Criminal Minds s08e09 Episode Script
Magnificent Light
Your life is about to end.
You will all die.
In your remaining time on Earth, how do you want to live? As a bright and shining star? Or as a lost soul passing time? Do you want to live in darkness or reveal your magnificent light?! [Applause, upbeat music playing.]
[Cheering.]
Today you will all be reborn as your true selves.
We are all born with a unique gift.
And your only job here on Earth-- your only job-- is to share that gift.
Only then, only when we have shed our magnificent light on this world, will we experience real purpose, real fulfillment, and real joy.
[Cheering.]
Let me tell you something about myself.
I spent 12 years of my adult life absolutely miserable because I did not use my gift.
How many of you are living false lives? Maybe you're an accountant.
But somewhere in the dark recesses of your mind, there's a tickle.
And that tickle is a reminder of your gift.
Maybe it's a love for painting.
A love that you have had since before you could even talk.
Isn't that right, Cynthia Strobl? You could be the next Picasso.
Why have you deprived the world of your gift? And what about you, Ralph Pritchard? Do you really want to listen to your insufferable boss another day, or are you ready to start that business you've been dreaming of? Isn't it time for you to unveil your gift and take action?! Right here, right now, that's what we're gonna do.
Let's get started! I still can't believe this.
I never, not in a million years, thought I'd ever get to meet you in person.
And then you called my name and-- Cynthia.
The pleasure has been all mine.
Now do me a favor.
Go out into the world and show them your gift.
Oh, I will.
I promise you.
Goodbye, Cynthia.
That was the last one-on-one, Barry.
There's some more folks waiting for autographs.
Not now.
I need my private time.
When will you be back? Okay.
Whatever you want, Barry.
Sorry, folks, uh, Mr.
Flynn is late for a meeting.
[All grumbling.]
Barry: So take that first step now.
Be ready for resistance.
Others will try to stop you.
Don't let them.
Don't permit them to discourage you.
Don't allow them to stand in your way.
Tell them to trust you and glorious things will come.
[Gasps.]
Oh, my God, what are you-- "Derek, would you do me a favor and say a few words at the shindig?" Hey.
"The honor of your presence has been requested "by her majesty's ambassador in bestowing Jason A.
Ryder the title of honorary Commander of the Most Excellent Order"-- this is from the British embassy.
Garcia, do you mind? I'm sorry.
I don't know what came over me.
I saw the fancy invitation and I couldn't help myself.
We never get glamour here.
It's like shoeboxes to a hoarder.
[Sniffs.]
Well, you can just forget about it.
- Why? - 'Cause I'm not going.
But isn't Jason an old friend of yours? I've heard his name before.
And who's gonna give the speech if you don't? I don't know, but it's not going to be me.
We love the British, remember? Can we just drop this? I can go with you.
Nobody is going.
I'll wear my contacts.
What'd I say? Who do I wear my contacts for? Two people have been brutally stabbed in Seattle in the last two days.
Lincoln Bell, 28, he was found on Friday night.
And then Cynthia Strobl, 42, her body was found last night.
Both of them were killed in their own apartments.
Police are sure it's the same killer? Yes, because the same message was left behind.
"Hear your evil, see your evil.
" Isn't the phrase supposed to be "see no evil, hear no evil"? Yeah, it certainly changes the meaning, which is supposed to be about remaining virtuous even when you're surrounded by evil.
Well, the question is, did the killer just get the phrase wrong, or was he trying to send a completely different message? The killer could have been a non-native-English speaker.
But this syntax doesn't help identify his first language.
And the other question is, who is this message for? Is it a taunt to the police? It could be used to justify the murders.
You know, if you take the words literally, if sounds like he's speaking directly to the victims.
Was the message written with the victims' blood? The lab results aren't back yet.
Are there any witnesses? It doesn't look that way.
Which means the entry to the apartments was planned and methodical, but the actually killings seem chaotic and disorganized.
Maybe the unsub knew them and took the time to plan his break-in, but once he got close, his rage took over and he snapped.
You know, one thing's for sure.
With at least 30 stab wounds to each victim, this unsub sure has a lot of anger.
We need more answers.
Let's head to Seattle.
Oh, my God, what are you--aah! JJ: "A great deal of talent is lost to the world for the want of a little courage.
" Sydney Smith.
There's doesn't seem to be a connection between the two victims.
Different gender, race, age.
And they lived in different parts of the city.
Yeah.
Lincoln Bell worked in ticket sales at El Portal auditorium for the last 3 years.
Cynthia Strobl was an accountant.
She moved to Seattle a year ago.
It's unlikely they would have ever crossed paths.
Unless Cynthia bought a ticket from him at one point.
According to his mother, Lincoln's dream was to be an architect.
If he wasn't working, he was studying.
And Cynthia liked big band music and lectures at the museum, so the one thing they did have in common was very low-risk lifestyles.
Okay, I've confirmed that Cynthia lived in a security complex, the kind you need a special key fob to get in.
And Lincoln was living in a studio apartment at the top floor of a 6-story walkup.
So the unsub had the intelligence and the patience to get past the security entrance.
He either used a ruse or he blended in with the other residents.
Rossi: And he had to be in good physical shape to kill Lincoln Bell.
So, he bypassed easier victims and potential witnesses to commit these murders.
He was mission oriented.
Someone went out of their way to target these two people.
Yeah, look at these crime scene photos.
There's not a hint of remorse.
This unsub was determined and relentless, like he couldn't kill these victims enough.
And the different typology means they weren't surrogates for anyone.
So each victim probably did something separately to incite the unsub's rage.
But it must have been the same trigger that set him off, because the murders were so similar.
So, they had something in common outside of low-risk lifestyles.
We need a point of convergence, either a person or a place between the unsub and these two victims.
Cause of death was massive hemorrhage.
Both the carotid and the femoral arteries were severed, in addition to the other stab wounds.
There's no signs of any other injuries or of sexual assault.
Were the arteries cut first? It's hard to say, but it's very likely.
The first victim, Lincoln Bell, he had the same targeted lacerations to those arteries.
The other stab wounds, they seem more random.
So the unsub knew the best way to kill them, but he stabbed them multiple times afterwards to express his rage.
There's also something else that's unusual.
These stab wounds have a curvature to them.
They weren't made with an ordinary straight blade.
What sort of knife did he use? Based on my measurements, they were curved, sort of like a half circle.
Like a mezzaluna.
Does a mezzaluna look like this? Not exactly.
The knife that made these wounds probably had a vertical handle at least the leverage for the depth.
You know, it looks like a ceremonial weapon of some sort.
I agree.
These killings could be sacrificial.
Agent Hotchner.
Yes, sir.
Detective Harrison Chen.
Thanks for coming out.
This is Agent Blake.
Pleasure.
Lab results are back.
It's not blood on the walls.
Killer used a red paint that's widely available in hardware stores.
Paint belong to the victim? Nothing turned up in our initial search, so If the unsub brought the paint with him, that means the message was also premeditated.
It could be a forensic countermeasure, like the messages in the MacDonald case.
Dr.
Jeffrey MacDonald was convicted of murdering his family.
Supposedly he left messages to convince authorities that hippies had done it.
Hmm.
Uh, we spoke to the neighbors.
Apparently Cynthia was gone all evening.
No one knows where she was or when she came home.
Seems she's quiet, kept to herself.
The unsub could have followed her home or been waiting for her here.
Hotch, take a look at this.
The CD player was left on.
Barry: You are about to embark on the greatest adventure known to man.
That adventure is your own life.
She was there before she was murdered.
Morgan: So where is Mr.
Flynn now? You haven't told me what this is about yet.
Check the vari-lights.
There was a weird shadow last night.
We need information about these people.
Do you recognize them? Not him.
But her, yeah.
She was at the show last night.
She was one of the guests that got a one-on-one with Barry afterwards.
Morgan: And how would someone get that? People who buy advance tickets fill out a questionnaire.
Barry randomly selects 5 and mentions them by name during the show.
It's pretty mind-blowing to the people who are picked.
We can imagine.
Tell me, what goes on during one of these one-on-ones? Just mini life-coaching sessions.
It's only about 15 minutes, but people come out transformed.
And did Cynthia look transformed? Probably.
But I didn't actually see her.
She was Barry's last client.
He showed her out himself.
Flynn was probably the last person to see her alive.
Wait--she's dead? She was murdered.
So let me ask you again, where's Barry Flynn? I don't know.
He needs private time to rest and focus his mind.
It's part of his routine on show days.
But you're his manager.
You can't get ahold of him? Sorry.
To make sure he's not interrupted, no one knows where he goes.
Not me.
Not his family.
Not anyone.
It's always been like that.
Well, if you had to take a guess, where do you think he'd be? He books a hotel room or an apartment in every tour city.
He's probably there.
He's always back in time for the show.
What time did Barry leave? Last night.
It was earlier than usual.
[Music playing.]
Want some company? Sure.
I haven't seen you here before.
I'm just visiting.
Lucky you.
Nice weather for a change.
I was hoping for rain.
More romantic.
I'm Ricky.
Harold.
Have you seen the sights? Space Needle, Pike's Place market, the aquarium? The first two, yes, the aquarium, no.
Want a tour guide? Why not? We confirmed Flynn's been Mia since his private meeting with Cynthia Strobl, which officially makes him a suspect.
Well, he's a point of convergence between the victims.
Lincoln Bell had a program personally autographed by Flynn in his apartment, so we know they met.
Yeah.
Flynn was one of the last people, if not the last person to see Cynthia Strobl alive.
[Cell phone rings.]
Hey, Garcia.
You're on speaker.
What do you got? The 4-double-1 on Barry Flynn.
Hey, has anyone been listening to this "Unlimited Courage," 'cause it's pretty amazing.
I've just finished the first CD and I've already signed up for kickboxing class, and I painted a wall in my apartment white.
Which is a risky color in my world.
Garcia.
Oh, sorry.
Uh, well, Barry Flynn's is actually a stage name.
What's his real name? His real name is Harold Kerwin.
Although he never legally changed it, though.
He was raised in Reno, Nevada.
He went to a 2-year community college.
He got married right after.
He has a couple of assault charges for some bar fights.
And then he worked for 12 years as a car salesman before he left the rat race.
How so? He checked out, like quit his job, got a divorce, ran off to live in the desert.
Came back 3 years later and he was Barry Flynn.
He started talking at schools and local clubs, built up this following, became sort of an overnight sensation.
Within 3 years he was selling out Any idea what happened to him in those 3 years while he was in the desert? Well, according to Flynn, he meditated a lot, until his true gift was revealed to him.
I hate to admit it, but it sounds pretty vague to me.
Morgan: Thanks.
Never would've guessed he had a prior assault conviction.
He could be our guy.
[Cell phone rings.]
Chen.
Flynn had the means and the opportunity.
I'm just not clear about the motive.
We all know that public figures like politicians can have psychopathic tendencies and the ability to hide it.
But it doesn't make any sense that he'd kill his own paying customers.
And why start here, in Seattle? Why leave the bizarre message at the crime scenes? Well, Flynn's obviously a native English speaker, so, if he is the unsub, then the message could be indicative of some sort of delusion or psychosis.
That is possible given the ceremonial knife that was used.
You know, no history of recent head trauma.
He's too old to have suffered a traditional schizophrenic break.
Maybe a drug-induced psychosis? No.
Flynn's clean as a whistle.
Doesn't even eat dairy according to his bio.
Well, as a celebrity, he has a vested interest in a clean image.
But who was he, really? Flynn's rental car was just located outside a bar in Alki.
[Handcuff rattles.]
Barry on CD: How did you end up where you are today.
Was it a conscious choice? Or does it feel like you had no control in the matter? You made me do this, Barry Flynn.
I guess we know how he was spending his "private time.
" Too bad he couldn't be open about it.
He's probably afraid it would hurt his public image.
It's the same blood type as Flynn's.
We're running a DNA test.
We also found this.
It's a 100-decibel personal alarm.
Flynn's manager said he always carried it with him, for protection.
Flynn's not the unsub, he's a victim.
He felt threatened enough to be holding the alarm, dropped it when the unsub clocked him and took him away in another vehicle.
No surveillance cameras.
Guess the customers like their privacy.
So, what, did Flynn meet the unsub in the bar? Probably.
No one inside noticed anything unusual, so they came out together voluntarily.
Maybe Flynn had a change of heart and the unsub got angry.
We talked to the staff.
None of them remember even seeing Flynn.
Well, he'd probably wear a disguise if he wanted to be anonymous in public.
So the unsub didn't know who he was? Maybe not.
But the M.
O.
's different here.
Flynn wasn't blitz attacked at home like the others.
What if Flynn was the ultimate target and the others were used to get information on him? Or maybe the other victims got in the way.
We could be looking at an extreme fan.
Yeah, someone could have followed him here.
Most of the workers and stagehands in Flynn's company are volunteers.
So he'd be surrounded by fanatics.
He'd be watching his every move.
Well, let's just hope it was one of them who nabbed him.
Why? Because then there's a chance he's still alive.
Barry on CD: The greatest gift is inside you already.
It's always been there, a constant companion.
[Turns off CD.]
When I heard that, I finally understood that I had to use my gift.
When I was a kid, I used to talk about it, until people said that I sounded weird.
And I hated it because it made me different.
And I tried to shut it off, but I didn't want to-- What did you do to me? You wouldn't come with me, and I had to do what I needed to do to get you to listen.
Listen to what? I was fired.
Couldn't get another job.
I was an unemployed, middle-aged loser with no prospects.
I almost killed myself.
Then I found you.
What's your name? Carl.
Carl Finster.
Carl, I can see that you're in pain.
I'm not.
I feel alive.
Like--like electricity is running through me.
[Handcuff rattles.]
Can you take these off? I won't try to escape.
I promise.
I'm here for you.
You're lying.
I don't blame you.
I just need you to hear me out until I know that you're convinced.
Convinced of what? That I'm your biggest success story.
While we initially thought Barry Flynn might be a suspect, it turns out we're looking for one of his followers.
An unsub who suffers from erotomania.
He's obsessed with Flynn, his latest abductee, and he may believe that Flynn's also in love with him.
Erotomania has very little to do with sex.
It's a romantic or spiritual connection that erotomanics crave.
Victims of the delusion tend to be from a higher social status and have done very little to stimulate or encourage such a belief.
In fact, it's likely the unsub and Barry Flynn have had no previous contact.
His infatuation probably began from afar, considering Flynn's celebrity status.
The patience required to commit his crimes makes us believe he's a male in his late 30s to 40s who is single and socially immature.
He's a loner with poor social skills.
And although he is capable of holding down a job, he most likely neglects his duties to focus on his obsession.
This is a guy who spends much of his time living in his delusional fantasy world.
And he may have been tracking Flynn for quite some time.
And with erotomania, the most likely recipient of violence is the person standing in the way of the desired object.
Blake: It's possible the unsub witnessed an interaction between his two first victims and Flynn, killing them in a jealous rage.
JJ: Another possibility is that the unsub killed them to prove his devotion.
The weapon used had a ceremonial quality to it.
Which means the unsub probably views these victims as sacrifices, and the messages he is leaving may be meant for Flynn.
In his head, he may believe that he's already involved in a personal relationship with Flynn.
And now that Flynn is under his control, this situation is especially precarious.
If the unsub is under the delusion that Flynn also cares about him, then any misstep by Flynn that contradicts that belief, could lead to more victims or even Flynn's own murder, to prove they have a special bond.
With each passing hour, it's increasingly unlikely that Flynn will be able to match the unsub's expectations for him.
So we must act quickly.
Thank you.
I've ignored my gift for so long.
What is your gift? I don't hear things the way most people do.
I see it.
What does that mean? Well, when people talk, I know the truth about them.
You know the truth.
Like I knew you were lying when you said you wouldn't try to escape.
A doctor told my parents that there was a wire crossed in my brain.
It's harmless.
Kind of like a birthmark.
But thanks to you, I know he was wrong.
How so? Because it's more than a birthmark.
I got this ability for a reason, and what I need to do is take action, and that's what you've been telling me.
What are you planning to do, Carl? Let me show you.
We said that this unsub had poor social skills, so how did he lure Flynn out of the bar? Good question.
Maybe he had help from someone with more charisma.
Well, we should amend the profile, let the media know That there may be a temporary partner involved.
All right, I'll call Garcia and get her to narrow the list of seminar attendees.
Hey, baby girl.
If loving you is wrong, baby boy, I don't want to be right.
Well, likewise, mama.
I need you to look into fans of Barry Flynn.
Oh, I already have those numbers for you.
He has over two million fans worldwide, and the kind that are crazy infatuated with him, I would say about 100,000.
Hey, do you know that if you join Barry's official circle of friends, you get the "Unlimited Courage" 12-CD set for 49.
99, plus a free "Live or die, you choose" mug.
Come on, don't tell me you joined.
No.
Why would you say that? I didn't--I didn't do that.
There's just things I need motivation for.
Like I had that cupcake problem, and I really wanted to learn how to play the clarinet.
And Barry Flynn is a good guy who really helps people, and I want you to find him.
We're doing our best, girl.
By the way, totally different subject-- I happened upon that invitation guest list for the British embassy thing.
Did you know that Madonna and Stephen Hawking are going? Not together, but they're going.
Penelope Seriously, you're gonna miss a chance to meet Stephen Hawking? Reid will kill you.
Well, then I'm dead.
Why don't you want to go? [Sighs.]
It's personal.
How about that? Oh, it's per-- oh, my God, it's personal? That never occurred to me that it would be personal.
I thought is was like stock market related or 'cause of the weather.
Will you cut it out, already.
Okay.
Keep your super secrets to yourself, 007.
Look, just do me a favor.
Find out how many of Flynn's uberfans live in Seattle.
Then I want you to narrow it down even more by cross-referencing with people with anger management issues.
thank you and goodbye, Garcia.
Yeah, Derek-- Hello? What are you doing here, Carl? Uh, I was missing a personal photo.
Thought maybe I left it here.
Your cubicle was cleaned out when you were fired.
What do you really want? You made a big mistake when you fired me.
I mean--I don't have a gun, if that's what you're worried about.
And I just wondered why you did it.
Oh, come on, you know why.
I was getting complaints about you.
Customers are never happy.
You yelled at them.
And you scared your co-workers.
They thought you were seeing things half the time.
Just like you are now.
What are you even looking at? It's unsettling.
We were worried about you.
It's not that you're a bad person, but this just isn't the right place for you, Carl.
I'm sure there's another job you'd be much happier doing.
You've always been envious of me, haven't you? I threaten you in some way.
Okay, whatever.
Look, you're gonna have to go.
He came forward when he saw our statement to the media.
Someone paid him 200 bucks to bring Barry Flynn out of the bar into the parking lot.
What happened in the parking lot? I don't know.
I told Flynn to wait for me, that I left my keys in the bar and that I'd be right back.
Was that part of the plan? Yeah.
But I never came back outside again, so-- Now, you said the guy that paid you was a little weird.
How so? He couldn't look at me when he talked, and he kept yapping about a magnificent light.
[Breathing hard.]
I got 'em.
Ha.
Transcripts of the calls I handled and the customers' addresses.
Let me go.
You gotta let me go, Carl.
Oh, no, no, no.
[Laughs.]
No, we're just getting started.
Do you remember how I said how I felt alive, like electricity was coursing through me? Well, I felt this way once before when I was 10.
I had this dream that I was a superhero, and I had this partner, and together we killed evil people with this powerful knife.
Well, I'm going to kill these evil people.
[Indistinct chatter.]
Help! Somebody, help! Aah! Damn it! Why do you keep resisting me?! You awoke this gift in me.
You of all people should understand that we have to do this mission together.
Why was there so much overkill on the two victims? They were threats to the unsub's imaginary relationship with Flynn.
They hardly knew Flynn.
I mean, at least 4 other people had private meetings with him.
He gave autographs to at least a dozen others.
Why those two? Well, it's not reality based.
His delusional mind exaggerated the relationships they had with Flynn.
Maybe he's not driven by jealousy.
What if the overkill was to make doubly sure that they were dead and couldn't come back to life? The way you'd want to kill a monster in a horror movie.
Exactly.
Maybe he saw them as evil.
That could explain the messages on the wall.
Where are we? Janet Dodd's house.
She's evil and we need to stop her.
Carl, you're making a big mistake.
I'm just doing what you told me to.
I'm taking action.
You misunderstood me.
Now stop this before it's too late.
You do not want blood on your hands.
[Laughing.]
What's so funny?! You are.
I've already killed two already.
It's been in the news.
[Takes deep breath.]
Okay, she's alone now.
Tell the police if you think she's evil.
No, no, no.
The police won't do a damn thing.
No, I was in a bar once and I saw a guy who was the epitome of evil, and I called the police to tell them, and they hung up on me.
And then 6 hours later, a mother and her baby were killed when someone tried to carjack them.
And I know it was him.
I could have saved them.
Don't worry.
You just watch.
Ready? You can tell me I'm not the one I know the sun is shining somewhere on someone, it's only me, baby [Muffled shouting.]
No! Aah! [Indistinct police radio.]
"Hear your red, see your red.
" Well, somehow it makes sense to him.
The unsub is clearly devolving.
Yeah, the letters are shakier.
This message is less controlled than the others.
I agree.
The word "evil" was replaced by "red," which means "red" could have been from his unconscious, a freudian slip, so to speak.
But what does it mean? Is it something specific to this victim? Janet Dodd.
Got divorced two years ago, she lived here alone, worked as a paralegal.
Any known enemies? Perhaps the ex-husband? Uh, not according to her sister.
The husband left Janet.
Any connection to Flynn? Doesn't seem to be.
In fact her sister was trying to get her to move on with her life, but Janet seemed completely unmotivated.
The unsub didn't pick her because of her connection to Flynn, then.
Then why did he choose her? Somehow their paths must have crossed.
Well, she didn't get out much.
Only went to work and then back home.
We're pulling her phone records, see who she talked to last.
She's got a lot of overdue bills.
Uh, yeah, her sister said she was struggling financially.
She cut up a credit card that wasn't expired.
Why? People often do when they're trying to rein in their spending.
Psychologically it's harder to part with cash.
The phone logs.
A lot of calls recently to the same 800 number.
[Dialing.]
[Line ringing.]
Woman on recording: Welcome to Luxor Bank cards.
Ooh! Ooh.
Hey, watch it, ese.
What's your problem, man? You blind or something? Huh? You're lucky I'm busy today.
Okay.
There we go.
There.
Take a sip.
Come on.
No.
Come on, you'll feel better.
Come on.
What do you want with me, Carl? Isn't it obvious? We're partners.
We're destined to fight evil together.
We're not p When does the mission end? Mm.
Never.
This is only the beginning.
I don't think I realized how serious you were, Carl.
You really want to change the world, don't you? You have the conviction of a superhero.
I believe that now.
Come on, uncuff me.
I won't run.
I promise.
When we got to our next target.
[Exhales.]
I knew you'd come around.
[Engine starts.]
Go ahead, Garcia.
Okay, so I cross-referenced Barry Flynn fans with people who had anger management issues and Luxor Bank got one hit.
Carl Finster.
He worked as a customer service rep at the call center there.
He was fired 4 months ago.
What are the chances that he spoke to Janet Dodd on the phone? Oh, the chances are 100%, because she called that center at least 20 times in the last year, and Carl answered at least 3 of those calls.
JJ: What was the anger management issue? Oh, apparently one of his co-workers filed a complaint after Carl got super mad at her about God knows what and threatened her but good.
He was fired a month later.
I am sending you his address now.
Okay, so getting fired was his stressor, and Barry Flynn's seminar was his trigger somehow.
If he's stalking credit card customers, we need to find out who he spoke to.
A good point.
Take Blake and Reid and go to the workplace.
The rest of us will go to the house.
Let's go.
Some of his co-workers thought he was mentally ill.
When someone suggested he get help, he went off, practically threatened to kill her.
What did you think? Something wasn't right.
I mean, you'd be talking to him and he wouldn't even be looking at you.
He'd be looking around you.
Was it like he was hallucinating? Yeah.
He started getting weird with the customers and going off script, and, you know, I had to fire him.
Going off script in what ways? [Sighs.]
We have a set algorithm of questions depending on what the customer's calling about.
We review transcripts regularly, and Carl was perfectly fine with some customers.
But with others, he'd be verbally abusive for no reason.
Clear.
It's clear! There's nobody here.
Hey, you guys, look at this knife.
Is this who Carl Finster thinks he is? Man: Why does my card keep getting rejected? I've been paying the minimum balance on time.
Carl: You were 5 days late in your April payment, so you're a liar.
Man: What? Did you just call me a liar? Carl: I know who you are, Howard Jephson.
I can see your words.
Okay, you know what? I want to talk to your supervisor.
You are rotten to the core! You don't deserve any more credit! See what I was dealing with? Carl was attacking certain customers for no reason.
Why did he come back last night? Well, at first I thought he came here to shoot up the place.
But now I think it was to steal the recordings of his calls.
We confirmed he downloaded a file.
Wait a minute, guys.
He told the caller he could see his words.
And you said he acted like he was hallucinating? I think I might know what's wrong with him.
He has synesthesia.
It's a neurological phenomenon in which two or more senses are triggered simultaneously.
For instance, someone might associate specific numbers with colors or even be able to taste music.
I think Carl has the form of synesthesia in which he can literally see the words that people are speaking.
Hence the message he left-- "hear your evil, see your evil.
" It looks like he transcribed conversations he had with people in different colors of ink.
Green, orange, red.
Well, these are not happy conversations.
Reid, we can see here that each of the colors mean something different to him.
White words mean the speaker is good.
It looks like the orange ink means the speaker's a liar.
You know, maybe he sees people's word in different colors depending on what type of person he thinks they are.
What's the content of the red ones? Oh, they're angry.
He accuses them of being evil.
And so he sees their words in red.
"Hear your red, see your red.
" He might believe it's a super power.
It looks like he tried to stop the synesthesia by wearing tinted glasses.
The fact is, we know his latest victim was a customer he spoke to.
His old boss says he came in last night and stole a copy of the recordings.
The only reason is to compile a list of people he considers evil.
Exactly.
The hit list.
And he's got all their addresses and vital information.
[Cocks gun.]
Get in the house, now.
Oh, my God.
You're the guy on the news.
Do as he says.
Get in the house! Shut up! Aah! Howard Jephson, I know who you really are.
I'm not Howard Jephson.
No games.
Not if you want your family to live.
I'm telling you the truth.
We're just renting the house.
My name is Stephen Caldwell.
We never even met Howard.
We just saw his name on the lease agreement.
We made a mistake.
Let's go.
Look, if you leave now, we won't call the police.
[Sobbing.]
Ohh! Carl, what the hell! He lied to us.
His words turned orange.
Now, hand me the knife.
It's the wrong guy.
I said hand me the knife! Okay.
Give me the gun.
Wait.
Say that again.
Give me the gun.
He's got 150 names in the Seattle area.
He could be going after any one of them.
Garcia, any way to narrow it down to callers in the city.
Okay, that gives us 32.
Was Janet Dodd the first name alphabetically of those 32? No, she was the ninth.
So he's not going alphabetically.
How else would you organize a hit list? Maybe time a contact.
He started with the first person he spoke to.
No, because he talked to Janet Dodd the last day he was employed.
He's going in reverse order.
The ones he talked to most recently would be freshest in his mind.
Garcia, take the last callers and find out which ones live closest to Janet Dodd.
Okay, I got two names that are about the same distance from her.
Ranga Patel and Howard Jephson.
All right, you two take Blake and go to Howard Jephson.
The rest of us will go to the Patel house.
How did you do that? Do what? How did you hide your true nature for so long? Enough, Carl.
Listen to me.
Listen to me carefully.
You are not a victim of circumstance.
You are a creature of free will.
Take the right action.
Let this family go.
[Sobbing.]
No one goes anywhere.
I know that you don't feel in control right now.
You don't know how you ended up here, and it feels like there's no way out.
But there is a way out.
I can help you.
You think I'll believe anything you say anymore? You and I have a special bond, Carl.
I know this isn't you.
You don't know anything about me.
Aah! Aah FBI! Drop it! He's evil! I can see it.
All right, come on, let's go.
We know what's going on, Carl.
You've had a special talent your whole life, haven't you? It's my gift.
Barry Flynn here unleashed that, Carl.
How can you hurt a man who's given you so much? He changed! I saw red.
What do you see when we speak? We know that you called the police last year, and you warned them about a man.
They ignored me.
They ignored me and then he killed a mother and her baby.
It wasn't him.
The man you warned them about was questioned, but it wasn't him.
They found the real killer a week later and he confessed.
Carl, your gift is not reliable.
It's just a reflection on how you feel about other people, but, Carl, it's not who they really are.
If you kill this man, you'll be destroying a magnificent light.
Think about it.
Put the weapons down.
[Groaning.]
Morgan: "The mystery of human existence "lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for.
" Fyodor Dostoevsky.
Hey.
I encourage you not to be mad at me.
I did a little research about Jason Ryder, and I found out that he was your father's old partner at the Chicago P.
D.
, so I'm assuming that there was some sort of falling out? No, Garcia.
Jason moved to New York after my father died.
He was a hero on 9/11.
That's why he's being honored.
So what's the problem? Years ago, I was supposed to talk about my father at the fallen law enforcement memorial.
I got up to the podium, then I froze.
You had stage fright.
No.
It wasn't that at all.
Well, there's the obvious remedy, which is imagining the whole audience naked, but you could imagine a whole audience full of unsubs.
You're really good at talking down an unsub.
Baby girl, it wasn't stage fright.
I wasn't ready to discuss my feelings about my father in public.
And you think talking about his partner is going to bring up those feelings? How can I honor Jason Ryder when I couldn't honor my own father? It's disrespectful.
Okay, this is gonna start out sounding really harsh, but you need to get over it.
You need to let it go.
That is so far past.
You've gotta stop beating yourself up about this.
That's not gonna happen, is it? Okay.
Well, then this, uh, this gift is totally pointless.
It's just some stuff from Barry Flynn.
I talked to him about your issue, and he gave you another incentive as a thank-you.
You only have it for 24 hours.
So Mm-hmm.
A policeman pulled over a man, and he said to him, "Sir, your eyes look bloodshot.
Have you been drinking?" And that man replied, "Officer, your eyes look glazed.
Have you been eating doughnuts?" [Laughter.]
You see, that right there was the last joke that my father ever told me before he died.
A special gift in my life are the 11 years that I did have with him.
Because as brief as they may have been, my dad gave me unconditional love.
He taught me a sense of duty.
And he gave me a reason to keep working hard.
Because each and every day, I do all that I know how to do to make my father proud.
Now, my dad was taken from this world way too soon.
But if he wasn't, I wouldn't be the man that I am today.
Now, you may be wondering why I'm talking about him here.
It's because my father, the man that I admire the most Looked up to Mr.
Jason Ryder, who we honor here tonight.
Jason was the most important person in my father's life outside of his family.
He was his partner and his best friend.
Like my father, Jason strived to be the best he could be.
He inspired me to be fearless and to go out into the world and find my inner light.
And for that, Jason, I am eternally grateful to you.
[Applause.]
No, please.
Please don't.
Please don't! Please! No, no, no! No, please! Please don't! Please!
You will all die.
In your remaining time on Earth, how do you want to live? As a bright and shining star? Or as a lost soul passing time? Do you want to live in darkness or reveal your magnificent light?! [Applause, upbeat music playing.]
[Cheering.]
Today you will all be reborn as your true selves.
We are all born with a unique gift.
And your only job here on Earth-- your only job-- is to share that gift.
Only then, only when we have shed our magnificent light on this world, will we experience real purpose, real fulfillment, and real joy.
[Cheering.]
Let me tell you something about myself.
I spent 12 years of my adult life absolutely miserable because I did not use my gift.
How many of you are living false lives? Maybe you're an accountant.
But somewhere in the dark recesses of your mind, there's a tickle.
And that tickle is a reminder of your gift.
Maybe it's a love for painting.
A love that you have had since before you could even talk.
Isn't that right, Cynthia Strobl? You could be the next Picasso.
Why have you deprived the world of your gift? And what about you, Ralph Pritchard? Do you really want to listen to your insufferable boss another day, or are you ready to start that business you've been dreaming of? Isn't it time for you to unveil your gift and take action?! Right here, right now, that's what we're gonna do.
Let's get started! I still can't believe this.
I never, not in a million years, thought I'd ever get to meet you in person.
And then you called my name and-- Cynthia.
The pleasure has been all mine.
Now do me a favor.
Go out into the world and show them your gift.
Oh, I will.
I promise you.
Goodbye, Cynthia.
That was the last one-on-one, Barry.
There's some more folks waiting for autographs.
Not now.
I need my private time.
When will you be back? Okay.
Whatever you want, Barry.
Sorry, folks, uh, Mr.
Flynn is late for a meeting.
[All grumbling.]
Barry: So take that first step now.
Be ready for resistance.
Others will try to stop you.
Don't let them.
Don't permit them to discourage you.
Don't allow them to stand in your way.
Tell them to trust you and glorious things will come.
[Gasps.]
Oh, my God, what are you-- "Derek, would you do me a favor and say a few words at the shindig?" Hey.
"The honor of your presence has been requested "by her majesty's ambassador in bestowing Jason A.
Ryder the title of honorary Commander of the Most Excellent Order"-- this is from the British embassy.
Garcia, do you mind? I'm sorry.
I don't know what came over me.
I saw the fancy invitation and I couldn't help myself.
We never get glamour here.
It's like shoeboxes to a hoarder.
[Sniffs.]
Well, you can just forget about it.
- Why? - 'Cause I'm not going.
But isn't Jason an old friend of yours? I've heard his name before.
And who's gonna give the speech if you don't? I don't know, but it's not going to be me.
We love the British, remember? Can we just drop this? I can go with you.
Nobody is going.
I'll wear my contacts.
What'd I say? Who do I wear my contacts for? Two people have been brutally stabbed in Seattle in the last two days.
Lincoln Bell, 28, he was found on Friday night.
And then Cynthia Strobl, 42, her body was found last night.
Both of them were killed in their own apartments.
Police are sure it's the same killer? Yes, because the same message was left behind.
"Hear your evil, see your evil.
" Isn't the phrase supposed to be "see no evil, hear no evil"? Yeah, it certainly changes the meaning, which is supposed to be about remaining virtuous even when you're surrounded by evil.
Well, the question is, did the killer just get the phrase wrong, or was he trying to send a completely different message? The killer could have been a non-native-English speaker.
But this syntax doesn't help identify his first language.
And the other question is, who is this message for? Is it a taunt to the police? It could be used to justify the murders.
You know, if you take the words literally, if sounds like he's speaking directly to the victims.
Was the message written with the victims' blood? The lab results aren't back yet.
Are there any witnesses? It doesn't look that way.
Which means the entry to the apartments was planned and methodical, but the actually killings seem chaotic and disorganized.
Maybe the unsub knew them and took the time to plan his break-in, but once he got close, his rage took over and he snapped.
You know, one thing's for sure.
With at least 30 stab wounds to each victim, this unsub sure has a lot of anger.
We need more answers.
Let's head to Seattle.
Oh, my God, what are you--aah! JJ: "A great deal of talent is lost to the world for the want of a little courage.
" Sydney Smith.
There's doesn't seem to be a connection between the two victims.
Different gender, race, age.
And they lived in different parts of the city.
Yeah.
Lincoln Bell worked in ticket sales at El Portal auditorium for the last 3 years.
Cynthia Strobl was an accountant.
She moved to Seattle a year ago.
It's unlikely they would have ever crossed paths.
Unless Cynthia bought a ticket from him at one point.
According to his mother, Lincoln's dream was to be an architect.
If he wasn't working, he was studying.
And Cynthia liked big band music and lectures at the museum, so the one thing they did have in common was very low-risk lifestyles.
Okay, I've confirmed that Cynthia lived in a security complex, the kind you need a special key fob to get in.
And Lincoln was living in a studio apartment at the top floor of a 6-story walkup.
So the unsub had the intelligence and the patience to get past the security entrance.
He either used a ruse or he blended in with the other residents.
Rossi: And he had to be in good physical shape to kill Lincoln Bell.
So, he bypassed easier victims and potential witnesses to commit these murders.
He was mission oriented.
Someone went out of their way to target these two people.
Yeah, look at these crime scene photos.
There's not a hint of remorse.
This unsub was determined and relentless, like he couldn't kill these victims enough.
And the different typology means they weren't surrogates for anyone.
So each victim probably did something separately to incite the unsub's rage.
But it must have been the same trigger that set him off, because the murders were so similar.
So, they had something in common outside of low-risk lifestyles.
We need a point of convergence, either a person or a place between the unsub and these two victims.
Cause of death was massive hemorrhage.
Both the carotid and the femoral arteries were severed, in addition to the other stab wounds.
There's no signs of any other injuries or of sexual assault.
Were the arteries cut first? It's hard to say, but it's very likely.
The first victim, Lincoln Bell, he had the same targeted lacerations to those arteries.
The other stab wounds, they seem more random.
So the unsub knew the best way to kill them, but he stabbed them multiple times afterwards to express his rage.
There's also something else that's unusual.
These stab wounds have a curvature to them.
They weren't made with an ordinary straight blade.
What sort of knife did he use? Based on my measurements, they were curved, sort of like a half circle.
Like a mezzaluna.
Does a mezzaluna look like this? Not exactly.
The knife that made these wounds probably had a vertical handle at least the leverage for the depth.
You know, it looks like a ceremonial weapon of some sort.
I agree.
These killings could be sacrificial.
Agent Hotchner.
Yes, sir.
Detective Harrison Chen.
Thanks for coming out.
This is Agent Blake.
Pleasure.
Lab results are back.
It's not blood on the walls.
Killer used a red paint that's widely available in hardware stores.
Paint belong to the victim? Nothing turned up in our initial search, so If the unsub brought the paint with him, that means the message was also premeditated.
It could be a forensic countermeasure, like the messages in the MacDonald case.
Dr.
Jeffrey MacDonald was convicted of murdering his family.
Supposedly he left messages to convince authorities that hippies had done it.
Hmm.
Uh, we spoke to the neighbors.
Apparently Cynthia was gone all evening.
No one knows where she was or when she came home.
Seems she's quiet, kept to herself.
The unsub could have followed her home or been waiting for her here.
Hotch, take a look at this.
The CD player was left on.
Barry: You are about to embark on the greatest adventure known to man.
That adventure is your own life.
She was there before she was murdered.
Morgan: So where is Mr.
Flynn now? You haven't told me what this is about yet.
Check the vari-lights.
There was a weird shadow last night.
We need information about these people.
Do you recognize them? Not him.
But her, yeah.
She was at the show last night.
She was one of the guests that got a one-on-one with Barry afterwards.
Morgan: And how would someone get that? People who buy advance tickets fill out a questionnaire.
Barry randomly selects 5 and mentions them by name during the show.
It's pretty mind-blowing to the people who are picked.
We can imagine.
Tell me, what goes on during one of these one-on-ones? Just mini life-coaching sessions.
It's only about 15 minutes, but people come out transformed.
And did Cynthia look transformed? Probably.
But I didn't actually see her.
She was Barry's last client.
He showed her out himself.
Flynn was probably the last person to see her alive.
Wait--she's dead? She was murdered.
So let me ask you again, where's Barry Flynn? I don't know.
He needs private time to rest and focus his mind.
It's part of his routine on show days.
But you're his manager.
You can't get ahold of him? Sorry.
To make sure he's not interrupted, no one knows where he goes.
Not me.
Not his family.
Not anyone.
It's always been like that.
Well, if you had to take a guess, where do you think he'd be? He books a hotel room or an apartment in every tour city.
He's probably there.
He's always back in time for the show.
What time did Barry leave? Last night.
It was earlier than usual.
[Music playing.]
Want some company? Sure.
I haven't seen you here before.
I'm just visiting.
Lucky you.
Nice weather for a change.
I was hoping for rain.
More romantic.
I'm Ricky.
Harold.
Have you seen the sights? Space Needle, Pike's Place market, the aquarium? The first two, yes, the aquarium, no.
Want a tour guide? Why not? We confirmed Flynn's been Mia since his private meeting with Cynthia Strobl, which officially makes him a suspect.
Well, he's a point of convergence between the victims.
Lincoln Bell had a program personally autographed by Flynn in his apartment, so we know they met.
Yeah.
Flynn was one of the last people, if not the last person to see Cynthia Strobl alive.
[Cell phone rings.]
Hey, Garcia.
You're on speaker.
What do you got? The 4-double-1 on Barry Flynn.
Hey, has anyone been listening to this "Unlimited Courage," 'cause it's pretty amazing.
I've just finished the first CD and I've already signed up for kickboxing class, and I painted a wall in my apartment white.
Which is a risky color in my world.
Garcia.
Oh, sorry.
Uh, well, Barry Flynn's is actually a stage name.
What's his real name? His real name is Harold Kerwin.
Although he never legally changed it, though.
He was raised in Reno, Nevada.
He went to a 2-year community college.
He got married right after.
He has a couple of assault charges for some bar fights.
And then he worked for 12 years as a car salesman before he left the rat race.
How so? He checked out, like quit his job, got a divorce, ran off to live in the desert.
Came back 3 years later and he was Barry Flynn.
He started talking at schools and local clubs, built up this following, became sort of an overnight sensation.
Within 3 years he was selling out Any idea what happened to him in those 3 years while he was in the desert? Well, according to Flynn, he meditated a lot, until his true gift was revealed to him.
I hate to admit it, but it sounds pretty vague to me.
Morgan: Thanks.
Never would've guessed he had a prior assault conviction.
He could be our guy.
[Cell phone rings.]
Chen.
Flynn had the means and the opportunity.
I'm just not clear about the motive.
We all know that public figures like politicians can have psychopathic tendencies and the ability to hide it.
But it doesn't make any sense that he'd kill his own paying customers.
And why start here, in Seattle? Why leave the bizarre message at the crime scenes? Well, Flynn's obviously a native English speaker, so, if he is the unsub, then the message could be indicative of some sort of delusion or psychosis.
That is possible given the ceremonial knife that was used.
You know, no history of recent head trauma.
He's too old to have suffered a traditional schizophrenic break.
Maybe a drug-induced psychosis? No.
Flynn's clean as a whistle.
Doesn't even eat dairy according to his bio.
Well, as a celebrity, he has a vested interest in a clean image.
But who was he, really? Flynn's rental car was just located outside a bar in Alki.
[Handcuff rattles.]
Barry on CD: How did you end up where you are today.
Was it a conscious choice? Or does it feel like you had no control in the matter? You made me do this, Barry Flynn.
I guess we know how he was spending his "private time.
" Too bad he couldn't be open about it.
He's probably afraid it would hurt his public image.
It's the same blood type as Flynn's.
We're running a DNA test.
We also found this.
It's a 100-decibel personal alarm.
Flynn's manager said he always carried it with him, for protection.
Flynn's not the unsub, he's a victim.
He felt threatened enough to be holding the alarm, dropped it when the unsub clocked him and took him away in another vehicle.
No surveillance cameras.
Guess the customers like their privacy.
So, what, did Flynn meet the unsub in the bar? Probably.
No one inside noticed anything unusual, so they came out together voluntarily.
Maybe Flynn had a change of heart and the unsub got angry.
We talked to the staff.
None of them remember even seeing Flynn.
Well, he'd probably wear a disguise if he wanted to be anonymous in public.
So the unsub didn't know who he was? Maybe not.
But the M.
O.
's different here.
Flynn wasn't blitz attacked at home like the others.
What if Flynn was the ultimate target and the others were used to get information on him? Or maybe the other victims got in the way.
We could be looking at an extreme fan.
Yeah, someone could have followed him here.
Most of the workers and stagehands in Flynn's company are volunteers.
So he'd be surrounded by fanatics.
He'd be watching his every move.
Well, let's just hope it was one of them who nabbed him.
Why? Because then there's a chance he's still alive.
Barry on CD: The greatest gift is inside you already.
It's always been there, a constant companion.
[Turns off CD.]
When I heard that, I finally understood that I had to use my gift.
When I was a kid, I used to talk about it, until people said that I sounded weird.
And I hated it because it made me different.
And I tried to shut it off, but I didn't want to-- What did you do to me? You wouldn't come with me, and I had to do what I needed to do to get you to listen.
Listen to what? I was fired.
Couldn't get another job.
I was an unemployed, middle-aged loser with no prospects.
I almost killed myself.
Then I found you.
What's your name? Carl.
Carl Finster.
Carl, I can see that you're in pain.
I'm not.
I feel alive.
Like--like electricity is running through me.
[Handcuff rattles.]
Can you take these off? I won't try to escape.
I promise.
I'm here for you.
You're lying.
I don't blame you.
I just need you to hear me out until I know that you're convinced.
Convinced of what? That I'm your biggest success story.
While we initially thought Barry Flynn might be a suspect, it turns out we're looking for one of his followers.
An unsub who suffers from erotomania.
He's obsessed with Flynn, his latest abductee, and he may believe that Flynn's also in love with him.
Erotomania has very little to do with sex.
It's a romantic or spiritual connection that erotomanics crave.
Victims of the delusion tend to be from a higher social status and have done very little to stimulate or encourage such a belief.
In fact, it's likely the unsub and Barry Flynn have had no previous contact.
His infatuation probably began from afar, considering Flynn's celebrity status.
The patience required to commit his crimes makes us believe he's a male in his late 30s to 40s who is single and socially immature.
He's a loner with poor social skills.
And although he is capable of holding down a job, he most likely neglects his duties to focus on his obsession.
This is a guy who spends much of his time living in his delusional fantasy world.
And he may have been tracking Flynn for quite some time.
And with erotomania, the most likely recipient of violence is the person standing in the way of the desired object.
Blake: It's possible the unsub witnessed an interaction between his two first victims and Flynn, killing them in a jealous rage.
JJ: Another possibility is that the unsub killed them to prove his devotion.
The weapon used had a ceremonial quality to it.
Which means the unsub probably views these victims as sacrifices, and the messages he is leaving may be meant for Flynn.
In his head, he may believe that he's already involved in a personal relationship with Flynn.
And now that Flynn is under his control, this situation is especially precarious.
If the unsub is under the delusion that Flynn also cares about him, then any misstep by Flynn that contradicts that belief, could lead to more victims or even Flynn's own murder, to prove they have a special bond.
With each passing hour, it's increasingly unlikely that Flynn will be able to match the unsub's expectations for him.
So we must act quickly.
Thank you.
I've ignored my gift for so long.
What is your gift? I don't hear things the way most people do.
I see it.
What does that mean? Well, when people talk, I know the truth about them.
You know the truth.
Like I knew you were lying when you said you wouldn't try to escape.
A doctor told my parents that there was a wire crossed in my brain.
It's harmless.
Kind of like a birthmark.
But thanks to you, I know he was wrong.
How so? Because it's more than a birthmark.
I got this ability for a reason, and what I need to do is take action, and that's what you've been telling me.
What are you planning to do, Carl? Let me show you.
We said that this unsub had poor social skills, so how did he lure Flynn out of the bar? Good question.
Maybe he had help from someone with more charisma.
Well, we should amend the profile, let the media know That there may be a temporary partner involved.
All right, I'll call Garcia and get her to narrow the list of seminar attendees.
Hey, baby girl.
If loving you is wrong, baby boy, I don't want to be right.
Well, likewise, mama.
I need you to look into fans of Barry Flynn.
Oh, I already have those numbers for you.
He has over two million fans worldwide, and the kind that are crazy infatuated with him, I would say about 100,000.
Hey, do you know that if you join Barry's official circle of friends, you get the "Unlimited Courage" 12-CD set for 49.
99, plus a free "Live or die, you choose" mug.
Come on, don't tell me you joined.
No.
Why would you say that? I didn't--I didn't do that.
There's just things I need motivation for.
Like I had that cupcake problem, and I really wanted to learn how to play the clarinet.
And Barry Flynn is a good guy who really helps people, and I want you to find him.
We're doing our best, girl.
By the way, totally different subject-- I happened upon that invitation guest list for the British embassy thing.
Did you know that Madonna and Stephen Hawking are going? Not together, but they're going.
Penelope Seriously, you're gonna miss a chance to meet Stephen Hawking? Reid will kill you.
Well, then I'm dead.
Why don't you want to go? [Sighs.]
It's personal.
How about that? Oh, it's per-- oh, my God, it's personal? That never occurred to me that it would be personal.
I thought is was like stock market related or 'cause of the weather.
Will you cut it out, already.
Okay.
Keep your super secrets to yourself, 007.
Look, just do me a favor.
Find out how many of Flynn's uberfans live in Seattle.
Then I want you to narrow it down even more by cross-referencing with people with anger management issues.
thank you and goodbye, Garcia.
Yeah, Derek-- Hello? What are you doing here, Carl? Uh, I was missing a personal photo.
Thought maybe I left it here.
Your cubicle was cleaned out when you were fired.
What do you really want? You made a big mistake when you fired me.
I mean--I don't have a gun, if that's what you're worried about.
And I just wondered why you did it.
Oh, come on, you know why.
I was getting complaints about you.
Customers are never happy.
You yelled at them.
And you scared your co-workers.
They thought you were seeing things half the time.
Just like you are now.
What are you even looking at? It's unsettling.
We were worried about you.
It's not that you're a bad person, but this just isn't the right place for you, Carl.
I'm sure there's another job you'd be much happier doing.
You've always been envious of me, haven't you? I threaten you in some way.
Okay, whatever.
Look, you're gonna have to go.
He came forward when he saw our statement to the media.
Someone paid him 200 bucks to bring Barry Flynn out of the bar into the parking lot.
What happened in the parking lot? I don't know.
I told Flynn to wait for me, that I left my keys in the bar and that I'd be right back.
Was that part of the plan? Yeah.
But I never came back outside again, so-- Now, you said the guy that paid you was a little weird.
How so? He couldn't look at me when he talked, and he kept yapping about a magnificent light.
[Breathing hard.]
I got 'em.
Ha.
Transcripts of the calls I handled and the customers' addresses.
Let me go.
You gotta let me go, Carl.
Oh, no, no, no.
[Laughs.]
No, we're just getting started.
Do you remember how I said how I felt alive, like electricity was coursing through me? Well, I felt this way once before when I was 10.
I had this dream that I was a superhero, and I had this partner, and together we killed evil people with this powerful knife.
Well, I'm going to kill these evil people.
[Indistinct chatter.]
Help! Somebody, help! Aah! Damn it! Why do you keep resisting me?! You awoke this gift in me.
You of all people should understand that we have to do this mission together.
Why was there so much overkill on the two victims? They were threats to the unsub's imaginary relationship with Flynn.
They hardly knew Flynn.
I mean, at least 4 other people had private meetings with him.
He gave autographs to at least a dozen others.
Why those two? Well, it's not reality based.
His delusional mind exaggerated the relationships they had with Flynn.
Maybe he's not driven by jealousy.
What if the overkill was to make doubly sure that they were dead and couldn't come back to life? The way you'd want to kill a monster in a horror movie.
Exactly.
Maybe he saw them as evil.
That could explain the messages on the wall.
Where are we? Janet Dodd's house.
She's evil and we need to stop her.
Carl, you're making a big mistake.
I'm just doing what you told me to.
I'm taking action.
You misunderstood me.
Now stop this before it's too late.
You do not want blood on your hands.
[Laughing.]
What's so funny?! You are.
I've already killed two already.
It's been in the news.
[Takes deep breath.]
Okay, she's alone now.
Tell the police if you think she's evil.
No, no, no.
The police won't do a damn thing.
No, I was in a bar once and I saw a guy who was the epitome of evil, and I called the police to tell them, and they hung up on me.
And then 6 hours later, a mother and her baby were killed when someone tried to carjack them.
And I know it was him.
I could have saved them.
Don't worry.
You just watch.
Ready? You can tell me I'm not the one I know the sun is shining somewhere on someone, it's only me, baby [Muffled shouting.]
No! Aah! [Indistinct police radio.]
"Hear your red, see your red.
" Well, somehow it makes sense to him.
The unsub is clearly devolving.
Yeah, the letters are shakier.
This message is less controlled than the others.
I agree.
The word "evil" was replaced by "red," which means "red" could have been from his unconscious, a freudian slip, so to speak.
But what does it mean? Is it something specific to this victim? Janet Dodd.
Got divorced two years ago, she lived here alone, worked as a paralegal.
Any known enemies? Perhaps the ex-husband? Uh, not according to her sister.
The husband left Janet.
Any connection to Flynn? Doesn't seem to be.
In fact her sister was trying to get her to move on with her life, but Janet seemed completely unmotivated.
The unsub didn't pick her because of her connection to Flynn, then.
Then why did he choose her? Somehow their paths must have crossed.
Well, she didn't get out much.
Only went to work and then back home.
We're pulling her phone records, see who she talked to last.
She's got a lot of overdue bills.
Uh, yeah, her sister said she was struggling financially.
She cut up a credit card that wasn't expired.
Why? People often do when they're trying to rein in their spending.
Psychologically it's harder to part with cash.
The phone logs.
A lot of calls recently to the same 800 number.
[Dialing.]
[Line ringing.]
Woman on recording: Welcome to Luxor Bank cards.
Ooh! Ooh.
Hey, watch it, ese.
What's your problem, man? You blind or something? Huh? You're lucky I'm busy today.
Okay.
There we go.
There.
Take a sip.
Come on.
No.
Come on, you'll feel better.
Come on.
What do you want with me, Carl? Isn't it obvious? We're partners.
We're destined to fight evil together.
We're not p When does the mission end? Mm.
Never.
This is only the beginning.
I don't think I realized how serious you were, Carl.
You really want to change the world, don't you? You have the conviction of a superhero.
I believe that now.
Come on, uncuff me.
I won't run.
I promise.
When we got to our next target.
[Exhales.]
I knew you'd come around.
[Engine starts.]
Go ahead, Garcia.
Okay, so I cross-referenced Barry Flynn fans with people who had anger management issues and Luxor Bank got one hit.
Carl Finster.
He worked as a customer service rep at the call center there.
He was fired 4 months ago.
What are the chances that he spoke to Janet Dodd on the phone? Oh, the chances are 100%, because she called that center at least 20 times in the last year, and Carl answered at least 3 of those calls.
JJ: What was the anger management issue? Oh, apparently one of his co-workers filed a complaint after Carl got super mad at her about God knows what and threatened her but good.
He was fired a month later.
I am sending you his address now.
Okay, so getting fired was his stressor, and Barry Flynn's seminar was his trigger somehow.
If he's stalking credit card customers, we need to find out who he spoke to.
A good point.
Take Blake and Reid and go to the workplace.
The rest of us will go to the house.
Let's go.
Some of his co-workers thought he was mentally ill.
When someone suggested he get help, he went off, practically threatened to kill her.
What did you think? Something wasn't right.
I mean, you'd be talking to him and he wouldn't even be looking at you.
He'd be looking around you.
Was it like he was hallucinating? Yeah.
He started getting weird with the customers and going off script, and, you know, I had to fire him.
Going off script in what ways? [Sighs.]
We have a set algorithm of questions depending on what the customer's calling about.
We review transcripts regularly, and Carl was perfectly fine with some customers.
But with others, he'd be verbally abusive for no reason.
Clear.
It's clear! There's nobody here.
Hey, you guys, look at this knife.
Is this who Carl Finster thinks he is? Man: Why does my card keep getting rejected? I've been paying the minimum balance on time.
Carl: You were 5 days late in your April payment, so you're a liar.
Man: What? Did you just call me a liar? Carl: I know who you are, Howard Jephson.
I can see your words.
Okay, you know what? I want to talk to your supervisor.
You are rotten to the core! You don't deserve any more credit! See what I was dealing with? Carl was attacking certain customers for no reason.
Why did he come back last night? Well, at first I thought he came here to shoot up the place.
But now I think it was to steal the recordings of his calls.
We confirmed he downloaded a file.
Wait a minute, guys.
He told the caller he could see his words.
And you said he acted like he was hallucinating? I think I might know what's wrong with him.
He has synesthesia.
It's a neurological phenomenon in which two or more senses are triggered simultaneously.
For instance, someone might associate specific numbers with colors or even be able to taste music.
I think Carl has the form of synesthesia in which he can literally see the words that people are speaking.
Hence the message he left-- "hear your evil, see your evil.
" It looks like he transcribed conversations he had with people in different colors of ink.
Green, orange, red.
Well, these are not happy conversations.
Reid, we can see here that each of the colors mean something different to him.
White words mean the speaker is good.
It looks like the orange ink means the speaker's a liar.
You know, maybe he sees people's word in different colors depending on what type of person he thinks they are.
What's the content of the red ones? Oh, they're angry.
He accuses them of being evil.
And so he sees their words in red.
"Hear your red, see your red.
" He might believe it's a super power.
It looks like he tried to stop the synesthesia by wearing tinted glasses.
The fact is, we know his latest victim was a customer he spoke to.
His old boss says he came in last night and stole a copy of the recordings.
The only reason is to compile a list of people he considers evil.
Exactly.
The hit list.
And he's got all their addresses and vital information.
[Cocks gun.]
Get in the house, now.
Oh, my God.
You're the guy on the news.
Do as he says.
Get in the house! Shut up! Aah! Howard Jephson, I know who you really are.
I'm not Howard Jephson.
No games.
Not if you want your family to live.
I'm telling you the truth.
We're just renting the house.
My name is Stephen Caldwell.
We never even met Howard.
We just saw his name on the lease agreement.
We made a mistake.
Let's go.
Look, if you leave now, we won't call the police.
[Sobbing.]
Ohh! Carl, what the hell! He lied to us.
His words turned orange.
Now, hand me the knife.
It's the wrong guy.
I said hand me the knife! Okay.
Give me the gun.
Wait.
Say that again.
Give me the gun.
He's got 150 names in the Seattle area.
He could be going after any one of them.
Garcia, any way to narrow it down to callers in the city.
Okay, that gives us 32.
Was Janet Dodd the first name alphabetically of those 32? No, she was the ninth.
So he's not going alphabetically.
How else would you organize a hit list? Maybe time a contact.
He started with the first person he spoke to.
No, because he talked to Janet Dodd the last day he was employed.
He's going in reverse order.
The ones he talked to most recently would be freshest in his mind.
Garcia, take the last callers and find out which ones live closest to Janet Dodd.
Okay, I got two names that are about the same distance from her.
Ranga Patel and Howard Jephson.
All right, you two take Blake and go to Howard Jephson.
The rest of us will go to the Patel house.
How did you do that? Do what? How did you hide your true nature for so long? Enough, Carl.
Listen to me.
Listen to me carefully.
You are not a victim of circumstance.
You are a creature of free will.
Take the right action.
Let this family go.
[Sobbing.]
No one goes anywhere.
I know that you don't feel in control right now.
You don't know how you ended up here, and it feels like there's no way out.
But there is a way out.
I can help you.
You think I'll believe anything you say anymore? You and I have a special bond, Carl.
I know this isn't you.
You don't know anything about me.
Aah! Aah FBI! Drop it! He's evil! I can see it.
All right, come on, let's go.
We know what's going on, Carl.
You've had a special talent your whole life, haven't you? It's my gift.
Barry Flynn here unleashed that, Carl.
How can you hurt a man who's given you so much? He changed! I saw red.
What do you see when we speak? We know that you called the police last year, and you warned them about a man.
They ignored me.
They ignored me and then he killed a mother and her baby.
It wasn't him.
The man you warned them about was questioned, but it wasn't him.
They found the real killer a week later and he confessed.
Carl, your gift is not reliable.
It's just a reflection on how you feel about other people, but, Carl, it's not who they really are.
If you kill this man, you'll be destroying a magnificent light.
Think about it.
Put the weapons down.
[Groaning.]
Morgan: "The mystery of human existence "lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for.
" Fyodor Dostoevsky.
Hey.
I encourage you not to be mad at me.
I did a little research about Jason Ryder, and I found out that he was your father's old partner at the Chicago P.
D.
, so I'm assuming that there was some sort of falling out? No, Garcia.
Jason moved to New York after my father died.
He was a hero on 9/11.
That's why he's being honored.
So what's the problem? Years ago, I was supposed to talk about my father at the fallen law enforcement memorial.
I got up to the podium, then I froze.
You had stage fright.
No.
It wasn't that at all.
Well, there's the obvious remedy, which is imagining the whole audience naked, but you could imagine a whole audience full of unsubs.
You're really good at talking down an unsub.
Baby girl, it wasn't stage fright.
I wasn't ready to discuss my feelings about my father in public.
And you think talking about his partner is going to bring up those feelings? How can I honor Jason Ryder when I couldn't honor my own father? It's disrespectful.
Okay, this is gonna start out sounding really harsh, but you need to get over it.
You need to let it go.
That is so far past.
You've gotta stop beating yourself up about this.
That's not gonna happen, is it? Okay.
Well, then this, uh, this gift is totally pointless.
It's just some stuff from Barry Flynn.
I talked to him about your issue, and he gave you another incentive as a thank-you.
You only have it for 24 hours.
So Mm-hmm.
A policeman pulled over a man, and he said to him, "Sir, your eyes look bloodshot.
Have you been drinking?" And that man replied, "Officer, your eyes look glazed.
Have you been eating doughnuts?" [Laughter.]
You see, that right there was the last joke that my father ever told me before he died.
A special gift in my life are the 11 years that I did have with him.
Because as brief as they may have been, my dad gave me unconditional love.
He taught me a sense of duty.
And he gave me a reason to keep working hard.
Because each and every day, I do all that I know how to do to make my father proud.
Now, my dad was taken from this world way too soon.
But if he wasn't, I wouldn't be the man that I am today.
Now, you may be wondering why I'm talking about him here.
It's because my father, the man that I admire the most Looked up to Mr.
Jason Ryder, who we honor here tonight.
Jason was the most important person in my father's life outside of his family.
He was his partner and his best friend.
Like my father, Jason strived to be the best he could be.
He inspired me to be fearless and to go out into the world and find my inner light.
And for that, Jason, I am eternally grateful to you.
[Applause.]
No, please.
Please don't.
Please don't! Please! No, no, no! No, please! Please don't! Please!