Criminal Minds s12e19 Episode Script

1 Rossi: Previously on “Criminal Minds” Stop! My shipment's coming through, and you're gonna make sure it get to me safely.
[Reid gasps.]
Help! Today's the day you're supposed to move Frasier's stuff, isn't it? Maybe I just won't do it.
You know why they killed Delgado instead of you? That was me protecting you.
There's only so far I can go.
So can I.
Reid: There's a helplessness in here that causes people to do things they would never consider.
I'm starting to think like them, starting to survive like them.
[Coughing.]
Malcolm! You ok? They made me try it.
What happened? Bad batch.
Medic, cell block “C,” now.
Medic, cell block “C”.
[Alarm sounds.]
Reid: No one in here is honest.
Rossi: They could just be numb to it all.
Well, I'm not.
You never will be.
Because you're a good person.
That's the difference.
Hey, you wanted to see me? Tara, come on in.
Uh, what's up? I need you to go to the prison tomorrow and conduct another cognitive interview on Reid.
Mr.
Scratch.
Where? Tegucigalpa, Honduras, last week.
A former associate of mine down there on business recognized him.
I this is huge.
This puts Scratch in Latin America.
And increases the likelihood he passed through Mexico at some point.
That's why this cognitive is so imperative.
It is critical that Reid remember exactly what happened in that motel room in Mexico.
Can I play devil's advocate here for a second? Absolutely.
Let's say the cognitive works, all right, and Reid puts Scratch in that motel room, 100%, no doubt about it.
What changes? I mean, isn't he just another prisoner proclaiming his innocence? Tell her your idea.
What changes is I can then petition the DOJ and the counter-terrorism center to put Scratch on a high-priority watch list.
How? By massaging the definition of international terrorist.
Now, that photo proves that Scratch is crossing borders from one country to another.
And we already know he's targeting the FBI.
I don't know, it sounds like a hard sell.
Well, I talked to one of my contacts at the NSA and she said they would be on board if we give them something tangible on Scratch.
I'm going to London tonight to pursue this with my former colleagues at Interpol.
Ok, I'll I'll give it my best shot with Reid.
Tara, there's one more thing.
The prison is on full lockdown, but I got you an exemption from the no-visitors rule.
How'd you manage that? Medical necessity.
You are a doctor, right? I have earned a doctorate degree, yes.
M.
D.
, ph.
D.
Now's not the time to split hairs.
Tomorrow, Reid is your patient, so go in there and act doctorly.
I will make sure to pack my stethoscope.
Heh.
Who says there ain't treasure out here? [Grunts.]
Walker: “Is it progress if a cannibal uses a fork?” Stanislaw Lec.
Emily's en route to London, so let's get started.
What have you got, Penelope? What we've got is some awfulness, awfulness so awful that it made me temporarily forget about the whole Reid awfulness.
I miss him.
Ok, yesterday afternoon in the Saguaro Wilderness, which is just east of Tucson, Arizona, an old-timer out rock hounding stumbled upon This.
And this.
And also this.
They were all together? Yeah.
Within like 50 feet of each other.
The staging of the bodies has the feel of a crucifixion.
Could this be the work of a religious fanatic? Rossi: The desert does attract its share of nut jobs.
Don't forget the Manson family got their training wheels out in the Mojave.
What's what's that around their neck? - Shock collars.
- Rossi: Torture? Doubtful.
There weren't any batteries in them.
So the collars are symbolic, a signature.
They're all wearing something over their shoulders.
Yeah, it was just some sort of blue, silky fabric.
Well, their bodies are badly decomposed.
Looks like they've been there a while.
Rossi: Preliminary M.
E.
report did say the 3 victims are in separate stages of decomposition.
So he's killing them one by one over time, but now his disposal site has been discovered.
Why do I get the feeling that's not going to stop him? Because it won't.
Not with another thousand miles of desert nearby for him to set up shop.
Ok, we've got a lot of ground to cover.
Let's hit it.
You can conduct your interview in here, Dr.
Lewis.
- It's secure.
- Thank you.
I'll see if your guy's ready.
Yeah.
[Locks door.]
[Door unlocks.]
Spencer.
What are you doing here? I might have some good news.
[Door closes, locks.]
Then run it through Fiona.
You shouldn't be here.
It's better if everyone just stays away from me right now.
I'm here about Scratch.
Walker thinks he might have a new way to find him, but to do so, I need to walk you through another cognitive.
I understand what you're doing, and I really appreciate it, but I Emily already tried and it didn't work.
That was over a month ago.
You were still under the influence.
As you know, distance from the incident can sometimes yield additional insights.
When's the last time you slept? I don't know, which is why I don't really have the energy to do this right now.
Well, exhaustion's not necessarily a bad thing.
If your resistance is down, you might be more receptive to the cognitive.
Ok? Ok.
[Beeping.]
3 victims have just been identified.
I sent updates to your tablets.
Ok, Carol Brandom, Oscar Benitez, and Peter Jones, all in their early 20s.
Each one had just returned to the Tucson area after attending college out of state.
Exceptional students, graduated at the top of their class.
And all three had been featured separately in local media, hometown kids done good sort of thing.
The public exposure must be what put them on the unsub's radar.
So, Walker, you talked about the crucifixion element earlier.
Apparently, there is a quasi-religious cult not too far away.
Garcia: Yeah, I already checked into that.
I know I'm not the profiler here, but they didn't do it.
What makes you so sure? Because that cult is so respectful of life Ok, they don't eat carrots because they grow in the earth.
I practice non-violence with my food choices, but that's a whack-a-doodle.
Luke, when we land, why don't you and JJ go to the crime scene? Stephen, see what's new with the M.
E.
I'll set up with local law enforcement and talk to the victims' families.
Maybe the three of them had a common enemy that we don't know about.
Pima County sheriff's department has jurisdiction on any homicide inside the national park.
Also, park police will be assisting.
No, we look forward to working with you.
Our killer couldn't do all of this without a vehicle.
Have you seen any tire tracks, sheriff? No, but it gets pretty windy up here.
So if there were any tracks, they wouldn't have lasted.
And you said there were empty water bottles found in front of each of the bodies? That's right.
Hopefully we can pull some DNA.
All right, so all the bodies were positioned in that direction.
These boulders in front of the victims, they've all been moved recently.
How can you tell? Because the side facing up has less weather exposure than the side facing down.
That's where we found the water bottles, next to all the rocks.
The killer moved these.
He's a strong guy Or had help.
Ok, it's like he rolled up a front-row seat to watch the executions.
Kick back, enjoy a cold bottle of water, and watch your victims slowly bake to death.
Yeah, that's not a good sign.
Our unsub isn't just killing, he's savoring every minute of it.
So you can't determine the C.
O.
D.
for any of the victims? Afraid not.
Got a long list of what they didn't die of.
No bullet or stab wounds, no evidence of blunt force trauma or asphyxia.
- Toxicology? - Clean.
They were neither drugged nor poisoned.
What's left? Dehydration? Most likely.
In that heat, it wouldn't take long.
Hours, not days.
Do we have a time of death? The first victim, roughly a month.
Second victim, around two weeks.
Last victim, less than a week.
Syncs up with when family members reported them missing.
So bottom line is, we may never know for certain what caused the deaths of these 3 young people.
Afraid not.
There's a saying around here that the desert does not give up her secrets.
This may be one of them.
Lewis: Are you there? Reid: Yes.
Tell me what you see.
She's waiting for me.
Nadie Ramos.
Is she alone? Yes.
She seemed upset.
And we were standing by a window.
Was there somebody there? Mm-hmm.
Who is it, Spencer? Think.
Uhh! I don't know.
I blacked out.
It's ok.
It's all right.
What happens when you wake up? [Nadie screams.]
[Nadie screams.]
She's struggling.
Nadie was struggling.
Because the other man is stabbing her.
- [Screaming.]
- Yeah.
And I think that I should try CPR, but there's just so much blood.
My heart's beating fast.
And it feels like I'm moving in slow motion.
Wait.
Something's wrong.
There's a knife And blood.
Who has the knife? It's in my hand.
I'm bleeding.
Ok.
Because you cut your hand.
It all goes blank after that.
That's about how far you got with Emily.
You're psychologically blocking whatever happens next.
Why? I'm not sure.
Uh, why don't we take a short break.
Yeah? Ok.
So Oscar Benitez was the one who initially set the unsub off.
I wonder why.
I watched the piece the local TV channel did on him last month.
He was a hard-working kid.
Humble background, got a scholarship.
He was the first one in his family to go to college.
All three were like that.
Each one came home to give back to the community, help make a better life for their parents and people who helped them.
That might have thrown more salt in the unsub's wound.
We should have Garcia see if other returning graduates got any type of publicity.
If so, they should be in protective custody.
That's a good idea.
Rossi: Thanks.
Same DNA found on all 3 water bottles, but no hits in CODIS.
Our unsub isn't in the system.
What do you make of the shock collars? They're used to train dogs.
I mean, maybe the unsub is trying to make a statement about conformity and obedience.
Cookie-cutter universities churning out cookie-cutter students.
Alvez: Yeah, something like that.
It could explain the fabric draped over their shoulders, mocking the valedictorian sash each of them wore at their graduation.
If the unsub's disapproving, envious, or both.
Envy is one thing, roasting people to death is another.
So what tipped him? [Man crying.]
Please, don't! Please! I'll I'll do whatever you want.
Please, don't.
I'll do whatever you want.
Please.
[Sobbing.]
Please.
Please, Ben.
Please, don't.
You don't have to do this.
Please.
[Gasping.]
Please, don't.
[Sobbing.]
Please.
Name's Joey Fletcher.
Couple of dirt bikers found him.
Alvez: 10 miles from the other crime scene, but the M.
O.
's the same.
Dog collar, blue cloth, and the water bottle.
He dragged another rock up close again.
It's half full.
Maybe our guy was in a hurry this time.
Yeah, the victim is staged to face north, just like the others.
[Beeping.]
Hmm.
What's up? It's true north.
Sheriff: Which means? True north is geographically accurate, unlike magnetic north.
So he's trying to get his bearings? I hate to say it, but he's got his bearings just fine.
Let's head back.
Man: Mom! Mom? Why didn't you answer? What's that? It's for you.
[Scoffs.]
Whose grave did you steal those off of? I I didn't steal it.
I made it myself for For you.
These flowers, every one of them, they're all native to Hawaii.
See? It's a lei.
They grow fake flowers over there in Hawaii? They don't sell the real ones here.
And they're expensive, but In the future, when we go there, we can Oh, stop with the future talk! I can't take it no more.
The future's right here.
I'm sitting in it.
I'm gonna live and die and rot right here in this hell hole! [Scoffs.]
Hawaii.
Who's gonna make that happen? Not your useless father, wherever the hell that son of a bitch is.
I'll take you there, like I promised I would.
You? With all your millions in the bank? [Door closes.]
We've got our first deviation of victimology.
Joey Fletcher flunked out of college first semester.
No job, either.
His girlfriend said he spent his days playing video games and smoking weed.
So why did the unsub shift from overachievers to a stoned slacker? We've disrupted his routine.
Could have forced him to be less selective.
The unsub starts choosing his victims at random.
Our job just got a lot tougher.
We need to give the profile.
Rossi: The person we're looking for is a physically fit male in his early to mid-20s.
Despite his youth, he's intelligent, and criminally-sophisticated.
Because of his familiarity with the surrounding desert, we believe he is a local who owns or has access to a vehicle that can navigate rough terrain.
JJ: Until the most recent victim, his targets have been those who excelled at university.
If the killer was an academic failure, this could be his way of lashing out.
Alvez: Aspects of his ritual support this theory.
Walker: And all the victims were positioned to face geodetic, or true north.
It's a geographic term, but we think the unsub is using it more in a philosophical sense.
It's likely that he works a menial job, something below his abilities.
The final victim represented a dramatic shift in victimology.
Academically, Joey Fletcher was a bust.
So the killer's starting to lose focus.
Rossi: He may actually be refining his mission, inching closer to the true target of his rage.
Thank you.
Did Alvez say what he wanted us for? No.
Huh.
The same DNA was on the outside of the water bottle at Joey Fletcher's crime scene, but none in the water itself.
So he's not drinking it.
Apparently not.
Then why is he taking water to the crime scene? Hey! In here.
Uh, is everything ok? You guys ready for a little show and tell? I don't know.
Third grade was a long time ago.
Come around, I'll show you.
What's with the crumpled paper? That is not paper.
And those are boulders from the crime scene placed where we found them and relative to this stick, which represents the poles were our victims were tied.
What's you thinking? I'm thinking we've been over-thinking.
You're out there in the darkness of the desert, midnight at the oasis, but wait, 'cause here comes the sun.
Rise and shine.
Breakfast.
Kids are off to school.
And before you know it, it's 1:00.
Don't grab that glass of chardonnay just yet because soon it will be 2:00, then 3:00, then 4:00.
It's a sundial.
Life-size.
With our victims represented by the coffee stir stick.
And the rocks positioned to count off the hours.
Yeah.
It might be his way of keeping track of the body count, like notches on a belt.
Yeah, but the demonstration I just gave you is in reverse.
The first victim is represented by 4:00.
4, 3, 2, 1.
So he's counting down.
The unsub's approaching his end game.
Absolutely.
Very nice to meet you.
Pleasure meeting you.
Thank you so much.
[Indistinct chatter.]
[Sighs.]
Did they check the vents in the motel room? The last time we caught Scratch, he was dosing people through the vents, which might be why I'm remembering in pieces.
Rossi said that was the very first thing he checked for when they were in Mexico.
Look, we need to start again.
Ok.
Now, this time I want to focus on Nadie's reaction when the door opens.
Is she frightened? Does she know the person? We were both surprised.
It all happened so fast that What about you? Did you recognize him? [Nadie screams.]
Hmm.
Mm-mmm.
I'm trying, but I I can't make out his features.
Ok, let's go back to when you were blocked.
You're helping Nadie and she's not responding.
There's nothing I can do.
And what about him? I mean, you must feel him in your peripheral vision, behind you somewhere.
Yeah, he's behind me.
And I can feel him watching me, and I'm What is it? It was me.
What was you? It's how I cut my hand, it's why he was watching me.
'Cause I was stabbing her.
I killed her.
Spencer.
Spencer, that's not possible.
That's not possible.
Breathe.
[Line rings.]
Emily: This is Prentiss.
Emily, it's me.
How's London? It is receding in the rearview mirror.
I'm on my way home right now.
Wow, that was fast.
How'd it go? I'm guardedly optimistic.
My person is running it past his person.
What happened with Reid? We hit a stumbling block.
He wanted to stop.
His brain is constructing a false narrative for what happened in Mexico.
That's not uncommon.
Sometimes a manufactured memory is better than no memory at all.
Oh, I've seen it countless times in my work.
People see things that weren't there or remember events that never happened.
Tara, I want your professional opinion, cold and objective.
All right.
Do you think Reid's losing it? I mean, in a bigger sense.
No.
No, I don't.
I think that even before all of this happened, he was under more stress than he'd ever been.
And you couple that with the terrible memory of what happened in Mexico, it's just making reconstructing what happened in that motel room that much more difficult.
But not impossible.
No.
No, we can get there.
It's just gonna take more work.
What can I do to help? Well, just tell the prison that the doctor needs more time with her patient.
I'll call the warden.
Ok.
I'm gonna finish up a few things here, and then hit it hard with Reid in the morning.
Good luck.
Keep me in the loop.
Absolutely.
Travel well.
[Phone beeps.]
[Phone beeps.]
[Sighs.]
Well, that can't be a happy thought.
Yeah, there's just a detail that's been bothering me.
Yeah, I got one of those details, too.
You first.
All right, well, why the shock collar? If this is all about control and obedience, a regular collar pretty much does the same thing, you know.
That's my detail.
What's yours? It's that damn water.
Why does the unsub take bottled water to the crime scene? Well, we profiled sadist.
That's when we thought he was drinking it in front of them.
Maybe he empties it into the sand while they watch.
I mean, that qualifies as sadistic.
Anything new? JJ and I were just comparing our favorite frustrations with this case.
Well, can I chime in with my own? Oh, please do.
Victimology.
Joey Fletcher must be connected in some way with the other three.
Something ties them all together.
But what? [Grunts.]
You make any noise, I'll kill you.
Who are you? Get on the bed.
No.
Please, don't.
Who do you think I am? I would never do that.
I I didn't understand.
- [Zip ties zipping.]
- I'm sorry.
Yeah, you didn't understand before, either.
Before? You don't remember me, but I remember you.
No.
No, wait.
Come back.
Please! Nothing.
No.
Joey went to a different high school.
No overlap socially with the others.
What college did Joey flunk out of? It was, uh, Cochrane university.
It's a small liberal arts college in Ohio.
[Phone rings.]
- Rossi: Garcia.
- Yes, sir.
I'm here for you, sir.
Cochrane university in Ohio.
What's the out-of-state tuition? Uh, yikes.
$37,000 annually.
That's not taking into consideration books, cost of living, ramen, beer kegs, bean bag chairs, et cetera.
Joey Fletcher's family didn't have anywhere near that kind of money.
How did he pay for it? He didn't.
He was there on scholarship.
So was Oscar Benitez.
It was a different college, but, uh, Garcia, check Carol Brandom and Pete Jones and see if they Uh, yeah, I'm right there with you.
And the answer is yes, both Pete and Carol were there on scholarship as well.
You're looking for a common thread, there it is.
All four of them received financial aid.
But Joey was a below-average student even in high school.
Garcia, does it say what kind of scholarship he received? That's gonna take a different kind of rocket to another part of the cyber universe.
Good thing I'm a galaxy girl.
I'll hit you back.
[Phone beeps.]
Mom? Mom? What happened, Mom? Say something.
Say something.
[Labored breathing.]
- [Typing.]
- Hey.
Oh, hi, hi.
I'm gonna call it a night.
Ok here by yourself? Yeah, I'm good.
You must be starved.
Mmm, I'm a little peckish.
Have one.
Carrots.
Yeah, take a couple.
This one.
Ok.
See you tomorrow.
Yeah.
[Door opens, closes.]
I'm gonna let you live your life.
Among new friends.
You can watch the maestro work.
- Oh.
Uh.
- [Phone beeps.]
[Phone rings.]
What is it, Garcia? I got totally sidetracked thinking that Joey Fletcher got an athletic scholarship.
Boy, was I wrong, which is rare, but it happens.
Turns out he won a science fair competition in Tucson.
He doesn't strike me as a scientific whiz kid.
Oh, he's not.
It was really dumbed down, but it was quite the crowd pleasure.
And guess what it was on.
Sun dials.
What if the unsub was competing for the same scholarship? Science fair.
Could explain why he puts cloth on the victims.
Blue ribbon winner.
Walker: And I know what he might have been doing with that bottled water.
If the water was used as a conductor, it would mask the burns associated with electrocution.
Please, no! The water is a forensic countermeasure.
That's why the M.
E.
was stumped.
Garcia: Oh, wait, there's more.
One of the other 3 finalists in that science fair contest, his project was on shock collars, as in how to make them more humane.
Who was it? Ben Davis.
I do not have an address on him yet.
Hurry.
You will learn in time that is the only speed I have, new guy who I'm not gonna call new guy.
Can you hear me, Mom? Blink if you can hear me.
I need you to hear something.
What are you gonna do? It's what you're gonna do.
I don't understand.
Listen very carefully.
Tell her.
Mrs.
Davis.
4 years ago, I made a terrible mistake.
Your son should have won the science fair scholarship, but I gave it to someone else.
Did you hear that, Mom? I should have won the scholarship.
Me.
Not the other guy, but I could have got a degree, better job, and I could have taken you to Hawaii like you always dreamed about.
Do you understand me? [Labored breathing.]
Do do you want me to say Shut up.
What are you doing? [Fan whirring.]
Woman: No, no, no.
[Screaming.]
[Sobbing.]
She's at peace now.
No! [Sobbing.]
You won't be so lucky.
- [Phone rings.]
- Rossi: Garcia.
Sir, I know, I know, I know.
The addresses should be coming to you right now.
It was hard to get because Ben Davis has never lived on his own, and then his mom bounced around.
I had to figure out where her disability check was going 'cause it seemed like it was going one direction.
It was going the did you get it yet? Have you gotten it now? We got it.
JJ, you and Alvez go.
No work address, Garcia? Uh, none.
If we knew his next victim, that might get us a location, too.
He already killed the person who won the science fair.
Who else could be on the chopping block? What about the judge? Garcia, do we know who awarded Joey Fletcher the prize? That would be Fournier Logistics.
They were the ones that awarded the scholarship.
Looks like their CEO was the judge.
Her name is Marla Grace, and I just sent her picture to your phones.
She deserved so much more.
Think about your mother.
She wouldn't want this.
What she wants doesn't matter anymore.
Tomorrow this will all be over.
[Gasps.]
Ben Davis, FBI.
Hands up.
Hands where we can see them.
Hey, hey, hey.
Stay where you are.
Ben, don't.
Put it down.
JJ: Whoa, stay right there.
Alvez: Ben, don't.
No, listen, you don't want to do this.
Ok? Look, I'm I'm putting my gun away.
All right? Ok, I'm gonna leave.
I'm leaving.
All right.
Hey.
It's just us now, ok? Let's talk.
There's nothing to talk about.
Is that your mother? Tell me what happened.
I want to help.
It's too late for that.
I always promised I'd Take her to Hawaii in the future.
That was her dream.
But now she's dead.
Then make her dream come true.
Take her to Hawaii.
You can spread her ashes out in the ocean.
That way, she'll be a part of it forever.
No.
You won't do that.
I put this down, you'll just bury her here somewhere in the dirt.
I won't.
I give you my word.
No, it's over.
[Grunts.]
JJ, we're clear! [Sobbing.]
[Handcuffs clicking.]
Prentiss: “The future is inevitable and precise, “but may not occur.
God lurks in the gaps.
” Jorge Luis Borges.
You beat us back.
[Chuckles.]
By an hour.
It was a long way to go to have one conversation, but it was worth it.
I just heard from Interpol, they're on board.
You? Spoke with my contact at the NSA, and she says if Reid can swear under oath that he saw Scratch in that motel room, then we are a go putting him on the terror watch list.
That's great news.
Except none of that means anything if Reid can't remember what happened.
So let's hope Tara makes progress.
[Door buzzes.]
Reid: I cannot do this anymore, all right? I told you it was better if you all just stayed away.
You're making it worse.
No, Spencer.
Your brain is playing tricks on you.
You realize that, don't you? Why? Why? Because the cognitive gave you an answer you'd rather not have? No, because Spencer Reid is incapable of murdering an innocent woman in cold blood.
You have no idea what I am capable of.
Look, prison is a difficult place.
You've probably had to do things in here to survive that you would never think of doing in the outside world, things that make you feel guilty or ashamed.
But the brain has to handle that guilt, has to process it.
And sometimes it spreads the guilt around into places it doesn't belong.
I could see the knife in my hand.
We know Scratch uses drugs to change our perception of what's real and what's not.
What do we do now? Do you want to go back in that hotel room and find out what really happened? - Yes.
- Then say it.
Not to me.
Say it to yourself.
I want to go back.
[Nadie screaming.]
Lewis: What's in your right hand? Reid: Nothing.
Where's the knife? I moved it so I could get to her, and that's probably how I cut my hand.
What happens next? I hear a noise, like a spraying sound.
And I feel a mist over my shoulder, so I turn.
Do you recognize who it is? No.
Look hard.
Spencer, concentrate.
Let the image come into focus.
It's him.
It's him.
I see him.
It's Scratch.
It's Scratch.
It's Scratch.
And he's drugging me.
[Distorted voice.]
And I hear him say something.
He says something.
He says What what does he say? Woman: It's time.
Time to go.
Time to go.
Says, “time to go.
” Time to go, then she just walked out of there like she didn't have a care in the world.
Wait, wait a minute.
Like she wanted me to chase her.
Spencer, stop.
You keep saying “her.
” 'Cause it wasn't Scratch who framed me.
It was a woman.