Understanding A Killer

An artist

Eliana stood in the field where Cassie Boyle's body was discovered. She took a deep breath, letting the killer's feelings flow through her mind. It was a beautiful field, she thought, and felt the autumn breeze stroke her hair.

His killings were just like art. Not necessary, but never in vain. There was always some message, or a reason only he could understand. He was brutal, but he was no butcher. Even when he took organs, he took care of them in the most delicate way. He was smart, always three steps ahead of the police. By killing Cassie Boyle, he wanted to let them know there was someone much better around than the Minnesota Shrike. He would never have to apologize for a murder, because he'd never make a mistake. His killings were art. And, oh Lord, he took so much pride in it.

The more Eliana tried to understand this killer, the more she realized why he peaked her interest in the first place. It's as if she had already seen this exact same profile.

She got in her car and wrote down the finished profile. Content with the work she'd done, she mentally prepared herself to meet Jack Crawford, her one last obstacle to being Will Graham's mentee.

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"Hello, Sir." - Eliana nervously knocked on the door of Jack Crawford's office.

The Guru in the flesh sat in his chair reading a file, looking even scarier than she imagined him.

"Yes? And you are?" - He looked at her with a frown.

"Eliana Holt. A trainee from the Academy. It's my fifth year. Nice to meet you."

"A trainee. Let me guess. You need advice. Or, you need a mentor. Let me tell you right away, I'm busy. And I don't do mentorship."

"In fact, it's not any of those two. I just need permission for Will Graham to be my mentor. Just a little note, and I'll leave."

"Will Graham? Wants to mentor a student? Are we talking about the same Will Graham?" - Jack raised his voice in a confused manner.

"Well, I kind of begged him. And, he will do it only if he likes a profile I made. Which, I'm sure he'll like."

"You seem confident. But that would mean you'd be on my team too. I can't just let anyone see the most brutal killings of Minnesota up close."

"I promise I won't disappoint you, Sir. If I can't prove myself, you should kick me out without hesitation. Also, here is my resume, I assumed you'd wanna look into me." - Eliana handed him the paper.

Jack looked at it for a minute, promptly reading the file: "You're average. Never failed a test, but never got good grades. You excel in the physical division, though. Never caused any problems... Based on this, you're nothing special."

Eliana couldn't let herself feel discouraged even for a moment, so she pushed those feelings away, not backing down: "I know I'm not special. But I will try."

Jack thought for a moment, deciding to look into the girl's eyes. Sometimes he'd forget he had a knack for reading people. After all, he was a profiler too. And, looking at Eliana's face had everything he needed to know in that moment.

"All right. You got me."

"Thank you, Sir!" - Eliana's face exploded with happiness.

"But... One last thing... You HAVE to be careful with Will Graham. Don't put him in funny situations. His mind is a delicate thing and I need you to take care of it. You need to promise me this."

"I promise, Sir. Will Graham is safe with me." - She said earnestly before walking out.

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"I see you managed to convince Jack. And, this profile you made, is, umm, very... Poetic. You like art, I'm guessing. Or, even more likely, you do art." - Will said, putting down Eliana's copycat killer profile.

"I used to do music. However, I don't see how that's important." - Eliana anwsered shyly, wanting to change the subject.

"The profile of a profiler is extremely important. Everything you do, everything you are, seeps into the way you percieve others. You percieve this killer as an artist, because you are one yourself."

"I admit, I can go into much detail about someone's feelings" - She looked to the floor, vividly uncomfortable with Will getting inside her head so easily- "And
.. I also like pretty words."

"You describe killings with pretty words. An unusual way of perception. You have a distinct style, much different than my own. I must say, Miss Holt, I am quite impressed."

"Thank you, Professor. Does that mean you approve of my profiling skills?"

"I cannot approve or disapprove of someone's way of thinking. You ceritanly posess potential to be FBI's valuable asset. For my part... I just need to make sure you are... Stable enough to experience these murders. Which is why I am pressing so hard even though I can understand your discomfort." - He blinked, establishing eye contact for a few seconds.

"Am I... Stable enough?"

Will thought for one long second before answering: "You are... A mystery. However, you do not show signs that you are unstable. Not that I would be able to tell if you did."

"As of right now, I consider myself stable. If that should change, I wouldn't hesitate to tell you." - She assured.

"I do not believe that. You're evidently the type that keeps lots of things from others. Anyhow...I will allow you to be my mentee. Just, please, don't cause any
unwanted issues. I am not...stable enough to keep you stable." - He finished with a deep exhale, and Eliana sensed the anxiey such a responsibility must be causing.

"Thank you, Mr. Graham! I won't cause problems and I can keep myself safe. You don't have to worry about that." - Excitement filled Eliana' eyes.

"Well, I'm not sure how to do this, but, we have some places to investigate. Some new information about the Minnesota Shrike surfaced. I will fill in some paperwork that would officially put you under my survaillance, and you can pick up your credentials and a gun." - Will stated, and informed her about one last important thing: "...But don't expect a some deep investment on my part. I gave you permission to participate, but it doesn't mean I will actively teach you. That would require social skills are not included in my skill set."

"I understand, it's what I expected either way. Watching and observing is enough. You can go about your business without bothering with me. I will meet you later."