Stitching
Spencer Reid x Reader (female)
A/N- Much like Adam Driver, I have been a huge fan of Matthew Gray Gubler and criminal minds for years. With quarantine, I decided to re-watch the show from the beginning and I had some inspiration. My writing tends to take a while but if you have any requests or idea for Spencer Reid, please send them my way.
Word Count- 6286 words
Warning- Angst, mentions of violence and torture, fluff, tears, and the usual criminal minds details.
If you prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die? And if you wrong us shall we not revenge? -William Shakespeare.
QUANTICO, VIRGINIA
“Good morning my lover and friends. As of 8:45 am, yesterday morning, four bodies have been found across the Washington State area. Locations confirmed to be Pomeroy, Baker City, Salem, and Mill Creek. All victims were very similar in physical appearance; Caucasian, red hair, brown eyes, approximately 5ft 4’.”
Garcia swiped her tablet to display family photographs of the victims on the screen. The team watched, in the debriefing room, as they scanned through their own tablets; reading through the details. Spencer’s eyes flittered over the images as his fingers scanned across the words in his paper file; still adamant on not working with technology like the rest of his team.
“What about the cause of death? How were they found?”
Garcia shivered at Rossi’s question.
“It’s not a pretty image. Each victim was dismembered at the elbows, knees, neck, and stomach. Further cuts were made vertically down the stomach and across the face, arms, and legs. Not deep enough to cut through bone, but deep enough to bleed out. Where the unsub cut our victims, he then sewed them back together.”
Emily looked up at Garcia.
“Are you saying the lacerations were made before the victim’s died?”
“Precisely. Each autopsy report came back the same with the cause of death pointing to the direction of blood loss; specifically, from the throat.”
The team looked at the new images before them. Multiple pictures appeared on the screen, showing the bodies of the victims. The pictures showing the women laid out in the same pose, thick thread holding together the pieces of their corpses. All had their eyes closed, except one.
“Garcia, the last victim, zoom into her face.”
Garcia did as Spencer asked.
“Her eyes are closed.”
Spencer nodded, glancing towards JJ as she spoke.
“Meaning that he felt remorse for this murder.”
Derek scrolled through the pictures on his tablet.
“The other three victim’s eyes are open, indicating that he wanted them to look. To watch what he was doing, whatever it may have been.”
Spencer looked across the table at the questioning faces.
“So, what changed between the third and the fourth victim?”
Hotch stood from his seat, indicating the others to grab their belonging.
“We can discuss further on jet. Wheels up in thirty.”
WASHINGTON STATE
Being greeted by the local police department in Clagstone, Spencer and the team began their investigation into the murders. Spencer did not know what it was, but the stitching on the bodies felt familiar. Like he had seen them before.
Looking up from his files, Spencer watched as Derek walked into the room, ending a call with who he could only presume to be Garcia.
“Garcia has just completed background checks on our latest victim. Lily Trent visited local film screenings at the Southview Centre religiously, to watch horror movies in particular. Seems like the girl loved anything horror and Halloween; according to her roommate and her computer history. It seems that are other victims did also.”
Spencer stood from his seat and walked towards the whiteboard at the back of the room. Writing down the details Derek stated, his brain began to filter through the relevant information needed.
“Halloween is ranked the ninth most celebrated holiday in the world. With different interpretations of the holiday occurring according to country and culture. Wearing costumes at Halloween did not even become an occurrence until 1585, with the first instance recorded in Scotland.”
Derek chuckled at Reid’s excitement. He knew the boy loved Halloween.
“Well it all looks like they were pretty huge fans of the holiday and horror films. Maybe our unsub was too.”
Spencer looked down at the photos in his hand, scanning his memory for any correlation.
“Maybe, it’s not just horror, but a particular film. If all the victims were presented in a certain way, maybe the unsub is trying to replicate what happened to a character in a particular film.”
Derek crossed his arms over his chest.
“I’ll call Garcia to search through all the victims search history to see if any particular horror films come up in each one. Do you know of any films that the unsub could have replicated?”
Spencer shook his head.
“I can collate his actions to hundreds of films but, the method of torture and look of the victims, I can’t think of one horror feature that pinpoints all that the unsub has done.”
A thought unexpectedly popped into Spencer’s mind. Derek cocked his head at the sudden halt from the resident genius.
“But I know someone who might.”
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