Chapter 10-New Problems and What Reid Found

"Don't you see it, Emily?" Reid reiterated excitedly.

"Apparently not," was her reply. "Why don't you explain what you found to the rest of us."

Reid motioned for Prentiss to get up so he could sit down again. Once seated, he took the magnifying glass from her, and resumed looking closely at the handwriting on both the application and index card.

"It's not that easy to see," Reid explained. "You have to look very close to find what I'm talking about, Emily. But if you do, you can make out the outline of Hotch's signature written in pencil on the application with the ink over it. Whoever filled out this application wasn't too confident with forging Hotch's signature. He wrote it out in pencil first, then wrote over it with ink." He looked at the others. "There would be no need for Hotch to do that."

A slow smile appeared on Rossi's face. "But there would be if somebody was trying to forge Aaron's handwriting."

"Exactly."

The older man gripped the younger agent's shoulder. "Great work, Reid. This proves that Aaron did not apply for that safe deposit box."

"And since he didn't…" Will smiled with an arm around his wife's waist. "…there's no way he'd be the one who deposited that million dollars."

Rossi smirked looking at Will. "You got it."

But Morgan was still worried and his face mirrored his concern. "I agree it's a break for us, Rossi. But is it gonna be enough to convince your friend, Carl Brandeis?"

Rossi pursed his lips and wrapped his arms around himself. "I grant you we need more evidence, Derek. But hopefully this will convince Detective Brandeis to consider the possibility of Aaron having been set up by somebody who wanted to make him look dirty."

"Somebody like Beth Clemmons," JJ sneered.

"Emily, what's troubling you?" asked a concerned Rossi seeing the brunette's face.

Prentiss let out a deep breath. "When are we going to tell Haley everything? I mean, she has no idea why Hotch was killed. Don't you think she has a right to know what we know?"

Rossi sighed. "I understand what you're saying. And I would like nothing better than to tell her. But we need more than somebody trying to forge Aaron's handwriting. That by itself isn't enough."

"Can we at least warn her about Beth?" asked Will. "I mean, if she's the one who murdered Hotch, might she not go after Haley or Jack next?" The others all exchanged troubled looks. The agents admitted Will had brought up something they had never considered.

"Will's right, Rossi," Morgan agreed. "Beth is delusional enough to go after Haley or Jack. Especially as she blames Haley for Hotch's death."

Rossi nodded. "I agree. JJ, you and Emily pay Haley a visit. She and Jack are staying with her sister. Also, make sure to alert Jessica of the danger as well. There's no telling who Beth might go after next."

"We'll head out now," JJ replied as she walked away from Will to grab her jacket while Prentiss waited at the front door. As the blond started toward the front door, her cell phone rang. With a weary sigh, JJ removed her cell from the pocket of her jacket. "Hello?" Her face became angry. "You can't print that!" she shouted into the phone. "There's no truth to that accusation whatsoever! Look, Dan, we've known each other for several years, and I'm asking you as a favor to hold off on the story. If you agree, the BAU will give you an exclusive once the case is solved." Her face darkened. "Aren't you even worried you will be damaging an innocent man's career and reputation? Not to mention embarrass his family?" JJ ground her lower jaw. "Then let me make this simple so even you can understand. You print that story and our friendship is over, Dan. Hello? Hello!" Hearing only the dial tone, JJ felt like throwing the phone across the room. " Damn!" She bit her lower lip as tears formed in her eyes.

"JJ?" asked Will. "What was that all about?"

The blond turned and faced her friends; tears were running down her cheeks. "That was Dan Laramie."

"The reporter?" asked Rossi. He didn't like where this was heading.

"Yeah. Somebody in the police department leaked information about the drugs, money, and Hotch, Rossi. He refuses to hold off on the story and said it's gonna run in tomorrow's paper front page."

"Damn!" the older man swore under his breath as Will went to comfort his wife. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

"I tried to get him to hold off but he hung up on me. I'm so sorry. This will ruin everything Hotch stands for and has done," JJ stammered.

"It's not your fault, Cheri. We all understood that information couldn't stay hidden for long. Main thing now is to find enough proof that Hotch was framed and who killed him. And once we do, we'll make that paper print a retraction and an apology." He looked at Rossi. "Right, Dave?"

"Absolutely," Rossi agreed. "And Will's right, JJ. You didn't do anything wrong." He let out a deep breath and reached into his jacket for his cell phone. "Emily, you go talk to Haley. Reid, go with her. And you'd better tell her what will be in the paper tomorrow so she's prepared. My guess? The paper's probably gonna be calling for Haley's and Jessica's reactions before they run the story if they haven't already."

"I can go with Emily, Rossi. I'm all right," JJ assured him.

"You sure?" asked the older man. "I can just as easy send Reid with Prentiss."

JJ smiled and wiped her cheeks. "I'm sure. Besides, I need some fresh air."

Rossi nodded. "Okay. You and Prentiss go ahead."

"What about Strauss?" asked Reid looking at the older man. "The moment she reads that story…"

"I hear what you're saying. The paper will probably contact her to get her and the Bureau's response. Regardless, she'll make sure Aaron's reputation and career are not only destroyed, but she'll then come after us before we can find out who's responsible." He pressed several buttons on his phone and put it to his ear. "John? Dave Rossi. Listen, there's something you need to hear and I'd rather it come from me. But I don't want to discuss it over the phone. I can be at your office in about an hour or less. Fine. Oh, and John, you're probably going to hear from Erin or the press if you haven't already. All I ask is that before you form an opinion, you listen to what I have to say. Thank you. I'm on my way." Disconnecting the call, Rossi scrolled down his list until he came to Garcia's name. He pressed speed dial and waited.

"You have reached the office of the all-knowing Oracle, Penelope Garcia, Agent Rossi. Speak and be heard."

"Garcia, can you access Strauss' inter-office phone system and see if there have been any calls left on her voice mail or that she received in the last, say, forty-five minutes?"

"I'm offended. What kind of question is that to ask the Oracle. Of course I can. But what…"

"It's important and about Hotch," Rossi interjected.

"I'm on it." Garcia's fingers flew over her keyboard. "Checking…checking…no, sir. There have been no calls left on her voice mail. Oh dear God."

"What is it, Penelope?"

"There was a call from a reporter that Strauss answered when it came into her office. It didn't last long though." Garcia heard a frustrated sigh on the other end of the phone. "Sir, what's happened? What's this about Hotch?" She listened in horror as Rossi explained about the reporter's phone call to JJ and about the story running into the next day's paper. "Oh dear lord," the tech analyst sighed. "Tell me you have the name of who leaked the information about the drugs and the money being connected to Hotch. Give me his name and I will ruin him."

"We don't have a name yet, Penelope," Rossi explained. "But I'm sure as hell gonna find out. And when I do…"

"Sir, promise me when you do, you'll leave some of him for me to destroy. But if you don't, I can tell you where to hide the body so it'll never be found ever."

"Thanks, kitten. Listen, keep monitoring the inter-office phone system just in case."

"Consider it done, sir. And if there are?"

Rossi let out a deep breath. "Try and block 'em if you can. But don't get yourself caught, okay?"

"Have no fear. An Oracle knows how to be discreet. Sir, are we meeting tonight at your place?"

"Yes. Be there at seven."

"Roger. Over and out." Garcia disconnected the call.

Rossi looked at the others. "Strauss already knows," he explained. There were groans.

"Garcia said a reporter called her office apparently to get her and the Bureau's response to the story." There were more groans and murmurs from the others. He looked at JJ and Prentiss. "Get going you two."

Emily looked at JJ as she headed out of the door with the blond behind her. Once the door closed, Rossi dialed another number. "Carl? David Rossi. Listen, we've got a huge problem. Somebody in your department leaked the information about the drugs and the money being connected to Hotch. The story's gonna run in tomorrow's paper, and Strauss has already been contacted. I understand you didn't leak it, Carl. But can you find out who? Thanks. Oh, and we're still meeting tonight as planned. Bye." Rossi disconnected the call and shoved the cell back in his jacket. He grabbed his car keys from his pocket. "I'm gonna visit the Director and hopefully quash this thing before it gets too much out of hand and the damage to Hotch becomes irreversible. And then I'm going to pay Strauss a visit today instead of tomorrow. Afterward, I'm gonna head home and get some rest until later when you guys come over the house. Wish me luck."

"Good luck, man," Morgan said echoing the sentiments of the others. After Rossi left, Morgan ran a hand over his bald head and faced Reid and Will. "So what do we do now?" he asked.

Will shrugged his shoulders and folded his arms over his chest. "Nothing we can do," he said in his slow Southern drawl. "But until then, why don't you tell me anything else you can about Beth Clemmons and her connection to Aaron Hotchner."

Erin Strauss slammed the receiver down for what had to be the fourth time in the past forty-five minutes. Damn reporters, she thought. A slow smile appeared despite the harassment by the press wanting the Bureau's reaction to the breaking story about Hotchner.

"So you're not the great man of integrity everybody said you were, were you, Aaron," she smirked. She always suspected he had been hiding something, but never in her wildest imagination did she think he was dealing drugs. She needed to discuss this with the Director and see how he wanted to handle the situation. After all, she had no proof personally. But the informant said the police had the heroin, the ledger in Hotchner's own handwriting, and a safe deposit box rented by him. Also, a large sum of cash totaling over one million dollars was in the box. To Strauss, that was all the proof she needed that the great Aaron Hotchner was not only dirty, but a liar and a drug dealer. A serene smile crossed her face. She finally had the proof she had always craved against Hotchner to bring him down; and the fact that she had to wait until he was dead didn't matter. She could now once and for all, crush the legend that was Aaron Hotchner and conduct her investigation into his team to find out what they knew. With luck, she could fire all of them, and possibly have them arrested for participation in illegal activities, or concealment of them at least. The very idea made her almost giddy.

But more than anything, she would get to wipe that smug smile off the face of one David Rossi. For once, Rossi would not to be able to defend his 'good friend' against the evidence the police had gathered. In fact, it wouldn't surprise Strauss at all if Rossi, being Hotchner's close friend, was somehow involved in the man's illegal activity. Maybe even covered for the man. Regardless, she would continue conducting her own investigation no matter what. But first, she must report what she learned to the Director and get his input how best to protect the Bureau from the fallout which was sure to come. She picked up the receiver and started to phone the Director and ask for an immediate appointment, but paused and hung up the receiver instead. No, she would not phone him. It would be better if she simply went to his office directly and insisted on an immediate meeting. She got up from her chair, left her office, and headed for the elevator.

She waited impatiently for the elevator's arrival, and became more impatient as the elevator seemed to stop at nearly every floor before arriving at its destination. The doors hissed open, and she stepped into the hallway only to come face-to-face with the last person she expected to meet: David Rossi. He smirked when he saw Strauss, well aware of where she was going.

"I was just thinking of you, Erin," Rossi said sarcastically.

"I'm sure you were," Strauss glared at the man. "You might want to know I received a call from the police. Seems there is a development in the investigation."

"Really?" Rossi arched an eyebrow. "And what might this development be may I ask?"

Strauss smirked. "Don't play dumb with me, David. I'm sure you were aware of Agent Hotchner's drug dealing. Wouldn't surprise me if you and your entire team took part in his illegal activities. Or at least covered for him. Regardless, the man was an embarrassment to the Bureau."

"Careful, Erin. Somebody might think you have a grudge against Aaron."

"Oh I have more than a grudge. I now have irrefutable proof of Agent Hotchner's illicit activity. And I intend to inform the Director of the black mark Agent Hotchner has placed on the Bureau. The man was a disgrace to not only the Bureau, but to the BAU. And I intend to have every case he and his team worked thoroughly investigated, especially those involving drugs. And when I am finished, you, Agent Hotchner, and his entire team will face the severest consequences." She looked down her nose at Rossi and started to pass him. She was in a hurry to see the Director. "Face it, David, it's obvious you didn't know Agent Hotchner as well as you thought. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to meet with the Director about how best to protect the Bureau from this mess brought upon it by a dirty agent. A dirty agent who, I might add, was brought into the Bureau and the BAU by you and Jason Gideon." She chuckled seeing Rossi's face.

But Rossi's expression did not change; he remained perfectly calm. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, Erin."

Strauss turned and faced the older man again, folding her arms. She glared at him. "Oh? And why not?"

This time Rossi chuckled. "Y'see, Erin. The Director and I just had a nice chat about all of this. He doesn't believe any of these accusations against Aaron anymore than the team does. So, if you are still planning to go in there and tell him what you were told by the police, then you are going to have to explain how this all took place under your watch."

"Are you threatening me?" Strauss hissed. She stood her ground, but Rossi could see he had gotten her complete attention. He noticed her face had turned waxy.

"Not at all. I just want to point out that you will be hanging yourself in the process. See, the Director will want you to explain how this happened without your knowledge. Afterall, Aaron was your subordinate. And telling him 'I didn't know' won't work." Strauss' face paled as the ramifications of what Rossi explained hit home with the woman. "Y'see, even if you can convince the Director you didn't know anything, the implications, whispers, and innuendos will still be there. Then you will become the liability to the Bureau. And how long do you think you will last here after that, Erin? A week? Maybe." He smiled. "Just remember this. If you decide to bring Aaron and the team down, you go right ahead. But keep in mind, it only takes a few pieces of paper to have you taken down with the rest of us if you persist. Then again, I would enjoy having you for company at the bottom." Pressing the button for the elevator, the doors hissed open and Rossi stepped inside, but stopped the door from closing with his hand. A smug grin appeared. "Enjoy your day, Erin." He dropped his hand and the doors closed.

Strauss stood where she was staring at the closed elevator doors. She suddenly wasn't so eager to meet with the Director anymore. Damn you, David Rossi!