"I need to talk to Ashley for a minute" Reid said quietly. The team were all back in the police department and going over old leads after their main one, Fayhee, had been pronounced dead, from a gunshot wound to the heart, only a few minutes early.
"What?" Morgan said a little too sharply and turned to him.
"I need to talk to Ashley" Reid repeated, a little louder this time.
"Reid, our key lead just got shot, Ashley was right next to him when it happened. We have 3 boxes full of leads we have to go over again to find Prentiss. I don't see how talking to-" Morgan started but was cut off by Ashley.
"Morgan" Ashley said to him. "I'm going to talk to Reid then we'll come back and help you with the leads" She said quickly then began walking towards an empty interrogation room. Reid followed her, avoiding the looks of the team as he passed them.
"What's this about, Reid?" Ashley said as she carefully closed the door behind them.
"Ashley…" Reid took a deep breath and composed his thoughts before continuing. "The whole team wanna help Emily so bad that we can't see this case straight"
"So, what do we do?" Ashley said as she stared at Reid.
"We depend on the team member with the freshest eyes" He said and slowly looked up at her.
"No, Reid, not me" She said and took a few steps back.
"You haven't worked with Emily for five years, you're unprejudiced" He said and took a step closer to her. "Come on, Ashley. What's been bugging you since we left Quantico?" He said. He paused for a moment for her to say something but her mind had gone blank. "How about the affair? That bugs me! How does the two of them sleeping together change Doyle's profile?" He said, pushing her for an answer.
"I… I-I don't know" She said as she tripped over her words from the pressure.
"Ashley, think. This stuff is textbook, just think" He said and took another step closer to her.
"I haven't read every textbook, Reid" She sniped back.
"Come on, Ashley" He said and closed the gap between them so he was only a few inches away from her. "What doesn't fit?"
"I…"
"Just say it! What're you thinking? Just spit it out!" he shouted at her, finally making eye contact.
"Why families?!" She yelled back at him.
"Good, keep going"
"Prentiss is Doyle's stressor… He wants revenge on the woman who betrayed him, and I understand that. But why kill that child in DC?" She said then took a deep breath and looked up at him hopefully.
Reid let everything process for a second then nodded. "Come on" He said and made a quick walk towards the door and yanked it open.