Criminal Minds s06e16 Episode Script
Coda
Previously on Criminal Minds Emily, this call for your from a Sean McAllister came to my phone accidentally, sounded very important.
Sean I was going to call you back.
I just I got busy on a case.
Lan Doyle vanished from prison.
INTERPOL can't find him.
Am I in danger? We all are.
Sean thinks we're all in danger, but I was the only one who had any personal connection to him.
As far as Doyle is concerned, Lauren Reynolds died in a car accident.
You died, and we're all good.
I want to hear you say it.
Lauren Reynolds is dead.
Bye.
Who's Lauren Reynolds? Qu'est-ce qui se passe? I want to talk to Sean.
They got her.
Drop the phone.
Get on the ground, now.
- Tsia? - He's gone.
Jeremy's dead.
How long have we been talking? You've gotta get out of there.
Oh, God.
It's Doyle, isn't it? Toss that cell phone and get home safely.
Prentiss, what's going on with you? I've been watching you the last couple of days, and something is obviously bothering you.
Derek, because I like you, I'm going to ask you not to do this.
## ## I was beginning to think you weren't coming.
After what happened to Jeremy, I was afraid.
Tsia, I'm sorry you can't be at his funeral.
It's today, isn't it? Well, that's the problem with marrying a member from your own team.
One of you is a target, so is the other.
I get it.
Hello, darling.
All right, let's make this quick.
I took a late lunch.
How many times do I have to tell you? I'm not quick about anything.
I don't know.
What about that time I blew my cover in Prague? You took out that sentry before I could even draw my weapon.
You saved my ass, Clyde.
I'm surprised you remember the little people from your INTERPOL days now that you're a posh FBI profiler.
What's being done to locate Doyle? Only every agency in the Northern hemisphere is looking for him.
What are we doing to find him? My contact at DCRI tracked one of Doyle's aliases leaving France the day after Jeremy's murder.
He took a commercial flight to Beijing, then doubled back on a train bound for Berlin.
But when GSG 9 intercepted it, he was already gone.
He sent me flowers, so I think it's safe to assume he's coming here.
Why is he doing this? Why do you think? We put him away.
Duty calls? I know what you're thinking.
Absolutely not.
Your team isn't under oath.
They don't have clearance.
They could help.
How? We don't even know where Doyle is.
Involving them at this point would be premature.
And reckless.
Leave it to Tsia and I.
You go be with your team.
Even in hiding Doyle can't resist extravagance.
Track the money.
I will find him, darling.
Trust me.
I don't trust anyone anymore.
Traffic.
I'm sorry.
Let's get started.
Okay.
10-year-old Sammy Sparks of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, showed up at his elementary school this morning covered in blood.
When police got to his house, they found that his parents, Charlie and Alison Sparks, were missing.
Well, forensics indicate that at least one of them was injured, and by the looks of it, it was pretty severely.
Has there been a ransom demand? There's been no communication whatsoever.
Then why call in the BAU? New Orleans is hoping we can interview Sammy.
No one's talked to the witness yet? I don't understand.
If Sammy was covered with blood, there's a good chance he could identify the unsub.
Sammy's autistic.
Getting him to tell us what happened isn't gonna be easy.
"Tomorrow, you promise yourself, will be different, "yet tomorrow is too often a repetition of today.
" Author James T.
McCay.
Is that the one where they fly around in the phone booth? First of all, it's a police box, not a phone booth.
Second of all, Dr.
Who started a quarter of a century before Bill and Ted even went on their bodacious adventure, so really, they should have just called it Bill and Ted's Excellent Rip-Off.
- I mean, at least then - I'm really sorry.
- For what? - Asking.
Good morning, Angels.
New information to report.
The blood at the crime scene matched type to Charlie Sparks, so we can assume that he is the injured party.
Well, shell casings by the door says he was shot.
Are we looking at a robbery gone wrong? No robber would break into a family residence before the start of school and not expect to find people home.
No, I think he came for Charlie and Alison Sparks.
He planned the abduction and then gained entry to the house.
But the scene is frenzied, disorganized.
He didn't think it through.
I hate to say it, but could Sammy be our unsub? I don't think so.
What's the number 1 motive in kidnapping? Financial gain.
Yeah, well, if that's the case, they are barking up the wrong money tree.
The family runs a music store that's been Sparks owned since the 1940s, but business is down, and a loan against the house is the only thing keeping that store afloat.
The unsub should have done his research.
Well, he may have.
This area was devastated by the oil spill.
A little bit of money would go a long way here.
First impression this is a man on a mission.
He didn't steal a single expensive item from either one of these rooms.
He definitely came for the parents.
No sign of forced entry.
The Sparks most likely recognized him, Hotch.
Unless the door was unlocked.
I highly doubt that.
Look at the blood pattern.
Charlie was shot as he was moving towards the door.
Well, how you figure that? Because of the pools of blood.
They're separated by distant steps.
Which means he had to be moving quickly, so he was running.
And the closer you get to the door, the more blood there is.
So he was shot right here, reached for his wound instinctively, and then tried to grab the piano to break his fall.
See, the handprint is facing upwards, toward the door, the same way he was facing when he was shot.
Alison was interrupted while she was making Sammy's lunch in the kitchen.
Because she heard the doorbell ring.
So she approaches the door, opens it only to find a gun aimed at her face.
So she screams.
That brings Charlie running down the stairs trying to help, but the unsub shoots Charlie because he won't back off.
Charlie's severely wounded.
Why does the unsub take the time to drag him out of the house knowing that he's leaving a 10-year-old witness home alone? The unsub must have known the family well enough to realize that Sammy would never be capable of I.
D.
Ing him.
Hi, Sammy.
I'm Dr.
Spencer Reid.
What are you drawing? Aah! Oh, God! Some autistic children don't handle touch well.
It's possible that witnessing his parents' abduction pushed him into emotional overload, and he shut down.
Look at that.
Is he trying to tell us something? Sammy.
We're looking for your mom and your dad.
Did "L" take them? - Garcia - Yes, sir.
I need you to run a list of all known associates to the Sparks family, focusing on everyone whose first or last name begins with the letter "L.
" Well, it looks like they were open to alternative methods of payment.
There's some construction work for a child's drum set and cleaning services for sheet music.
Bartering must be popular in a cash-strapped area like this.
They have video surveillance, which is good news.
Do you think the unsub was here? It's possible.
These guys like to scout their targets prior to abduction.
They get off on the fact the victims never see them coming.
There's a lot they don't teach us at the Academy.
Experience handles the rest.
Let's get these tapes to Garcia.
Well, the kid definitely likes to draw, but I can't quite figure out what it is he's drawing.
That's a dog.
How can you possibly know that that looks like a dog? I don't know.
Maybe a dad knows.
Well, I didn't see a dog outside.
Did you? They use these for occupational therapy, but they're soft.
Those things are expensive, too.
That's a favorite.
I think we should get this to Reid.
He may be able to use it to connect with Sammy.
Look at these drawings.
This must be Sammy's desk.
Alison and Charlie really went out of their way to accommodate Sammy's condition.
He must have come here after school every day.
So he was a fixture, not just in the store but in the community.
It's no wonder the Sparks had to take out a loan.
They put all of their money into helping their son.
Such dedicated parents.
What happens to Sammy if we can't find them? Garcia's searching for relatives now.
If she can't find anyone, then he will be turned over to the state, and he'll be placed in a special needs Foster facility.
Let's make sure that doesn't happen.
We don't really have special resources to accommodate children like Sammy, so he's in with everybody else.
Can he comprehend the material? Not everything.
You know, I've done my best to research alternative teaching methods, but there's only so much I can do.
Children with autism normally think very logically.
Their minds can pick up patterns that ours normally wouldn't recognize.
Hmm.
Yes, that's right.
I've found that repetition and routine are the keys to getting through to him.
You know, that makes sense.
Repetition forms patterns on the brain, and as those patterns reoccur, it forms a calming influence on the child.
Which would allow new information to be retained.
I'm sure Sammy's parents figured that out, too.
His parents most likely kept him on a strict daily schedule.
Oh, like clockwork.
That's how Sammy was able to walk from his house to school yesterday.
He'd memorized the route.
Yeah, it's 7:45, time for him to go to school.
He doesn't need to wait for his mom or dad.
He simply grabs an empty lunchbox and heads here.
If Sammy was living on a strict routine, that means Charlie and Alison were, too.
Which would have only made them easier targets.
I'm not sure how we're going to get through to him.
Sammy's teacher says he's never even been able to return his own mother's hug.
Garcia, what have you got? On, E.
, I wish I could be more help.
If this is about money, it would be a hell of a lot easier for me to give you a list of people who wouldn't need it, and I'd probably save a forest in the process.
Due to the spill, fisherman and fishing-related industries have been hit the worst.
Sheriff, was it common knowledge that the Sparks had gotten this loan? I knew.
A loan around here is like winning the lottery.
So why no ransom note? Maybe the unsub thinks he can get the money directly from the source, cut out the middleman.
You think he'll use one of the parents as leverage to get the other to clear out their accounts.
He's already shot Charlie.
It shouldn't be that hard to manipulate Alison into doing what he wants if he offers medical assistance in exchange.
- I think hejust did.
- What have you got? I froze the Sparks' assets earlier today, but someone at the Bayside Branch one parish over just managed to withdraw $10,000 from their joint savings account.
Call the branch.
It they're still there, don't let them leave.
- Yeah.
- We're probably too late.
If the unsub has what he's after, Sammy's parents just became expendable.
Well, did you get it? I couldn't get you everything.
How much you get? What? 10,000? That's not enough.
I did exactly what you said.
I didn't say anything.
Please, I need to get back to Sammy.
God knows where he is right now.
I can't do that, Ali.
And Charlie.
Charlie's hurt.
He needs a doctor.
No, what he needs is a wife who pays better attention.
I'll never tell you where Charlie is if you don't get my money.
- You said that if I got you - Shut up! Or we're gonna sit here while Charlie bleeds to death, and you're never gonna see Sammy again.
The account was frozen.
How did she take the money out? We're on an old system.
It only updates every night at midnight.
Okay.
How much did she want? Well, she wanted to close out her account, but I told her I wouldn't be able to give her everything today.
We can't afford it.
How much is everything? Um $42, 176.
41.
And the bank does not have that on site? Not anymore.
Mrs.
Sparks isn't the first customer to consider closing her accounts.
Could we take a look at the security footage you have? Sure.
No sign of the unsub.
She doesn't look over her shoulder.
She doesn't try to warn you or anyone else in the bank? No.
What did she say to you when you told her you couldn't give her all the money? I told her I could get her 10,000 now and the rest in two days, but she became hysterical and kept saying that that's not enough.
Did she tell you what the money was for? She just asked for what she could get, and she left.
The unsub is probably holding Charlie at a secondary location.
Which means he might still be alive.
I have run every "L" I can find, think of, or make up in my giant magic head, and nothing hits.
I even ran the number 50 in case Sammy has some sort of predilection to Roman numerals.
Came up dry.
Any luck on finding Sammy's next of kin? In name only.
Charlie has a sister named Elizabeth that was last reported residing in Mont Belvieu, Tejas.
But she's not responding to calls or email.
Elizabeth.
The "L" could stand for Liz or Lizzie.
Garcia, we need to find her and fast.
I will move so fast, the earth will reverse its rotation and time bend backwards.
Hello.
All right, so this unsub has the money he needs.
Why hasn't he let the Sparks go? He has to be holding them for a reason.
We might have an answer to that.
Alison tried to withdraw $40,000 from the branch in Bayside, but she only got 10,000.
So maybe he's holding them until he gets the money he needs.
I think it's more than that.
I think he wants a specific amount.
Alison kept telling the bank manager that 10 grand wasn't enough.
That says to me he's told them what would be.
We believe the man you are looking for is in danger of losing a home, property, or a business.
That's most of the area.
We want to focus on residents with large families, single-income households, anyone with a financial responsibility for others.
That responsibility is probably what drove the unsub into action.
Now, he had no intention of hurting either of his victims.
For him, the abduction of Charlie and Alison Sparks was an unfortunate but necessary means to an end.
This area has been ravaged by last summer's oil spill.
So look for down-and-out fishermen, look for boat owners, or anyone who used to work in the tourist or beach industries.
And compare that list to people working part-time or under-the-table jobs.
This unsub didn't start with extortion, he was pushed there.
This man feels such a strong obligation to his dependents that he's willing to kidnap and steal from people he knows.
He may be in the process of losing someone close to him or has already.
Look at recent divorce filings, child custody cases.
The unsub went to a bank in the next parish.
That tells us he has his own mode of transportation, and he is conscious of the FBI's involvement in this case.
By now he realizes the Sparks' accounts are frozen, so he'll be seeking alternative ways to get the rest of the money he needs.
So canvass banks, pawnshops, any place that offers quick cash with minimal questions.
Thank you very much.
Oh, he's been busy.
What are those? We have no idea.
We're trying to find his aunt right now, but we're hoping that maybe in the meantime you'd be able to help us get through to him.
Okay, I'll try, but even before this happened, Sammy wasn't wild about talking.
What's that? These help some kids with autism learn routines.
School bus leaves at 2:15.
Sammy, what's this? Okay.
Okay.
Do you have any idea what that "L" might stand for? I have no idea.
Sammy.
Sammy, you're safe.
It's me, Ms.
Rogers.
I'm here.
I'm here, Sammy.
You're safe.
Sammy.
Sammy.
I've never seen that.
I don't know what it is.
Is he trying to type? I don't think so.
I think he's trying to play something.
Can we get a keyboard in here? There's a piano at his house.
You want to take a 10-year-old boy back to the crime scene where his father was shot? Sammy's trying to tell us something.
I think it's important we try to figure out what.
Well, who decides whether the harm to Sammy's well-being is worth whatever information you may or may not get by doing such a thing? He's a child, and I don't think you get to choose what's best for him.
Everyone, this is Lizzie Sparks, Sammy's aunt.
Uhh! Help! Don't do that! Are you okay? Ali, you made me do that.
I'm sorry, I didn't want to do that.
Are you all right? Why are you doing this? I ain't got a choice.
I gotta get my boys back.
This can't help you get them back.
Don't say that.
I got two more days to prove that I'm fit.
Fit? Just let me go.
- Please.
- I will.
But you gotta do something for me first.
I still don't see why you have to take him back to that place.
Sammy was playing the piano when his parents were abducted, so taking him back to the exact location might trigger an important response.
No, but he's fragile.
It could also wound him further.
I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do here.
You're Sammy's legal guardian right now.
The decision's yours.
No.
He barely knows her.
Lizzie, is it? For all we know, she's the "L" he's afraid of.
Sammy saw his aunt and didn't even react.
If she was the abductor, we'd have seen a visceral response.
You can't be sure of that.
He's in shock.
We are running a background check right now.
On me? It's just procedure.
But you have to decide.
What do you want us to do? I'm sorry, Ali.
I never meant to hurt Charlie.
Why didn't you just ask us for the money? If you were in trouble, we would have helped you.
I couldn't, Ali.
You got Sammy and all and I I get that.
Someday you'll get this.
Please, just let us go.
I need to get back to my son.
I will.
- But I gotta tie you up first.
- What? I'm gonna get my boys, I'm gonna go across the state line, then I'll call 911 and I'll tell them where you and Charlie are, and they'll come get you, I promise you.
Charlie doesn't have that kind of time.
He needs a doctor.
He'll be fine, I promise.
Charlie? Charlie! Charlie? Charlie? Oh, no! Charlie.
No! Hey.
So, the shop owner gave Alison Sparks 25 grand.
She wanted 30, but the owner balked.
She's got 25 from here, He's up to 35, but he wants 40.
Why is that a special number? We should call Garcia and have her run those numbers against the list she compiled of local residents and foreclosures see if anything matches up.
Okay, I'll call her right now.
Seaver.
Well, what do you make of that? It looks like it was used as a weapon.
I'm betting this belongs to our guy.
You see how it's rusted at the hook end? Give me a hint.
It's an old Fisherman's trick.
You can use the crowbar to hook crab traps and shrimp catches out at sea.
It's probably pretty common around here.
Yeah, but outside the same store Alison Sparks was last seen? Our unsub is definitely a fisherman.
We found him.
Where? He's headed for D.
C.
We'll meet you there.
Are we sure it's him? It's Doyle, all right.
I'm looking at him right now.
He chartered a private jet.
How did he get past security checks? He used an alias Chuck Murray.
- Wasn't that - Yeah.
The name of his Irish wolfhound.
He's baiting us.
He wants us to know he's here.
Message received.
Let that bastard come to us.
When was the last time you saw him? On his fifth birthday.
Five years.
Charlie and I had a fight.
It got ugly.
I haven't seen either one of them since.
Do you think Charlie's going to be okay? I'm hopeful.
Sammy, would it be all right if I sat here? ## Whoa.
You've been holding out on me, Sammy.
I didn't know you could play, Reid.
I can't.
I never have before, but it's essentially all math.
Sammy, how about you play this note For yes and this note for no.
Does that sound like something you could do? Yeah, exactly.
Just like that.
Now, Sammy, do you remember when the man came and took your parents away? ## ## Sammy, I don't understand.
Does this song mean something to you? I have run "L" for Lizzie and nothing suspicious.
Her story checks out.
What about local financial records? Ah.
I have cross-referenced every current and formerly licensed fisherman, crab men, shrimp men, friends of Poseidon, comes from the sea, you name it men with financial records showing default loans totaling over 35k.
Okay, what did you find? do not shoot the messenger.
Just tell me how to narrow it down.
Do all 127 have children? No, but 76 do.
Okay, how many of them have homes in foreclosure versus other debt that might not put them out onto the streets? Mm Oh, you are very good.
We are officially down to 24.
Send us those files.
At cybertastic speeds, my sweets.
## Everything all right? I'm a stranger in my own brother's house.
My nephew doesn't recognize me.
And then I find this.
Charlie told Sammy about me.
I always assumed that he'd never know who I was.
Do you mind my asking what the fight was about? I was the one who suspected Sammy had autism.
Charlie didn't see it.
He was so upset, he kicked me out.
How did you know? He was different.
So I did some research.
Charlie was blind to it.
He refused to accept what I found.
He was afraid.
Any father would be, learning his child isn't going to have it as easy as he did.
You sound like you talk from experience.
## Reid, take a look at this.
What, at Sammy's flip book? Not just a flip book.
His routine.
Shower, brush teeth, dress.
His entire life is planned in order.
Maybe we can figure out where Sammy met the unsub.
He already figured it out.
Sammy sees his life in pictures.
He's been trying to speak with us, but he only knows how to communicate through symbols.
Look, it's his language.
Anchors.
Like my socks.
And that's the tread on your shoes.
What does the "L" mean? It's not an "L.
" It's a time.
wants us to know about, the time that he met the unsub.
Where was he at 3:00? He goes there every day after school, and he doesn't leave until the store closes at 6:00.
Hey, Sammy.
Sammy, it's almost 3:00.
Is there someplace you should be? Should be store.
No, no, let him go.
Hotch, I think we've got something.
Morgan, we need to fast-forward to 3 p.
m.
If I'm right, the unsub is somewhere on this tape.
Wait a minute.
Here's when Sammy gets to the store.
They changed the music.
Why would they do that? It's for Sammy.
Classical might be more comforting than Hard Rock.
Okay, here's 3:00.
## That's the song.
Sammy's been trying to tell us who took his parents all along.
At 3 p.
m.
The song plays, the same song every day at the same time because Charlie Sparks puts the CD in at 2:30 when Sammy arrives.
Sammy's never late because Sammy sticks to a schedule, a routine.
This man arrives.
A deliveryman with a routine all of his own.
We need to figure out who that is because he's our unsub.
Former fisherman turned part-time deliveryman, saddled with more debt than he and his recently removed sons could sustain, including a foreclosing house and a defaulted boat loan.
Why didn't you tell me you were looking for Bill Thomas at 1024 Elmwood Avenue? - What about his boat? - Docked in the marina.
We're closer to the house.
Okay, we'll take the boat.
Let's go.
FBI! Morgan, he's not here.
I know, Hotch.
We got him.
Bill Thomas! This is the FBI! Give yourself up! Your boat is surrounded! We don't want anyone else to get hurt, Bill.
Turn yourself in! All right, listen up.
We move in as soon as SWAT is in position.
What's going on in there? Are you gonna respond? I had it, Ali.
A dream.
Not a big one.
It was my dream.
I put food on the table.
I had a family.
They loved me.
He was my dream.
Here.
Take this.
What are you doing? I can't take care of my boys if I go to jail.
But I can't.
If I do it myself, they won't get my life insurance policy.
Just do it.
No.
I'm not like you.
I know the difference between right and wrong.
You will, damn it.
You will do it.
Look at all I took away from you.
Charlie, he's gone.
He ain't never comin' back.
You understand that? You're gonna be alone at Sammy's graduation.
He's never gonna hear the voice of his father - or even remember what it sounds like.
- Stop.
Charlie's not gonna read to you in bed.
He told me he did that, didn't he? - He's not gonna kiss you.
- Stop.
You're never gonna feel his touch again.
You're gonna grow old alone, Ali.
Alone.
Your dream's over.
Move in! Ma'am.
Ma'am, are you hurt? I knew you were watching me.
What's the expression? Keeps your friends close, your enemies under surveillance? I've been here for two hours.
You should know better than to keep a lady waiting.
It seems hypocritical, seeing as I had to wait seven years.
- Hello, lan.
- Hello, Lauren.
Oh, wait.
Lauren Reynolds died in a car accident, didn't she? What do you want? You.
Oh, not today.
Don't worry about that.
But soon.
I've got a Glock leveled at your crotch.
What's to stop me from taking you and the little ones out right now? You'd never make it back to your car, and you know it.
Tell me, does the lovely Penelope know the truth about you? Or is she too busy watching movies with Derek to care? Here you are, all alone, while Aaron sits at home with his son.
And why didn't Dave and Ashley invite you to their game night? Maybe they thought you'd be on the Metro with Dr.
Reid.
Oh, that one does have some quirks.
Come near my team and I will end you.
I don't have a quarrel with them.
How long that remains the case depends entirely on you.
They're innocent.
- You are not.
- I was doing my job.
I think you did a little more than that.
You took the only thing that mattered to me.
So I'm going to take the only thing that matters to you.
Your life.
Honore de Balzac once said, "Most people of action are inclined to fatalism, and most of thought believe in Providence.
" Tell me, Emily Prentiss which do you think you're going to be?
Sean I was going to call you back.
I just I got busy on a case.
Lan Doyle vanished from prison.
INTERPOL can't find him.
Am I in danger? We all are.
Sean thinks we're all in danger, but I was the only one who had any personal connection to him.
As far as Doyle is concerned, Lauren Reynolds died in a car accident.
You died, and we're all good.
I want to hear you say it.
Lauren Reynolds is dead.
Bye.
Who's Lauren Reynolds? Qu'est-ce qui se passe? I want to talk to Sean.
They got her.
Drop the phone.
Get on the ground, now.
- Tsia? - He's gone.
Jeremy's dead.
How long have we been talking? You've gotta get out of there.
Oh, God.
It's Doyle, isn't it? Toss that cell phone and get home safely.
Prentiss, what's going on with you? I've been watching you the last couple of days, and something is obviously bothering you.
Derek, because I like you, I'm going to ask you not to do this.
## ## I was beginning to think you weren't coming.
After what happened to Jeremy, I was afraid.
Tsia, I'm sorry you can't be at his funeral.
It's today, isn't it? Well, that's the problem with marrying a member from your own team.
One of you is a target, so is the other.
I get it.
Hello, darling.
All right, let's make this quick.
I took a late lunch.
How many times do I have to tell you? I'm not quick about anything.
I don't know.
What about that time I blew my cover in Prague? You took out that sentry before I could even draw my weapon.
You saved my ass, Clyde.
I'm surprised you remember the little people from your INTERPOL days now that you're a posh FBI profiler.
What's being done to locate Doyle? Only every agency in the Northern hemisphere is looking for him.
What are we doing to find him? My contact at DCRI tracked one of Doyle's aliases leaving France the day after Jeremy's murder.
He took a commercial flight to Beijing, then doubled back on a train bound for Berlin.
But when GSG 9 intercepted it, he was already gone.
He sent me flowers, so I think it's safe to assume he's coming here.
Why is he doing this? Why do you think? We put him away.
Duty calls? I know what you're thinking.
Absolutely not.
Your team isn't under oath.
They don't have clearance.
They could help.
How? We don't even know where Doyle is.
Involving them at this point would be premature.
And reckless.
Leave it to Tsia and I.
You go be with your team.
Even in hiding Doyle can't resist extravagance.
Track the money.
I will find him, darling.
Trust me.
I don't trust anyone anymore.
Traffic.
I'm sorry.
Let's get started.
Okay.
10-year-old Sammy Sparks of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, showed up at his elementary school this morning covered in blood.
When police got to his house, they found that his parents, Charlie and Alison Sparks, were missing.
Well, forensics indicate that at least one of them was injured, and by the looks of it, it was pretty severely.
Has there been a ransom demand? There's been no communication whatsoever.
Then why call in the BAU? New Orleans is hoping we can interview Sammy.
No one's talked to the witness yet? I don't understand.
If Sammy was covered with blood, there's a good chance he could identify the unsub.
Sammy's autistic.
Getting him to tell us what happened isn't gonna be easy.
"Tomorrow, you promise yourself, will be different, "yet tomorrow is too often a repetition of today.
" Author James T.
McCay.
Is that the one where they fly around in the phone booth? First of all, it's a police box, not a phone booth.
Second of all, Dr.
Who started a quarter of a century before Bill and Ted even went on their bodacious adventure, so really, they should have just called it Bill and Ted's Excellent Rip-Off.
- I mean, at least then - I'm really sorry.
- For what? - Asking.
Good morning, Angels.
New information to report.
The blood at the crime scene matched type to Charlie Sparks, so we can assume that he is the injured party.
Well, shell casings by the door says he was shot.
Are we looking at a robbery gone wrong? No robber would break into a family residence before the start of school and not expect to find people home.
No, I think he came for Charlie and Alison Sparks.
He planned the abduction and then gained entry to the house.
But the scene is frenzied, disorganized.
He didn't think it through.
I hate to say it, but could Sammy be our unsub? I don't think so.
What's the number 1 motive in kidnapping? Financial gain.
Yeah, well, if that's the case, they are barking up the wrong money tree.
The family runs a music store that's been Sparks owned since the 1940s, but business is down, and a loan against the house is the only thing keeping that store afloat.
The unsub should have done his research.
Well, he may have.
This area was devastated by the oil spill.
A little bit of money would go a long way here.
First impression this is a man on a mission.
He didn't steal a single expensive item from either one of these rooms.
He definitely came for the parents.
No sign of forced entry.
The Sparks most likely recognized him, Hotch.
Unless the door was unlocked.
I highly doubt that.
Look at the blood pattern.
Charlie was shot as he was moving towards the door.
Well, how you figure that? Because of the pools of blood.
They're separated by distant steps.
Which means he had to be moving quickly, so he was running.
And the closer you get to the door, the more blood there is.
So he was shot right here, reached for his wound instinctively, and then tried to grab the piano to break his fall.
See, the handprint is facing upwards, toward the door, the same way he was facing when he was shot.
Alison was interrupted while she was making Sammy's lunch in the kitchen.
Because she heard the doorbell ring.
So she approaches the door, opens it only to find a gun aimed at her face.
So she screams.
That brings Charlie running down the stairs trying to help, but the unsub shoots Charlie because he won't back off.
Charlie's severely wounded.
Why does the unsub take the time to drag him out of the house knowing that he's leaving a 10-year-old witness home alone? The unsub must have known the family well enough to realize that Sammy would never be capable of I.
D.
Ing him.
Hi, Sammy.
I'm Dr.
Spencer Reid.
What are you drawing? Aah! Oh, God! Some autistic children don't handle touch well.
It's possible that witnessing his parents' abduction pushed him into emotional overload, and he shut down.
Look at that.
Is he trying to tell us something? Sammy.
We're looking for your mom and your dad.
Did "L" take them? - Garcia - Yes, sir.
I need you to run a list of all known associates to the Sparks family, focusing on everyone whose first or last name begins with the letter "L.
" Well, it looks like they were open to alternative methods of payment.
There's some construction work for a child's drum set and cleaning services for sheet music.
Bartering must be popular in a cash-strapped area like this.
They have video surveillance, which is good news.
Do you think the unsub was here? It's possible.
These guys like to scout their targets prior to abduction.
They get off on the fact the victims never see them coming.
There's a lot they don't teach us at the Academy.
Experience handles the rest.
Let's get these tapes to Garcia.
Well, the kid definitely likes to draw, but I can't quite figure out what it is he's drawing.
That's a dog.
How can you possibly know that that looks like a dog? I don't know.
Maybe a dad knows.
Well, I didn't see a dog outside.
Did you? They use these for occupational therapy, but they're soft.
Those things are expensive, too.
That's a favorite.
I think we should get this to Reid.
He may be able to use it to connect with Sammy.
Look at these drawings.
This must be Sammy's desk.
Alison and Charlie really went out of their way to accommodate Sammy's condition.
He must have come here after school every day.
So he was a fixture, not just in the store but in the community.
It's no wonder the Sparks had to take out a loan.
They put all of their money into helping their son.
Such dedicated parents.
What happens to Sammy if we can't find them? Garcia's searching for relatives now.
If she can't find anyone, then he will be turned over to the state, and he'll be placed in a special needs Foster facility.
Let's make sure that doesn't happen.
We don't really have special resources to accommodate children like Sammy, so he's in with everybody else.
Can he comprehend the material? Not everything.
You know, I've done my best to research alternative teaching methods, but there's only so much I can do.
Children with autism normally think very logically.
Their minds can pick up patterns that ours normally wouldn't recognize.
Hmm.
Yes, that's right.
I've found that repetition and routine are the keys to getting through to him.
You know, that makes sense.
Repetition forms patterns on the brain, and as those patterns reoccur, it forms a calming influence on the child.
Which would allow new information to be retained.
I'm sure Sammy's parents figured that out, too.
His parents most likely kept him on a strict daily schedule.
Oh, like clockwork.
That's how Sammy was able to walk from his house to school yesterday.
He'd memorized the route.
Yeah, it's 7:45, time for him to go to school.
He doesn't need to wait for his mom or dad.
He simply grabs an empty lunchbox and heads here.
If Sammy was living on a strict routine, that means Charlie and Alison were, too.
Which would have only made them easier targets.
I'm not sure how we're going to get through to him.
Sammy's teacher says he's never even been able to return his own mother's hug.
Garcia, what have you got? On, E.
, I wish I could be more help.
If this is about money, it would be a hell of a lot easier for me to give you a list of people who wouldn't need it, and I'd probably save a forest in the process.
Due to the spill, fisherman and fishing-related industries have been hit the worst.
Sheriff, was it common knowledge that the Sparks had gotten this loan? I knew.
A loan around here is like winning the lottery.
So why no ransom note? Maybe the unsub thinks he can get the money directly from the source, cut out the middleman.
You think he'll use one of the parents as leverage to get the other to clear out their accounts.
He's already shot Charlie.
It shouldn't be that hard to manipulate Alison into doing what he wants if he offers medical assistance in exchange.
- I think hejust did.
- What have you got? I froze the Sparks' assets earlier today, but someone at the Bayside Branch one parish over just managed to withdraw $10,000 from their joint savings account.
Call the branch.
It they're still there, don't let them leave.
- Yeah.
- We're probably too late.
If the unsub has what he's after, Sammy's parents just became expendable.
Well, did you get it? I couldn't get you everything.
How much you get? What? 10,000? That's not enough.
I did exactly what you said.
I didn't say anything.
Please, I need to get back to Sammy.
God knows where he is right now.
I can't do that, Ali.
And Charlie.
Charlie's hurt.
He needs a doctor.
No, what he needs is a wife who pays better attention.
I'll never tell you where Charlie is if you don't get my money.
- You said that if I got you - Shut up! Or we're gonna sit here while Charlie bleeds to death, and you're never gonna see Sammy again.
The account was frozen.
How did she take the money out? We're on an old system.
It only updates every night at midnight.
Okay.
How much did she want? Well, she wanted to close out her account, but I told her I wouldn't be able to give her everything today.
We can't afford it.
How much is everything? Um $42, 176.
41.
And the bank does not have that on site? Not anymore.
Mrs.
Sparks isn't the first customer to consider closing her accounts.
Could we take a look at the security footage you have? Sure.
No sign of the unsub.
She doesn't look over her shoulder.
She doesn't try to warn you or anyone else in the bank? No.
What did she say to you when you told her you couldn't give her all the money? I told her I could get her 10,000 now and the rest in two days, but she became hysterical and kept saying that that's not enough.
Did she tell you what the money was for? She just asked for what she could get, and she left.
The unsub is probably holding Charlie at a secondary location.
Which means he might still be alive.
I have run every "L" I can find, think of, or make up in my giant magic head, and nothing hits.
I even ran the number 50 in case Sammy has some sort of predilection to Roman numerals.
Came up dry.
Any luck on finding Sammy's next of kin? In name only.
Charlie has a sister named Elizabeth that was last reported residing in Mont Belvieu, Tejas.
But she's not responding to calls or email.
Elizabeth.
The "L" could stand for Liz or Lizzie.
Garcia, we need to find her and fast.
I will move so fast, the earth will reverse its rotation and time bend backwards.
Hello.
All right, so this unsub has the money he needs.
Why hasn't he let the Sparks go? He has to be holding them for a reason.
We might have an answer to that.
Alison tried to withdraw $40,000 from the branch in Bayside, but she only got 10,000.
So maybe he's holding them until he gets the money he needs.
I think it's more than that.
I think he wants a specific amount.
Alison kept telling the bank manager that 10 grand wasn't enough.
That says to me he's told them what would be.
We believe the man you are looking for is in danger of losing a home, property, or a business.
That's most of the area.
We want to focus on residents with large families, single-income households, anyone with a financial responsibility for others.
That responsibility is probably what drove the unsub into action.
Now, he had no intention of hurting either of his victims.
For him, the abduction of Charlie and Alison Sparks was an unfortunate but necessary means to an end.
This area has been ravaged by last summer's oil spill.
So look for down-and-out fishermen, look for boat owners, or anyone who used to work in the tourist or beach industries.
And compare that list to people working part-time or under-the-table jobs.
This unsub didn't start with extortion, he was pushed there.
This man feels such a strong obligation to his dependents that he's willing to kidnap and steal from people he knows.
He may be in the process of losing someone close to him or has already.
Look at recent divorce filings, child custody cases.
The unsub went to a bank in the next parish.
That tells us he has his own mode of transportation, and he is conscious of the FBI's involvement in this case.
By now he realizes the Sparks' accounts are frozen, so he'll be seeking alternative ways to get the rest of the money he needs.
So canvass banks, pawnshops, any place that offers quick cash with minimal questions.
Thank you very much.
Oh, he's been busy.
What are those? We have no idea.
We're trying to find his aunt right now, but we're hoping that maybe in the meantime you'd be able to help us get through to him.
Okay, I'll try, but even before this happened, Sammy wasn't wild about talking.
What's that? These help some kids with autism learn routines.
School bus leaves at 2:15.
Sammy, what's this? Okay.
Okay.
Do you have any idea what that "L" might stand for? I have no idea.
Sammy.
Sammy, you're safe.
It's me, Ms.
Rogers.
I'm here.
I'm here, Sammy.
You're safe.
Sammy.
Sammy.
I've never seen that.
I don't know what it is.
Is he trying to type? I don't think so.
I think he's trying to play something.
Can we get a keyboard in here? There's a piano at his house.
You want to take a 10-year-old boy back to the crime scene where his father was shot? Sammy's trying to tell us something.
I think it's important we try to figure out what.
Well, who decides whether the harm to Sammy's well-being is worth whatever information you may or may not get by doing such a thing? He's a child, and I don't think you get to choose what's best for him.
Everyone, this is Lizzie Sparks, Sammy's aunt.
Uhh! Help! Don't do that! Are you okay? Ali, you made me do that.
I'm sorry, I didn't want to do that.
Are you all right? Why are you doing this? I ain't got a choice.
I gotta get my boys back.
This can't help you get them back.
Don't say that.
I got two more days to prove that I'm fit.
Fit? Just let me go.
- Please.
- I will.
But you gotta do something for me first.
I still don't see why you have to take him back to that place.
Sammy was playing the piano when his parents were abducted, so taking him back to the exact location might trigger an important response.
No, but he's fragile.
It could also wound him further.
I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do here.
You're Sammy's legal guardian right now.
The decision's yours.
No.
He barely knows her.
Lizzie, is it? For all we know, she's the "L" he's afraid of.
Sammy saw his aunt and didn't even react.
If she was the abductor, we'd have seen a visceral response.
You can't be sure of that.
He's in shock.
We are running a background check right now.
On me? It's just procedure.
But you have to decide.
What do you want us to do? I'm sorry, Ali.
I never meant to hurt Charlie.
Why didn't you just ask us for the money? If you were in trouble, we would have helped you.
I couldn't, Ali.
You got Sammy and all and I I get that.
Someday you'll get this.
Please, just let us go.
I need to get back to my son.
I will.
- But I gotta tie you up first.
- What? I'm gonna get my boys, I'm gonna go across the state line, then I'll call 911 and I'll tell them where you and Charlie are, and they'll come get you, I promise you.
Charlie doesn't have that kind of time.
He needs a doctor.
He'll be fine, I promise.
Charlie? Charlie! Charlie? Charlie? Oh, no! Charlie.
No! Hey.
So, the shop owner gave Alison Sparks 25 grand.
She wanted 30, but the owner balked.
She's got 25 from here, He's up to 35, but he wants 40.
Why is that a special number? We should call Garcia and have her run those numbers against the list she compiled of local residents and foreclosures see if anything matches up.
Okay, I'll call her right now.
Seaver.
Well, what do you make of that? It looks like it was used as a weapon.
I'm betting this belongs to our guy.
You see how it's rusted at the hook end? Give me a hint.
It's an old Fisherman's trick.
You can use the crowbar to hook crab traps and shrimp catches out at sea.
It's probably pretty common around here.
Yeah, but outside the same store Alison Sparks was last seen? Our unsub is definitely a fisherman.
We found him.
Where? He's headed for D.
C.
We'll meet you there.
Are we sure it's him? It's Doyle, all right.
I'm looking at him right now.
He chartered a private jet.
How did he get past security checks? He used an alias Chuck Murray.
- Wasn't that - Yeah.
The name of his Irish wolfhound.
He's baiting us.
He wants us to know he's here.
Message received.
Let that bastard come to us.
When was the last time you saw him? On his fifth birthday.
Five years.
Charlie and I had a fight.
It got ugly.
I haven't seen either one of them since.
Do you think Charlie's going to be okay? I'm hopeful.
Sammy, would it be all right if I sat here? ## Whoa.
You've been holding out on me, Sammy.
I didn't know you could play, Reid.
I can't.
I never have before, but it's essentially all math.
Sammy, how about you play this note For yes and this note for no.
Does that sound like something you could do? Yeah, exactly.
Just like that.
Now, Sammy, do you remember when the man came and took your parents away? ## ## Sammy, I don't understand.
Does this song mean something to you? I have run "L" for Lizzie and nothing suspicious.
Her story checks out.
What about local financial records? Ah.
I have cross-referenced every current and formerly licensed fisherman, crab men, shrimp men, friends of Poseidon, comes from the sea, you name it men with financial records showing default loans totaling over 35k.
Okay, what did you find? do not shoot the messenger.
Just tell me how to narrow it down.
Do all 127 have children? No, but 76 do.
Okay, how many of them have homes in foreclosure versus other debt that might not put them out onto the streets? Mm Oh, you are very good.
We are officially down to 24.
Send us those files.
At cybertastic speeds, my sweets.
## Everything all right? I'm a stranger in my own brother's house.
My nephew doesn't recognize me.
And then I find this.
Charlie told Sammy about me.
I always assumed that he'd never know who I was.
Do you mind my asking what the fight was about? I was the one who suspected Sammy had autism.
Charlie didn't see it.
He was so upset, he kicked me out.
How did you know? He was different.
So I did some research.
Charlie was blind to it.
He refused to accept what I found.
He was afraid.
Any father would be, learning his child isn't going to have it as easy as he did.
You sound like you talk from experience.
## Reid, take a look at this.
What, at Sammy's flip book? Not just a flip book.
His routine.
Shower, brush teeth, dress.
His entire life is planned in order.
Maybe we can figure out where Sammy met the unsub.
He already figured it out.
Sammy sees his life in pictures.
He's been trying to speak with us, but he only knows how to communicate through symbols.
Look, it's his language.
Anchors.
Like my socks.
And that's the tread on your shoes.
What does the "L" mean? It's not an "L.
" It's a time.
wants us to know about, the time that he met the unsub.
Where was he at 3:00? He goes there every day after school, and he doesn't leave until the store closes at 6:00.
Hey, Sammy.
Sammy, it's almost 3:00.
Is there someplace you should be? Should be store.
No, no, let him go.
Hotch, I think we've got something.
Morgan, we need to fast-forward to 3 p.
m.
If I'm right, the unsub is somewhere on this tape.
Wait a minute.
Here's when Sammy gets to the store.
They changed the music.
Why would they do that? It's for Sammy.
Classical might be more comforting than Hard Rock.
Okay, here's 3:00.
## That's the song.
Sammy's been trying to tell us who took his parents all along.
At 3 p.
m.
The song plays, the same song every day at the same time because Charlie Sparks puts the CD in at 2:30 when Sammy arrives.
Sammy's never late because Sammy sticks to a schedule, a routine.
This man arrives.
A deliveryman with a routine all of his own.
We need to figure out who that is because he's our unsub.
Former fisherman turned part-time deliveryman, saddled with more debt than he and his recently removed sons could sustain, including a foreclosing house and a defaulted boat loan.
Why didn't you tell me you were looking for Bill Thomas at 1024 Elmwood Avenue? - What about his boat? - Docked in the marina.
We're closer to the house.
Okay, we'll take the boat.
Let's go.
FBI! Morgan, he's not here.
I know, Hotch.
We got him.
Bill Thomas! This is the FBI! Give yourself up! Your boat is surrounded! We don't want anyone else to get hurt, Bill.
Turn yourself in! All right, listen up.
We move in as soon as SWAT is in position.
What's going on in there? Are you gonna respond? I had it, Ali.
A dream.
Not a big one.
It was my dream.
I put food on the table.
I had a family.
They loved me.
He was my dream.
Here.
Take this.
What are you doing? I can't take care of my boys if I go to jail.
But I can't.
If I do it myself, they won't get my life insurance policy.
Just do it.
No.
I'm not like you.
I know the difference between right and wrong.
You will, damn it.
You will do it.
Look at all I took away from you.
Charlie, he's gone.
He ain't never comin' back.
You understand that? You're gonna be alone at Sammy's graduation.
He's never gonna hear the voice of his father - or even remember what it sounds like.
- Stop.
Charlie's not gonna read to you in bed.
He told me he did that, didn't he? - He's not gonna kiss you.
- Stop.
You're never gonna feel his touch again.
You're gonna grow old alone, Ali.
Alone.
Your dream's over.
Move in! Ma'am.
Ma'am, are you hurt? I knew you were watching me.
What's the expression? Keeps your friends close, your enemies under surveillance? I've been here for two hours.
You should know better than to keep a lady waiting.
It seems hypocritical, seeing as I had to wait seven years.
- Hello, lan.
- Hello, Lauren.
Oh, wait.
Lauren Reynolds died in a car accident, didn't she? What do you want? You.
Oh, not today.
Don't worry about that.
But soon.
I've got a Glock leveled at your crotch.
What's to stop me from taking you and the little ones out right now? You'd never make it back to your car, and you know it.
Tell me, does the lovely Penelope know the truth about you? Or is she too busy watching movies with Derek to care? Here you are, all alone, while Aaron sits at home with his son.
And why didn't Dave and Ashley invite you to their game night? Maybe they thought you'd be on the Metro with Dr.
Reid.
Oh, that one does have some quirks.
Come near my team and I will end you.
I don't have a quarrel with them.
How long that remains the case depends entirely on you.
They're innocent.
- You are not.
- I was doing my job.
I think you did a little more than that.
You took the only thing that mattered to me.
So I'm going to take the only thing that matters to you.
Your life.
Honore de Balzac once said, "Most people of action are inclined to fatalism, and most of thought believe in Providence.
" Tell me, Emily Prentiss which do you think you're going to be?