Criminal Minds s19e04 Episode Script
The Witching Hour
1
Previously on Criminal
Minds: Evolution
JJ: Moving now
will give Henry some
time to make some memories
at the new place before he moves away
to some dorm somewhere.
He'll probably stay on the east coast?
California's always been on his list.
- How long are you out for?
- Contractor said two,
maybe three weeks.
- Thank you for this.
- Mm.
Why conduct these interviews?
So we can learn how Lee Duval
became Elias Voit became Sicarius.
VOIT: You think, if I walk
you through everything,
you'll be able to stop someone else?
GARRITY: Welcome to The Sicarius Files.
May I call you Elias?
Oh!
It's sad how pathetic I am.
But you know what's even more pathetic?
Someone who makes a show about it.
And anyone who listens to it.
♪
[SIGHS]
♪
[MUFFLED WHIMPERING]
CHARLES: What do you want?
There's cash in the
bedroom upstairs, all right?
Just take it.
Take anything you want.
Please, just leave us alone.
You believe money will free you?
Yeah. That's what you want, right?
No.
Heresy.
Heresy is the reason I'm here.
- Heresy?
- What are you talking about?
Confess.
I don't understand what
you're talking about.
For God's sake, just tell him.
Tell him what? I don't know!
MARY: I don't know! Whatever you did.
- Tell me!
- [SCREAMS]
- Christ!
- No! No!
- Please
- Tell me!
Please. Please.
We have a son.
CHARLES: Okay, all right.
I confess.
What?
I confess.
The truth is
It was me, all right? I was the one.
I ordered the layoffs at
the company last year, okay?
Oh, God, Charles.
I know, I know, I know.
We didn't need to do it,
but we did, all right?
And if you were one
of those people, I
I'm sorry.
All right? I-It was a mistake.
We shouldn't have done it.
He can he can make this right.
- You can do that, can't you?
- CHARLES: Uh,
yes, of course, of course I can.
See? He can fix this for you.
Uh, this can be all over,
and you can let us go.
CHARLES: Yeah. I-I
sw I-I swear to God.
Yeah. I
Yeah. I swear.
- Just go. No!
- I sw - Yes!
Oh, my God!
♪
JJ: "One's work may be finished someday,
but one's education? Never."
Alexandre Dumas.
All of these pages,
and they're not photoshopped?
No. In fact, forensics confirmed
that ink was pressed to
paper with the typebars
of an analog typewriter.
Jesus.
I mean, the time and effort.
Someone really did not appreciate
Voit calling them pathetic
on Garrity's podcast.
How seriously should we take this?
Voit thinks "very seriously."
He thinks it's a threat?
He thinks it's intended to
get his undivided attention.
Like some crazy, disillusioned fan?
Who now has something to prove.
So, we could be looking at Voit's
very own Mark David Chapman.
I assume no prints were recovered?
Or DNA. But based on the postmark,
we believe it was
deposited in a drop box
somewhere in Kensington, Pennsylvania,
It's a neighborhood in Northeast Philly.
Okay, well, that narrows
it down, doesn't it?
It does.
Have you followed up with Voit yet?
Um, I'm gonna head there now.
- Keep me updated.
- Absolutely.
♪
[SIGHS]
Okay, so
pretty sure I am being
ghosted by my son.
Oof. Three texts and no reply.
That's teenagers.
Henry's gone MIA before, but this?
This is like texting with a monk.
Probably overwhelmed.
You know, college applications
and everything. I
Maybe why he wants to stay local.
Local?
Wait, what are you talking about?
I-I told him he should talk to you.
- I-I guess
- This is the first
I'm hearing about it.
- What what do you mean?
- Oh.
I'm interrupting. My
doves, there is something
out in Colorado that
desperately needs our attention.
Sorry. Let's go.
Okay.
Uh
[SIGHS] My people,
the crossword clue of
the day is "heresy,"
as in "sacrilege,"
"blasphemy," "heathenism."
I bring this up because we have
an unsub in Colorado Springs
who has killed at least two women
by beating them to death with
dear Goddess a sledgehammer,
but not before accusing the
latest victim, Mary Tolson,
of you guessed it heresy.
Leaving a living witness
is a pretty bold statement.
And risky, considering
he's not concealing his face.
Penelope, have either surviving spouses
met with a sketch artist?
Yeah, but the descriptions were so vague
that local PD don't
think they're any help.
He must present as very
average, hard to identify,
especially since he's also
getting in and out of
the victims' homes unseen.
And that speaks to a high level
of organization and planning.
Coupled with an explosive rage.
I-I mean, to-to use a sledgehammer
to essentially destroy a family
for some kind of what, perceived sin?
Time-out. All men, please
immediately go to therapy.
Thank you. Time back in.
But the fact remains
that he is-is not
committing physical violence
against the whole family.
ROSSI: No, he's inflicting
emotional violence to
the surviving family.
Especially to the husbands,
since it appears the
unsub broke into the homes
after the teenage
children left for school.
So, sparing those kids from actually
having to witness the violence
could speak to the unsub's
own history of trauma.
And maybe the heresy
this unsub perceives
has something to do
with a fucked-up way
of protecting them.
PRENTISS: All right, Dave, Tyler,
we are headed to Colorado Springs.
Luke, JJ, I need you two to stay
behind and help Tara with Voit.
Looks like he has sparked
a fire that we are
going to have to put out.
MAN [OVER P.A.]: Laundry
crew from C block,
authorized to work area three
[VOIT SIGHS]
Laundry crew from C block
authorized to work area three.
LEWIS: You struck
quite a nerve out there.
Whoever this was couldn't help himself.
He had to respond.
With geometry?
This all means something to him.
I bet he typed up dozens
and dozens of these
that weren't "good enough" to send.
Okay. So you're saying he's patient.
I'm saying he's precise.
He's like you.
The old you.
He aspires to be.
All right, so you don't
think he's committed
an act of violence yet?
I don't.
This sort of focus it's transference.
He's still evolving.
All right. But this
kind of transference
not to mention a highly developed
obsessive-compulsive disorder
- may be innocuous on their own
- Yeah,
but mix the two together, it
can take you into the darkness,
especially when you've
suffered an injury to your ego.
Yeah.
Thanks to you.
I was a little pissed off
when I went at Garrity, okay?
And, yes, I maybe
I maybe could've chosen
my words a little more
wisely, but I [SIGHS]
And you should have.
You said it yourself:
Your celebrity carries influence.
This guy is just looking
for a reason to get started.
This isn't gonna be the
last time he reaches out.
Yeah.
Well
that's what we're counting on.
GREEN: He zip-tied Mary Tolson,
dragged her.
Same drag marks from
the legs of the chairs
were at the house of
victim one, Zoe Faldo.
He's making the victims
face their husbands
before he kills them.
Maybe he's shaming the wives?
Maybe because he has his own wife
that he blames for the
end of their relationship?
Could explain the explosion of anger.
It's possible.
Lot of unsubs are triggered
by marriages ending.
Why not take out that physical
violence on the entire family?
Why switch to a psychological torture?
Particularly on the husbands
who are forced to sit and watch.
Ooh. I see those wheels turning.
Let's hear your theory, Agent Green.
Something feels off about what happened
between the two victims.
The husband of victim one, Gary Faldo,
said the unsub knocked him
out before killing his wife.
But he didn't mention the unsub
saying anything about heresy.
And the first time that
word popped up was
right here, with the Tolsons.
What if-what if Charles Tolson
heard about what happened
with the Faldos
And he hired a guy to make
it look like the same crime.
Copycat crime.
And he gets to draft
off the media frenzy.
I know it sounds elaborate.
Sometimes the more elaborate,
- the easier it is to mislead.
- Right.
But the only problem
with your theory is
the blood on the zip ties.
What blood?
Go to the last page.
Thoughts?
Yeah.
Charles Tolson was trying to get free
when the unsub started killing his wife.
So much so that he cut
through his own flesh.
Not really the effort you'd
make if you hired the killer.
Not so much.
You knew that the whole time?
What did I tell you?
Reps. You need more reps.
You always have to run
through a few bad theories
- to get to the good ones.
- I guess.
Now, you need to start living
in the crime scene more.
Let's, uh Here.
Take a seat.
Now, I'm the unsub and
I have a sledgehammer.
You're accusing me of heresy.
- What else?
- You're demanding answers.
You're interrogating me.
Would I tie you up
just to ask questions?
I have a goal in mind.
You have me facing my spouse.
And you are accusing me.
And?
So
I'm on trial.
He's putting them on trial.
For heresy.
♪
PRENTISS: Mr. Tolson,
I know this isn't easy
My son is at my sister's house
asking over and over what's going on.
I mean, what am I supposed to say?
Can't even take him home.
Hell, you won't even let me go home.
I'm so sorry.
And I know that it's not easy
to integrate back into
your daily life after this.
Mary, she did so much for us.
I feel so lost.
I should've helped more.
I mean, who c-who could do this?
We think she was specifically targeted
for a reason that ties to
this man's religious beliefs.
Did your wife hold
any present-day beliefs
that might have been in
conflict with certain religions?
[EXHALES] No, I
I-I don't-I don't think so.
We didn't really talk about that stuff.
Now, you said that the man
was difficult to describe.
No defining characteristics.
But was there anything else about him
that spoke to
a particular theology?
Um, do you recall
any tattoos
or jewelry?
Yes. [INHALES DEEPLY]
He was wearing this
[SIGHS] this necklace.
[GRUNTS] I remember when he was
- MARY: Please. No!
- Yes!
[WHIMPERS] killing her,
it kept swinging around.
Was there any kind of symbol on it?
There was something hanging from it.
Like a medallion?
CHARLES: It was like a vial.
A vial?
Was there something inside of it?
Go ahead, Emily.
Dave, I need you and Tyler
to check and see if you
can find a crystal-like
substance sprinkled in
the corners of the house.
Crystals?
Must have been an interesting
convo with Mr. Tolson.
Yeah. Heartbreaking, too.
They always are.
Wait.
Hey, what's this?
I got something.
Well, what do we have here?
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
Sodium chloride. Aka salt.
Same salt was just found at the Faldos'.
In several traditions, placing salt
in the corners of a room is
part of a cleansing ritual.
Right. It represents the
power to ward off evil spirits.
You remember Robin Gecht?
Uh, he led a group of
men to mutilate women
and perform satanic rituals.
I do. This could be similar.
GREEN: But weren't those
victims of opportunity?
In this case, based on the crime scenes,
our unsub is targeting
specific families.
Not just the family.
The women.
And call me biased by my experience,
but when I hear accusations of heresy
and guys performing salt rituals,
I think witch hunts.
[SHUDDERING]
[CRYING SOFTLY]
SEAN: Ready to confess?
[MUFFLED SHOUTING]
[TAWNY WHIMPERING]
[CHUCKLING]
[WHIMPERING]
No?
Huh.
Look at you.
[MUFFLED SHOUTING]
Yes.
You women.
You crazy fuck!
You want to kill a heretic?!
Is that what you want?! Huh?!
Kill this witch, asshole!
Kill this witch!
[CRIES] No.
[CRIES]
[SCREAMING]
[CRYING]
[CRYING]: No!
No!
No! Andrew.
[YELLS]
[SCREAMS]
- LEWIS: Hey.
- Hi.
FCI Butler just intercepted
another message from Voit's fan.
We know that it's him for sure?
Same typeface, same postmark,
same forensic countermeasures.
What's the message?
No words this time.
Instead
he sent these.
Photos of a Jane Doe.
ALVEZ: We got nothing
from facial recognition?
LEWIS: Her face is obscured just
enough to stonewall the algorithm.
JJ: Not an accident, I'm sure.
Now that he's got Voit's attention,
he wants to play a game.
Catch me if you can.
You see the t-tree right there?
Uh, the trunk is broad and straight.
The leaves grow out in little stalks.
Um, evergreen.
It's an eastern hemlock.
Yeah, it's the state
tree of Pennsylvania.
- It's my home state, guys.
- [CHUCKLES SOFTLY]
All right, well, I'd say we know where
we need to start running DMV photos.
Mrs. Blair, I'm
SSA David Rossi.
It's my fault.
It's not your fault.
I baited him into killing Andrew.
You did nothing wrong.
You don't understand.
- You can't.
- No.
I'd heard about the attacks on the news.
The women who were killed.
[SNIFFLES]
I thought maybe I could distract him.
Mrs. Blair.
Previously, this man had targeted women.
You're right.
But, um
I know this is gonna sound strange.
But this man may have believed
that your husband was involved
in the occult.
What are you talking about?
I-I I-I know.
But is it possible?
Not at all.
Andrew didn't believe in
any of that kind of shit.
Could he have hidden it from you?
Agent Rossi.
We were married for over 20 years.
We had no secrets.
Even when he tried to hide the
Never mind.
I know you're being very protective
of your husband right now.
Was Andrew having an affair?
The thing is,
when I first caught him,
I was so ready for a divorce.
But then I thought about our daughter.
And I just couldn't
put her through that.
We were in counseling,
working on rebuilding trust.
And besides your counselor,
did you speak to anyone else
about your husband's infidelity?
Of course not.
Are you sure?
That has nothing to
do with what happened.
An insane son of a bitch
broke into our home
mumbling some crazy shit about heresy!
And if I would've just
kept my goddamn mouth shut,
Andrew would still be alive!
- [CRYING]
- That's not
Please, just leave.
[SNIFFLES]
[CRYING]
So, from what Tawny
Blair said, Rossi suspects
that the unsub isn't
actually targeting witches,
he's going after adulterers?
Based on this unsub's
obsessive medieval M.O.,
back in the Middle Ages,
the act of infidelity would,
by definition, make you a witch,
whether you were a male or a female.
Okay.
But if this guy's
trying to punish people
who break their marriage vows,
why does he need to dress it
all up in medieval judgment?
Well, Rossi has a theory about that.
But at the moment, the question is,
how does our unsub know that his victims
are straying from their vows?
[PHONE RINGING]
Oh.
Okay.
Good Witch Garcia, what
can I spell you for?
Okay, Penelope, new
theory on victimization.
Say more.
We think our unsub is passing judgment
on spouses who cheat
because he believes that's
what makes them witches.
Okay, can I just say,
aside from the killing,
I find this unsub's
behavior very sex-negative.
He doesn't know those people.
Could be an open relationship.
PRENTISS: Well, somehow
he knows they aren't.
So we need you to take a closer look
at the patterns of
our first two victims.
Is there anything about
their financial habits
that speaks to extramarital activities?
All right, let's see if this is adultery
or just witches be shoppin'.
Oh.
All right. It probably is the former.
Mating in captivity can cause wandering.
I am seeing some short
flight turnarounds
and a handful of cash withdrawals
that do line up with
boutique hotel purchases.
So, all criteria points
to afternoon delight dalliances.
Okay, can you
cross-reference those records
with our latest victim and see
if there's any kind of match?
I sure can, but that's gonna
take more bubble, bubble,
toil and trouble. I'll hit you back.
ROSSI: Found it.
The Malleus Maleficarum.
It's our unsub's instruction manual.
Huh. First published in 1486,
the Malleus Maleficarum
is a treatise on witchcraft,
endorsing death and torture
as viable forms of justice.
Malleus Maleficarum literally translates
to "Hammer of Witches."
Explains the murder weapon.
Guessing this wasn't on
your Goodreads list, Dave.
No, but you mentioning
Robin Gecht reminded me
of my history with it.
What kind of history?
Well, back in the '80s, there was
a lot of satanic panic
with the unsubs' use
of demonic symbolism.
Richard Ramirez and
the Fall River murders
created media storms.
Gideon and I thought that
the hysteria was overblown,
so we started studying
anything and everything we could
about the occult.
And that book just stuck in my mind.
"The infidelity of witches
stands out as the greatest of sins."
Yeah, and the book demands
that witches be led in backwards
in the presence of judges
and that the judges carry
consecrated salt
around their necks.
So our unsub's entire ritualization
is inside these pages.
But nobody is gonna find this
with just some basic Internet browsing.
This guy's highly educated.
Yes. And his obsession
with this book means
that it had to have
been introduced to him
at a moment of profound
emotional trauma.
Causing him to latch
on to its violent ideals
and justify his own
hatred for adulterers.
It's time we deliver the profile.
♪
Our unknown subject
is a white male, early 30s
to mid-40s.
We believe this individual
is lashing out following
a triggering experience
with a loved one.
PRENTISS: He's organized
and highly educated.
He is compulsively driven
by an obsessive adherence
to an obscure 15th
century religious text
that has been disavowed by the Church.
This person is able to fit
in or-or, at the very least,
he's able to go unnoticed
in his daily life.
PRENTISS: We suspect
he is a part-time worker
or an independent contractor.
But however he earns a living,
this unsub has
a close connection to the
spouses he intends to target.
ROSSI: That's how he identifies
the transgression in the marriage.
[OVERLAPPING WHISPERING VOICES]
- [SNARLING]
- [CACKLING]
- [WHISPERING]
- [SCREAM]
GREEN: Our unsub sees
himself as a moral enforcer.
There's nothing that will
satisfy his need to punish.
ROSSI: Which means
we need to work fast.
Good luck.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
MAN [OVER P.A.]: Level 1
inmates, line up for phone calls.
Level 1 inmates, line
up for phone calls.
VOIT: No, I don't recognize her.
That's all he sent?
That's it.
Okay, well, he must have
been holding on to these
for a long time.
She's his obsession.
Don't you mean his victim?
Potential victim.
You know, otherwise,
why wouldn't he just
send me pictures of her body?
Taunting me.
Because he can do what you can't.
He's trying to show off.
To prove he's not pathetic.
Here's the thing
he knows your mail is monitored.
He knows he needs to take
forensic countermeasures.
He knows you'd share this with the FBI.
Yeah, and still, he's not 100% positive
that he's smarter than me.
Yeah, this would be one way to prove it.
Test of skills.
Game on.
You've already identified
her, haven't you?
Fastest game of Carmen
Sandiego I've ever played.
Laura Boyd.
She is an intern at
Eisendale Publishing.
Yeah. Says here she's currently
enrolled at Warding University
as a graduate student.
That's just outside of Philadelphia.
Yeah. So, one month ago,
she deleted all of her
social media accounts.
Something must've spooked her.
More like someone.
- Marshals on their way?
- Yeah.
She's already in protective custody,
and she is not happy
about. [CHUCKLES SOFTLY]
Yeah, that's because she has
no idea what kind of danger
- she's in.
- Well, hopefully
she can shed some light
on Voit's secret admirer.
♪
LAURA: I just don't
understand why you can't
tell me what I'm doing here.
Ms. Boyd. SSA Jennifer Jareau.
This is SSA Luke Alvez.
Hey. Please, take a seat.
The marshals insisted
they couldn't tell me
what the hell is going on.
I just don't understand.
And I'm kind of freaking out.
I can assure you, you're safe.
Safe from what?
We'd like to show you something.
Okay.
ALVEZ: Do you recognize these?
Yeah. My, um
my ex-boyfriend took them.
When we were still dating.
What's your ex's name?
Lance.
Lance Kingston.
Motherfucker.
I knew I should've gotten
a restraining order.
Why would you need that?
Because he started out
as this total prince
and then he turned out to
be a complete stalker nutjob.
I mean, he was my supervisor at work.
We sort of vibed, and then
he just gave me the ick like crazy.
- So you broke it off with him?
- And he did not like that.
What did he do?
Did he get violent?
No. He just
couldn't let go.
I mean, everywhere I went,
he was just lurking around the corner.
Even online.
He was posting shit
about me in the comments.
That's why you got off social media.
Had to.
And then he started showing
up to my grad lectures.
That's when I called the cops,
- but
- They couldn't do anything.
After he found out I
called the cops, he
blew up at work,
screaming.
It really scared me.
- Did anyone see it?
- Everybody.
Got his ass fired.
Has he tried to reach out to you since?
Probably. I don't know.
I mean, I moved since then.
Changed my number.
Please tell me,
did he hurt someone or something?
Is that why you brought me here?
- I-I wish we could tell you more
- I get it.
You're doing your job. But like I said,
he went apeshit
when I called the cops.
Can you imagine what he'll do
if the FBI come knocking on his door?
♪
[SIGHS] Shit.
Seconded.
That's the last person
even remotely connected
to the Faldos, the
Tolsons and the Blairs.
[SIGHS] Everybody either has an alibi
or isn't tied to all of the families.
Garcia's confirmed
the victims weren't having
affairs with the same person.
And not even the kids know each other.
[SIGHS]
The kids.
What about 'em?
The morning the Blairs were attacked,
the daughter had a
free period at school.
She got off to a late
start. I'm thinking maybe
- No.
- ROSSI: Hey.
Don't second-guess.
Let the theory come to you this time.
The bus stop for the
Blairs' house is-is
it's a half block
away around the corner.
You can't see the bus
and the front door at the same time.
PRENTISS: So he'd only know
the kid was gone and
the parents were alone
if he stalked the street all morning.
But the news coverage this
case has gotten is everywhere.
All of Colorado Springs
is on high alert.
If someone was lingering
around that long,
the family or a neighbor
would've called the cops.
I think our unsub knows the
kid's schedule ahead of time.
Look, at first we suspected
maybe he was trying to
protect the victims' children
from having to witness the violence.
Maybe that's because he knows them.
What if
what if he's actually closer to the kids
than he is to their parents?
Then we need to know how,
because tomorrow morning,
he's likely gonna strike.
♪
Uh-uh, not so fast.
- [LAUGHS]
- Oh, thanks, Mom.
[CLEARS THROAT]
- Thanks, Dad.
- Yeah.
I'm surprised you
actually use that thing
and not some tablet.
That's because I prefer school
instead of wasting my day on Minecraft.
We're really proud of you, sweetie.
Yeah. And know who else would be?
- Your brother.
- [LAUGHS SOFTLY]
- I know. I know.
- Love you.
- I love you.
- Have a good day, honey.
- Bye, Dad.
- Bye, babe.
[DOOR OPENS]
[DOOR CLOSES]
I should get ready for work.
Yeah.
Oh, and don't forget about
Therapy. Tonight.
I almost did.
Hey.
What about dinner later?
We could get a babysitter and
Does she need a sitter still?
Can we try for the
weekend, babe? I mean, work
- is just
- Yeah. Sure.
You know what?
Screw it. Let's go out later.
- That sound good?
- Yeah.
Yes.
Okay.
All right, I'm gonna
finish getting ready.
Okay.
- [SCREAMS]
- Delores!
Into photography, Mr. Kingston?
Yeah. That's a crime now?
Depends.
You share those with anybody?
[SHORT CHUCKLE]
You're not gonna frame me
for something. I'm not that pathetic.
Interesting choice of words.
You must really think I'm an idiot.
How does the FBI get ahold
of these pictures, huh?
Illegal search much?
You are more than welcome
to file a complaint with
the Department of Justice.
- That's my girlfriend.
- Was.
Was your girlfriend.
We're taking a break.
- I've done nothing wrong.
- Mm-hmm.
I did a background check on you.
Background? You're serious?
Two years ago, you spent a
couple nights in a drunk tank,
uh oh, and then there were those
assault charges. Mm. [SHORT CHUCKLE]
Oh, no. I see you paid a service to, um,
get all this stuff
wiped from the Internet.
You should really get your,
uh, your money back, there.
Oh, and I see you are
looking for a new job.
That's exciting.
I don't know, I wonder
Do you think future employers
would be interested in
this part of your résumé?
Fuck this noise.
Okay.
Huh.
I can see now why Ms.
Boyd broke it off with you.
Figures she'd mention that.
Bitch.
Are you familiar with
the Federal Correctional
Institution, Butler?
No. Is that supposed to intimidate me?
Are you familiar with Elias Voit?
You mean the serial killer?
So, you have heard of him?
Yeah, who the fuck hasn't?
Listen.
How about this?
How about I'm done with whatever
this entrapment operation is?
Hold me for something
or I'm peacing out.
Okay.
Well, he has a mouth on him.
Aggression, narcissism, he knows exactly
what lines he can and can't cross.
He did admit to taking those photos.
But did he send them to Voit?
You don't sound convinced.
Well, Lance Lance seems, uh
A little too emotionally erratic?
Mm-hmm. Now he's, uh,
getting a bit cagey.
Without some kind of confession,
I don't I don't know
how we confirm he's Voit's fan.
You know what? I, uh
I have an idea.
[KNOCKING]
[DOOR OPENS]
[LANCE SIGHS]
What's this?
Uh, it's just a standard release
indicating that you
came here voluntarily.
Just gonna need your John Hancock
- at the bottom right there.
- Who?
Whatever.
I know, it's a lot to take in, right?
- No, I just need a pen.
- Okay.
[GRUNTS SOFTLY]
Shit.
Great.
Thanks for your cooperation.
[DOOR OPENS]
He didn't even flinch
when that pen leaked.
Not one bit.
And based on our profile,
whoever wrote Voit
suffers from an
obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Right, and if Lance was that guy,
he would have lost his shit
when that ink went all over the place.
Okay, so, Lance took the photos
But there's no way he mailed them.
I mean, he didn't even
know they were stolen.
So, Voit's fan is certainly
following in his footsteps.
So he would have to have
the technological know-how
- to access Lance's digital domain.
- Right.
And I'm starting to
think that he deliberately
offered up this Lance guy
here for our consideration.
- Yeah, it does.
- I'll tell you something else.
I am not feeling great about
releasing Lance back
in to Laura's orbit.
No, yeah. I don't think a stern warning
- is gonna keep that guy away.
- Yeah, me neither.
But
maybe there is a way
that we can drive the point home
that he needs to keep
his distance from Laura.
Okay. How?
Little extra muscle?
Who the fuck are you?
I'm the guy you need to listen to.
You see that camera up there?
I know. You're watching me.
You know why we're watching you?
No.
We're watching you for
your own protection.
[LAUGHS SOFTLY] Protection?
- What do you
- We know you took
those pictures of Laura.
Okay? But the person
that we're looking for
has been keeping eyes on you.
We need to find that guy
so that you're no longer
a person of interest,
but we're running out of time.
Because pretty soon,
we're not going to be
able to watch over you.
- Mm. That's fucking fine by me.
- No, it's not fine.
You need someone checking in on you.
You're the type of guy,
you've picked a fight
with almost everyone
in your life and lost.
From employers to your own mother.
My mother loves me.
Lance, when you came in here,
you volunteered your phone.
That's how we found the photos of Laura.
But we also noticed that there
were a lot of outgoing calls
to your mom.
No return calls.
Not even a text.
She's
She says she's busy.
I'm sure she is. That's not my point.
My point
is that you need someone
to check in on you.
Without that, I mean,
you could go missing
and no one would notice.
Not for a long time.
Maybe ever.
If you bother Laura again,
I won't like that.
You hear me?
Yeah, I hear you.
Leave Laura alone.
[DOOR OPENS]
- [DOOR CLOSES]
- Muscle.
So, if the victims' kids
don't know each other,
how can the unsub be connected
to all three families?
Garcia cross-referenced
their social groups,
school and extracurricular.
Nothing popped up.
What about school staff?
The guy blends into the background.
I mean, it's not like
the kids confide in him
but more that he can eavesdrop
on their conversations.
Sure. If the kids knew their
parents were having problems,
they'd talk to friends at school.
PRENTISS: We know he's highly educated,
so we would definitely
qualify to teach history
- or English.
- But what teacher works
at three different schools
in three different districts?
A part-time one.
A substitute.
[PHONE BEEPING]
I hinge on your every
need, sir. How can I help?
ROSSI: Penelope, cross-reference
the schools where our victims' kids
were enrolled in.
We're looking for the name
of a substitute teacher
employed by all three.
Focus on anyone
with advanced education credentials.
Got it. Overqualified
temporary employee
Mm
Wait. Do I have it?
I just might. Sean Fincher.
He's a substitute teacher,
he specializes in advanced history,
and I got pay stubs
from all three schools.
Is there anything else we need to know?
Uh, I'm searching
court records right now.
Oh, wow.
When Sean was 15, his
fire-and-brimstone pastor pop
beat his mom to death. C.O.D.:
Blunt force trauma to the head,
and the father is currently
spending life in prison.
Does Sean have any other family?
- [TYPING]
- Uh
Well, he had a wife. Marta.
She filed for divorce four weeks ago
and she moved herself
and their son Elijah
to Tempe, Arizona.
That's what triggered him.
Garcia, what is the last
class Fincher taught?
The parents of one of those
students has to be his next target.
I-I I'm searching at warp speed.
[MUFFLED GRUNT]
Are you ready to confess?
[GRUNTS, PANTING]
Look, I don't know who
you are, but don't do this.
Are you ready?
[PANTING]
This is a mistake.
Please.
Oh, my God.
Confess your heresy.
Heresy? Oh, God.
Tell him, Brenton. Just tell him.
What?
Tell him or I will.
It's got to be why he's here.
- No.
- My husband cheated on me.
Ugh. Jesus.
That's what he has to confess.
Goddamn it. Okay.
All right, I-I confess.
- Is that what you want?
- Shh!
Judgment will be cast
No, no, wait. I thought that
and punishment rendered.
- DELORES: No, no, please.
- Fuck you.
- Fuck you!
- You haven't heard my confession!
Penelope, have you found the student?
Yes. Kima Woodrow.
Her father Brenton has
had a lot of spendy dinners
while her mom, Delores,
has been out of town.
Okay, we'll have locals
pick Kima up from school.
Send us the Woodrows' home address.
GARCIA: It's sent. Be careful.
You want the truth?
I cheated, too.
Judgment will be
Just do what you got to do, goddamn it!
No, wait, wait. She's lying, okay?
- She's just trying to save me.
- Silence!
I have only one question
before I render judgment.
Who committed the heresy first?
Kima deserves so much
better than you both.
BRENTON: Kima? What?
You son of a bitch,
you know my daughter?
How the fuck do you know my daughter?
How about our son?
Do you even know what happened to him?
I need him to understand
what we've been through.
BRENTON: Understand what?
That I killed our boy?
- Don't say that.
- BRENTON: No.
It's true.
I was the one driving.
It was me.
Nico should still be here.
It was an accident.
And I forgave him.
- And he's forgiven me.
- BRENTON: Yeah.
Doesn't that matter?
Yes.
Yes.
[SCREAMING]
Oh, fuck.
- No, please. Please!
- [GRUNTING]
- No!
- FBI! Sean Fincher, drop your weapon!
[DELORES EXCLAIMING, CRYING]
Oh, my God.
Mom! Dad!
Oh, God, Kima. Thank God you're okay.
Tough watching two sides of the
coin play out in front of you.
If I'd thought of the kids
theory a half-step sooner,
maybe Sean Fincher doesn't have to die.
And what if you'd have
been a half-step slower?
Delores and Brenton are dead.
That's right. Then we could've
lost two more innocent people.
It's easy to see the glass
as half-empty right now,
but experience has taught us
- Glass is half-full?
- No.
The question you need to ask yourself is
did you do the job right?
And if the answer is yes,
fuck the glass.
I just updated Prentiss.
Uh, Laura Boyd's going
to have a security escort
for the time being,
and I seriously doubt
that Lance Kingston's going
to go anywhere near her
anytime soon.
Well, you were pretty persuasive.
- [BOTH CHUCKLE]
- [ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]
Hey. Um
I just
- I just wanted to say thank you.
- For what?
The thing with Henry.
Did you guys talk?
No. Not yet.
But
the more I think about it, it just
I don't know, it just makes me happy
that he was able to talk to you.
Someone from our team.
Honestly, it's-it's
been good for me, too.
You know? To get to lend
a hand with the boys and
just to be like an uncle to them.
Whether you know it or not
you and Penelope [SIGHS]
you're you're like
my extra eyes and ears.
You know, my village,
helps me care for the boys.
And, um
look, as much as I want him to have
that college dorm experience,
it's it's his decision.
He'll tell you when he's ready.
Yeah, he will.
Ugh, kids. [SIGHS]
They they just zap your
worry button with no warning.
[CHUCKLES]
Well, I saw some of that same worry
on Henry's face when he told me.
- Really?
- Yeah.
Wh-What what is he so worried about?
I don't know.
But I'm willing to bet
that he's ready to tell you.
[ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]
[ELEVATOR DOORS SLIDE OPEN]
Thanks.
[DOOR CLOSES]
Hey.
What? Is-is everything okay?
Oh, everything's fine.
Come on.
What time is it?
It's family time.
- Aren't you, like, super tired?
- Mm.
[CHUCKLES]
You know, a few years
ago, I would've said,
"No, I'm not tired."
Would've pushed through it, but
the truth is
I'm exhausted.
What's with the ice cream?
Because, as tired as I am
nothing makes me happier than
sharing something
sweet with my firstborn.
Mom?
Yeah?
About college
Luke told you, didn't he?
Well, you are turning into
quite the profiler, aren't you?
So why the change of heart?
I want to go, I promise.
Mm-hmm.
But, after Dad,
and now the move
It's-it's been a lot
for all of us.
I don't know. I thought
maybe if I stayed a while longer
it would be helpful.
Henry.
You don't have to give
up something to help me.
All right?
What-what really helps me
is knowing that you're happy.
And what also helps me is
knowing what's going on in that
- big, beautiful brain of yours.
- Stop.
Oh, you know I can't.
Are you sure you're
gonna be okay if I go?
Everything's gonna be all right.
I promise.
Okay then.
I think I'm gonna go to college.
Maybe somewhere in California?
Then I am right behind you.
Always.
Mm.
This is Laura's
ex-boyfriend, Lance Kingston.
He is the one who took those photos.
But he's not the guy who sent it to you.
Turns out your fan stole them.
Apparently, he just lifted them
right out of digital thin air.
- Malware in the ISP.
- LEWIS: Yeah.
Definitely not pathetic.
No, he's feeling pretty
good about himself right now.
Well, he's certainly feeling
smarter than all of us.
So, the Laura Boyd photos
those were like a Trojan Horse, right?
Intended to evaluate our response.
Yeah, you can probably save
a lot of man-hours and money
by pulling off her protective detail.
Laura Boyd doesn't mean
anything to him personally.
J
She's young, Caucasian, blonde.
He chose her to grab your attention.
You're thinking that this fan
is presuming missing
white woman syndrome?
Odds are in his favor, yeah?
PRENTISS: Well Laura was also chosen
because he knew Lance was stalking her,
and he could only have known that
- because he was stalking Lance.
- Mm-hmm.
And so, if he's in Lance's digital life,
then, as soon as Lance goes home
and starts firing off angry e-mails,
he's gonna know all about
your interrogation strategies,
your profiling methods, your
Our whole fucking playbook.
Yeah.
He knew you were never gonna
be able put Lance behind bars.
Wait, where's Lance now?
The flames ♪
We don't know.
Lick at ♪
Are we gonna find a body?
I don't
Their hearts ♪
All I know is the first kill is the one
that you fantasize about.
It's special.
Lance he's just a means to an end.
He's a sacrificial pawn.
Even if you found his body,
there'd be nothing to profile.
His
his-his death is just
part of this guy's greater goal.
And what's that?
To emulate his idol.
He'll gather as much
information as possible
to learn everything he can,
so that you
Burn ♪
you can never catch him.
Previously on Criminal
Minds: Evolution
JJ: Moving now
will give Henry some
time to make some memories
at the new place before he moves away
to some dorm somewhere.
He'll probably stay on the east coast?
California's always been on his list.
- How long are you out for?
- Contractor said two,
maybe three weeks.
- Thank you for this.
- Mm.
Why conduct these interviews?
So we can learn how Lee Duval
became Elias Voit became Sicarius.
VOIT: You think, if I walk
you through everything,
you'll be able to stop someone else?
GARRITY: Welcome to The Sicarius Files.
May I call you Elias?
Oh!
It's sad how pathetic I am.
But you know what's even more pathetic?
Someone who makes a show about it.
And anyone who listens to it.
♪
[SIGHS]
♪
[MUFFLED WHIMPERING]
CHARLES: What do you want?
There's cash in the
bedroom upstairs, all right?
Just take it.
Take anything you want.
Please, just leave us alone.
You believe money will free you?
Yeah. That's what you want, right?
No.
Heresy.
Heresy is the reason I'm here.
- Heresy?
- What are you talking about?
Confess.
I don't understand what
you're talking about.
For God's sake, just tell him.
Tell him what? I don't know!
MARY: I don't know! Whatever you did.
- Tell me!
- [SCREAMS]
- Christ!
- No! No!
- Please
- Tell me!
Please. Please.
We have a son.
CHARLES: Okay, all right.
I confess.
What?
I confess.
The truth is
It was me, all right? I was the one.
I ordered the layoffs at
the company last year, okay?
Oh, God, Charles.
I know, I know, I know.
We didn't need to do it,
but we did, all right?
And if you were one
of those people, I
I'm sorry.
All right? I-It was a mistake.
We shouldn't have done it.
He can he can make this right.
- You can do that, can't you?
- CHARLES: Uh,
yes, of course, of course I can.
See? He can fix this for you.
Uh, this can be all over,
and you can let us go.
CHARLES: Yeah. I-I
sw I-I swear to God.
Yeah. I
Yeah. I swear.
- Just go. No!
- I sw - Yes!
Oh, my God!
♪
JJ: "One's work may be finished someday,
but one's education? Never."
Alexandre Dumas.
All of these pages,
and they're not photoshopped?
No. In fact, forensics confirmed
that ink was pressed to
paper with the typebars
of an analog typewriter.
Jesus.
I mean, the time and effort.
Someone really did not appreciate
Voit calling them pathetic
on Garrity's podcast.
How seriously should we take this?
Voit thinks "very seriously."
He thinks it's a threat?
He thinks it's intended to
get his undivided attention.
Like some crazy, disillusioned fan?
Who now has something to prove.
So, we could be looking at Voit's
very own Mark David Chapman.
I assume no prints were recovered?
Or DNA. But based on the postmark,
we believe it was
deposited in a drop box
somewhere in Kensington, Pennsylvania,
It's a neighborhood in Northeast Philly.
Okay, well, that narrows
it down, doesn't it?
It does.
Have you followed up with Voit yet?
Um, I'm gonna head there now.
- Keep me updated.
- Absolutely.
♪
[SIGHS]
Okay, so
pretty sure I am being
ghosted by my son.
Oof. Three texts and no reply.
That's teenagers.
Henry's gone MIA before, but this?
This is like texting with a monk.
Probably overwhelmed.
You know, college applications
and everything. I
Maybe why he wants to stay local.
Local?
Wait, what are you talking about?
I-I told him he should talk to you.
- I-I guess
- This is the first
I'm hearing about it.
- What what do you mean?
- Oh.
I'm interrupting. My
doves, there is something
out in Colorado that
desperately needs our attention.
Sorry. Let's go.
Okay.
Uh
[SIGHS] My people,
the crossword clue of
the day is "heresy,"
as in "sacrilege,"
"blasphemy," "heathenism."
I bring this up because we have
an unsub in Colorado Springs
who has killed at least two women
by beating them to death with
dear Goddess a sledgehammer,
but not before accusing the
latest victim, Mary Tolson,
of you guessed it heresy.
Leaving a living witness
is a pretty bold statement.
And risky, considering
he's not concealing his face.
Penelope, have either surviving spouses
met with a sketch artist?
Yeah, but the descriptions were so vague
that local PD don't
think they're any help.
He must present as very
average, hard to identify,
especially since he's also
getting in and out of
the victims' homes unseen.
And that speaks to a high level
of organization and planning.
Coupled with an explosive rage.
I-I mean, to-to use a sledgehammer
to essentially destroy a family
for some kind of what, perceived sin?
Time-out. All men, please
immediately go to therapy.
Thank you. Time back in.
But the fact remains
that he is-is not
committing physical violence
against the whole family.
ROSSI: No, he's inflicting
emotional violence to
the surviving family.
Especially to the husbands,
since it appears the
unsub broke into the homes
after the teenage
children left for school.
So, sparing those kids from actually
having to witness the violence
could speak to the unsub's
own history of trauma.
And maybe the heresy
this unsub perceives
has something to do
with a fucked-up way
of protecting them.
PRENTISS: All right, Dave, Tyler,
we are headed to Colorado Springs.
Luke, JJ, I need you two to stay
behind and help Tara with Voit.
Looks like he has sparked
a fire that we are
going to have to put out.
MAN [OVER P.A.]: Laundry
crew from C block,
authorized to work area three
[VOIT SIGHS]
Laundry crew from C block
authorized to work area three.
LEWIS: You struck
quite a nerve out there.
Whoever this was couldn't help himself.
He had to respond.
With geometry?
This all means something to him.
I bet he typed up dozens
and dozens of these
that weren't "good enough" to send.
Okay. So you're saying he's patient.
I'm saying he's precise.
He's like you.
The old you.
He aspires to be.
All right, so you don't
think he's committed
an act of violence yet?
I don't.
This sort of focus it's transference.
He's still evolving.
All right. But this
kind of transference
not to mention a highly developed
obsessive-compulsive disorder
- may be innocuous on their own
- Yeah,
but mix the two together, it
can take you into the darkness,
especially when you've
suffered an injury to your ego.
Yeah.
Thanks to you.
I was a little pissed off
when I went at Garrity, okay?
And, yes, I maybe
I maybe could've chosen
my words a little more
wisely, but I [SIGHS]
And you should have.
You said it yourself:
Your celebrity carries influence.
This guy is just looking
for a reason to get started.
This isn't gonna be the
last time he reaches out.
Yeah.
Well
that's what we're counting on.
GREEN: He zip-tied Mary Tolson,
dragged her.
Same drag marks from
the legs of the chairs
were at the house of
victim one, Zoe Faldo.
He's making the victims
face their husbands
before he kills them.
Maybe he's shaming the wives?
Maybe because he has his own wife
that he blames for the
end of their relationship?
Could explain the explosion of anger.
It's possible.
Lot of unsubs are triggered
by marriages ending.
Why not take out that physical
violence on the entire family?
Why switch to a psychological torture?
Particularly on the husbands
who are forced to sit and watch.
Ooh. I see those wheels turning.
Let's hear your theory, Agent Green.
Something feels off about what happened
between the two victims.
The husband of victim one, Gary Faldo,
said the unsub knocked him
out before killing his wife.
But he didn't mention the unsub
saying anything about heresy.
And the first time that
word popped up was
right here, with the Tolsons.
What if-what if Charles Tolson
heard about what happened
with the Faldos
And he hired a guy to make
it look like the same crime.
Copycat crime.
And he gets to draft
off the media frenzy.
I know it sounds elaborate.
Sometimes the more elaborate,
- the easier it is to mislead.
- Right.
But the only problem
with your theory is
the blood on the zip ties.
What blood?
Go to the last page.
Thoughts?
Yeah.
Charles Tolson was trying to get free
when the unsub started killing his wife.
So much so that he cut
through his own flesh.
Not really the effort you'd
make if you hired the killer.
Not so much.
You knew that the whole time?
What did I tell you?
Reps. You need more reps.
You always have to run
through a few bad theories
- to get to the good ones.
- I guess.
Now, you need to start living
in the crime scene more.
Let's, uh Here.
Take a seat.
Now, I'm the unsub and
I have a sledgehammer.
You're accusing me of heresy.
- What else?
- You're demanding answers.
You're interrogating me.
Would I tie you up
just to ask questions?
I have a goal in mind.
You have me facing my spouse.
And you are accusing me.
And?
So
I'm on trial.
He's putting them on trial.
For heresy.
♪
PRENTISS: Mr. Tolson,
I know this isn't easy
My son is at my sister's house
asking over and over what's going on.
I mean, what am I supposed to say?
Can't even take him home.
Hell, you won't even let me go home.
I'm so sorry.
And I know that it's not easy
to integrate back into
your daily life after this.
Mary, she did so much for us.
I feel so lost.
I should've helped more.
I mean, who c-who could do this?
We think she was specifically targeted
for a reason that ties to
this man's religious beliefs.
Did your wife hold
any present-day beliefs
that might have been in
conflict with certain religions?
[EXHALES] No, I
I-I don't-I don't think so.
We didn't really talk about that stuff.
Now, you said that the man
was difficult to describe.
No defining characteristics.
But was there anything else about him
that spoke to
a particular theology?
Um, do you recall
any tattoos
or jewelry?
Yes. [INHALES DEEPLY]
He was wearing this
[SIGHS] this necklace.
[GRUNTS] I remember when he was
- MARY: Please. No!
- Yes!
[WHIMPERS] killing her,
it kept swinging around.
Was there any kind of symbol on it?
There was something hanging from it.
Like a medallion?
CHARLES: It was like a vial.
A vial?
Was there something inside of it?
Go ahead, Emily.
Dave, I need you and Tyler
to check and see if you
can find a crystal-like
substance sprinkled in
the corners of the house.
Crystals?
Must have been an interesting
convo with Mr. Tolson.
Yeah. Heartbreaking, too.
They always are.
Wait.
Hey, what's this?
I got something.
Well, what do we have here?
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
Sodium chloride. Aka salt.
Same salt was just found at the Faldos'.
In several traditions, placing salt
in the corners of a room is
part of a cleansing ritual.
Right. It represents the
power to ward off evil spirits.
You remember Robin Gecht?
Uh, he led a group of
men to mutilate women
and perform satanic rituals.
I do. This could be similar.
GREEN: But weren't those
victims of opportunity?
In this case, based on the crime scenes,
our unsub is targeting
specific families.
Not just the family.
The women.
And call me biased by my experience,
but when I hear accusations of heresy
and guys performing salt rituals,
I think witch hunts.
[SHUDDERING]
[CRYING SOFTLY]
SEAN: Ready to confess?
[MUFFLED SHOUTING]
[TAWNY WHIMPERING]
[CHUCKLING]
[WHIMPERING]
No?
Huh.
Look at you.
[MUFFLED SHOUTING]
Yes.
You women.
You crazy fuck!
You want to kill a heretic?!
Is that what you want?! Huh?!
Kill this witch, asshole!
Kill this witch!
[CRIES] No.
[CRIES]
[SCREAMING]
[CRYING]
[CRYING]: No!
No!
No! Andrew.
[YELLS]
[SCREAMS]
- LEWIS: Hey.
- Hi.
FCI Butler just intercepted
another message from Voit's fan.
We know that it's him for sure?
Same typeface, same postmark,
same forensic countermeasures.
What's the message?
No words this time.
Instead
he sent these.
Photos of a Jane Doe.
ALVEZ: We got nothing
from facial recognition?
LEWIS: Her face is obscured just
enough to stonewall the algorithm.
JJ: Not an accident, I'm sure.
Now that he's got Voit's attention,
he wants to play a game.
Catch me if you can.
You see the t-tree right there?
Uh, the trunk is broad and straight.
The leaves grow out in little stalks.
Um, evergreen.
It's an eastern hemlock.
Yeah, it's the state
tree of Pennsylvania.
- It's my home state, guys.
- [CHUCKLES SOFTLY]
All right, well, I'd say we know where
we need to start running DMV photos.
Mrs. Blair, I'm
SSA David Rossi.
It's my fault.
It's not your fault.
I baited him into killing Andrew.
You did nothing wrong.
You don't understand.
- You can't.
- No.
I'd heard about the attacks on the news.
The women who were killed.
[SNIFFLES]
I thought maybe I could distract him.
Mrs. Blair.
Previously, this man had targeted women.
You're right.
But, um
I know this is gonna sound strange.
But this man may have believed
that your husband was involved
in the occult.
What are you talking about?
I-I I-I know.
But is it possible?
Not at all.
Andrew didn't believe in
any of that kind of shit.
Could he have hidden it from you?
Agent Rossi.
We were married for over 20 years.
We had no secrets.
Even when he tried to hide the
Never mind.
I know you're being very protective
of your husband right now.
Was Andrew having an affair?
The thing is,
when I first caught him,
I was so ready for a divorce.
But then I thought about our daughter.
And I just couldn't
put her through that.
We were in counseling,
working on rebuilding trust.
And besides your counselor,
did you speak to anyone else
about your husband's infidelity?
Of course not.
Are you sure?
That has nothing to
do with what happened.
An insane son of a bitch
broke into our home
mumbling some crazy shit about heresy!
And if I would've just
kept my goddamn mouth shut,
Andrew would still be alive!
- [CRYING]
- That's not
Please, just leave.
[SNIFFLES]
[CRYING]
So, from what Tawny
Blair said, Rossi suspects
that the unsub isn't
actually targeting witches,
he's going after adulterers?
Based on this unsub's
obsessive medieval M.O.,
back in the Middle Ages,
the act of infidelity would,
by definition, make you a witch,
whether you were a male or a female.
Okay.
But if this guy's
trying to punish people
who break their marriage vows,
why does he need to dress it
all up in medieval judgment?
Well, Rossi has a theory about that.
But at the moment, the question is,
how does our unsub know that his victims
are straying from their vows?
[PHONE RINGING]
Oh.
Okay.
Good Witch Garcia, what
can I spell you for?
Okay, Penelope, new
theory on victimization.
Say more.
We think our unsub is passing judgment
on spouses who cheat
because he believes that's
what makes them witches.
Okay, can I just say,
aside from the killing,
I find this unsub's
behavior very sex-negative.
He doesn't know those people.
Could be an open relationship.
PRENTISS: Well, somehow
he knows they aren't.
So we need you to take a closer look
at the patterns of
our first two victims.
Is there anything about
their financial habits
that speaks to extramarital activities?
All right, let's see if this is adultery
or just witches be shoppin'.
Oh.
All right. It probably is the former.
Mating in captivity can cause wandering.
I am seeing some short
flight turnarounds
and a handful of cash withdrawals
that do line up with
boutique hotel purchases.
So, all criteria points
to afternoon delight dalliances.
Okay, can you
cross-reference those records
with our latest victim and see
if there's any kind of match?
I sure can, but that's gonna
take more bubble, bubble,
toil and trouble. I'll hit you back.
ROSSI: Found it.
The Malleus Maleficarum.
It's our unsub's instruction manual.
Huh. First published in 1486,
the Malleus Maleficarum
is a treatise on witchcraft,
endorsing death and torture
as viable forms of justice.
Malleus Maleficarum literally translates
to "Hammer of Witches."
Explains the murder weapon.
Guessing this wasn't on
your Goodreads list, Dave.
No, but you mentioning
Robin Gecht reminded me
of my history with it.
What kind of history?
Well, back in the '80s, there was
a lot of satanic panic
with the unsubs' use
of demonic symbolism.
Richard Ramirez and
the Fall River murders
created media storms.
Gideon and I thought that
the hysteria was overblown,
so we started studying
anything and everything we could
about the occult.
And that book just stuck in my mind.
"The infidelity of witches
stands out as the greatest of sins."
Yeah, and the book demands
that witches be led in backwards
in the presence of judges
and that the judges carry
consecrated salt
around their necks.
So our unsub's entire ritualization
is inside these pages.
But nobody is gonna find this
with just some basic Internet browsing.
This guy's highly educated.
Yes. And his obsession
with this book means
that it had to have
been introduced to him
at a moment of profound
emotional trauma.
Causing him to latch
on to its violent ideals
and justify his own
hatred for adulterers.
It's time we deliver the profile.
♪
Our unknown subject
is a white male, early 30s
to mid-40s.
We believe this individual
is lashing out following
a triggering experience
with a loved one.
PRENTISS: He's organized
and highly educated.
He is compulsively driven
by an obsessive adherence
to an obscure 15th
century religious text
that has been disavowed by the Church.
This person is able to fit
in or-or, at the very least,
he's able to go unnoticed
in his daily life.
PRENTISS: We suspect
he is a part-time worker
or an independent contractor.
But however he earns a living,
this unsub has
a close connection to the
spouses he intends to target.
ROSSI: That's how he identifies
the transgression in the marriage.
[OVERLAPPING WHISPERING VOICES]
- [SNARLING]
- [CACKLING]
- [WHISPERING]
- [SCREAM]
GREEN: Our unsub sees
himself as a moral enforcer.
There's nothing that will
satisfy his need to punish.
ROSSI: Which means
we need to work fast.
Good luck.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
MAN [OVER P.A.]: Level 1
inmates, line up for phone calls.
Level 1 inmates, line
up for phone calls.
VOIT: No, I don't recognize her.
That's all he sent?
That's it.
Okay, well, he must have
been holding on to these
for a long time.
She's his obsession.
Don't you mean his victim?
Potential victim.
You know, otherwise,
why wouldn't he just
send me pictures of her body?
Taunting me.
Because he can do what you can't.
He's trying to show off.
To prove he's not pathetic.
Here's the thing
he knows your mail is monitored.
He knows he needs to take
forensic countermeasures.
He knows you'd share this with the FBI.
Yeah, and still, he's not 100% positive
that he's smarter than me.
Yeah, this would be one way to prove it.
Test of skills.
Game on.
You've already identified
her, haven't you?
Fastest game of Carmen
Sandiego I've ever played.
Laura Boyd.
She is an intern at
Eisendale Publishing.
Yeah. Says here she's currently
enrolled at Warding University
as a graduate student.
That's just outside of Philadelphia.
Yeah. So, one month ago,
she deleted all of her
social media accounts.
Something must've spooked her.
More like someone.
- Marshals on their way?
- Yeah.
She's already in protective custody,
and she is not happy
about. [CHUCKLES SOFTLY]
Yeah, that's because she has
no idea what kind of danger
- she's in.
- Well, hopefully
she can shed some light
on Voit's secret admirer.
♪
LAURA: I just don't
understand why you can't
tell me what I'm doing here.
Ms. Boyd. SSA Jennifer Jareau.
This is SSA Luke Alvez.
Hey. Please, take a seat.
The marshals insisted
they couldn't tell me
what the hell is going on.
I just don't understand.
And I'm kind of freaking out.
I can assure you, you're safe.
Safe from what?
We'd like to show you something.
Okay.
ALVEZ: Do you recognize these?
Yeah. My, um
my ex-boyfriend took them.
When we were still dating.
What's your ex's name?
Lance.
Lance Kingston.
Motherfucker.
I knew I should've gotten
a restraining order.
Why would you need that?
Because he started out
as this total prince
and then he turned out to
be a complete stalker nutjob.
I mean, he was my supervisor at work.
We sort of vibed, and then
he just gave me the ick like crazy.
- So you broke it off with him?
- And he did not like that.
What did he do?
Did he get violent?
No. He just
couldn't let go.
I mean, everywhere I went,
he was just lurking around the corner.
Even online.
He was posting shit
about me in the comments.
That's why you got off social media.
Had to.
And then he started showing
up to my grad lectures.
That's when I called the cops,
- but
- They couldn't do anything.
After he found out I
called the cops, he
blew up at work,
screaming.
It really scared me.
- Did anyone see it?
- Everybody.
Got his ass fired.
Has he tried to reach out to you since?
Probably. I don't know.
I mean, I moved since then.
Changed my number.
Please tell me,
did he hurt someone or something?
Is that why you brought me here?
- I-I wish we could tell you more
- I get it.
You're doing your job. But like I said,
he went apeshit
when I called the cops.
Can you imagine what he'll do
if the FBI come knocking on his door?
♪
[SIGHS] Shit.
Seconded.
That's the last person
even remotely connected
to the Faldos, the
Tolsons and the Blairs.
[SIGHS] Everybody either has an alibi
or isn't tied to all of the families.
Garcia's confirmed
the victims weren't having
affairs with the same person.
And not even the kids know each other.
[SIGHS]
The kids.
What about 'em?
The morning the Blairs were attacked,
the daughter had a
free period at school.
She got off to a late
start. I'm thinking maybe
- No.
- ROSSI: Hey.
Don't second-guess.
Let the theory come to you this time.
The bus stop for the
Blairs' house is-is
it's a half block
away around the corner.
You can't see the bus
and the front door at the same time.
PRENTISS: So he'd only know
the kid was gone and
the parents were alone
if he stalked the street all morning.
But the news coverage this
case has gotten is everywhere.
All of Colorado Springs
is on high alert.
If someone was lingering
around that long,
the family or a neighbor
would've called the cops.
I think our unsub knows the
kid's schedule ahead of time.
Look, at first we suspected
maybe he was trying to
protect the victims' children
from having to witness the violence.
Maybe that's because he knows them.
What if
what if he's actually closer to the kids
than he is to their parents?
Then we need to know how,
because tomorrow morning,
he's likely gonna strike.
♪
Uh-uh, not so fast.
- [LAUGHS]
- Oh, thanks, Mom.
[CLEARS THROAT]
- Thanks, Dad.
- Yeah.
I'm surprised you
actually use that thing
and not some tablet.
That's because I prefer school
instead of wasting my day on Minecraft.
We're really proud of you, sweetie.
Yeah. And know who else would be?
- Your brother.
- [LAUGHS SOFTLY]
- I know. I know.
- Love you.
- I love you.
- Have a good day, honey.
- Bye, Dad.
- Bye, babe.
[DOOR OPENS]
[DOOR CLOSES]
I should get ready for work.
Yeah.
Oh, and don't forget about
Therapy. Tonight.
I almost did.
Hey.
What about dinner later?
We could get a babysitter and
Does she need a sitter still?
Can we try for the
weekend, babe? I mean, work
- is just
- Yeah. Sure.
You know what?
Screw it. Let's go out later.
- That sound good?
- Yeah.
Yes.
Okay.
All right, I'm gonna
finish getting ready.
Okay.
- [SCREAMS]
- Delores!
Into photography, Mr. Kingston?
Yeah. That's a crime now?
Depends.
You share those with anybody?
[SHORT CHUCKLE]
You're not gonna frame me
for something. I'm not that pathetic.
Interesting choice of words.
You must really think I'm an idiot.
How does the FBI get ahold
of these pictures, huh?
Illegal search much?
You are more than welcome
to file a complaint with
the Department of Justice.
- That's my girlfriend.
- Was.
Was your girlfriend.
We're taking a break.
- I've done nothing wrong.
- Mm-hmm.
I did a background check on you.
Background? You're serious?
Two years ago, you spent a
couple nights in a drunk tank,
uh oh, and then there were those
assault charges. Mm. [SHORT CHUCKLE]
Oh, no. I see you paid a service to, um,
get all this stuff
wiped from the Internet.
You should really get your,
uh, your money back, there.
Oh, and I see you are
looking for a new job.
That's exciting.
I don't know, I wonder
Do you think future employers
would be interested in
this part of your résumé?
Fuck this noise.
Okay.
Huh.
I can see now why Ms.
Boyd broke it off with you.
Figures she'd mention that.
Bitch.
Are you familiar with
the Federal Correctional
Institution, Butler?
No. Is that supposed to intimidate me?
Are you familiar with Elias Voit?
You mean the serial killer?
So, you have heard of him?
Yeah, who the fuck hasn't?
Listen.
How about this?
How about I'm done with whatever
this entrapment operation is?
Hold me for something
or I'm peacing out.
Okay.
Well, he has a mouth on him.
Aggression, narcissism, he knows exactly
what lines he can and can't cross.
He did admit to taking those photos.
But did he send them to Voit?
You don't sound convinced.
Well, Lance Lance seems, uh
A little too emotionally erratic?
Mm-hmm. Now he's, uh,
getting a bit cagey.
Without some kind of confession,
I don't I don't know
how we confirm he's Voit's fan.
You know what? I, uh
I have an idea.
[KNOCKING]
[DOOR OPENS]
[LANCE SIGHS]
What's this?
Uh, it's just a standard release
indicating that you
came here voluntarily.
Just gonna need your John Hancock
- at the bottom right there.
- Who?
Whatever.
I know, it's a lot to take in, right?
- No, I just need a pen.
- Okay.
[GRUNTS SOFTLY]
Shit.
Great.
Thanks for your cooperation.
[DOOR OPENS]
He didn't even flinch
when that pen leaked.
Not one bit.
And based on our profile,
whoever wrote Voit
suffers from an
obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Right, and if Lance was that guy,
he would have lost his shit
when that ink went all over the place.
Okay, so, Lance took the photos
But there's no way he mailed them.
I mean, he didn't even
know they were stolen.
So, Voit's fan is certainly
following in his footsteps.
So he would have to have
the technological know-how
- to access Lance's digital domain.
- Right.
And I'm starting to
think that he deliberately
offered up this Lance guy
here for our consideration.
- Yeah, it does.
- I'll tell you something else.
I am not feeling great about
releasing Lance back
in to Laura's orbit.
No, yeah. I don't think a stern warning
- is gonna keep that guy away.
- Yeah, me neither.
But
maybe there is a way
that we can drive the point home
that he needs to keep
his distance from Laura.
Okay. How?
Little extra muscle?
Who the fuck are you?
I'm the guy you need to listen to.
You see that camera up there?
I know. You're watching me.
You know why we're watching you?
No.
We're watching you for
your own protection.
[LAUGHS SOFTLY] Protection?
- What do you
- We know you took
those pictures of Laura.
Okay? But the person
that we're looking for
has been keeping eyes on you.
We need to find that guy
so that you're no longer
a person of interest,
but we're running out of time.
Because pretty soon,
we're not going to be
able to watch over you.
- Mm. That's fucking fine by me.
- No, it's not fine.
You need someone checking in on you.
You're the type of guy,
you've picked a fight
with almost everyone
in your life and lost.
From employers to your own mother.
My mother loves me.
Lance, when you came in here,
you volunteered your phone.
That's how we found the photos of Laura.
But we also noticed that there
were a lot of outgoing calls
to your mom.
No return calls.
Not even a text.
She's
She says she's busy.
I'm sure she is. That's not my point.
My point
is that you need someone
to check in on you.
Without that, I mean,
you could go missing
and no one would notice.
Not for a long time.
Maybe ever.
If you bother Laura again,
I won't like that.
You hear me?
Yeah, I hear you.
Leave Laura alone.
[DOOR OPENS]
- [DOOR CLOSES]
- Muscle.
So, if the victims' kids
don't know each other,
how can the unsub be connected
to all three families?
Garcia cross-referenced
their social groups,
school and extracurricular.
Nothing popped up.
What about school staff?
The guy blends into the background.
I mean, it's not like
the kids confide in him
but more that he can eavesdrop
on their conversations.
Sure. If the kids knew their
parents were having problems,
they'd talk to friends at school.
PRENTISS: We know he's highly educated,
so we would definitely
qualify to teach history
- or English.
- But what teacher works
at three different schools
in three different districts?
A part-time one.
A substitute.
[PHONE BEEPING]
I hinge on your every
need, sir. How can I help?
ROSSI: Penelope, cross-reference
the schools where our victims' kids
were enrolled in.
We're looking for the name
of a substitute teacher
employed by all three.
Focus on anyone
with advanced education credentials.
Got it. Overqualified
temporary employee
Mm
Wait. Do I have it?
I just might. Sean Fincher.
He's a substitute teacher,
he specializes in advanced history,
and I got pay stubs
from all three schools.
Is there anything else we need to know?
Uh, I'm searching
court records right now.
Oh, wow.
When Sean was 15, his
fire-and-brimstone pastor pop
beat his mom to death. C.O.D.:
Blunt force trauma to the head,
and the father is currently
spending life in prison.
Does Sean have any other family?
- [TYPING]
- Uh
Well, he had a wife. Marta.
She filed for divorce four weeks ago
and she moved herself
and their son Elijah
to Tempe, Arizona.
That's what triggered him.
Garcia, what is the last
class Fincher taught?
The parents of one of those
students has to be his next target.
I-I I'm searching at warp speed.
[MUFFLED GRUNT]
Are you ready to confess?
[GRUNTS, PANTING]
Look, I don't know who
you are, but don't do this.
Are you ready?
[PANTING]
This is a mistake.
Please.
Oh, my God.
Confess your heresy.
Heresy? Oh, God.
Tell him, Brenton. Just tell him.
What?
Tell him or I will.
It's got to be why he's here.
- No.
- My husband cheated on me.
Ugh. Jesus.
That's what he has to confess.
Goddamn it. Okay.
All right, I-I confess.
- Is that what you want?
- Shh!
Judgment will be cast
No, no, wait. I thought that
and punishment rendered.
- DELORES: No, no, please.
- Fuck you.
- Fuck you!
- You haven't heard my confession!
Penelope, have you found the student?
Yes. Kima Woodrow.
Her father Brenton has
had a lot of spendy dinners
while her mom, Delores,
has been out of town.
Okay, we'll have locals
pick Kima up from school.
Send us the Woodrows' home address.
GARCIA: It's sent. Be careful.
You want the truth?
I cheated, too.
Judgment will be
Just do what you got to do, goddamn it!
No, wait, wait. She's lying, okay?
- She's just trying to save me.
- Silence!
I have only one question
before I render judgment.
Who committed the heresy first?
Kima deserves so much
better than you both.
BRENTON: Kima? What?
You son of a bitch,
you know my daughter?
How the fuck do you know my daughter?
How about our son?
Do you even know what happened to him?
I need him to understand
what we've been through.
BRENTON: Understand what?
That I killed our boy?
- Don't say that.
- BRENTON: No.
It's true.
I was the one driving.
It was me.
Nico should still be here.
It was an accident.
And I forgave him.
- And he's forgiven me.
- BRENTON: Yeah.
Doesn't that matter?
Yes.
Yes.
[SCREAMING]
Oh, fuck.
- No, please. Please!
- [GRUNTING]
- No!
- FBI! Sean Fincher, drop your weapon!
[DELORES EXCLAIMING, CRYING]
Oh, my God.
Mom! Dad!
Oh, God, Kima. Thank God you're okay.
Tough watching two sides of the
coin play out in front of you.
If I'd thought of the kids
theory a half-step sooner,
maybe Sean Fincher doesn't have to die.
And what if you'd have
been a half-step slower?
Delores and Brenton are dead.
That's right. Then we could've
lost two more innocent people.
It's easy to see the glass
as half-empty right now,
but experience has taught us
- Glass is half-full?
- No.
The question you need to ask yourself is
did you do the job right?
And if the answer is yes,
fuck the glass.
I just updated Prentiss.
Uh, Laura Boyd's going
to have a security escort
for the time being,
and I seriously doubt
that Lance Kingston's going
to go anywhere near her
anytime soon.
Well, you were pretty persuasive.
- [BOTH CHUCKLE]
- [ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]
Hey. Um
I just
- I just wanted to say thank you.
- For what?
The thing with Henry.
Did you guys talk?
No. Not yet.
But
the more I think about it, it just
I don't know, it just makes me happy
that he was able to talk to you.
Someone from our team.
Honestly, it's-it's
been good for me, too.
You know? To get to lend
a hand with the boys and
just to be like an uncle to them.
Whether you know it or not
you and Penelope [SIGHS]
you're you're like
my extra eyes and ears.
You know, my village,
helps me care for the boys.
And, um
look, as much as I want him to have
that college dorm experience,
it's it's his decision.
He'll tell you when he's ready.
Yeah, he will.
Ugh, kids. [SIGHS]
They they just zap your
worry button with no warning.
[CHUCKLES]
Well, I saw some of that same worry
on Henry's face when he told me.
- Really?
- Yeah.
Wh-What what is he so worried about?
I don't know.
But I'm willing to bet
that he's ready to tell you.
[ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]
[ELEVATOR DOORS SLIDE OPEN]
Thanks.
[DOOR CLOSES]
Hey.
What? Is-is everything okay?
Oh, everything's fine.
Come on.
What time is it?
It's family time.
- Aren't you, like, super tired?
- Mm.
[CHUCKLES]
You know, a few years
ago, I would've said,
"No, I'm not tired."
Would've pushed through it, but
the truth is
I'm exhausted.
What's with the ice cream?
Because, as tired as I am
nothing makes me happier than
sharing something
sweet with my firstborn.
Mom?
Yeah?
About college
Luke told you, didn't he?
Well, you are turning into
quite the profiler, aren't you?
So why the change of heart?
I want to go, I promise.
Mm-hmm.
But, after Dad,
and now the move
It's-it's been a lot
for all of us.
I don't know. I thought
maybe if I stayed a while longer
it would be helpful.
Henry.
You don't have to give
up something to help me.
All right?
What-what really helps me
is knowing that you're happy.
And what also helps me is
knowing what's going on in that
- big, beautiful brain of yours.
- Stop.
Oh, you know I can't.
Are you sure you're
gonna be okay if I go?
Everything's gonna be all right.
I promise.
Okay then.
I think I'm gonna go to college.
Maybe somewhere in California?
Then I am right behind you.
Always.
Mm.
This is Laura's
ex-boyfriend, Lance Kingston.
He is the one who took those photos.
But he's not the guy who sent it to you.
Turns out your fan stole them.
Apparently, he just lifted them
right out of digital thin air.
- Malware in the ISP.
- LEWIS: Yeah.
Definitely not pathetic.
No, he's feeling pretty
good about himself right now.
Well, he's certainly feeling
smarter than all of us.
So, the Laura Boyd photos
those were like a Trojan Horse, right?
Intended to evaluate our response.
Yeah, you can probably save
a lot of man-hours and money
by pulling off her protective detail.
Laura Boyd doesn't mean
anything to him personally.
J
She's young, Caucasian, blonde.
He chose her to grab your attention.
You're thinking that this fan
is presuming missing
white woman syndrome?
Odds are in his favor, yeah?
PRENTISS: Well Laura was also chosen
because he knew Lance was stalking her,
and he could only have known that
- because he was stalking Lance.
- Mm-hmm.
And so, if he's in Lance's digital life,
then, as soon as Lance goes home
and starts firing off angry e-mails,
he's gonna know all about
your interrogation strategies,
your profiling methods, your
Our whole fucking playbook.
Yeah.
He knew you were never gonna
be able put Lance behind bars.
Wait, where's Lance now?
The flames ♪
We don't know.
Lick at ♪
Are we gonna find a body?
I don't
Their hearts ♪
All I know is the first kill is the one
that you fantasize about.
It's special.
Lance he's just a means to an end.
He's a sacrificial pawn.
Even if you found his body,
there'd be nothing to profile.
His
his-his death is just
part of this guy's greater goal.
And what's that?
To emulate his idol.
He'll gather as much
information as possible
to learn everything he can,
so that you
Burn ♪
you can never catch him.