Forevermore ❤️ {Derek Morgan Love Story}

Reckoner

I walk into the office and sit down next to Derek. Hotch and Rossi walk in a couple minutes later.

Aaron: what do we got?
JJ: Ben Vanderwaal was killed in Commack, Long Island last night. Shot at close range, once in the heart, once in the head. .22 caliber shell.
Derek: they found hair and blood traces from Ben Vanderwaal's wife, Heather.
Rossi: but not Heather?
JJ: no, she's still missing, presumed dead. The caliber and placement of the bullets match that of two previous victims. The first, Rita Haslat. Eight months ago, she went missing from her home in New Jersey. Four weeks later, she was found in a trash bin.
Emily: she went from that to this in under three weeks? She's totally emaciated.
Spencer: ligature marks on her wrists and ankles indicate she was constrained.
Jasmine: one in the heart, one in the head. Same as Vanderwaal.
Aaron: sounds more like an execution.
Spencer: then why cut off Vanderwaal's hands postmortem?
Rossi: what about the third victim?
JJ: Bill Levington? His appearance was certainly altered.

JJ pulls up an image.

Emily: his genitals are missing.
Aaron: though the method of mutilation is different in each crime, clearly there's a signature. The question is what. Wheels up in 20.

Hotch throws a file onto the table.

Spencer: what's this?
Aaron: you told me you were clear to travel. You lied.
E&J: naughty boy.
Spencer: no, I didn't. I am a doctor, so technically it wasn't a lie.
Penelope: what was it then?
Spencer: um... a second opinion.
Penelope: huh. You're my bitch now.

Derek and I chuckle at Spencer as we walk out of the conference room.

BAU Jet:

We're now on the jet heading to Long Island.

Emily: in the Ben Vanderwaal case, his hands were taken. Bill Levington, his genitals. Only in the Rita Haslat case she was starved and tortured, then executed., and there's no sign of postmortem mutilation.
Aaron: why would he take Heather Vanderwaal and not simply kill her?
JJ: maybe he hasn't and she's still alive.
Aaron: well, the only thing concrete is the MO, which depicts an efficient, no-nonsense murderer.
Derek: well, then we need to figure out what each act of mutilation means to the Unsub.
Aaron: or to the victim.

Commack, Long Island:

Once we got to Long Island, we were given our assignments. Emily, Rossi and Hotch went to the crime scene while I go with Derek to the ME.

ME: the hand removal is less than surgical. He used a basic double-tooth saw.
Jasmine: so, the guy we're looking for has no medical training?
ME: not the kind I've had.
Derek: one in the heart, one in the brain. Close range. The second one was right up behind the ear.
Jasmine: what about gunshot residue?
Derek: surprisingly little. Maybe it's because the killer was using a .22. Small caliber, small discharge.
Jasmine: sounds right.
Derek: hmm.
Jasmine: what is it?
Derek: ballistics can't match the bullets to a gun. There were no rifling marks on the bullet.
Jasmine: there's only one explanation for that.

Derek and I go to the station to meet with the others.

Jasmine: hey.
Aaron: what'd you find?
Derek: in all cases, the .22 caliber bullets had no rifling marks.
Jasmine: and without the barrel being rifled, the bullets would have very little velocity. He would have to shoot his victim point-blank.
Derek: JJ. This guy's using a zip gun. Now, if you know what you're doing, a piece of plumbing or a kid's bicycle pump can be turned into a gun.
Rossi: one in the heart, one in the head. Untraceable expandable bullets tell me, without question, all these kills were strictly business.
Hardesty: a hit man?
JJ: what about the postmortem mutilation?
Rossi: a contract sometimes includes extras.
Aaron: the camera is not for sexual gratification. It's for proof of death.
Hardesty: so we could be looking for two people?
Emily: maybe.
Jasmine: maybe more.
Hardesty: excuse me.