the confession was made

Ray's eyes narrowed to slits, a mixture of defiance and curiosity in his gaze. "Why does it matter?" he questioned, his voice a blend of annoyance and skepticism. He doubted that his petty crimes, the stolen money, and a few sushi knives would be of any significance. Reid, with his grave demeanor and penetrating gaze, nodded in silent agreement. Then, he dropped the bombshell, his voice a whisper of accusation, "Where is Vanessa's body?"

Ray's reaction was a mask of shock, his voice a mix of surprise and denial, "What body? Is she dead? Why would I have her body?" Reid, with his intuitive insight and calm demeanor, shrugged nonchalantly, "You didn't know that she was dead?" Ray's frown deepened, his voice a whisper of truth or well-rehearsed lie, "No, I don't know. I wasn't in contact with her ever since we broke up."

Reid delved deeper, his questions sharp, probing, "Why did you break up?" Ray's teeth clenched, his voice a growl of resentment, "Vanessa said I was good for nothing and wanted nothing to do with me." Reid's eyes narrowed, his words a revelation, "Camera surveillance artifacts showed that you were wandering around Vanessa's home a few days before her death."

Ray's defense was immediate, his voice a shout of innocence or guilt, "That doesn't show anything!" Reid nodded, his agreement a silent acknowledgment of the ambiguity, "Indeed." He leaned closer, his question a whisper of curiosity, "Did you manage to see her in the past few weeks?" Ray shook his head, his body language a symphony of denial or deception.

The room was a theater of psychological warfare, the air thick with tension and unspoken words. Reid, with his expert knowledge of human behavior and criminal profiling, was the conductor of this symphonic interrogation, his questions the notes that created a melody of truth and lies. Ray, with his concealed abilities and hidden secrets, was the instrument, his responses the tunes that revealed or concealed the reality.

Reid's questions were sharp, precise, a scalpel cutting through the layers of deception and denial. His eyes were keen, observant, a mirror reflecting the soul of the man sitting across from him. His demeanor was calm, composed, a rock amidst the storm of accusations and defenses.

Ray's reactions were a mix of shock, denial, defiance, and resentment, a cocktail of emotions that painted a picture of a man cornered or wrongfully accused. His body language was a language of its own, speaking volumes of his state of mind, his true feelings, his hidden thoughts.

Alex, who had been a silent observer until now, broke his silence, his voice a stern warning, "I would advise you not to lie, Ray Bieber. Just so you know, Reid here is an expert profiler. He knows when you lie." Ray's eyes narrowed further, and his shoulders tensed, a silent symphony of defiance and apprehension. Reid, in contrast, appeared relaxed, his shoulders slouched, his demeanor calm.

Reid sighed, his voice a whisper of impatience and authority, "Let's not beat around the bush here, Ray. Tell me what you did with the body." The sudden shift in direction took Ray aback, his body tensed, his eyes slightly red as he shouted in denial, "I did not kill Vanessa! If I did kill her, why would I let her head be found?"

Reid's smirk was a silent revelation, his words a probe into the unknown, "I did not mention that Vanessa was beheaded. How did you know?" Ray's eyes widened, a genuine look of shock painting his features. 

Alex spoke again, this time subtly injecting a bit of his Ability into his words, "Tell us how you knew that we only found her head?"

Behind the one-way mirror, Ethan hummed in displeasure, Archer turned to him in confusion, and Caster spoke up, highlighting the illegality of using Abilities during questioning. 

"It's similar to using a lie detector and using it as evidence in court," he explained. Archer frowned, and Caster continued, elucidating the implications of using Abilities to extract answers, "Basically, whenever you use an Ability to force an answer, the answer might not be admissible as evidence in court." 

Ethan nodded in agreement, "It's a double-edged sword."

"Ah," Archer pursed his lips, "then Reid wouldn't be happy."

The trio then refocused their attention on the unfolding drama in the room.

Under the table, Reid discreetly pinched Alex, a silent reprimand. Alex showed no reaction, his demeanor unchanged. Ray, seemingly in a trance, unaware of the Ability used on him, began to spill his secrets.

Reid folded his arms, showing immense displeasure about Alex using his Ability here. However, what done was done and he crossed his fingers that the tape would not be audited. 

"I did not kill her…" Ray started, "I did behead her though…" Ray laughed manically, "she was already dead when I arrived!

"Her cold body lying on the ground…" Ray's eyes turned cold before his lips turned upwards again, "I touched her and suddenly, I really really really wanted her.

"I did not have anything to bring her back with me so I looked around the house… there was a bag I could put her in and I tried to squeeze her into it. But no," Ray shook his head, "it was too big."

Ray licked his lips, "you know, when you eat raw fish, although you can eat the head and especially tasty were the eyes and cheeks but… I had to give something up. I looked through her kitchen and there was no suitable knives… so I returned to the restaurant and stole some.

"I told them I had forgotten something and they let me right in! By the time I returned, I was sure I knew how to avoid all those pesky surveillance artifacts. I routed around the apartment and got myself in. Then I started work."

A large grin broke on Ray's face as he narrated his gruesome act of beheading with his Ability and his practiced skills and his departure with Vanessa's body concealed in her own bag.

Alex, with a demeanor that was a blend of stern authority and focused curiosity, pressed on relentlessly, his voice a symphony of determination and inquisition, "Where is the body?" 

The atmosphere in the room was charged, a silent battle of wills and truths unfolding within its stark confines.

Ray, his face a canvas painted with shades of crazed excitement, hesitated for a moment, his eyes flickering with concealed emotions before he began to confess his macabre acts, "I practiced my knife skills on her body, peeling her skin and deboning her." His voice was a whisper, a breeze carrying the scent of morbid secrets and hidden truths. 

He went on to describe, in chilling detail, how he meticulously cooked and consumed the remains, "just like how we cook fish soup in the restaurant…" The crazed man licked his lips again. 

Alex's eyes narrowed, the flames of disgust and revulsion burning within them, while Ray's lips curled into a manic grin, his voice a whisper of twisted pride, "Vanessa will always be a part of me."

The air was heavy with the weight of his words, the silence a symphony of unspoken thoughts and concealed emotions.

There was a long pregnant pause before Ray spoke up, turning towards Reid, "you look tasty too… I'll love to have a bite."

Alex's reaction was visceral, a physical manifestation of his internal turmoil. His hand slammed the table, the sound a gunshot in the silent room, his voice a roar of revulsion, "You are a sick fellow, aren't you?" Ray's grin widened, a silent challenge, a silent proclamation of his twisted triumph, provoking Alex to the brink of physical violence. The tension was a living entity, the atmosphere a battlefield of morals and madness.

Reid, the silent observer, the calm amidst the storm, intervened with a subtle yet firm gesture, his hand pressing firmly on Alex's shoulder, his presence a beacon of tranquility in the tempest of emotions. Alex relented, the flames of his anger dimmed but not extinguished, his face still a canvas painted with shades of disgust and anger. At the same time, Reid turned towards the one-way mirror behind him and threw a glance towards Archer, or supposedly where he thought Archer would be.

Behind the mirror, Archer looked nonchalant. The air did not reduce in temperature as well. Caster and Ethan threw the man a look. Archer shrugged, "Reid's not a damsel. I'd love to see this maniac try to touch Reid."

Back in the interrogation room, Reid, after a moment of charged silence, shifted the conversation, his voice a blend of curiosity and authority, "Do you know Diane?" His question was a probe, a key to unlock the doors of concealed truths and hidden relationships. Ray, his demeanor changed, his body language a symphony of acknowledgment and revelation, nodded, identifying her as Vanessa's boss. 

"She's rich."

Reid cocked an eyebrow before he delved deeper, his questions sharp, precise, cutting through the layers of deception and denial, exploring Ray's perceptions and interactions with Diane. 

"What do you think of her?" His voice was a whisper, a breeze carrying the scent of curiosity and revelation. 

Ray, now seemingly more relaxed, the burden of his concealed truths lifted, shrugged as he leaned back in his chair. His words were a dance of shadows and light, revealing his observations and interactions with Diane. "Well, I am some sort of a romantic —" ("Sure you are," Caster mumbled under his breath.) "— I loved going to the art gallery. The sculptures… those perfect curves… and well, I met her there a few times." His voice was a whisper, a breeze carrying the scent of lunacy. 

Ray described his encounters with Diane, his observations of her pompous nature, and her clear disinterest in him. 

"Tell me more," Reid leaned forward, clasping his fingers together and supported his chin.

"The first time I introduced myself to her… Vanessa was there," a longing smile appeared on his face, "but she clearly disliked me. She had very pleasantly asked me to go away and leave Vanessa."

Ray shrugged as he continued, "I didn't really care. After all, Vanessa stopped her and Diane stopped commenting. They left and we did meet a few times after but never talked."

Reid released one of this hands from underneath his chin and started tapping on the table rhythmically, out of habit, "well, was there anything interesting about Diane?"

"Diane?" Ray looked up at the ceiling as he recalled, "not really… ah."

Reid waited.

"I had saw Vanessa and Diane quarreling once and it was like a mirror."

"Hmm…" Reid hummed, "did Diane look the same every single time you saw her?"

Ray pondered, "now that you mentioned it… she did seem to look slightly different. I had thought it was make-up."

Reid pursed his lips. His rhythmic taps on the table seemed almost louder. 

Reid, with a thoughtful expression, leaned forward, his gaze piercing into Ray's soul, "What was it about Vanessa that captivated you so intensely, Ray? What made her so irresistible that you had to possess her, in life and in death?" His voice was steady, probing, seeking to unravel the threads of the twisted love that bound Ray to Vanessa.

Ray's eyes, a chaotic dance of madness and passion, gleamed as he began to speak of Vanessa, his voice a twisted symphony of love and obsession. "Vanessa… she was extraordinary. She loved me with a fervor that matched my own for her. Every time we were together, it was like… like we were in our own world, a world where only the two of us existed." His words were laced with a mixture of longing and insanity, painting a vivid picture of their tumultuous relationship under the sheets.

Alex, his muscles tense, his hand clenched, was on the verge of intervening, finding the explicit details unnecessary and disturbing. But Reid, sensing his discomfort, raised a hand subtly, signaling him to remain silent. Alex, although confused and disturbed, respected Reid's judgment and restrained himself, his gaze fixed on Ray, a silent guardian of morality and justice.

Ray, lost in his own world of memories and desires, continued unabated, his words a chaotic dance of passion and depravity. "Vanessa had this Ability, you see. She could morph parts of her body, allowing us to explore… uncharted territories, to experience the forbidden." His voice was a whisper, a breeze carrying the scent of forbidden desires and dark secrets.

Reid's eyebrows knitted together, a silent reflection of his focused curiosity and analytical mind. "She couldn't alter her face?" His question was sharp, precise, a probe into the unknown realms of Vanessa's abilities. Ray's face contorted in confusion, the crazed light in his eyes flickering, "What do you mean? No, she couldn't. That's why I wanted her body. Her body was a sanctuary, a paradise of pleasures and experiences." His words were a whisper, a breeze carrying the scent of twisted love and dark desires.

Reid's frown deepened, his mind a whirlpool of thoughts and reflections, his gaze fixed on Ray, seeking to unravel the mysteries of his twisted mind and dark soul. Then, abruptly, he stood up, his movement a silent proclamation of his authority and determination. Ray, with his twisted desires and dark propositions, grinned manically, "Since I'm doomed anyway, why not indulge in one last pleasure? I'm not picky… I'd even do it for you, Reid."

Reid's gaze was a sharp blade, slicing through the air to land on Ray, a silent arrow of disgust and condemnation. If looks could kill, Ray would have been dead many times over by now. Reid's voice was a sharp blade, cutting through the tense silence, "Rot in prison, Ray." His words were a final verdict, a silent proclamation of guilt and condemnation.

The door clicked shut, sealing Ray in his own world of darkness and madness. The door from the other room opened, and Caster, Archer, and Ethan stepped out, their presence a silent reflection of the tension and revelation that had unfolded in the investigation room. 

Ethan, having never seen Reid in such a mood, whistled softly, "Never knew Reid had such character." His words were a whisper, a breeze carrying the scent of surprise and revelation.

Reid tossed Ethan a look, a silent arrow of annoyance and authority, without any comment and turned to Caster, his voice a whisper of authority and determination, "Put up an arrest for Diane." His words were a command, a silent proclamation of his authority and determination.

Caster was a sea of confusion, his mind a whirlpool of questions and reflections, when the door from the investigation room opened. Alex stepped out, his presence a silent reflection of authority and determination, nodding to Reid, "We will put up an arrest for Diane. I suppose you have solved the mystery?" His words were a whisper, a breeze carrying the scent of acknowledgment and curiosity.

Reid nodded, his movement a silent proclamation of his authority and determination, but not before turning to Ethan, his voice a whisper of authority and request, "I need your help with some investigation." Ethan, after hearing Reid's request, had an inkling as to what Reid was suspecting. He quickly reentered his lab to conduct the tests, his movement a silent reflection of his professionalism and determination.

In the meantime, Alex had given out the order to have Diane arrested, his voice a whisper of authority and determination, and another order to have Uncle Jem escorted to the station, his words a command, a silent proclamation of his authority and determination.

Archer turned to Reid who was smiling slightly — 'so?'

Reid shrugged and winked — 'a secret.'