the great war, spencer reid [ 2 ]

062. starter home

"So as far as anyone knows, Karl and Dorothy Elgin lived totally isolated." JJ says. "No kids, no family, no friends."

"50 years. I mean, they had to have some interaction with other people." Luke says.

"5 bodies and counting, all young females." Emily states. "Coroner says the victims have been there for a while."

"Are we looking at a husband and wife killing team here?" Tara asks. "It's rare, but it does happen."

"In England, Rosemary West assisted her husband Fred in the murder of 12 individuals over a 20 year span without detection." Spencer says.

"Dorothy Elgin could be a homegrown version of that -- female accommodating the psychopathic urges of the man." Emily says.

"Okay, but why mummify?" JJ asks. "Forensic countermeasure, maybe?"

"Hmm. Throwing the bodies in a swamp would have been a better forensic countermeasure." Luke says.

"Luke's right. It was a deliberate choice to preserve those corpses, keep the victims close to home." Tara says.

"You know, maybe the killer thought he was sending the bodies into the future." Spencer says. "Ancient Egyptians believed the souls of the deceased would return from the afterlife to re-inhabit their original bodies, so the human form was kept in tact and recognizable."

"There's also a literal covering up of the crime here, and that says remorse." Matt says.

"Matt, JJ, go to the local sheriff's department. Help them prepare for the media frenzy that's coming down the pike." Emily says. "Luke, you and I will meet Rossi at the crime scene. Reid, Bedelia, Tara, go to the nursing home, see if you can talk to Dorothy Elgin. If anyone knows the secrets of that house, it's her."

+++

"Mrs. Elgin was committed here 3 months ago. She was wandering on the outskirts of town in the middle of the night." A worker says.

"And the diagnosis was dementia?" Spencer asks.

"That's right." She nods. "Honestly, I don't know how much luck y'all are gonna have talking to her. Mrs. Elgin drifts in and out."

"Did she bring any personal possessions with her?" Spencer asks.

"She had a bag with some small items when the police found her. I believe they're still in her room if you want to take a look."

"What about visitors?" Tara asks.

"Not a one. It's sad, really." The woman says as they walk over to Dorothy who is in a wheelchair and sewing. "Mrs. Elgin, there's some people here to see you." The woman walks off

"Dorothy, hi. I'm Tara. These are my friends, Bedelia and Spencer."

"We were hoping to maybe talk to you about your old house." Spencer says.

"We think something bad happened there." Bedelia says. "Maybe with your help, we could fix it."

Dorothy pricks her finger with the needle and puts the finger to her mouth, licking the blood off.

+++

Bedelia and Tara continue to watch Dorothy sew from afar, turning when Spencer walks up to them.

"Find anything in her room?" Tara asks.

"Just the items she had with her when she was picked up -- a hand mirror, a deck of cards, and a hairbrush." He says as Tara's phone beeps and she takes it out.

"Prentiss." She says, the couple leaning over to read the text.

Two new bodies
Less than a year old.