12x04 - Keeper

[bunniefuu]

So this homeless guy, all he took was a can of dog food?

That's it.

Did he have a dog with him?

Not that I saw.

The guy must live in the woods.

So the mutt's probably out there with him.

And you say this is the second time he's showed up?

Came in last week. Shoplifted that time, too.

Dog food.

Didn't notice.

Figured the poor S.O.B. was hungry, so I let him go.

But when he turned up again today...

Wonder what they put in these to make them taste so good.

My advice, eat, and don't read.

[Chuckles]

Here you go.

On the house.

Dragged you all the way out here at the cr*ck of dawn.

The least I could do.

Thanks, Tom.

Well...

I'm gonna get on out there and have a look-see.

Just hope there's no damn pit bull out there licking his chops.

Anybody out there?

This is the State Police.

You got a dog out there, now's the time to restrain your animal.

Sometimes I just love my job.

[Gasps]

Uhh!

Ooh!

Uhh!

Uhh!

Reid: Yeah, I know. It's great news. Thank you.

Bye.

Yes!

Am I interrupting a private moment?

That was the director of the assisted care home where my mother lives.

And?

I kept quiet because I didn't want to jinx it, but there's a groundbreaking clinical study on Alzheimer's at Johns Hopkins next month, and I just found out that my mom's gonna be one of the participants. She got in.

That's great news, Spencer.

It's huge. The program's called metabolic enhancement for neuro-degeneration, and results from earlier tests are hopeful, not just to slow the disease but to actually reverse it.

Yaah ha ha ha ha!

Ok, it's customary that the lottery winner shares that mega-payout with the rest of the office.

Well, Reid's news is even better than that.

Oh. I can't wait to hear, but right now we got a case.

Just spoke to Hotch. He's still on TDY but available for consulting if we need him.

Ok, so for those of us who kvetch about our A.M. commute, this will put it in perspective.

This A.M. a Virginia State Trooper discovered a bag of dismembered body parts.

They were with a homeless man's belongings.

That homeless man then fled into the mountains.

The Appalachian Trail.

Am I, uh, missing something?

We had a case in the same general area 6 years ago.

The unsub was never caught.

That guy was a pedophile.

Do the body parts in Virginia belong to a child?

They do not.

Well, if there's a silver lining in this, that would qualify.

The trail does have some history.

In the early 1980s, Randall Lee Smith k*lled two hikers there.

He served 15 years, got released, then went back to the exact same spot and tried to k*ll two more people.

Maybe there's something in the water.

Saving body parts is like collecting souvenirs, right?

That's one possibility. It could also be a forensic countermeasure.

Or he's keeping them as trophies.

Well, homeless people often suffer from crippling mental illness. I mean, is it possible he stumbled across the body and then collected the limbs?

Rossi: You mean like a hoarder.

Yeah, maybe.

Compulsive irrational gathering of objects is a common psychosis among the long-term homeless.

Flushing people out of terrain like this is tough.

I mean really tough.

We all know that Eric Rudolph evaded capture in this same wilderness for over 5 years.

Preliminary M.E. report...

The body parts came from at least 5 different victims.

Well, that settles that.

The unsub didn't stumble on anything.

He's serial.

This happened less than 90 miles away.

It'll be quicker to drive.

Our local M.E. isn't equipped to handle all this, so the body parts are being sent to the coroner here.

Prentiss, you and Reid, you head out there.

The rest of us will set up at the crime scene.

[Grunting]

[Groaning]

[Breathing hard]

[Muffled screaming]

Alvez: A Cheyenne proverbs says, "beware the man who does not talk and the dog that does not bark."

[Cameras clicking, indistinct radio communications]

Trooper: Here's what he left behind.

Did you shut down the trails in and out of the area?

Yes, Sir, like you asked.

Thing is, all that guy had to do was cross country over any one of these hills off trail and he's gone. Easy as pie.

Lewis: It's as much about sealing him in as keeping other potential victims out.

How far in did your officers search?

Half mile in every direction.

25 years on the job, I've never seen anything like this.

Ok, Garcia says no one's been reported missing in nearby towns for the past two months.

He's likely targeting lone hikers passing through.

And that means the victims could be from anywhere. A missing hiker wouldn't be noticed for quite a while.

Any update from Alvez?

Well, he's on his way with the search dogs, but I'll check his ETA.

Hey, we're in luck. Store owner has video surveillance of the unsub cued up ready to go.

Store owner: He comes in...

Right about now.

Rossi: No hesitation or indecision.

He knew exactly what he wanted.

He didn't even try to pretend he wasn't stealing.

I mean, at least stick it under your coat.

The quality isn't great.

Yeah, but let's distribute to local law enforcement anyway.

Someone may recognize him.

You guys are the experts, but why didn't he take anything to eat for himself?

I really wish my brain didn't go to these places, but, uh, what Trooper Carson found in that bag may have been the unsub's food source.

5 victims. 4 male, one female, all Caucasian.

It makes sense his victim pool would skew male.

Men are more likely to go into a remote area alone.

The fact that he also k*lled a woman suggests the unsub doesn't have a preference at all.

These are victims of opportunity.

Any estimates on their ages?

Well, the men are 40 to 50.

Female was younger. Early to mid-20s.

We'll run DNA, see if we get any hits.

It's a long sh*t, but we might get lucky.

The limbs don't appear to be removed with any skill or precision.

They weren't. It was a hatchet job, literally.

What about cause of death?

I mean, granted, being hacked into pieces would do the trick, but...

You know, without the full corpse it's almost impossible to tell.

And the tox screen on the female showed no dr*gs or poison in her system.

Do we know how long ago they were k*lled?

Difficult to pinpoint given the exposure to the elements.

But one set of limbs was a lot older than the others.

Almost a year, year and a half.

Best guess on the other 3 males, 8 months, 5 months, 2 months.

Female remains were the freshest.

Recent as a week.

So he k*lled one victim and then he fell dormant for a while.

But he's back to it with a vengeance.

His rate of kills is accelerating.

[Siren]

[Indistinct radio communication]

[Dogs barking]

[Indistinct chatter]

[Barking]

How you doin', girl?

I think she's already in work mode.

Well, she's a cadaver dog. If she's not taking an interest, I'd say that's a positive thing.

Well, why cadaver?

Our guy's out there hauling around rotted flesh, so I guarantee he smells more dead than alive right now.

Let's go. Come on.

Come on, let's go, let's go.

Dog handler: Come on.

Dogs are all in.

Come on, go.

Come on. Right through.

Come on. Come this way.

Come on, let's go.

You got something?

Hey.

[Barking]

There you go, you got it.

Good girl.

[Flies buzzing]

[Dogs barking]

Ah...

Over here!

[Indistinct radio communication]

JJ: Spence is on his way.

Emily's gonna stay close to home in case there's any new developments from the M.E.

Nearest P.D. is 20 minutes away, so we'll operate from here, on the fly like we used to.

Is this a leash?

The unsub's dog could still be running around out here.

And I'll have Carson check with animal control to see if any loose dogs have wandered out of the woods [ring] in the last 12 hours.

Garcia, has your extended search of missing persons turned up anything?

I got a couple names, but they're like drug addicts and runaways.

They're not back to nature types.

What about missing hikers?

Nothing there either, but the thing about backpackers is they are by definition off the grid.

Look into any recent permits to hike the Appalachian Trail.

Zoinkies, sir, and by zoinkies I mean I accept that challenge and I look forward to nailing it, however, are you aware that every year between 2 and 3 million people hike the Appalachian Trail?

Concentrate on the Shenandoah area, oh, and look first at through hikers.

At who whatters?

People that register to do all or a significant portion of the Trail.

Also ask the National Park Rangers if anyone's gone AWOL while hiking.

AWOL and through hikers. Roger, Roger.

Your name's not Roger.

Ok, so to abduct, k*ll, and dispose of that many victims, it takes skill and sophistication.

The man in that video looked like he would have a hard time tying his own shoes.

Well, maybe he has periods of intense focus before decompensating.

Though the disorganized nature of the crime scene seems to fight that theory.

So we're looking at another person here? A team, maybe?

Oh, a team, you'd need planning and coordination.

You'd still have to pass the tie your shoelaces test, which this unsub doesn't.

Well, maybe it's what Lewis said earlier.

The homeless man just stumbled upon the body, except what he stumbled upon was a mass burial ground.

Well, this backpack is brand-new.

And there's some initials there on this bottom pocket... K.F.

Yeah.

Customized for someone with narrow shoulders, a shortish torso.

Expansion belt for wider hips.

This is a woman's backpack.

Right. Likely it's our female victim's.

Thanks. I'll take that for you.

So these body parts are like trophies, right? Souvenirs?

Yeah, that's right.

Why would he suddenly go full Johnny Appleseed on us, tossing body parts all over the place?

I mean, who throws away the souvenirs?

Someone who knows there's more where those came from.

[Birds squawking]

[Flies buzzing]

[Buzzing]

An ice cube tray.

Huh. Our guy didn't scavenge this in the woods.

He must go into civilization now and then.

This wrapper is from Lulu's.

It's a burger place over in Dillon.

How far is that from here?

By car, 10 miles or so.

But as the crow flies over that ridge, it's real close. Two miles, max.

If we flushed the unsub out of the woods, he may have headed to town.

Why don't you and Lewis drive to Dillon, check it out.

All right.

Can this go any faster?

No. I've got the RPMs going at full tilt.

All this hardware to track down a guy living in the woods.

You ever wonder what it would be like to be out there in nature all by yourself.

You curious?

No. I'm a city girl.

Taxi rides and Martinis.

And yummy, too, but think about it.

Out there all alone, dark, peaceful, just zone out.

Must be what a tanning bed is like.

Not that I would know what a tanning bed is like, but...

[beep] That's it.

What's it?

Uh...

Kylie Fleming, 24 years old, Corvallis, Oregon.

That's what the K.F on the backpack must have been.

Her parents reported her missing to the National Parks Department 6 days ago.

The M.E. said the female remains were about a week old.

She had a cell phone on her.

She texted her parents saying she accidentally saw something scary on the trail and she was getting off as soon as she could.

But that's the last they heard from her.

Well, are there any other specifics or location or what it was she saw?

No, there aren't.

Ohh, this is scary.

Thank God we cleared all the other hikers out of the area.

Don't break out the confetti just yet.

We dammed the river, but the unsub won't stop fishing.

He'll just look for victims somewhere else.

Yeah, I... yes.

Yes, honey, I got it.

Yes, extra mushroom, thin crust.

I'm on my way there now.

All right, I love you.

Uhh!

[Bottles shattering]

M.E. says the body count is up to 7.

Latest two also white males in their 40s.

You know, Kylie Fleming texted that she saw something creepy.

If she surprised the unsub in the midst of a k*ll, it would explain why she was the anomaly.

She wasn't targeted like the other victims.

She was a witness who had to be silenced.

Which means our initial profile was incorrect.

The unsub does have a victim selection preference.

Thanks.

Nobody at Lulu's remembers seeing that unsub.

He must have grabbed that wrapper after hours dumpster diving.

All right. If our guy hiked over this Ridge into town, this was likely his entry point.

Let's give it a go.

Alvez?

Uhh! Ohh!

[Growling, snarling]

[Grunting]

You all right?

Yeah. Yeah, I'm good.

Get up. Get up!

Lewis and Alvez have the unsub in custody.

They're taking him back to Quantico for processing and a psych eval.

Is he talking?

Nothing coherent.

I got some bad news.

There was an abduction in Dillon a few hours ago.

White male in his 40s.

We got our unsub. It wasn't soon enough.

Uhh... ooh... aah...

Aah!

If you tell me where you saw him last, we can send somebody out to try to find him.

Todd, if you don't talk to me, I can't help you.

Lewis: Or your dog.

What's the word?

Two words, actually.

"Lost dog."

That's why he was stealing the food.

He was trying to lure his pet back.

[Sighs]

Brick wall.

I mean, the guy's name is Todd. That's all I was able to get out of him.

He's too fixated on that dog.

Rossi says he managed to get one more victim before we got him.

And we don't know if he's dead or alive.

He's gotta talk, quick.

Let me take a sh*t.

Yeah.

Hello, Todd.

My name is Emily.

Emily Prentiss.

He'll starve out there all alone.

Dogs can't take care of themself.

They're not like other animals.

They depend on us.

I don't know, dogs are pretty resourceful.

Something could k*ll him.

Something wild up in them mountains.

Have you seen things being k*lled up in the mountains?

He needs food and water.

[Text message beep]

You need to let me go.

Rossi needs me back at the command center.

Good luck.

Well, thanks.

If I'm not there, he'll starve.

We'll need it.

Yeah.

What's your dog's name?

Cormac.

That's an unusual name for a pet. Did you name him that?

No.

Who did?

Always been Cormac.

So tell me more. Is Cormac big or small?

Small at first, then big.

Not a puppy, then.

No.

I mean, uh...

I don't know.

Younger than me.

You had some things in your bags, Todd.

I think you know what I'm talking about.

Can you tell me about that?

I left food out for him. I put it on a plate.

Without food and water, he'll die.

The victim's name is Howard Walker.

He was picking up pizza and beer for the family dinner.

We're a half mile or more from where Lewis and Alvez apprehended the unsub.

It's a long way to transport the victim if he doesn't have a vehicle.

[Text message]

Well, we disrupted his normal routine.

He may have been forced to take Walker elsewhere.

We're only, what, a couple hundred yards to the treeline?

He may have dragged him there.

Well, we'll search the area, bring the dogs back in.

Lab results. DNA in that muzzle we found, it matches one of the original 5 victims.

The unsub must make them wear it.

Dehumanize them.

It's easier to k*ll an animal than a human.

[Cell phone beeps]

Everything ok, Spence?

Yeah.

No. That was the Las Vegas police.

I guess they found my mom wandering around a casino near her living facility. She didn't know who she was or how she got there.

Is she ok now?

Yeah. They put her on the phone.

She sounded normal, just obviously embarrassed, you know, by all the fuss.

You should go.

I can't do that. We're right in the middle...

Hey. We'll be fine here.

Go.

Rossi's right, Spence.

This is a priority.

Ok. Thanks.

I'm gonna go to the M.E.'s office and grab something for Prentiss, but I'll leave first thing in the morning and spend a day or two.

Take all the time you need.

All right.

I'm tired of this.

Excuse me, Todd.

I'll be right back.

[Dog vocalizing]

Oh, what's this?

This is my dog Roxy.

Our guy's looking for a dog, right?

Well, here you go. Let's see if Roxy can break up this logjam.

Come on, let's go.

Hey, we're in luck.

Police found this dog coming out of the woods near where you were.

It's not Cormac.

Are you sure?

Come on, take a close look.

See if that's your dog.

It's not Cormac!

Ok, Todd.

All right, I believe you.

I just thought maybe it was, that's all.

Does that dog look like Cormac?

No.

All right, don't worry.

We found this one. We'll find Cormac.

That's a good-looking dog, though, right?

[Roxy panting]

Come on, let's go. [Whistles]

Did you see this guy's body language with Roxy?

Hard to miss. He didn't want that dog anywhere near him.

Did we check the leash he had for canine DNA?

I don't think so.

We'd better. 100 bucks says there's nothing on it.

I know. This whole dog business is in his head.

It's a delusion.

But I still think Cormac is real.

Think about what Todd said.

He was small, then big. Younger than him.

Named by somebody else.

He's talking about a person.

Probably someone he grew up with.

A family member could elicit that level of devotion, huh?

A little brother, maybe.

Ok, sit tight. I'm gonna get Garcia on this.

Good job.

Bueno.

Todd and Cormac Burton, sons of the late Amy and Curtis Burton of Dillon, Virginia.

Is there an address?

Uh, 55 Spring Mill Road.

I don't think anyone lives there.

The water and the electricity were turned off over a year ago.

Rossi, I think I've got something.

Thanks, Emily.

Spring Mill Road is right here.

It's a long way from town.

Technically they're still inside the city limits, but, yeah, it's definitely out in the boonies.

Without a vehicle, there's no way Todd could have taken Howard Walker there.

JJ, accompany Trooper Carson's officers and search the premises, anyway.

All right.

The report you requested is almost ready.

And forensics said you're gonna come pick this up as well.

Reid: Thank you.

I understand you've identified the remains of the female victim.

We're fairly certain it's Kylie Fleming, but we're waiting on DNA samples from her family.

What do we know about the latest two victims?

Same as the first 4.

White males, age roughly 40 to 50.

Both sets of remains around a month old.

Anyway, your report should be ready. Let me go check.

So, uh, the Burton house is abandoned.

There was a stockpile of canned food and bottled water in the back, though.

We figured that Todd would come into town from time to time.

That's probably where he holed up.

Garcia, do you have any more information on the Burton family?

Yes, I do, and it's all super sad.

So, mother Amy d*ed of cirrhosis of the liver, like literally drank herself to death.

Which, the more you learn about father, Curtis, it makes sense, 'cause he regularly b*at her and both of the boys, and then he dropped dead of a heart att*ck about a year ago.

What happened to the boys once they left the house?

Todd stayed in Dillon.

He lived on the streets, started doing dr*gs.

4 years later, little brother Cormac turned 18 and he moved to Luray. He just skedaddled, clear on the other side of the state.

Did Cormac have the same problems as Todd?

No, he didn't. He worked at a sporting goods store.

Kept to himself. No wife or kids.

Here's what's weird.

As soon as his dad Curtis d*ed, Cormac dropped everything in Luray and came right back to Dillon.

But then he disappeared. Poof.

Rossi: When was he last seen?

Visually documented seen?

Uh, when he got a driver's license 14 months ago.

A classic case of transference.

Timing works out. Cormac the dog, Cormac the brother.

[Cell phone rings]

Hey, Rossi, what's up?

Pull another DNA sample from John Doe number one.

We tried, but the remains are too degraded.

Well, you need to try again.

All right, I'll have the M.E. take a second sample, but why?

Cormac disappeared shortly after leaving Luray and returning to Dillon.

The last known sighting of him was 14 months ago.

14 months? That's about how long ago John Doe number one was k*lled.

Exactly. Cormac might have been Todd's first victim.

Cormac Burton in better days.

But Todd's delusion sounds to me like remorse.

He tried to psychologically undo what he's done, but if he harbored this kind of anger against his brother, why wait so long to act?

Out of sight, out of mind.

Cormac was off at Luray for 10 years.

His move back to Dillon was the trigger.

Well, if Cormac tried to take possession of the family home, maybe Todd m*rder*d him for something as simple as greed.

It all makes sense except for one thing.

Why would Todd keep on k*lling if Cormac was dead?

Trooper Carson, did you have any pets when you were growing up?

Pets? Yeah. Had a hamster named Fred.

Were you fond of it?

Well, yeah. I loved that furry little guy.

So it never would have crossed your mind to take care of him, take a break, and then take care of him again?

Oh, of course not. No.

I didn't think so. You up for a road trip?

You kidding me? I pack a toothbrush to go to the post office.

Where to?

Luray, Virginia.

[Grunting]

Uhh. Uhh. Help!

Somebody help me!

Help!

Help!

Help!

Oh, I didn't hear you come in.

You looked like you were sleeping.

Thank you.

I heard about your mom.

Spencer, I'm so sorry.

It's ok. Luckily there's a clinical trial at Johns Hopkins. It's happening at just the right time.

I'm headed to the crime scene, all right?

He's all yours, Prentiss.

We're thinking now that Todd did Cormac?

Timeline works out.

Brother against brother. That's tough.

Well, according to the Bible, fratricide was the first type of m*rder ever committed.

That's interesting. Um, anyhow, he's as clear-headed as he's been. I'd jump on it.

Ok.

Hey.

We'll talk later, ok?

What do you say?

Let's find Cormac together.

I don't want to talk about him anymore.

Why not?

Are you angry with him?

No.

It's ok if you are.

Well, I'm not.

Did Cormac bite you?

Is that why you're angry?

We found this among your things.

Dad, I'm sorry! No!

He's gonna b*at me up.

Get in the back!

Please, Daddy, I'm sorry.

No, Dad! What are you doing?

If you want to act like animals, I'll treat you like animals.

Animals. Animals.

Ok, all right, what is going on?

Where did you go just now?

He made us live like pigs.

In mud.

Who did?

Daddy.

[Pigs snorting]

Prentiss: For how long.

All night.

[Squealing]

Till it was time for the slaughter.

Luray.

There are some famous caverns here, right?

Wouldn't know. I prefer to stay aboveground.

No, no, no, that's all right, fellas.

You can stay put.

We just want to ask a few questions. Ok?

We're curious if any of you have seen this guy before?

You mean Time Clock?

Excuse me?

Time Clock Todd.

That's what we used to call him.

He ain't dead, is he?

No. He's alive.

That used to be Todd's spot, right over there.

And how long did he live here?

Oh, hell, a long time.

Years and years.

When is the last time you saw him?

I think it was in the summer.

Not this summer.

Last summer.

You called him Time Clock?

That was a joke name we gave him on account of he was always talking about his job.

Wait, he works?

Nah. Don't know where he went to, but it wasn't a real job.

Did it every single day, though.

Up early... early...

Back late.

Thanks, boys.

[Crying]

Todd, help me understand, what did you mean when you said the slaughter?

Pigs.

He k*lled them. All of them.

And we were next.

[Pigs snorting]

Aah! No! Stop!

Who k*lled them?

[Sobbing]

Your father?

[Pigs squealing]

Where's my dog?

They said I was coming here to see my dog.

Ok.

Let's talk about your dog.

When did you first get it?

I don't know. It wasn't mine.

Whose was it?

Did the dog belong to your brother?

Yeah.

[Dog whimpering]

I said give him to me.

No!

No!

What are you gonna do?

Take him out in the woods, turn him loose.

No!

Shut your mouth.

Move your ass, Todd.

You're coming with me.

Cormac: No...

No.

Todd, what happened to the dog?

We drove the dog up on the hills.

And then what?

We pulled over to the side of the road and let him out.

Never saw him again.

And your brother?

He was... he was different.

Like something broke in his head.

When Cormac went to Luray, Todd followed.

That was his job. Todd was his brother's keeper.

He just wasn't able to give up his role as protector.

Even when Todd realized he was protecting a m*rder*r.

Todd's little brother is our unsub.

It won't be much longer.

Almost time for the slaughter.

It makes sense, Rossi, especially if Cormac wasn't revisiting his crime scenes.

Got it. Garcia's pursuing a lead right now.

Ok.

Prentiss is on it.

So Todd must have secretly witnessed Cormac's killings and then come back later to cut up the bodies and hide the evidence.

He failed his little brother in childhood.

He wasn't about to fail him again.

Where to?

The BAU.

Pigs, pigs, pigs...

Anything yet?

Oh, there aren't any slaughterhouses or anything porcine-related within a 100-mile radius of Dillon.

The vegetarian in me approves, but it doesn't help you at all.

Ok, it could be a meat or butcher shop or a small farm.

Ok, seriously, do you know how many mom and pop farms there are in this area?

Ok, then use the father as the jumping-off point.

Friends or relatives of Curtis Burton.

You know what? That London fog didn't cloud your brain one bit, Emily Prentiss.

Rance Kerley, cousin of Curtis, two acres of land outside of Dillon which she raised and sold pigs to local markets.

Is the farm still operational?

Oh. No. Rance was arrested for aggravated as*ault a few years ago and the place went bankrupt.

Ok, send the address to JJ and Alvez.

Already sent.

Of course you did.

Let me go, please. Why are you doing this?

Shh. Quiet.

I haven't done anything. I swear.

Quiet. Don't try to reason with me.

I'm an animal, remember?

We just do what we do.

Follow our instincts.

Right over there's where you brought us.

[Indistinct]

Remember?

I swear, you've got the wrong person.

In the morning, as soon as the light got in, you took the pigs one by one.

[Squealing]

[Whimpers]

Now it's your turn.

Prentiss: FBI! Drop the w*apon now!

Alvez: Do it now!

You know what they say about a cornered animal.

He gives up.

Let's go. Get up.

I have some good news, Todd.

We found Cormac.

He's not lost anymore.

He isn't?

He's safe.

Safe and happy.

How'd you find him?

It was the food you left out.

You saved his life, Todd.

He's safe because of you.

I saved him.

I saved him.

Garcia: Hey, giant brain. When do you leave?

Tomorrow morning at 7:00.

[Telephone rings]

Bon voyage.

Bye.

Hello?

Hey, clocked a lot of miles on the old odometer today, huh?

Make a joke about, I don't know, engines and lubrication, I'm not interested.

What's that?

This is a mop a janitor gave to me.

You do some late-night cleaning?

No, it's for my dog.

You know, I've gone and I've bought the $30 designer, sustainable, made in Tibet, whatever things, and, uh... Nothing. Zero.

This right here, this is gonna be fun all night.

Roxy, come on!

[Whistles] Come here. [Whistles]

Roxy's your dog?

Yeah.

Oh, my gosh, this whole time this is the Roxy, like the Roxy you said like adores you, like how could any female not be, you know, intoxicated by your masculine wiles.

Yeah, I didn't say it exactly like that.

Yeah, you kind of did.

Oh, my gosh, she's adorable. Oh, my gosh!

I thought you were talking about your girlfriend, you know, I thought you were being all fatheaded and macho.

I know.

You know?

Yeah.

[Chuckling]

I know you didn't want to like me at first, so I figured I'd make it easier on you.

So you profiled me?

Luke Alvez, behavioral analyst.

That's what I do.

All right, well, thank you for letting me know.

Bye.

You're still here.

Don't you have a suitcase to pack?

I'm not going.

Why not?

The Johns Hopkins clinical trial. Turns out my mom wasn't chosen.

[Sighs]

I'm sorry, Reid.

What happened?

Budget restraints.

The study had to randomly reduce the number of participants and my mom's name was drawn.

Well, you can still go to Vegas.

It's important that I stay here and try and find something else.

There's a study coming up with Paul Stanfield at the Anderson clinic in Houston...

Spencer.

I understand you want to help.

But don't lose sight of the bigger picture.

What do you mean?

You have a finite amount of time left with your mother.

I know it's a hard thing to say, but I speak from experience.

Don't squander the time you have left by being overly focused on fixes.

But I want her to get better.

Then get on that phone. Buy your ticket to Las Vegas.

Being with you, seeing you, hearing your voice, that's the best medicine you could give your mother.

That you can give each other.

[Line ringing]

[Voicemail] You have reached the offices of Dr. Paul Stanfield of the Anderson clinic.

[Beep] Please leave a message.

Dr. Stanfield, hi, my name is Spencer Reid, and I was wondering if you were available tomorrow to talk about my mother.

Reid: "What greater thing is there for human souls than to feel that they are joined for life, to be with each other in silent, unspeakable memories?" ~ George Eliot.