3 [Spencer Reid x Reader]

Berenice

Spencer's POV

"Any questions?"

A slew of hands popped up, and Spencer chose the first one that he saw, a young man in the back.

"Didn't you work on that case last year, the one about The Hunter?"

Spencer resisted the urge to freeze, instead forcing himself to relax.

"Yes, I did," he replied. "Next question?"

"They said there was an arrest made?"

"Yes, there were a few arrests made in relation to the case. You, in the front?"

"Were any of the suspects the killer?"

He resisted the urge to sigh defeatedly. They just wouldn't let it go.

"We believe so, but technically we weren't able to tie the evidence to anyone."

"How come he was never charged?"

"She."

The room erupted into whispers, a few gasps mixed in between. Spencer wished more than anything that he could leave, but there was still some time left in class. He would have to weather through this whether he wanted to or not.

"Technically, there was no physical evidence that we could tie to her," he started. "She had the means, motive, and opportunity. She even insinuated that she had known who we were before she had met us and other details about the cases, but it wasn't enough to actually charge her with anything. She maintained her innocence, and there was enough reasonable doubt that we couldn't build a case."

The instructor gave him a concerned look, interrupting her students to ask him a question as well.

"She walked free?"

"No," Spencer replied quickly. He realized his vagueness could most definitely cause alarm. "She was killed in FBI custody. She was the target of an organized crime syndicate. That's actually how we found her. It was a complete accident, a pure product of chance."

Another boy in the back.

"Why was it so hard to find her?"

"One thing about women who commit crime is that they are usually very mission-oriented. It became clear to us that she didn't enjoy killing at all; it was simply something that she did, like going to the grocery store or driving to work. She didn't have impediments like rage or bloodlust to cloud her vision, which meant that she almost never made a mistake. If she ever made one, we never found it."

"If she didn't like to kill, then why did she do it?"

"We believe that it was a response due to the loss of loved ones in her life. She had actually killed once, years before she had started her alleged rampage. It was listed as self-defense, and we think that it was a formative experience for her."

"What was she like?"

"She was..."

He paused, thinking of the right words to use. He pictured your face, the smile you had as you sang along to the radio in your last car ride together.

The last time he had seen you alive.

"Charming. Attractive and well-spoken, yet unassuming at the same time. At first glance, she came across as kind, gentle even. She was underestimated frequently, but was highly intelligent; she outwitted myself and my colleagues quite a few times."

He glanced at his watch. Thank god.

"It seems that my time has run out," he said, gathering his notes in his hands. He turned to the professor. "Thank you for having me today, Dr. Sawyer."