xxvi. reckoner
( season five, episode three )
LYRA would never admit it out loud, but she was in a good mood this particular morning. She was practically buzzing with energy - literal energy. She had engulfed herself in electricity as a wake-up exercise before leaving for work just to get it out of her system. Not only had her father gotten out of prison, but she was having a very nice conversation over text with Ororo. She even felt herself blush a few times. In short, it was a good start to the day.
"Aw, look at you, Little Red," Morgan said to her when he met up with her at the coffee machine. He ruffled her hair. "You're practically glowing. What's got you in a good mood?"
Lyra shrugged, making herself and, to Morgan's surprise, him, a coffee.
"Okay, let me guess. Got a boyfriend. Or a girlfriend. Partner. Rich boyfriend. Stop me anytime," he listed, thanking her when she gave him the mug. "Rich girlfriend," he continued, following her over to their desks. "Bridesmaid at a wedding. Come on, Lehnsherr, give me something."
"Maybe-Partner," she signed vaguely, a small grin on her face.
Morgan smirked. "Oooh, okay, I see you, I see you."
"Guys, did you see the news?" Reid asked, walking over to the pair. He still had his bag on his shoulder, just having arrived. He was on crutches as he recovered from his gunshot injury, and would be fore awhile still.
"Hey, Pretty Boy, don't ruin Lyra's good mood. We're never going to see her like this again," Morgan chastised jokingly.
Lyra rolled her eyes, playfully slapping Morgan's shoulder. "What happened, Reid?" she signed. She had a feeling she already knew.
Reid quickly grabbed the remote for the television and came back, turning up the volume. On the news was a wanted picture of Magneto.
"Just this morning, the mutant villain Magneto escaped his plastic prison, leaving at least three dead in his wake," the news reporter said.
"They're actually calling him a villain?" Lyra signed. Seriously, this was not a comic book. They could at least use the term criminal, if anything.
Morgan raised his eyebrows. "That's your takeaway?" he said, astounded.
Lyra looked at him. "What am I supposed to do? It's Magneto." -An Omega level mutant, she finished in her head. She was that level as well, but they did not know that. They did not need to know that. This gave her an excuse not to fight her father, at least. Arresting him might be a little awkward next family reunion. Besides, what was should she do? Call him? She technically could, unless the government had his phone. Then that would be stupid and would incriminate her.
"Your job, maybe?" Morgan suggested.
"Actually, they have a specialized team who deals with extreme dangers. Right now, Magneto is back on that list. They're having plastic guns made," Reid stated.
"Plastic guns?" Morgan repeated. He scoffed at the idea. "They gonna make plastic bullets, too?"
"This is human versus mutants, you know. You have a better idea?" Lyra signed.
Morgan shot Reid a look and gestured to Lyra. "See? Ruined her good mood."
JJ passed by, holding up a file. They had a case, which meant they would have to pick up this conversation later. The three of them joined the others in the briefing room.
"What have we got?" Hotch asked. He had only stayed home a month before returning to work. He did not quite seem like himself, for obvious reasons, and he was taking unnecessary risks. Foyet's attack, plus the departure of his family, it was weighing heavily on him. Work was all he had now.
"Ben Vanderwaal was killed in Commack, Long Island last night," JJ stated. "Shot at close rang, once in the heart, once in the head. .22 caliber shell."
"They found hair and blood traces from Ben Vanderwaal wife, Heather," Morgan read.
"But not Heather?" Rossi asked.
"No, she's still missing, presumed dead," JJ responded. "The caliber and placement of the bullets match that of two previous victims. The first, Rita Haslat." She posted her picture on the screen. "Eight months ago, she went missing from her home in New Jersey. Four weeks later, she was found in a trash bin."
"She went from that to this in under three weeks?" Prentiss asked, gesturing from the picture on the screen to the one in the files. "She's totally emaciated."
"Ligature marks on her wrists and ankles indicate she was constrained," Reid said.
"One in the heart, one in the head. Same as Vanderwaal," Morgan said.
"Sounds more like an execution," Hotch said.
"Then why cut off Vanderwaal's hands postmortem?" Reid asked.
"Trophy?" Lyra guessed.
"What about the third victim?" Rossi asked.
"Bill Levington? His appearance was certainly altered," JJ said, putting up his picture on the screen for the team to see.
"His genitals were missing," Prentiss said.
"Though the method of mutilation is different in each crime, clearly there's a signature. The question is what," Hotch said. He stood and threw a file down on the table toward Reid. "Wheels up in twenty."
"What's this?" Reid asked.
"You told me you were cleared to travel. You lied."
"Naughty boy," Prentiss teased.
"No, I didn't," Reid protested. "I am a doctor, so technically it wasn't a lie."
"What was it, then?" Garcia asked, now standing at the doorway.
"Um..." Reid thought for a moment. "A second opinion."
"Huh. You're my bitch now."
Morgan chuckled. Lyra smirked, about to walk out. Hotch stopped her. "Lehnsherr, before we leave, I have something to discuss with you," he said. He waited until they were the only two left in the briefing room before he spoke again. "You talked to Magneto a couple months ago," he stated, eyeing her carefully to gauge her reaction.
Lyra tensed. "I was hoping you wouldn't find out about that," she signed, careful not to say anything incriminating.
Hotch raised an eyebrow, prompting her to go on.
Lyra sighed. "I didn't learn anything. At least nothing we don't already know," she signed. This was not technically a lie - she just did not specify who the 'we' was. Hotch nodded, seeming to believe that answer. At least for now, and that would give Lyra time to think of a good lie to tell.
♢
"In the Ben Vanderwaal case, his hands were taken," Prentiss said on the plane. "Bill Levington, his genitals. Only in the Rita Haslat case, she was starved and tortured, then executed, and there's no sign of postmortem mutilation."
"Why would he take Heather Vanderwaal and not simply kill her?" Hotch asked.
"Maybe he hasn't and she's still alive," JJ suggested.
"Well, the only thing concrete is the MO, which depicts an efficient, no-nonsense murder," Hotch said.
"Well then we need to figure out what each act of mutilation means to the UnSub," Morgan said.
"Or to the victim," Hotch said.
♢
Upon landing, Hotch and Prentiss went to the crime scene. It was while they were there that Detective Hardesty, who was with them, got the call saying that Heather Vanderwaal was spotted - alive, wandering the streets. JJ went to see her in the hospital.
In the meantime, Lyra joined Morgan and Rossi to see the body. "The hand removal was less than surgical. He used a basic double-tooth saw," said the ME.
"So, the guy we're looking for has no medical training?" Rossi said.
Lyra looked over the body. She pulled away the sheet to look at the victim's severed hands, inspecting the damage closely.
"Not the kind I've had," the ME replied.
"One in the heart, one in the brain," Morgan said. "Close range." He leaned over. "The second one was right up behind the ear."
Lyra frowned. "Sounds professional," she signed. Execution style, this particular placement? She was certain she knew what was going on.
"How about gunshot residue?" Rossi asked.
"Surprisingly little," Morgan responded, looking over the autopsy report. "Maybe it's 'cause the killer was using a .22. Small caliber, small discharge." He hummed.
"What is it?"
"Ballistics can't match the bullets to a gun. There were no rifling marks on the bullet."
"Well, there's only one explanation for that."
♢
"Well, if anyone had a motive to kill Ben Vanderwaal, it was Heather's ex-husband," Detective Hardesty said, putting up a picture on the evidence board. It was at this moment that Lyra, Morgan and Rossi returned, walking over to the others.
"But he was in San Diego," Hotch stated, "and he has no connection to the other two victims."
The moment he saw Rossi, the detective went to meet him. "David Rossi. We finally get to meet. Detective Gil Hardesty," he introduced himself, shaking the other man's hand. "Very, very nice to have you with us."
"Morgan, what did you find?" Hotch asked.
"In all cases, the .22 caliber bullets had no riffling mark," Morgan said.
"And without the barrel being riffled, the bullets would have very little velocity," Rossi said. "He would have to shoot his victims point-blank."
"JJ. This guy's using a zip gun," Morgan said, handing JJ an envelope. "Now, if you know what you're doing, a piece of plumbing or a kid's bicycle pump can be turned into a gun."
"One in the heart, one in the head. Untraceable bullets," Lyra signed, Morgan translating for the detective. "Practically screams business."
"A hit man?" Hardesty said in disbelief.
"What about the post-mortem mutilation?" JJ asked.
"A contract sometimes includes extras," Rossi said.
"Physical proof of death," Lyra signed.
"The camera is not for sexual gratification," Hotch said, looking at the evidence board. He had not seen Lyra's signs, but they were on the same page. "It's for proof of death."
"So we could be looking for two people?" Hardesty asked.
"Maybe. Maybe more," Prentiss said.
"Excuse me," Hardesty said, nodding at them before he left them.
"I, uh, may be able to hit on some old contacts, but I'll need to do it alone," Rossi said. This was, after all, his home town. He knew some people.
"Contacts?" Prentiss repeated.
"Do we wanna know?" Morgan asked.
Rossi gave them a tight-lipped smile. "Best not."
♢
"The removal of the hands is as specific as Rita Haslat's condition was when she was found," Morgan said, tapping the picture of Ben Vanderwaal's body.
"Just as specific as the removal of Bill Levington's genitals," Prentiss said.
"There's a message in the mutilations the UnSub wants us to know," Hotch said.
"I got something here that might help with that," Garcia said, on a video call with them on the laptop.
"Technically, we have something here that might help with that," Reid interjected. Since he was not cleared to travel, still on crutches and needing time to properly recover, he was bothering Garcia in an attempt to help. It was clear by the look on her face that Garcia was no okay with this arrangement.
"Bill Levington was involved in a serial rape case," Garcia stated, "all involving minors, and it never went to trial."
"Rita Haslag?" Hotch prompted.
"A-"
"A former social worker. Attain said 'former' status when she was fired from the DCFS for gross negligence," Reid cut her off. Garcia looked at him, aghast at his sheer audacity. "In one of her cases, a seven-year-old boy starved to death."
"Which explains why Haslat was so emaciated when she was found," Prentiss said.
"If all the victims were indicated in crimes against children, then we've found a connection," Morgan said.
Lyra frowned. "And motivation for these kills. Whoever our UnSub is must have a history with something having happened to a loved one or to himself," she signed.
Hotch nodded. "One of the UnSub's has access to the crimes of the victims and probably works in the justice system. Garcia?" he said.
"On it," both Garcia and Reid said at the exact same time. Garcia turned to Reid again, the call ended.
Lyra shook her head. "Reid's going to be dead by the time we get back," she joked. At this rate, Garcia was going to be very sick of him. Morgan smiled in amusement, trying not to laugh in order to stay professional.
"All right, we know what the victims have in common," Morgan said, regaining his composure. "We just need to find out who they have in common."
"Wait, the social worker and the suspected rape case, those were matters of record. Ben Vanderwa's relationship with his stepdaughter is not," Prentiss stated.
"Unless the stepdaughter told someone else," Hotch said.
"I'll call Rossi," Prentiss said.
"I'll have the daughter brought in," Hardesty said.
♢
Morgan and Prentiss talked to the daughter, from whom they got the name of the person she told - her therapist. It was Rossi who got a lead that got them somewhere. The hitman, who went by Basola.
Lyra was not sure an ambush was a good idea. Chances were it would end in a shootout. Worse, bringing in a civilian (well, he was part of the mafia, but still a civilian) was an awful idea. Get the right contact information, and they could meet up with this hitman themselves and not risk lives they should not have to risk. Lyra certainly had the scars to look like she wanted revenge, and a name to give. That ambush, at least, would only be risking the lives of agents and cops who swore to put their lives on the line in the first place.
And yet, here she was, in the back of a black SUV with Rossi and Hotch, bulletproof vests on, ready to go in any second.
"He dims the lights, we go in," Rossi stated. "So, uh, Jack's, what, four today?"
"Yeah," Hotch responded. "And I literally have no idea where he is."
"He's safe." Rossi received no answer this time. "I saw Prentiss and Morgan up the block, but the two agents in the sedan? They're not with us," he said.
"That's counter-surveillance in case Foyet is watching me," Hotch said. "For which, apparently, there's no more money."
"Yeah, I heard."
"Somebody call you?"
"They're concerned."
"What did you say?"
"What I'm telling you. An attack against you is an attack against all of us."
Lyra agreed with that, to an extent. It was when she was attacked that she did not want the team to get involved. When her coworkers, her friends, are in trouble? Well, the culprit had better be prepared to handle the entire team.
Rossi's phone rang. He quickly picked it up. "Why are you calling? Are you okay?"
"I hope you got some good guys out there. This man is a mean son of a bitch," Ray Finnegan, Rossi's contact, said. The call was not on speaker, but due to the dead silence, Lyra was able to hear both ends just fine.
"We're all over it. He's not gonna know what hit him."
"Hey, that kid. The smart one. I could use a little help."
"Reid?"
"Reid here," responded Reid on his end of the call.
"Crossword question. Ten letter. Crater creator," Finnegan said.
"Ten letters. Crater creator," Reid repeated.
"Arctangent," Garcia said.
"Did you get that?" Rossi asked.
"Damn, she's smart," Finnegan said before hanging up the call.
"Did you see that? Flash?" Rossi asked suddenly a few seconds later. There was another flash.
"I saw that," Hotch said.
"He's already in there," Rossi realized. The three agents quickly got out of the car.
"All units, go, go, go!" Hotch said on the coms. They rushed inside the restaurant, finding it empty. Lyra, of course, could technically try and find the hitman with her powers, but the people getting killed deserved it, dare she say.
They found Ray Finnegan, dead, slumped over a table. And the hitman nowhere to be found.
♢
"Morgan's out canvasing the area," Prentiss said once she arrived on scene, along with crime scene investigators. "This whole place is swarming with cops."
"We had the streets, the building, even the damn roof covered. How the hell did he get through us?" Rossi said, his tone obviously frustrated.
"Garcia traced Finnegan's phone calls. He made one at 4:38 to a prepaid cell. Another one to you at 11:41," Prentiss stated.
"That gave Basola seven hours to prepare. I think he was here before we arrived," Hotch said.
"Then he heard Ray call me. This is all my fault," Rossi said.
"Hitmen are good at what they do, and hiding what they do," Lyra signed, trying to discouraged him from blaming himself. Hotch translated for him.
"Now he knows we're onto him," Hardesty said.
"He's not the only one. Whoever he works for does, too," Rossi said.
♢
Back at the precinct, the team was able to give the profile. "Each mutilation represents the crimes the UnSub's believe these three individuals committed," Prentiss said, gesturing at the pictures on the board behind her.
"UnSub's?" asked one of the officers.
"Unknown Subjects," Hotch clarified. "Two. Both male. UnSub A we're calling the planner. He works in the criminal justice system. We're looking at both defense and prosecution attorneys, judges and even cops."
"We believe the planner has experienced a devastating personal tragedy of some sort," Morgan said.
"And because of the sophisticated nature of the scenario, we believe UnSub A is in his late fifties or sixties."
"The planner likely met UnSub B, the enforcer, within the court system," JJ said. "He's been hired to carry out justice. Now, this type of justice does not come cheap, so the planner has access to substantial cash."
"Absolutely no attempt was made to hide the mutilation. This suggests the planner doesn't care what we find, or he wants us to find it," Prentiss said.
"Now, the enforcer, on the other hand, has no such intentions. He should be considered armed and extremely dangerous," Morgan said.
"Thank you," Rossi finished.
"All right. Let's go, people," Hardesty said to the other officers.
♢
"I've concentrated on the last three cases because they've left the freshest e-prints," Garcia said, on a video call with the team again. Only Lyra and Rossi were at the laptop at the moment.
"Great," Rossi said.
"Not really. Over 100,000 cases pass through the Long Island court," Reid said.
"Literally hundreds and hundreds of people," Garcia said.
"Change track. Focus on the enforcer. Mob-related murder trials on Long Island, last ten years. We're looking for a hitman," Rossi suggested.
"Someone older, he had time to perfect his skill," Lyra signed.
"Okay, there are ninety-three Mob trials in the last ten years," Garcia said.
"Put aside any trials that resulted in a conviction," Rossi instructed. "Weed out mistrials and arraignments."
"Nineteen," Reid said.
"Were any of those on trial suspected of being hitmen or enforcers?"
"Three."
"Woah, woah, woah," Garcia interjected. "This totally slipped the net. Tony Mecacci. His case was judged a mistrial, but check out his suspected victim."
She sent over the picture. "The same bullet entry point as Ben Vanderwaal," Lyra noted.
".22 caliber, right?" Rossi asked.
"Bull's-eye," Garcia confirmed.
"Cross-match our profile of the planner against all those connected with this trial," Rossi ordered.
"Let's see, prosecuting lawyer Garrett Daniels, Judge Boyd Schuller, criminal defense lawyer Paul-" Reid read.
"Wait, wait," Rossi interrupted. "Did you say 'Judge Schuller'?"
"Yeah, here's a photo."
"What's wrong?" Hotch asked, looking over. He, along with the others, walked over. Rossi turned the laptop around so they could see the picture.
"You know him?" Prentiss asked.
"No, but I knew his wife," Rossi answered. "Two years ago, she was driving home from work and she was killed by a drunk driver," he said.
"That could be the tragedy," Reid said.
"She was the love of his life, that's for sure."
"Twelve months ago, Judge Schuller took a leave of absence due to health issues," Garcia stated.
"He was diagnosed with terminal cancer. He has six months to live," Reid said.
"And that's when the killings started."
"You don't seriously think Judge-" Hardesty started.
"Judge Schuller is the planner," Rossi cut him off. "Yes, I do."
"Fits the profile," JJ said.
"And Tony Mecacci is most likely Basola, the enforcer," Rossi said. "What have you got on Basola?" he asked Garcia and Reid.
"He went off the grid after his last trial," Garcia said.
"JJ, put out a state-wide APB and release Mecacci's photo to the media," Hotch ordered.
"Judge Schuller's a highly respected man," Hardesty protested.
"Highly respected men can do bad things," Lyra signed. She wanted this case to end so she could try and contact her father. He was free now, so they did not have to worry about being monitored. She just had to find a way to do so.
"We can't just walk in there and accuse him of serial murder," Hardesty continued.
"Then I'll go to the attorney general and petition the chief justice if I have to," Hotch said.
"And maybe not," Rossi said, standing up. Lyra looked to where he was looking. Sure enough, Judge Schuller was standing right there.
"I believe you're looking for me," he said.
♢
They had Schuller in an interrogation room. Morgan and Rossi went inside to talk to him and play bad cop. "You know we have to advise you of your rights," Morgan said.
"I wave my constitutional rights against self-incrimination," Schuller said before Morgan could say anything more.
Rossi closed the door. "When you walked in here, you said 'I believe you're looking for me'," he said, putting the file down on the table.
"And I was right."
"Your timing was impeccable, but how could you know that?"
Lyra was behind the glass, joined by Prentiss, Hotch and Detective Hardesty.
"I knew it wouldn't take you long to find me," Schuller said. He was confident, unaffected by his predicament. For him, it made sense. He was dying, after all. "Not after what I've left behind."
"So you don't deny any of this?" Morgan asked.
"Why would I? What you see as a crime, I see as justice."
"Ray Finnegan was a friend of mine," Rossi said. It was evident he was pissed off. His friend died because of this guy, after all.
"No, Ray Finnegan was a criminal," Schuller countered. Lyra scowled. So was he, now. He was just being a hypocrite. "You should choose your friends more wisely."
"Must have really thrown you when Ray showed up at Emma's funeral."
That got a reaction. "How do you know about my wife?" Schuller demanded.
"You have absolutely no idea who I am, do you?"
"Ray told Rossi you only meet Bosola once," Prentiss said. "So Judge Schuller had to have given him a list of names. He never has to see him again, just make final payment on proof of death."
"Have Garcia hack into Schuller's files and check his financial records before everything gets shut down. And find out if his office made any calls," Hotch said.
"They did," Hardesty said. "I spoke to them a few hours ago. I told them we had two suspects."
"So he knows we're onto him," Prentiss said.
"He's here to stall," Lyra signed.
Hotch nodded. "He does have a list. There's more to come." Prentiss went off to talk to Garcia.
Inside the interrogation room, Schuller checked his watch. "Can we just get on with what I came here for?"
"Why? So Bosola can go on and carry on whatever it is you've asked of him to do? No. You call him and you end this," Morgan said.
"Even if I could, I wouldn't," Schuller said.
"She was born Emma Louise Taylor, 4th of July, 1958," Rossi recited.
"You could get that from anywhere."
"When she was six, her dad John brought home a black and white homeless kitten."
Schuller shifted. "If she knew you, Emma would've told me."
"She named it Oscar, after Oscar Wilde, and of all Oscar Wilde's work, she loved An Ideal Husband the most."
"I don't know how you know all this about Emma, or what you're hoping to achieve, but we're done." Schuller stood up. "You know the charges. Charge me."
"Is that what started all this insanity? Emma's death?"
"What started all of this was the thirty-five years I had to sit and watch as the system I swore an oath to protect failed the very people our justice system was meant to protect," Schuller snapped.
"I wonder what Emma would make of all this," Rossi said.
"Every single person on that list deserves justice, and its justice they managed to evade!"
"So, you do have a list," Morgan said.
Schuller had no retort. They had him. He sat down. "I'm finished talking."
♢
Prentiss returned with the information Garcia and Reid had managed to gather before getting shut out. "If our calculations are correct, there are two more names on that list," she said.
"There are," Hotch confirmed, pressing play to show her the recording of what she missing.
"Every single person on that list deserves justice," Schuller said on the recording.
"Notice how he says deserves, not deserved," Lyra signed.
"And look, right there," Hotch said. "He looked at his watch for the second time. Whatever he's waiting for is about to happen."
♢
"I don't think you knew Emma at all. At least not the one I knew," Rossi said to Schuller, really playing this angle to his advantage. "I made an excuse for myself that I wouldn't be welcome at her funeral, but the truth is, I couldn't face it."
Schuller shifted uncomfortably. "You knowing Emma changes nothing."
"Oh, but it does. Emma changed the lives of everyone she knew, but at least Ray and I saw her death for what it truly was. A tragic accident."
"Dan Patton was drunk! He murdered Emma as surely as if he put a gun to her head!" Schuller yelled.
"Is that why his photo's not here? You're saving the best for last?"
"We need to locate Dan Patton now," Hotch said.
"The hundred thousand must be for some serious extras," Prentiss said.
"He could already be dead by the time we find him," Lyra signed. They quickly made their way out of the room, having no time to spare.
♢
"Maybe he's still at work," Hardesty said. A select few of them were outside Patton's place, bulletproof vests on.
"Workplace said he left for the day," Prentiss responded.
They approached the door. Hotch knocked on it and it slowly opened. It was unlocked and slightly ajar. "Dan Patton, this is the FBI!" he called. No answer. The four got their guns out and headed inside.
On the floor was Dan Patton's bloodied and beaten body.
"Clear!" Prentiss called after he initial sweep of the place.
"Told you, dead by the time we get here," Lyra signed. She did not mean for that to come off so apathetic. Hotch sent her a look, to which she just shrugged and put her hands up in surrender.
Hotch crouched down to scan the body. "One to the heart, one to the head. We know who did it," he said.
More police officers and forensics arrived to the scene a few minutes later to clean up and search for Bosola.
"Bosola has no way of getting off Long Island," Hardesty said.
Prentiss got off the phone. "They're moving Judge Schuller," she said.
"What?"
"He's a high court judge. It makes it a federal case now."
"What if Bosola has no intention of leaving the island?" Hotch suggested. "Garcia said the judge was giving his whole estate away?"
"His property, his money," Prentiss confirmed. "He closed all his accounts and paid his utility bills."
"He has cancer but he still has six months to live. Is there a reason he's paying off all is utility bills now?"
"Not to mention the hundred thousand he made as a last and final payment for not one, but two kills."
Lyra frowned. "You don't think he's the last person on his list, do you?" she signed.
"Usually the judge waits for confirmation of death before making final payment," Hotch said. He took out his phone. "Only this time, he knew he wouldn't be around to see it."
♢
In the end, Schuller ended up getting shot and did not make it. Just as he had planned. On the plane, Lyra busied herself with texting Ororo. So far, it did not seem Charles had heard anything from Erik Lehnsherr. Oddly, that was comforting. Maybe she just wanted to be the first person he reached out to. She knew it was impossible. He was going to be finding Mystique first. It did not hurt to have that hope, though.