went over the information we knew so far and I was studying one of the pictures of the recent victim we learnt was name Hannah.
"Got anything Finley?" Hotch asked making me look up.
"She was depressed." I told as I looked up at them.
"Hannah was always happy and bubbly. She always made other people smile." Stiles told.
"Often times the people who are the most happy tend to be the most hurting inside."
"You've never met her and you figured she was depressed from one picture."
"Well why else would she have scars that were months old on her skin? Can I please see the pictures of the others."
They passed the others to me and I gave Spencer a light whack to have him look over them with me.
"What am I looking for?" He asked
"Scars that look like a razor blade caused them but they are very faint."
"Like this one?" He asked as he pointed to the thigh of the 2nd victim.
"Exactly. If they all have a scar then I think I know exactly how they are being targeted."
"How do you think baby?" Morgan asked.
"Sometimes like with AA meetings or DA meetings there will be relief groups to do with dealing with stuff like cancer and also with depression and self harm and things like that. I think that's how the unsub is targeting them."
"Why would be target them?"
"Could do with religion. Leviticus 19:28" Spencer told.
"You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the Lord." I told
"Could be a way of punishing them. They could see that they are breaking a sin."
"Uh sir. We found another body."
"Come on team let's head out." Hotch told as we all got up.

We were walking on the scene when I was stopped by an officer.
"I'm sorry but no civilians allowed." He told
"I'm apart of the team you guys hired." I told
"Good lie. Can't come through." He told
"I'm not lying." I told as I grabbed my fbi Id to show him.
His let out a scoff and shook his head.
"You should dress more like it then." He told as he moved to let me through.
I began to walk and Spencer rushes over to me with a confused look on his face.
"I realised that you were no longer with us so I backtracked. What did he want?" He asked as he began to take me back to the inside of the house.
"Apparently how I dress is not FBI looking enough for him." I told smirking to lighten the mood.
"He said what to you?" He asked making me look at him to see he was starting to show the signs of looking mad.
"Spencer it's fine. I mean my outfits aren't 100% the most fbi offical looking."
"The way you dress is fine River and what he said and assumed is complete rude and false."
"What's wrong?" Morgan asked as we got to the others.
"Just a random dude trying to get my number it's all good." I lied hoping Spencer would go through with it. "So same m.o.?"
"Yep. Stabbed in the hands and feet."
"Religion." Me and Spencer said as one and I looked at him to see he still was upset about the dude.
"Hold up. There's slight bruising on the wrists and ankles." I told before placing a glove on and moving her skirt up to see scars.
"See anything piccolo genio?"
"Seems like Nancy drew here was another victim of self harm." I told as I placed the skirt back down.
"Matches the profile we have so far."
"Are all areas where the victims were taken from religion heavy?" Spencer asked
"Some were." A random officer told.
"Can we get a list of all the churches near the victims homes?" He asked.
"Uh yeah sure." He told before rushing out.
'Something doesn't feel right I just need to think to what my father said.'
"Finley are you ok?" Prentiss asked but I held a hand up.
"Shh I gotta think for a second." I told as I closed my eyes and began to think.

( "If a killer is in with religion then what's the usual aspect of it?"
"If the unsub is sexual assaulting the victims then it could be linked to a priest who did it or someone of the workers at churches."
"If they aren't? What type of memento would you take or leave if you were a killer?"
"If we go with religion it's simple. Leave a thorn crown somewhere."
"Good job.")

I opened my eyes and looked around the room.
"Finley what have you worked out?"
"If you were a religious killer and wanted to leave a message at the scene like this, what do you leave?" I asked as I dropped to the ground and got my torch to see.
"We don't know."
I found what I was looking for and a gently picked it up and showed the team.
"You leave a crown of thorns." I told.