Killer Affair | Spencer Reid Short Story

Lies in Love

Spencer

My phone rings, pulling me from the haze I've been trapped in since Gwen was taken. I check the caller ID, and my heart sinks. It's Hotch.

I take a deep breath, steadying myself before answering. "Hotch."

"Spencer, I need you to come into the office," he says, his voice calm but carrying that unmistakable edge of urgency.

"What's going on?" I ask, though I already have an idea. The past few days have been a blur of questions and fear, waiting to hear something, anything, about Gwen.

"There's something I need to show you," he replies, avoiding any details. "It's important."

I swallow hard, my throat dry. "I'll be there soon."

When I arrive at the BAU, the familiar halls feel foreign, as if they've shifted in some subtle, cruel way since the last time I walked them. Hotch is waiting for me just outside his office, his expression serious, unreadable.

"Spencer, come with me," he says, leading me down the hall to the evidence room. He doesn't say a word as we walk, and the silence gnaws at me, heavy with the weight of what I might find.

Inside, he motions for me to take a seat at the small table. I hesitate, feeling a sense of dread building, but I do as he asks.

Hotch picks up a remote and clicks a button, bringing up a video on the monitor. "This was taken from a street camera near the crime scene. We found a witness, and they confirmed Gwen's presence."

The video starts, and my stomach drops as I see her—Gwen, unmistakable, moving in and out of the shadows. She's cautious, deliberate, her face briefly illuminated by the streetlight. It's clear, too clear, and it leaves no room for doubt.

Before I can react, Hotch presses another button, and a recording begins to play. It's the voice of a witness, shaky but clear.

"I saw her," the voice says. "She... she looked right at me, and I knew. I knew she was... responsible for what happened."

I close my eyes, forcing myself to keep breathing, to keep some semblance of composure. I can feel Hotch's gaze on me, steady, searching.

"Spencer," he says, his voice calm but piercing. "Did you know?"

I shake my head, trying to keep my expression neutral, to mask the storm of emotions beneath. "No, Hotch," I say, the lie feeling like a blade in my throat. "I... I didn't know anything about it."

He watches me carefully, as if weighing my words, assessing every tiny reaction. Finally, he nods. "We have Gwen in the interrogation room. Derek's with her now."

The words hit me like a blow, and it takes everything I have to stay seated, to keep my face steady. Gwen is here, only a few rooms away, and Derek—Derek is with her.

Hotch places a hand on my shoulder, his tone softening just a bit. "This isn't easy, Spencer. I know. But you need to stay focused."

I nod, barely able to breathe. "Can... can I see her?"

Hotch shakes his head. "Not yet. Right now, we're trying to get a clear understanding of her involvement. Derek's questioning her to see if she'll cooperate."

The room feels like it's closing in on me. I can't be here, watching this, listening to Gwen's life fall apart. But there's nothing I can do, nowhere to go. All I can do is wait, trapped between loyalty to the team and the impossible truth that Gwen's darkness has finally come to light.

I fear for what she'll say. Gwen has this icy side to her, buried deep beneath the surface, and it flips so easily. It's like a switch—one moment, she's the Gwen I know: sweet, caring, funny, the woman I've come to love with every part of myself. And then, in an instant, she's someone else. A complete stranger. A cold, detached, calculating force. A person who could look you in the eye and say the most horrific things without blinking, without flinching.