4.0
❝Is there another life? Shall I awake and find all this a dream? There must be, we cannot be created for this sort of suffering.❞
JOHN KEATS
✩
4.0 : virginia supermax prison
OR
season 5, episode 8 : outfoxed
FIN PULLS UP TO THE DOWNEY HOUSE AT THE SAME TIME SPENCER DOES. The minute she sees him step out of his car, the warm fluttery feeling of seeing him for the first time in four days bursts like a balloon in her stomach. She smiles as she steps out of her car. "Hey, you."
Spencer, who's using only one crutch now, smiles back shyly, shutting his own door. "Hey." He looks so handsome in his red sweater vest, shoulder-length curls golden in the morning sunlight.
Fin checks to make sure none of the others are around–not even at the scene yet, those slackers–before hurrying over to him and wrapping her arms around his neck tightly. "I missed you. How was California?"
Spencer kisses the top of her head, his free hand tight around her waist. "Mm, it was great. Dr. Fallon's lectures are always informative, but this one was especially so. Something about a nonviolent psychopath using his own experiences is really so different than anything else."
"I love it when you talk genius," Fin murmurs, pulling him in for a kiss, their first in days. He tastes sweet, probably the truckload of sugar in the cup of coffee she can see in his car.
Spencer pulls away first, albeit reluctantly, and gestures to the house, his eyes still on her lips. "We should probably go in."
"Ready to fight crime?" Fin sighs, taking his bag from him, sliding her hand into his, and swinging it gently. "I know I'm not."
They walk together up the long driveway to the Downey house and inside. There's no one in the house, and it's eerily quiet as Spencer and Fin walk into the kitchen. Fin sets Spencer's bag down on the floor, inhaling sharply at the dried bloodstain on the floor.
Spencer squeezes her hand. "You okay?"
"Yeah...blood just always gets me a little. Like I'm used to it, but...somehow it's new every time." Fin's eyes drift from the blood on the tile to the living room beyond, the toys still covering the coffee table, and her stomach churns uncomfortably. A happy family...
Spencer pulls her away from the kitchen into the hall, his eyes scanning everything in sight, and then towards the back door, where Fin can see the edge of a pool, glistening turquoise in the sunlight.
It's a beautiful morning, wind barely blowing, sun warm on their backs, but Fin can't fully appreciate it, not knowing that an entire family was murdered three days ago in this house.
A military plane passes overhead and Spencer squeezes Fin's hand again gently. She goes to lean her head on his shoulder, and a voice from behind them makes her jump away, pulling her hand from his grasp.
"Hey," Emily says, walking up with JJ, Rossi, Hotch, Morgan, and an unfamiliar blonde woman, "how was your weekend?"
"Uh, scary, yet informative," Spencer replies, turning to face them. Fin hopes she didn't see they were holding hands. "Was the whole family killed?"
"Hudson," says Rossi, to Emily's left. "This is Dr. Spencer Reid and Agent Hazel Finley."
"Field Agent Anne Hudson," says the blonde woman next to Rossi, shaking both their hands (Fin's surprised Spencer goes for it, but maybe he's getting better?). "The, uh, father is serving in Iraq. Three nights ago, the cops found his family buried over there." She gestures to a patch of earth to her right, taped off and freshly dug up.
"Buried?" Fin frowns, brushing a stray strand of hair out of her face. "That's unusual."
"Neighbors heard the dog barking, came over, and he was scratching at the grave," Emily says, reading from the file in her hands. "Lucy, their oldest child–she's still in her swimsuit."
"What does the father know?" asks Hotch.
"Some of it," Hudson replies. "He was on patrol. Took his unit a couple of days to reach him. He arrives today."
Fin looks over at the taped-off area and shivers. Something about this case is making her antsy.
"Last year, the Williams family was killed and found exactly the same way," Rossi says, shaking his head. "They lived in Newport News."
"The father, Dan Williams, was also serving overseas," Morgan adds, looking unusual in a dress shirt and jacket. Fin's not used to him actually dressing like an agent. Maybe it's the authority thing.
"Now the police are overwhelmed and getting serious heat from the military," Hudson says grimly. "We need some answers fast."
"As do the media." JJ looks to Hotch, probably a reflex. No one's used to Morgan being in charge. "They're already calling this the work of a serial killer."
"They're right," Hotch replies. "It is."
"But why bury them?" Hudson asks, gesturing again to the shallow grave. "I mean, it can't be to hide the bodies."
"Remorse," Fin answers, before Rossi can. "But that only lasts a short time, and when it's over, they'll kill again."
Hotch, Rossi, and Emily go inside to check out the spot of the murders, while the others stay outside with Hudson. Fin's only half listening to Morgan and Hudson's conversation; another airplane shoots across the sky, military again.
JJ and Emily join them, standing next to Spencer, and Emily says, "Laura Downey's wedding rings are missing. Any other valuables?"
"We'll have to ask the husband," Hudson replies, as behind her, Hotch and Rossi come down the front steps to join the circle. "From the Williams home, only jewelry and watches were missing."
"The unsub only took what he can carry, which means he's most likely on foot," Spencer says, shifting his weight slowly. On this uneven ground, he has to be uncomfortable. Fin wishes she could help him, but she can't do that without being obvious.
"There was a photo on the wall in the kitchen," Rossi says, addressing Hudson. "I'd like to see it."
"Sure." She nods.
"There was no sign of sexual assault in the Williams case." Hotch crosses his arms over his chest. "What about Lucy?"
"Nothing on the coroner's report." Hudson shrugs. "Multiple suspects?"
"Uhhh..." Fin shakes her head, looking behind Hotch at the darkened blood stain on the front sidewalk. "Laura was dragged out of the house, rather than carried. If we had a team, they would've carried her. It would've been faster and more time-efficient. Clearly, this unsub isn't strong enough to carry that much dead weight."
Morgan nods to Fin. "He knew the father was absent, therefore the dominant threat was absent. So we could be looking for a single suspect."
"No sign of forced entry," Hudson says, frowning.
"No need," Hotch replies. "Lucy was in the pool, back door was open. The unsub walked right in."
Fin sighs, rubbing her temples. Spencer's arm brushes against hers briefly as he says, "That means Lucy probably died last."
"In both cases, the girls were suffocated and not shot," Hotch says, as someone's phone begins to ring. "I don't think that's a coincidence."
"Nor do I." Fin shakes her head. It can't be a coincidence.
JJ pulls out her phone and clicks ANSWER. "Hey, Garcia, you're on speaker," she says into the phone, then holds it out so everyone can hear.
"We just got a call from Virginia Supermax Prison," Penelope says. "One of the inmates there has received two envelopes in the last two days. First envelope had clippings of the Newport News killings. Second envelope had media clippings of the Downey family. In the second envelope was a note saying, 'Look at what I've done,' and both pieces of mail have been signed by 'An Admirer'."
Oh, and it just gets more fun. Fin sighs under her breath.
"Who's the inmate?" JJ asks calmly, although Fin can tell by her expression that she's feeling the same way Fin feels.
"That's the part that–" Penelope pauses, then breathes: "Karl Arnold."
Beside Fin, Spencer inhales sharply, and Fin frowns. And then it clicks in her brain–
"The Fox?" JJ asks, also frowning.
"He's back," Penelope whispers.
"Okay, thanks." JJ hangs up, then meets Fin's eyes. Her expression says Not good.
"Family annihilator, absent father, wedding rings..." Hotch's mouth is set in a grim line. "It's similar."
"To what?" asks Hudson.
"Four years ago, Karl Arnold, a.k.a. the Fox, killed eight families," Morgan answers quietly.
"And just like this case, he took wedding rings," Spencer adds. "Only he took them as trophies."
"I remember reading about it in the Academy." Fin nods slowly, remembering. "He'd hide in the bushes outside their homes and watch them, then slowly infiltrate their homes."
"That's right." Morgan nods grimly.
"So we're working with a copycat here?" asks Hudson, eyebrows raised.
"It's too early to assume anything," Hotch replies.
"It could bias the profile." Spencer nods.
"Uh, not to mention the police, the media, and the military would jump all over it," Emily adds, shaking her head.
"Until we're positive, none of this information leaves the eight of us," Morgan says, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Hotch, you gave evidence at Arnold's trial. I think you should go see him."
"I'd like to take Finley with me," Hotch says, nodding.
Spencer tenses beside Fin, and Fin swallows hard, then nods. "Okay."
"Uh, maybe Prentiss should go," Spencer volunteers quietly. "She'd be–"
"No." Hotch shakes his head. "Finley's the most experienced. She's studied this type of thing extensively. I'd like her with me."
Spencer withers beneath Hotch's direct gaze, nodding feebly.
"Have Garcia check on all of Arnold's prison correspondence and visitors for the last four years," Hotch says, nodding to JJ, and heads toward the front lawn, where their cars are parked.
"Uh, Hotch, I think I left my phone around back," Fin says, hoping Spencer will take the hint. "I'll be right back."
"All right. I'll be in the car."
It takes Spencer a minute, but he spies the phone in Fin's back pocket, surely, and nods. "I'll go with you; my bag's in the house."
When they're safely out of sight and earshot of the others, Fin reaches up and cups Spencer's face in her hands. "Spence, I'll be fine. Hotch is gonna be right there the whole time, okay?"
"I know." He leans into her hand, closing his eyes. "I just... I don't like not being there. I've met this guy, I know what he's like, and... I don't like not being able to be there with you."
"I know, baby." Fin can't help but smile; he's too sweet. "But I promise, I won't do anything reckless." She stands up on her tiptoes and kisses him gently, feeling the curve of his jawline beneath her fingers, sliding her hands into his hair. "And you stay safe here, too, okay?"
"I promise," Spencer whispers, leaning his forehead against hers.
Fin stays there for as long as she can, then gives him one last kiss and pulls away, waving goodbye as she walks toward the front lawn, where Hotch is waiting.
~
ok i lied but i couldn't stay away from this story. a day late from a week i said i wouldn't update... god am i obsessed or what???
also rewatching this episode absolutely freaked me out. the fox is one messed up SOB. but spinnnn is so cute (thank you to whoever suggested spin <3 it's adorable and perfect)
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