Chapter 11
Home of Sen. Ronald and Mrs. Mazy Pettigrew
Washington DC
September 2011
"Our son is returned to us." Mazy Pettigrew said. "Praise the Lord."
"Thank you for coming all this way to tell us Agent Hotchner." Senator Pettigrew said. His smile was happy and satisfied. "Do you have any idea when he'll be arriving?"
"Not precisely. The USS Mahan is bringing them back to Norfolk, we don't have a time of arrival, but I'm sure someone at the DOA should know in the morning."
"Of course, of course. We'll have to go meet the ship, show him a proper homecoming."
"I'll make a special supper." Mazy said. "Pick up some barbeque ribs and potato salad and make a sweet potato pie."
"Ohhh, that's my favorite." The Senator's voice dripped anticipation. "That's the good stuff there."
"Are those his favorites?" JJ asked.
"Oh we love them." Mazy replied. "We should invite some friends over, have a bit of a celebration."
"That's a good idea!" The Senator said. "The Wentworth's, of course, and the Birnbach's, maybe Todd and Mary from the committee..."
"What about his friends?" JJ asked.
Mazy looked like the question caught her by surprise. "Oh, well I wouldn't know who to ask."
"You never filed a missing persons report on your son." Hotch said. "Did you know he was missing?"
"We have been...estranged from our son for quite some time." The Senator replied. "We didn't actually know he was missing. You know, sometimes college students fall in to bad crowds. We've been praying for him and it looks like our prayers have been answered."
"Bad ideas. Are you referring to your son's homosexuality?" JJ asked. It was a gotcha question and it got him. The Senator's face fell. He looked betrayed and angry, but they sensed it was the wrong kind of anger. Too sudden, too hot. "You didn't know."
"My son is not gay." The Senator replied. "That's silly nonsense." He looked over at his wife who had withdrawn into herself, her smile shrinking and tightening. "Our son is a good Christian. But all men are born to sin, right now his behavior is not as it should be."
"Do you think his kidnapping could be related to his sexuality?" Hotch asked.
"I have no idea." The Senator looked down and away, showing the lie for what it was. "It wouldn't surprise me, that sort of lifestyle, you know what it can lead to. Drugs. Falling away from your family. Depression. Self-harm. I'm just glad he hasn't taken his own life." He opened his arms and let Mazy in for reassurance. "It would not surprise me if this did come from him falling in with a bad crowd like that."
"But now he's on his way home." JJ said. "I'm sure he'll find a safe place to land here."
"Of course he will." Mazy replied.
"And you can help him find his way."
"We will continue to pray for him." The Senator said. "Help him see the truth and become the man...the...the son God wants him to be for us."
They asked a few more innocuous questions and took their leave. "Thank you again." The Senator said. "I'll be sure to tell Bob Cramer about the good work your people have done here. A group that can close a case this effectively deserves our full support."
"Thank you Senator." Hotch smiled and shook hands and kept quiet until they reached the end of the driveway. "I think I need a shower."
"No kidding. This case is closed, here is your reward for dropping it." JJ said. "They didn't know he was missing for nearly a year, don't know his favorite foods, don't know any of his friends, and didn't know he's gay. Narcissistic much?"
Hotch nodded. "They think of him as an extension of themselves, not as his own person. He lied when he said that he didn't know if the kidnapping had anything to do with his son's sexuality."
"You think he knew?"
"But he was expecting to hear something else. You shouldn't have said anything."
"We needed to see his reaction."
"Still. His base is at the extreme end of the conservative spectrum, a gay son would not reflect well on the campaign trail." Hotch replied. "Wasn't he put on the short list for VP about the time Ashton was reported missing?"
"Less than two weeks before. Take him and convince him, whatever it takes. Don't bring him back until you're certain. It makes sense." JJ looked back at the house. "What do you think he'll do now that he knows it didn't work?"
"Whatever it is Ash is still a target."
BAU Headquarters
Quantico, VA
"We asked Andi to look into Ashton's personal life, discreetly." Hotch told the assembled group, which included Emily over a conference link from the Mahan and Andi Swan.
"From what I could tell Ashton wasn't well connected with the campus community." Andi said. "It seems like everyone knew him but no one there was close to him. It looks like he was closest to his employer, Shirley Packer. She owned the diner where he worked and rented a studio above her garage to him. Unfortunately she died four months ago. Heart attack. I spoke to her son Darren, he never met Ashton but he said his mom always spoke highly of him."
"Was he a part of the LGBT community on campus?" JJ asked
"He was. He ran a couple of support groups for the center here but they're stonewalling on giving us those notes, they want a court order. We tried looking outside the area, found that he was also running a support group in town and got the same stonewall."
"That's interesting." Dave said. "What are they hiding?"
"Not a clue yet. We spoke to his teachers and the employees and some of the regulars at the diner. They all said he was conscientious, hard working, friendly, all around great to work with. No sign of any kind of trouble but he made amazing pancakes. Apparently some of the regulars were questioning of his sexuality but he never talked about it directly with anyone."
"So he was a quiet kid still mostly in the closet." Morgan said. "Keeping his head down and staying out of his parent's way. But why would his parents suddenly turn on him."
"The VP slot." Dave replied. "They expect you to nail down every loose end for something like that. Even living the quiet life he was still a loose end. If he refused to be nailed down they might have decided to take it to an extreme."
"Assuming it was his parents and not just the traffickers." JJ said. "He fits their victim profile, an estranged loner."
"We have to be open to that as well." Hotch replied.
"Any chance of getting a hold of his computer?" Garcia asked.
"According to Darren Packer after Ashton had been missing for three months he and his mother packed up the studio and the Senator's assistant came down to collect it all."
"So Shirley Packer told the Senator his son was missing." Dave nodded. "His claim of not knowing was a lie."
"Which still isn't enough to tie him directly to the kidnapping." Hotch replied.
"No, but that is one seriously troubled family dynamic." JJ said. "I still don't understand what he was doing on the ship though, they only kept female victims."
"Whatever it was it was bad." Emily said. "This kid is acting like a serious trauma victim. He's terrified of seeing the doctor onboard, I don't think he's said more than three words to anyone, can't make eye contact and almost hides behind Reid whenever they're out of the guest quarters."
"And Spence hasn't said anything?" JJ asked.
"No, he said he wants to respect Ash's boundaries. He's going to formally ask to be taken off the case when he gets back to avoid the conflict, that's why he's not here."
"That's appropriate." Hotch nodded his approval.
"Did he say what Ash's reasoning is?" JJ asked.
"He said he's afraid of his father."
"Okay, tell me Spencer is not taking all this on himself." Garcia said.
"No. He's not even considering it. He said he wants the time to find the best people to help him."
"I'll help."
"He was hoping you would."
"Why does he need a bigger apartment?" Dave asked.
"He lives in a studio." JJ replied. "He sleeps on his couch."
"You can tell him for me he'll need medical and psychological clearance before we let him back." Hotch said.
Emily nodded. "He's already planning on it."
"Good."
"So it sounds like we don't have anything until this Ash kid starts to talk." Morgan said.
"Hopefully we can find a way to convince him that it's safe." Hotch said, and ended the meeting.