timeless, spencer reid [ 1 ]

113. bully

The team are on the jet and on their way back. Penelope starts the video call.

"Okay, sir, I'm ready." Penelope says.

"All right. Can I have your attention, everyone." Hotch calls, standing up, Blake standing next to him. "Go ahead, Garcia."

"Alrighty then. Last night in Kansas City-- well, technically super early this morning, 50 year old David Morrison was beaten to death when he was out jogging. Information is on your tablets right now." Penelope says.

"It looks brutal." JJ says.

"Classic overkill." Rossi says.

"He was found stripped and wearing women's underwear that I'm assuming weren't his." Spencer says.

"Yeah. All of his clothes were found nearby, his skivvies included." Penelope says.

"Any evidence of sexual assault?" Rossi asks.

"We're still waiting on the M.E. report." Penelope says.

"Any other victims, Garcia?" Derek asks.

"That is a big maybe. Meet Tommy Barnes and Melissa Hawthorne, also on your tablets." Penelope says.

"A year ago they disappeared from a house party and were found beaten in much the same fashion." Blake says.

"There were two of them and they're considerably younger than his most recent victim." Bedelia says.

"Yeah, and what about the women's underwear?" JJ asks. "That's a pretty specific ritual aspect. These two were found fully clothed."

"Are we sure that it's the same unsub?" Derek asks.

"My dad thinks it is." Blake says.

"Your dad's a captain on the Kansas City police force, right?" Derek asks.

"Retired." Blake says.

"But your brother's a cop, too." JJ says.

"Scott. He's a homicide detective, but my dad is the one who made the call." Blake says.

"If he's retired, it's not exactly an official invitation." Rossi says.

"No, but he's got lots of influence." Hotch says.

"Well, maybe we should wait for the invite. We can't just force ourselves on local jurisdiction." JJ says.

"What if it's actually serial?" Derek asks.

"We'll go back if they ask us to." JJ says.

"Look, my dad's a great cop, and he's almost never wrong." Blake says. "I mean, it drives me crazy, but it's true."

"We don't know exactly what we've got here, but I think it's worth taking a look." Hotch says. "I'll have the pilot reroute us to Kansas City."

+++

"David Morrison was a novelist, Tommy Barnes and Melissa Hawthorne high school students." Spencer says. "No apparent connection between the victims, no matching DNA samples."

"And an entire year between kills." Hotch says.

"You know, the underwear ritual may be about symbolic humiliation." Spencer says.

"Or a shock factor for whoever found the bodies." Hotch says.

"Blake, did your dad say anything else about why he thinks these cases are connected?" Spencer asks. Bedelia glances at the woman after she doesn't answer. "Blake?" He calls.

"Yeah?" She snaps out of her thoughts.

"Everything all right?" Hotch asks.

"Uh, yeah, sorry. Just-- I'm distracted." Blake says.