Chapter 27

Hemminger, bowing his head, shook it and chuckled. He raised his head and looked back and forth between the two agents.

"You're mistaken," he replied. "I don't hate Agent Hotchner."

"I never used the word hate, Agent Hemminger," Prentiss emphasized. "But since you did, why don't you tell me why you hate Agent Hotchner?"

Hemminger shrugged realizing he had misspoken, and needed to be more careful. Especially around Hotchner's team. "Hate. Dislike. Whatever. Besides, it's not true."

Emily arched an eyebrow. "So you're telling us you don't dislike or hate Agent Hotchner."

"That's right, I don't. Besides, what reason would I have to dislike, or as you indicated, hate him?"

Prentiss, her face still impassive, opened the file folder in front of her. She picked up a sheet of paper and slid it across the table to Hemminger.

"Oh I don't know. How about when you applied to the BAU and were rejected by Agent Hotchner? Let's start there."

Hemminger didn't look at the application in front of him. He slid it back in Prentiss' direction.

"I was upset that I got rejected, but that's it. I didn't bear any grudge against the man if that's what you're insinuating."

"You didn't?" asked Reid with wide eyes as he stared at Hemminger. "That's funny."

"What's funny about it? It's the truth. I got over it in a day or two."

"That's not what your boss told us when we spoke with him." He rested his elbows on the edge of the table, and clasped his hands under his chin. "See, I spoke with your supervisor. He told me you were more than upset. He said you complained about Agent Hotchner to him, and that you'd make sure Agent Hotchner realized his mistake. So my question to you is…did you make Agent Hotchner realize his mistake?"

"What are you saying exactly?" Jason hissed.

"I'm saying, Agent Hemminger, that perhaps you sought to make Agent Hotchner realize his mistake in rejecting your application, by attacking him and leaving him lying in an alleyway."

Hemminger shook his head, amazed. "You guys are unbelievable. Did you ever stop and think that if I wanted revenge on Agent Hotchner, I certainly wouldn't wait until now, or do it over rejection of an application."

"Then how about to avenge your father?" Reid asked.

"What?"

"You heard me," Reid repeated. "We understand your father was partnered with Agent Hotchner years ago while trying to make an arrest. Something went wrong and your father was shot and killed."

"And from what we've been able to find out," Emily continued. "You didn't hide the fact that you blamed Agent Hotchner for you father's death. Especially when he was named Unit Chief of this team after Agent Gideon left the BAU. The same position you father was rumored to have been expected to get."

Hemminger didn't respond right away, but both Reid and Emily noticed his facial muscles tense.

"My father deserved that promotion. He had seniority over Hotchner, and should have been Unit Chief. Hotchner got the position by default only. Not because he was qualified."

"So how did it feel knowing your father and Agent Hotchner were both being considered for the same job?" Reid asked.

"And your father turns up dead while partnered with the competition?" Emily added calmly.

Hemminger tried to keep from grounding his lower jaw but failed. "I'll tell you, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Agent Hotchner never should have gotten that position!" he explained jabbing his forefinger onto the table to emphasize his point.

Prentiss leaned back in her chair and folded her arms across her chest. "And why is that?"

Hemminger rolled his eyes and looked at Emily as if she had just asked the dumbest question he'd ever heard. "Agent Hotchner wasn't qualified for that position and he knows it. He never was. As far as I'm concerned…." He quickly realized what he was about to say and closed his mouth. But his eyes expressed his true feelings to Emily and Reid.

"Don't stop on our account," Emily replied sarcastically. What as asshole! "What were you about to say?"

Jason leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, folded his arms, and stared at the woman warily.

"It doesn't matter anymore, anyway."

"Matters to us," Reid interjected innocently.

"Why? Hotchner is the Unit Chief. He got what he wanted."

Emily's eyebrows arched upward. "And that bothers you, doesn't it? It bothers you that Agent Hotchner became the Unit Chief and not your father."

Hemminger shrugged and sighed loudly. He looked away.

Reid leaned forward, arms resting on the table. "Did you blame Agent Hotchner for your dad's death?"

Hemminger's head suddenly jerked in Reid's direction. "I was upset that he lived while my dad died. But once I understood what took place at the crime scene, I accepted it for what it was…a horrible tragedy. Nothing more. Those things happen. It was nobody's fault really. From what I understood, Agent Hotchner did all he could."

"So you forgave Agent Hotchner for your father's death?"

"Forgave him?" Hemminger arched an eyebrow. He looked amused. "There was nothing to forgive. I told you, after I learned what had gone down, I came to terms with everything. I was convinced Agent Hotchner did everything he could do to have my dad's back."

Reid opened a file folder in front of him and studied several sheets of paper.

"I see your mother passed away a year after your father did…" he began not looking up from the file. "How did she react to Agent Hotchner's involvement in your dad's death?" He looked up this time.

Hemminger sighed and shrugged. "Hard to say. Despite being divorced from my father, she still loved him. But she had a habit of keeping her emotions under wraps. So, if she had any feelings about Agent Hotchner, she kept them to herself."

"So she didn't share her feeling with her own son?"

"No. As I said, mom was a pretty private person and kept things to herself. But I can tell you her health deteriorated after my dad's death. I rather think she died of a broken heart after my dad's death. I suspected she had hoped they would reconcile."

"Did you blame Agent Hotchner for your mother's death?" asked Prentiss.

Hemminger shook his head. "No. Of course not. She just….she never recovered from my dad's death is all." He bit his lower lip as it quivered.

"Let's go back to your father for a moment," Prentiss began. "How did you find out your father had been killed? Did somebody come to the house?"

Hemminger nodded.

"Agent Hotchner and another agent came to the door. It was Agent Hotchner who broke the news. I remember him telling my mom and me if there was anything he could ever do for us to call him anytime, day or night. Then he gave me his business card and left."

"He didn't stay around or come inside the house?" asked Reid.

"No."

"So he paid his respects and left."

"Yep. I had to help my mother. She hadn't taken the news of my father's death too well as you might imagine. As I told you, they might have been divorced, but she still loved him."

Prentiss decided to change course. "Agent Hemminger, when we were walking toward this conference room, and we were talking about Agent Hotchner, you had what I would call an amused smirk on your face. Why was that? Did you find what happened to him funny?" The look on her face and in her eyes contained a distinct message which said 'don't even try to fucking lie to me.'

Hemminger's brain worked furiously realizing the brunette must have seen his reflection in one of the windows.

"I wasn't amused by Agent Hotchner's injuries, agent," he explained. "I was amused because the way you talked about him, you made him sound like he was Superman or something."

Reid's hazel eyes narrowed and his body stiffened which didn't escape Emily's observation.

"He is to his young son," he said. His eyes though, were saying he resented the snide implication that this agent didn't think much of the man he considered a father figure.

"Then I'd say his son needs a reality check. Superman is a comic book character and not real. Besides, Superman can't be hurt, and Agent Hotchner was. So, that proves he isn't Superman."

"Where were you when Agent Hotchner was attacked?" asked Prentiss.

"Don't try and blame your boss's attack on me."

"Just answer the question."

"I was in a late night meeting with my bosses and a dozen other agents. You can check with my Unit Chief if you want. He was at the meeting as well."

"That won't be necessary," Prentiss said. She knew Hemminger wouldn't lie about something that could be so easily checked. She closed the file folder and again looked at the arrogant man. "One last thing. We'd like you to give a DNA sample."

"Why?"

"Just humor us, all right?"

The agent knew Hotchner had been sexually assaulted and that his DNA wouldn't be found. And to refuse would make it appear he had something to hide. He shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't mind. Let's do it," he replied.

It had been nearly an hour after the blood had been drawn before they could leave the hospital. Prentiss had warned Hemminger to not only stay available, but keep away from Hotch. She hated to let him go as she didn't trust him, but they had no valid reason to hold him. And he disliking Hotch wasn't a crime. So, after issuing her warning, she and Reid watched as a smirking Jason Hemminger left the building.

"I hate that smug, arrogant bastard," Emily muttered as she watched Hemminger's receding back.

"So do I," Reid added. "Too bad we can't hold him."

"I know. And I had a rush put on the blood test since it involves a federal agent. But unless the DNA test comes back as a match with Hemminger, we can't do anything."

"But keep him away from Hotch," Reid added. He noticed Prentiss pull out her cell phone. "Who are you calling?"

"Rossi. After we update him, we need to see if he needs us for anything else as the DNA test will take a few days." She put the cell on speaker.

"How'd things go with Hemminger, Emily?" a gruff voice asked.

"I'd rather we tell you in person. Where are you?"

"On my way to the hospital."

Prentiss and Reid exchanged concerned looks.

"Hospital? Why? Are you all right? Has something happened to Hotch?" she asked anxiously.

"Calm down, both of you. Hotch is fine, as am I. I just have to talk to Doctor Caswell."

"Caswell? Isn't he that doctor who let it slip to Hotch that he had Rohypnol in his system?" asked Reid.

"The same."

"Why?" asked Emily. "I thought he no longer had anything to do with Hotch's care?" She glanced upward to see Morgan and JJ approaching.

"Let's just say I have several questions for him. I'll explain when I return to the office. Have you had a chance to speak with JJ or Morgan?"

"Right here, Rossi," Morgan explained. "What do you need us to do?"

"I need you to talk with Wheaton again. But this time focus on the silver Suburban. See if he can remember anything else about that car. Garcia needs to narrow down her list considerably."

"Consider it done," the black agent replied. "Do you need anything else while you're gone?"

"Just get that information as soon as you can. Oh, and Derek, I need you to tell Garcia I need her to do me a favor."

"Sure, man. What do you need Garcia to do for you?"

"I don't want to discuss it now. But tell her I will speak with her later and explain everything."

"You can't even give us a hint?"

The question was met with silence. And for a few seconds, Morgan feared he had either lost the connection, or the older man had disconnected the call.

"Rossi? You still there?"

"Yeah, I'm still here. Let's just say it has to do with Hotch. And in my opinion, she's the only one who can do it."