As luck would have it Mai didn't end up having to make a phone call directly to Yasuhara first thing in the morning. He rambled his own way into the conference room at around eight and plopped an overflowing manilla folder onto the large table. Reprinted news articles scattered across the laminate table top. Yasu muttered a curse at the accidental mess and began sifting through the papers. He handed Mai the article he had been searching for and Mai's eyes widened as she noticed the date. The article had been published in 1942. While she had hoped for some new leads she didn't anticipate the leads to reach that far back. The warehouse couldn't be that old.

Mai quickly read through the article to herself. The phrasing was a little strange because the journalist seemed to be talking directly to the reader rather than keeping the article full of facts. The most noteworthy part of the article came towards the end. "While this may be an intellectual hypothesis, as a reporter I believe that this particular killer got his inspiration from the 1931 movie Frankenstein. It is true that the novel was originally published in 1818, which makes the story over a century old, however the film breathed a new life into the story. Perhaps this killer is harvesting these body parts much like the crazed doctor to replicate a bride instead of a monster. Whatever the case, let's hope this 'deranged groom' is apprehended soon."

Mai handed the article to Naru who scanned his eyes over the print in rapid succession. What took Mai probably about seven minutes to read probably him closer to two. Had she ever noticed how fast he read before or was this something he had picked up during their jaunt apart? "This reads rather peculiarly. The author sounds more like a newscaster than a journalist to me."

Yasuhara removed his glasses and cleaned them with the tail end of his shirt. "That's because he is. This particular article was originally broadcast both on television and radio. The newscast of course had a lot more impact via the radio at the time because many people did not yet have a television. Amazingly, that specific television station had been broadcasting for seven years at the time that narrative was delivered. The station made sure to keep well documented transcripts to preserve the stories for future generations. The grandson of the station owner actually came across the transcripts 30 years later and submitted them to the newspaper that printed the article. If you note the article states it was published in 1942. However, the first page of the paper shows that the story was published in 1975. I was able to find several more articles just by searching the phrasing 'deranged groom.' Seems the press had a field day with that moniker."

Mai watched Naru as he processed all this information. He wasn't one to give anything away from his face but she suspected that was part of the reason he half covered his mouth with his hand like he did. "Where were the bodies reportedly found?"

"Oh, I found that information in another article. Give me a second." Yasuhara began shifting through the mass amount of papers to locate the proper article. "Here, it is."

Since Yasu handed the article to Naru, Mai stood from her seated position and settled directly beside him with the intent to read over his shoulder. She didn't initial register that he had shifted the article to his other hand and lowered it. It was only when she felt his fingers interlace with her own and pulled their clasping hands just behind where their upper thighs touched that she noticed how he was accommodating her instead of reprimanding her. She attempted to ignore the blush that began dusting her cheeks and hoped no one else in the room would notice it.

"They found the bodies more than six hours drive from here. How can a spirit travel from one place to another like that?"

"Actually, it's more than that. It seems these disappearances have been happening between here and there since then. I did a time line of sorts." He began shifting through the papers again. "Crap! Where is it?" He had obviously grown frantic to find that particular scrap of paper because he was now throwing others on the floor and not caring where they landed. "Ah, here it is! More killings and disappearances were reported about five hours from here in 1964. Then you travel another hour, another twenty-two years to 1986. If you continue reading the time line you will notice it just keeps building and getting closer. It's not a precise schedule mind you. It's not always twenty-two years. It's not always an hour away. But it's a pattern of sorts."

"But still. How can a spirit travel like that? Why have any downtime? Every time we get more answers I feel like we just pile on more questions." Mai was becoming frazzled by each day more this job lasted.

"Perhaps, the spirit has to recuperate its power to be able to manifest itself? Maybe that's what it is doing in the downtime?" Monk offered.

"Or it's seeking to find the perfect host?" Ayako offered.

Naru contemplated. "I feel both are sound hypotheses. I am not sure it is worth it to over think about these educated assumptions however. We know some background. He got his inspiration from the 1931 movie but he didn't kill until 1942. Why?"

"Perhaps he was young and impressionable at the time it came out, and it was just an idea until something else happened in his life to trigger it?" Mai guessed.

"Wow, Mai, that almost sounded like an FBI profiler or something!" Monk exclaimed.

Mai grimaced. "Perhaps I have been watching too much Criminal Minds."

"Or just enough if you retained that kind of information." Gene smiled encouragingly.

Ayako chuckled. "Admit it you watch the show for Spencer Reid." A new blushed now stained Mai's cheeks. "Nothing to be embarrassed about. I watch it for the same reason."

"What?!?! Why do you need to be watching some television program just to get an eyeful of some celebrity? You have me!" Monk muttered in a mixture of annoyance and humor.

"Why wouldn't I? I'm not content with only looking at your mug day in and day out." Ayako's handbag appeared out of thin air and she whacked him over the head with it.

The couple's fight became background noise when Mai heard Naru mutter. "Television rots the brain."

"Apparently it doesn't always rot the brain. I came up with a clever idea didn't I? All from a television show!" She was a bit unnerved by his comment and tried to pull her hand away from his but he had a vice like grip. So she just groaned in annoyance and leaned more solidly against the wall in defeat.

"You admitted to watching only because of a certain celebrity." Naru grumbled between clenched teeth. Oh! It was a good thing he kept her immobile otherwise she wouldn't have been able to witness his reaction and make a new revelation.

Mai chuckled just before voicing her discovery. "Are you jealous?" Now he was the one that tried to pull his hand away from hers but she held on just as tightly as he had only moments ago. "Oh my gosh! You are! You're jealous!" She really wanted to kiss his cheek before verbally reassuring him. It was because their hands were hidden behind their thighs that she stopped herself. She was sure that action was her affirmation that Naru was trying to keep their new romantic status under wraps. So instead she leaned and whispered. "I don't really watch it for the celebrity as much as the character."

"How is that different?" Naru's hiss came out a tad more agitated than she had hoped but she still had a point to make.

"He's exceptionally smart and because of his deductive thinking reminds me a lot of another person in this room. Can you guess who?"

Mai wasn't surprised it didn't take him very long to put two and two together. "Hm. Perhaps, I was a bit hasty with my television comment."

Mai laughed out loud. "Yes, perhaps you were."

"So back to business. We don't really have any evidence to suggest this. But, I'm guessing that he never got to finish that perfect bride of his." Monk and Ayako's argument must have tapered off since he was bringing this up for the team to discuss.

Akane walked in and caught the last bit of the conversation. "He wanted my eyes."

"Yeah, he did mention that in my dreams. He complimented my eyes but said he had no use for them because he wanted Akane's more." Mai considered her dream. "He said most of my perfect parts he had already harvested from others and then settled on my hair." She bit her bottom lip as she considered those ramifications. "He's planning on scalping me."

The hold Naru had on her hand tightened. "That's not going to happen."

"Big boss is right. We won't let that happen. Besides, he lost his Igor. He's going to have difficulty without having the possession of someone as equally loony toons as he is...er was." Yasu had tried to bring some levity to the situation by the Igor comparison but he was sure it kind of backfired when the occupants of the room grew still and quiet.

"I'm guessing he's pretty selective about who he possesses. I'd imagine he goes for someone else who is in some ways as equally screwed up as he is." Ayako openly pondered.

"Well, it's good that he won't find that here with us."

"Unless he chooses one of us based on our abilities. If that were the case I know who I would choose." Mai watched as everyone's eyes whipped quickly to Naru.

"I'm not as susceptible to possession as I once was." He muttered between clenched teeth. He may have been unconscious and out of commission for most of that particular case with the Japan team but it was still a thorn in his side. Needless to say he disciplined himself in ways to keep that from happening again. His twin couldn't do the same however since his ability was being a medium. Sometimes a medium just had to be open to possession. There were times that was the only way to get a spirit to communicate. Because of this his eyes went to Gene.

"No worries, brother. I can't see my own abilities being something this spirit would want. Talking to the dead doesn't seem to be in his wheelhouse. However, being able to go somewhere in the blink of an eye..." Now everyone's eyes turned to Mai.

"You know my astral projection doesn't work that way. Besides, he said he wanted my hair. I am to be one of his victims not his accomplice."

"Who's to say you can't be both? He could use you for a little bit then when he is to the part where he requires your hair... Well, let's just say you don't have to be dead for that removal." Everyone openly glared at Monk afterward. Ayako beat him upside the head with her purse again. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I was thinking aloud. I didn't consider that train of thought. Ouch! Woman, I sincerely think you carry a brick in there or something."

"Yeah, after meeting you I put one in there because I thought it might knock some sense into you. After realizing it wouldn't I kept it there just because."

Mai once again ignored their bickering. Once the two started the only way for them to stop was to let them work it out in their own time. They might seem to bicker day in and day out but it was always about something small and the little spats they had would generally only last a few minutes. The longest one Mai witnessed lasted a couple hours. But they never seemed to go back up to their apartment angry. So she didn't believe they ever went to sleep angry with each other. That spoke volumes on how much they tried to make their relationship work.

Ever think their bickering is just foreplay to them?

Never before you put that thought in my head. Thanks a lot for that Eugene! Naru pinched the bridge of his nose as if a migraine was coming on.

"You okay?" Mai asked in concern.

He nodded. "So what we have worked out is that the spirit possesses minions to scout out female beauty for him. Once he finds just what he is looking for, he brings them back to his lab and kills them via asphyxiation. Presumably he uses some kind of plastic bag as the weapon. Then he harvests the body part in question and discards the remains."

Mai pulled away to go to make notes on the dry erase board. "Could we add in our notes that those he possesses tend to have some mental detriment?"

"I don't think we have enough proof to state it as fact. But noting it down as a possibility wouldn't hurt." Naru stewed over some things he was running over in his head. "I think we should all be vigilant that the spirit could attempt to possess any of us to continue his work. Don't let your guard down."

"I think you should give us some lessons on how to keep spirits from possessing us." Mai suggested.

That's not a bad idea, Noll! If that doesn't work we can always look into other ways to protect the team from possession.

Noll nodded. "I'll consider it."