Think Again

The next day I went out with Hotch and Rossi, talking to the parents of the kids. After interviewing them, we had a suspect for our investigation. Louis de Lioncourt. How cute. Usually with a name like that I would have said, "Don't bother," but with the other members getting the same name, we had to go on it. One of the squad cars from Seattle police picked him up as soon as we put out the bolo. He was now sitting in interrogation, perfectly still.

Doing that vampire thing.

I was currently watching him from my side of the two way mirror, gaining knowledge about our friends. So far, I found out he was definitely the leader of a coven. He was comfortable with the title. I was joined by Spencer at the window.

"He hasn't moved since they brought him in," he said.

"He withdrew into himself. It's an old vampire trick. He's waiting for us," I turned to him and added, "He's not very good at it, however."

"How can you tell?"

"His eyes keep glancing between three places. In front of him, to the chair across from him, and to this window."

"Why the chair?"

"He's talking to himself."

"He is?"

"Spencer... do you often look at chairs? Watch, when he does, his eyebrows will twitch, like he's talking to someone."

As if right on cue, his eyes looked to the chair, his eyebrows furrowed. This time his head nodded. Spencer nodded as well, "I see.... Schizophrenic?"

"Yes. He has to be, man.... If anyone can kill like that.... He has to be."

Spencer chuckled, "Man?"

"Yeah, dude. Hey don't knock on my lingo, bro, it's some tight shit."

"Wow." came Derek's voice from behind us, "What was that?"

"Just teasing Spencer," I said. I nudged Spencer's arm and he smiled shyly. "I'll tell Hotch and Rossi." I gave Derek a quick smile before walking out of the room.

I found the two I wanted filling coffee mugs. I approached them confidently, saying, "Hey, so I have news!"

"What is it," asked Hotch, his voice cold as usual.

"Well, this guy is definitely the one we're looking for, but after watching him I think be may be schizophrenic. Like Beautiful Minds I'm-going-to-talk-to-people-who-aren't-there-schizophrenic."

"He's talking to himself," asked Rossi.

"Not out loud, but yes."

Rossi nodded, "Okay. I want you to watch from the window."

"Alright."

"You'll be given a radio to use. I'll have a bud in my ear."

I nodded.

"Are you ready?"

"When you are."

He nodded and the three of us went into the room I started in. Morgan and Spencer were joined by JJ and Garcia. I stood in between Derek and JJ, ready with the hand radio. Rossi was the first to enter the room, Louis not moving, staring hard at the space in front of him.

"Rossi," I said, "Kick the table leg subtlety.... You'll easily get him to break character."

Rossi did as he was told, making it look like he tripped. Louis jumped, the reaction bringing movement back to him, "What the hell, man!"

Rossi sat down, "Sorry, I'm not usually this clumsy."

Louis squinted at him, I'm sure it meant to be a glare, but it wasn't very intimidating.

"Is your name really Louis de Lioncourt?" Rossi asked, looking at a case file he brought in with him.

"Yes."

"Where are you from?"

"Medieval Paris."

"Really? Tell me about it."

"It was beautiful."

"Where did you go when you wanted to get away?"

Louis' eyes moved to the empty chair and back to Rossi, "The Louvre."

"That wasn't open to the public yet," Rossi answered, "Not for at least another century."

Louis didn't reply.

"You know what I think? I think you're a native, born and raised in Seattle Washington."

Louis smiled, "Which is what you're supposed to think."

"Rossi," I said, "Ask him if he had any close friends in Paris."

"When you were in Paris... did you have any friends?"

"Other than Lorena? Nicki. Although he died in a fire. Broke my heart."

"Keep pressing the friends," I said. Rossi continued asking questions while I turned to Garcia, "Could you Wiki something for me?"

"U-Um sure."

"The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice?"

Her fingers flew, "Got it."

"Is there a character listing?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Are the names of his friends on there?"

"Yes."

"Rossi... he's living in an Anne Rice fantasy. Ask him who's sitting in the chair."

"Who is your friend?" Rossi motioned to the empty chair.

"You can see him?"

"Yes."

"His name is Marius."

Rossi nodded.

"He is my master."

Rossi nodded, "Excuse me." Getting up, he came into the room. "The master is non-existent?"

I sighed and ran my hand down my pony tail, letting the brown strands sway back and forth, "I don't know what to do now." I pointed at Louis through the glass, "He doesn't fit with the other members... if he is the one killing, he's doing it alone."

"Perhaps he's doing this to please Marius."

I nodded, "He said 'he is my master.' Maybe he's doing it as a...."

"As a what?" Asked Rossi.

"Are there fangs in his mouth?"

"No. Why?"

I held up a finger telling him to give me a minute to think. My mind flew over the stories of Anne Rice's novels and of the lore surrounding vampires, looking for a similarity. Everyone in the room had their eyes on me, watching as I mumbled to myself. My mind touched on character names from other books like Jonathan Harker, Richard Zeeman, Sookie Stackhouse, and Darren Shan. None were what I wanted. Then it hit me.

"He's a marked servant!" I smiled at my small mental victory, then frowned, "Which doesn't make sense because Anne Rice never had marked servants, she didn't believe in them. A-A marked servant is someone who is connected to the vampire by a sort of spiritual connection. They're able to live as long as the vampire, and on some levels whatever the servant eats or drinks, the vampire does."

"Do you think-"

"I have no idea, Rossi. Like I said, Anne Rice didn't have any servants... in fact the only ones I've ever come across have been in books by Amelia Attwater-Rhodes and Laurel K. Hamilton."

"How should I ask him?"

"I don't know that you should.... But you could try asking him how many marks he has?"

"Will he know what I'm talking about?"

"He should."

"Will he become violent?"

"No... but he might become nervous, thinking you're trying to steal the vampire away, or do him harm. If not then he'll become arrogant."

"Alright." He walked out of the room.

"Do you think he's killed before," asked JJ.

I shrugged, "Maybe? It depends on how long the delusion has been there. The mark he thinks he's on isn't usually given out, not unless the vampire really truly believes it will benefit them."

"Why doesn't he just become a vampire?" asked Derek.

"Being marked allowed you to live as long as the vampire, without aging. For the servant, they get to stay with their lover forever without having to compromise a day life. The vampire gets to taste food, and someone to look after them while traveling. Theoretically it's a win/win situation for both parties."

"How long have you been a servant," asked Rossi.

Louis looked at the chair nervously and replied, "Many years."

"How many marks do you have?"

Hanging his head he replied, "Four."

"Okay so he has all of the marks," I said into the radio, "Ask him if he killed the victims."

Rossi pulled out three pictures and set them on the table, all facing Louis, "Do you recognize any of these people?"

Louis looked at them, and started to cry, "Yes. They were... my victims."

"Why are you crying?"

"Because I killed them." Louis looked up, "I never wanted to kill them... but Marius insisted.... I love my master."

"Are these you're only victim?"

He chocked on a sob, "No."

"Garcia," said Hotch, "Run a search-"

"Already on it, Boss, no need to worry about me."

"We've got him," Hotch said looking out.

"Ask him why he's crying," I said to Rossi.

"Why are you crying?"

"I am ashamed. I am weak. I never wanted to be a servant. Never wanted this. But I have to kill them, because if I don't I'll go mad. I have to kill them, because if I don't I'll lose myself."

"Garcia, how many do you have?" Asked Hotch.

"Thirty five, so far, that match ours, all unsolved, no more than three per area, and it's all spread out. This would have taken him a while. Years by the looks of it."

"Have you always lived in Seattle," asked Rossi.

"Marius gets bored," replied Louis sniffing, "So we travel."

"Have you-"

"Fed," I said into the radio.

"Fed... in other cities?"

"Always." His voice was an ashamed whisper, filled with despair.

"I'll tell Yorkman," said Hotch. He moved to the door, but stopped, "Kelsie."

"Yes, sir?"

"Good job."

I smiled, but it was a weak one. Looking back at Louis, my heart couldn't help but ache for him.

~Spencer's POV~

I pulled out a copy of Dracula that I bought at a book store before we left. I was curious to see what all the fuss was about. As the jet leveled, I was joined by Kelsie who pulled out a rather abused copy of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

"Not your favorite," I said, "But one close to your heart."

She smiled, "Very good, Dr. Reid. I see you have a new book."

I closed it, making sure my finger marked the page and shrugged, "I never really had a need to read it."

"And now?"

"And now I'm just curious."

She smiled, "'Listen to them, the children of the night, what sweet music they make.'"

I smiled and replied, "'There is, I believe, in every disposition a tendency to some particular evil - a natural defect, which not even the best education can overcome.'"

"Interesting that you quote that one."

"Is it?"

"It's not one of the better known quotes."

I smiled.

"How do you know it?"

"I have an eidetic memory."

"Well shit," she said, "That's intense. I bet you had a rockin' time in school."

I frowned, "Not really."

"Oh, sorry. Didn't meant to bring up bad memories."

"It's fine."

She gave me a smile and I felt my heart stop, just looking at it. Her eyes sparkled in the light that shone through the window, then she looked away. I watched as the smile fade in and out of her expression as she reacted to the page. After a while, I too looked down to my book and began reading from the pages of Jonathan Harker's journal, about his horrifying stay at Count Dracula's castle.

It was easy to see the appeal in this book. Vampires have always been in our culture. Reading on, I learned more about Kelsie than I might have gotten in ten minutes conversation. The story is that of loss and love, a very Gothic tale indeed. The need for horror is seen in her, which might explain why she is here in this position. She will forever want to see the world as a horrific place.

And for that I was sad for her.