Chapter 432: Jack's Nonsense and Reid's Heroics

"Of course, it's not me!" Patrick Denly, initially surprised by the group's visit, looked genuinely terrified after hearing their accusations. His face paled even more when he turned around and saw Jack standing behind him, glaring intensely.

"I lied! I only did it to win Lila's favor," Patrick hastily explained. "Lila is Mrs. Lawton's goddaughter and a rising star. She's interested in art, and I thought having a beautiful young actress frequently visit the gallery would attract more attention."

"I swear, I had a small crush on her, but it's obvious she has no interest in me. Damn it, Reid, you can tell, right? Do I look like a murderer to you?"

Sensing that Patrick was on the verge of a breakdown, Jack cleared his throat, interrupting the man's rambling.

"So, tell us how this collage came into your possession. You're not seriously going to tell us that this was just a coincidence—an art piece filled with Lila's life experiences magically appeared in your hands."

"It wasn't a coincidence! Someone asked me to give it to her. I only told a little white lie because I knew Lila would love it. I wanted to impress her since I know her tastes."

Hmm, if this were a movie, this kind of character—one who couldn't get to the point—would probably be shot dead right about now by a stray bullet, collapsing into a pool of blood while dramatically trying to write "Murder" with their last breaths, but never revealing the killer's name.

"Focus. Who gave it to you?" Jack snapped, cutting off Patrick's pointless chatter.

Patrick recoiled in fear and blurted out, "She said her name was Maggie Lowe. She's Lila's college friend—something like an assistant or director's aide."

"That's impossible!" Lila gasped, covering her face, tears welling in her eyes.

Jack immediately connected the name to that assistant he'd seen—the one who looked like a young Scarlett Johansson.

What could he say? He had a much better memory for pretty women than for abstract art pieces.

"Maggie and I went to college together. I even helped her get a job on the set of my last film," Lila explained tearfully to the BAU team, shaking her head in disbelief. "It can't be her. That's ridiculous!"

Jack had already pulled out his phone and called Angela. "We have a suspect—Maggie Lowe, an assistant on Lila's film crew."

"Got it. I'll notify Tim and John to head to her place immediately," Angela responded without hesitation. Her trust in Jack was absolute—she didn't even ask for more details before hanging up.

Meanwhile, Reid was still trying to comfort Lila. "We're only suspecting her right now, but she does fit the profile."

"Except for the gender," JJ muttered under her breath.

Profiles weren't always perfect. Mistakes like misidentifying gender weren't uncommon. Behavioral analysis was a science, not about political correctness. Minority identities wouldn't take precedence unless supported by concrete evidence.

Jack dialed Hotchner next, updating him on the case's developments and informing him that LAPD was on its way to Maggie Lowe's residence.

Hotch replied that he, Rossi, and Emily would head to Wilshire Station to follow up, leaving Jack to ensure Lila's safety at home.

Returning to Lila's Hollywood Hills villa, Jack noted that a LAPD patrol car had just arrived. John and his team, after taking the paparazzo back to the station, had gone straight to apprehend Maggie Lowe.

Watching Reid escort Lila into her house, Jack debated whether to return to his earlier vantage point or simply wait outside the villa and rest until LAPD updated him. His decision was interrupted when Reid's voice suddenly crackled through the earpiece, louder than usual.

"Maggie?!"

Jack's heart skipped a beat as he locked eyes with JJ. They'd made a terrible oversight—Maggie Lowe had snuck into Lila's house during the brief window when no one was around.

"I'm going in through the back," JJ whispered, swiftly drawing her Glock and moving toward the backyard, keeping low.

Jack, also armed, carefully entered the front door. Fortunately, quick-thinking Reid had left it ajar.

In the space between the hallway and the living room, Jack spotted Lila being held at gunpoint by Maggie, who had a small revolver pressed to her head. Reid, with his hands raised, had already placed his gun on the floor.

"Put the gun down, Maggie. You don't have to do this," Reid said, trying to calm her.

From Jack's position, he couldn't get a clear shot, so he quietly slipped into the shadows of the unlit hallway, waiting for the right moment.

"You don't know me! Stop calling me Maggie; you don't even know who I am!" The once-efficient assistant now looked deranged. Her hair was disheveled, tears streaked her face, and her eyeliner had smudged into two dark trails down her cheeks.

"Lila, come with me. We need to leave, sweetheart," Maggie said, attempting to drag Lila toward the door.

Lila, however, didn't budge, tears streaming down her face. "Maggie, this isn't you. Why are you doing this?"

Reid, with his hands still raised, also didn't move. "Don't do this, Maggie. Don't hurt Lila. You don't want to hurt her."

"You don't understand anything!" Maggie snapped, though her tone softened as she turned back to Lila. "I would never hurt you. I couldn't."

Maggie gently tucked a strand of Lila's hair behind her ear, exposing her delicate neck, and kissed her there.

"You and I… we can never go back," Maggie said wistfully.

Shocked, Lila trembled. "I don't understand what you're saying."

"I'm talking about our college days. Remember when the heat broke in your apartment, and we stayed together in my tiny dorm? You were rehearsing for Ophelia back then." Maggie's voice was laced with bitterness.

"I remember," Lila responded quickly.

"Those were the best days of my life," Maggie said with a sigh.

"But that was just two girlfriends spending the weekend together," Lila said, confused.

"You don't know me at all," Maggie said, her voice trembling with emotion. "I created you."

"No, you didn't!" Lila shot back, her voice rising.

"Yes, I did! I built your career! God, you ungrateful fool. How could I have ever loved someone like you?" Maggie's voice was growing erratic, her mind clearly unraveling.

At that moment, Jack decided to step in, seeing the situation reaching a boiling point.

"Uh, but she doesn't love you. She loves the man standing right in front of you. His name is Dr. Spencer Reid, an FBI agent and an actual genius. He entered Caltech at 12, got his Ph.D. in mathematics by 16, and by the time he was 21, he had also earned doctorates in chemistry and engineering, along with bachelor's degrees in sociology and psychology."

As Jack rattled off Reid's impressive resume, he subtly gestured to JJ, hidden behind Maggie and Lila, signaling her to stay in position. He could keep the situation under control.

"What? Who the hell are you, and what are you babbling about?" Maggie, clearly rattled by Jack's sudden appearance, wavered, her revolver swinging between Reid and Jack.

"I saw everything. They kissed in the pool. They've fallen in love. They kissed for a long time—just look at his swollen lips!" Jack grinned, gesturing at Reid, who, finally catching on to Jack's plan, started nodding along, even though he looked utterly bewildered.

Jack continued his nonsensical rant, "Then they went inside the house, and who knows what happened after that. It wasn't long, but you know how it is with men—it doesn't take much."

"Shut up! I don't want to hear it!" Maggie screamed, pointing her gun at Reid, her hand shaking violently.

Sensing it was time, Jack went for the final push. "You don't believe me? I've got pictures. There was a paparazzo in that tree who captured everything. Look for yourself."

He pointed toward the backyard. Maggie, foolishly falling for the bait, glanced back—and that's when JJ made her move.

"Ah!" Maggie shrieked as she tried to turn her gun on JJ, but Reid lunged forward.

Jack, who had been poised to leap, stopped short and caught Lila as she stumbled toward him.

Proudly, Jack watched as Reid skillfully used the disarming technique he had taught him, swiftly neutralizing Maggie and pinning her to the floor.

"Don't move!" Reid commanded.

"Kill me! Please, kill me! Just do it!" Maggie, now completely unhinged, thrashed on the ground, her handcuffed arms twisted painfully behind her back.

"Kill me! It's the only way I'll feel better. Please!" she begged.

"What you need is a doctor. You're sick," Jack said, securing her cuffs tighter.

Whether Maggie ended up in a mental institution or prison, Jack would ensure she stayed locked away forever. He couldn't risk her ever getting out—her obsession with Reid had likely just begun, and he needed to preempt any future tragedies.

At that moment, their phones all rang simultaneously. Jack answered his—it was Tim.

"We got her. At Lila's house," Jack said before Tim could speak

.

"Huh?"

-

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