the feelings that we hide | SPENCER REID

14. profiling

The next morning, both of the women arrived back in New Orleans. When they got into the PD, Vanessa fixed her red barrettes that pinned her hair back after she tripped over the carpet while entering the door of the conference room—also fixing the hem where the top button of her cardigan was.

Minutes passed, and Spencer entered the room where the two of them were working.

"Hey," he greeted, coffee in hand. "You guys are back from Galveston?"

"Yeah," Vanessa replied, watching him sit down across the long table from the two of them. "Where were you?"

"I was out with a friend. I already told you."

"I called you 4 times," Emily said to the boy as he was grabbing something out of his bag.

"I didn't have any cell phone reception, so I didn't get your message until late." He flipped open a page of a book, but Emily rolled her eyes slightly.

"Right."

"What's going on?" Reid asked, getting back onto the case.

Vanessa let the worry wash out of her to focus on the job. "Our unsubs a woman," she replied, looking back down at the files to avoid asking Reid questions.

"We just found another body in the quarter," Hotch spoke once he entered the room, getting their attention.

The three of them stood up quickly to head over there, Morgan going along with them.

"Throats been cut," Morgan pointed out once they got to the body. "He's been disemboweled, too."

Vanessa walked over, pressing her hands in her knees to bend down next to the body. "He reeks of booze." Her eyes widened at the heavy scent. "It's more than a pattern"

"Only this time she cut off the earlobe."

"She's sticking with the Ripper's paradigm," Reid explained, causing the girl to stand back up and focus on him.

"What do you mean?" Emily questioned.

"In one letter of correspondence, Jack the Ripper promised to cut the earlobe off of his next victim...He did—it was the one day that he killed twice."

Vanessa had her mouth parted open slightly, listening to him before biting onto her bottom lip thinking of what the unsubs next move was. "So she's gonna kill again by the end of the day." Her eyes widened while letting out a deep sigh.

"Ok, so what do we know about female serial killers?" Prentiss asked.

"Two types, basically," Vanessa said.

"The Sante Kimes model," Morgan spoke afterwards. "Cold, calculating. Preys on men for money. Takes her time in building relationships."

"It's more likely we're dealing with the Aileen Wuornos archetype," Reid expounded. "Motivated by paranoia and fear, luring men with sex." He was intertwining his fingers together as he spoke, and Vanessa looked down at his hands for a moment before looking back down at the body.

"Our unsubs organized," said Vanessa. "She follows a routine. She meets men in a bar, flirts with them over drinks, and suggests that they consummate the evening in an ally...go women!" She joked trying to lighten the mood.

Emily laughed while Reid smiled at the girl adoringly. Vanessa caught Spencer's stare, but quickly looked away after feeling awkward.

"We need to be in those streets," Morgan noted.

"Office just brought me this," Will said, walking up to them with a note in a bag.

Emily grabbed it and started to read. "Dear boss, by now I have rid the world of one more. So many men, so little time. I hope you don't mind the mess. They make it so easy, I just can't help myself. Yours truly."