Beneath the Layers

by Caitlyn Willows

  Midge crossed her heart. “I sure won’t tell.” She grabbed a slice and curled into the chair across from him. “What did you find?”

  Vic pulled in a breath before he began. “Evidence has to be analyzed, so we’re hoping for a hit on the fingerprints. Coroner puts time of McFee’s death between six-thirty and nine-thirty last night. Her throat had been cut. The knife—one of her own, it appears—was left beside her. Whoever did it had strength enough to knock her to the floor, hold her in place and yank her head up by her hair to expose her neck. We suspect it was a man. Large bloodied handprints were on the inside of her back door, another on the side of one of the storage containers outside. Both were broken into and searched.”

  Midge pressed her fingers against her forehead and closed her eyes. “All my Christmas decorations—”

  “Strewn across the yard,” Jess replied.

  A tear slipped from beneath her lids. Kurt hated the distance between them, short as it was. He wanted her beside him where he could comfort her from this hell.

  Jess went on. “Based on what you and Kurt told us, we’re surmising McFee heard the noise and came over to investigate. She caught the person in the act and ran home. Her door adjacent to the garage had been opened with such force the doorknob broke the wallboard. The killer grabbed a knife from the butcher block on the kitchen counter, tackled her and cut her throat.”

  “There would be blood on him. Blood that would have transferred over to my place,” Midge told them. “Did you find any?”

  Vic and Jess shook their heads.

  “He might have wiped his hands on his clothing,” Kurt suggested.

  “It’d be a reflex action for him because he certainly didn’t care about anyone knowing he was there. Or he could have taken off after the murder,” Vic added.

  Midge sniffed. “His actions were overkill, if you ask me. I can’t help feeling someone was sending me a message, trying to demoralize me and break me down.”

  Jess looked at Kurt. “Did you find anything along those lines?”

  “Not yet,” Kurt replied. “It’s as if the man disappeared from the face of the earth.”

  “Or is very good at hiding,” Midge muttered.

  “Who are we talking about?” Everest asked.

  It was the first time he’d spoken during any of the discussions Kurt had been privy to. The fact he was here now suggested he had information. Before Kurt divulged anything about Midge’s past, he wanted that information.

  Scowling, he snapped, “Why are you here?”

  Everest sighed and tossed his empty plate to the table. “Jeremy Forton was one of our men. We’d been working with the Provost Marshal’s Office to embed him in one of the units. As things progressed, the commanding general highly suggested we needed to bring NCIS into the fold to cover all our bases.”

  “But, apparently, we didn’t warrant full disclosure,” Jess snapped.

  The fallout from that would last a long time. Kurt knew Jess wanted to tell them all to go to hell and that NCIS was stepping aside. His professionalism wouldn’t let him do so. Kurt wasn’t feeling so magnanimous.

  “Then why the fuck was he hiding drugs in my girlfriend’s home?”

  Everest raised his palms. “Calm down.”

  “Calm down?” He shot to his feet. “A woman is dead. Midge’s place is in ruins. Do you have any idea of what you’ve put her through?” He stabbed his finger at Everest. “I swear to God, if any of those first edition vintage books of hers are ruined, your people are paying for every single one and all of her furniture.” He pointed to his neck. “These scratches around our necks aren’t from crazy sex. Her poor cat was terrified and wouldn’t let go until we picked up his girlfriend. I need a fucking beer.”

  He headed for the kitchen before he gave in to the urge to punch Everest’s too-perfect face.

  “Make that two,” Midge called to his back.

  “Three,” Vic and Jess shouted.

  Kurt grabbed the six-pack from the fridge and plopped it between the pizza boxes. He opened a bottle for Midge, another for himself, then returned to his chair.

  “I’m still waiting for an answer.” He took a long swallow, gaze locked on Everest. The man didn’t so much as blink.

  “We can only surmise that Forton had just made the buy and needed a place to hide it,” Everest replied. “Although how he managed to get that many bags into her place without it being seen has us wondering who knew what and when.”

  “I didn’t know shit.” Midge perched on the edge of the chair, eyes shooting fire. “He was by himself for a good hour while Susan and I got dressed to go out. They came over by cab. Maybe she knows something. I sure as hell don’t. He was never without that olive drab duffel bag. Now we know why. That also explains that scratch I saw on his hand that night. He must have tried to get into the window seat while Hades was on top of it. Honestly, it’s hard for me believe that buffoon was a DEA agent. And another thing”—she punched her index finger into the cushion—“if he was one of your people, why the hell didn’t he call you on Friday night if he was in trouble? Why call me? Where were you when he needed help?”

  “My guess is that he called you in order to retrieve the ketamine and take the next step, whatever that was. Our goal was to find the top man.”

  Everest was calm personified. Does nothing rattle him?

  “Well…clearly Jeremy was made. Good job, Special Agent Everest.” Acid-laced sarcasm dripped from her voice.

  Pride swelled Kurt’s chest, but anger took the forefront. “You’ve put her at risk, Everest. I’m not happy.”

  “Really? I had no idea. You hide it so well.” Everest rolled his eyes and grabbed a beer.

  “All right, now that all cards are on the table”—Jess pinched the bridge of his nose before he continued—“we searched Forton’s room yesterday afternoon. Someone had been there before us and torn it apart, as they did yours.”

  Kurt frowned. “So, he didn’t give up where he’d hidden the drugs during the beating. Then why would someone go to Midge’s?”

  “We don’t know,” Everest replied. “Maybe they followed him to Miss El—”

  “That’s Staff Sergeant, not Miss,” Midge snapped.

  Everest’s lips twitched as if he was trying to hide a smile. “If they followed him to Staff Sergeant Ellis’s house on Thursday, they might have gone there after a search of his quarters revealed nothing.”

  “We did find a couple of surprises in his room,” Vic said. “A computer-generated blackmail letter was among some bills. It was similar to the one Parsons and the other victims received. We’re running it for fingerprints right now, but since we haven’t found any on the other letters, we don’t expect to find any there, either.”

  “What did it say?” Kurt asked.

  Jess rubbed the back of his neck. “Same words. ‘You know what I have. Pay up or I send it to your command.’”

  Kurt frowned. “Why would Forton’s command care if he was having sex with someone? He wasn’t married, so it wasn’t a case of adultery. Doesn’t make any sense…unless this person knew about the drugs and was holding it over his head.”

  Midge shrugged one shoulder. “Not that he would care, since it was all part of his undercover work. What was the other surprise?”

  Jess leaned forward, forearms on knees, eyeballing the pizza. “He was renting a house in town and, judging from its looks, I’m guessing it was part of his undercover work. We searched it as well. It’s very sparse and looks more like a porn set, which might explain the blackmail letter.”

  Everest rubbed his neck. “We authorized the rental. He’d found a lead and was trying to milk it.”

  “The question now is… Was he killed by the blackmailer or by the ketamine ring?” Vic asked.

  “Or are they the same person?” Everest sighed then glanced at Midge. “What do you know about Susan Bolotnik?”

  She shrugged. “Not much. I met her when I arrived in Twentynine Palms. She was very pe
rsistent in forming a relationship with me. Jeremy was always with her. It was a package deal. They’d been a couple once. I’d gotten to the point where I found them pushy and tedious and broke off the friendship after the debacle of Thursday night.”

  “What debacle?” Vic asked.

  “Both were insistent I go out with them. Susan wouldn’t rest until I put on the disguise she’d brought with her.”

  “The red wig was hers?” Jess asked.

  “Yes.”

  Susan felt the heat of her deceptions and was using a decoy to clear herself. Kurt had started to put the pieces together earlier, but Adam’s birth and the destruction in Midge’s home had sidetracked him.

  The other men were nodding. Kurt suspected a plan had been made long before they’d arrived. Dread churned his stomach. He knew what they were going to say and had his response ready before any of them could utter a word.

  “No. It’s too dangerous. Midge isn’t trained for these situations.”

  “She’s our only link and she’ll be able to draw Susan out.” Jess’ tone tolled defeat for Kurt. He’d made up his mind and nothing would change that.

  “Or you could bring Susan in for questioning.” Visions of all the many ways this could go wrong filled his head. He would not risk Midge’s life.

  Now Everest assumed Jess’ posture. “Jeremy hooked up with Susan for a reason. She has to be crucial to his investigation or he wouldn’t have kept up the façade. These are careful people. We don’t want them spooked.”

  “What do you want me to do?” Midge asked.

  Kurt sliced his palm through the air. “Did you not hear what I said? I will not have the woman I love put in danger.”

  He watched her eyes widen and it still took precious seconds for him to realize he’d outed himself. His fear for her was nothing compared to the fear he’d screwed up and lost her.

  She recovered her composure and leaned his way. “And how do you feel about visiting me in prison? Someone is setting me up for these crimes. I’m not going to sit back and let it happen without a damn good fight.” She eased back with a slow, measured breath, then looked at Jess. “What do you want me to do?”

  “We want you to go back to the bar tomorrow night in the disguise she gave you,” he replied. “Invite her to go with you.”

  “I’m going with her.” Kurt stood, facing the four of them down.

  Midge glanced up at him. “You can’t. She’s seen you in disguise and out of disguise. The only way I can convince her to meet me is to tell her that she was right and it didn’t work out between us.”

  “We’ll send Anders in to guard her,” Vic said. “We’ll set up surveillance across the street in the van. You can be in there with us.”

  His glare had no effect on any of them. Their attention was on Midge.

  “Tell her everything,” Everest told her. “Make her believe she’s your best friend in the world. You’ll be wearing a wire, so we’ll pick up everything.”

  Kurt parked his fists on his hips. “She needs to be rehearsed.”

  “All planned.” Vic flashed him a shit-grinning grin. “We’ll clear her absence with the Staff Judge Advocate tomorrow and practice here.”

  “Fine.” It wasn’t as if he had a choice. He plopped into his recliner and grabbed his beer.

  Vic smirked. “You could always dress up as Kiki and watch over her.”

  “Fuck you. I’m not running down a perp in high heels.” He brought the bottle to his lips.

  “Not even for me?” Midge asked.

  Mischief danced in her eyes, rousing the beast in his jeans. He took a drink and used the bottle to cover his predicament.

  “I’ve put on weight in the last year. The clothes no longer fit.”

  Vic laughed. “Don’t fall for it, Midge. He’s a talented tailor and can make the adjustments in record time. Hell, he helps out with costumes for the local theaters. He just doesn’t want to shave his legs and pits.”

  “I know exactly how he feels,” she replied.

  Her response surprised him. Kurt had been expecting her to say that she’d help him shave.

  “I have a closet full of disguises,” he told them. “I’ll find something else, because she is not going into that bar without me backing her up. And if I have to resign in order to have my way, I’ll do it.”

  “Everyone calm down.” Everest fanned the air. “He’s not wrong. Someone needs to be in there with her and since it seems the blackmailer and drug trafficker cases are converging, I’d rather it not be Anders. If something happens to him before the case goes to trial, we’re screwed and another drug lord is back on the streets.”

  No one argued, but Kurt could tell by the toothpick Jess shoved into his mouth that he wasn’t pleased. He was thinking Kurt was too emotionally involved. He wasn’t wrong. All Kurt’s emotions were on the table. But he was going in with her, either as a current member of NCIS or a former one.

  “She might be suspicious if I call her from my cell. I’ve never given her the number, only the house phone.”

  “Which was shattered into dozens of pieces.” Everest leaned back. “Use the break-in to your advantage. Tell her that you and Kurt got into it and you ended things, that you came home to ruin and are sure he did it. Tell her you think he killed the landlady. Using your cell should back you up.”

  “It’s going to have to wait until tomorrow,” Kurt told them. “If she calls tonight, she runs the risk of Susan wanting her to come over and stay with her. That’s not happening.”

  “Kurt’s right. It might be easier if I talk to her in person. I told her I would be returning her things to her on Monday. It’ll make more sense that way and I can ask to keep the wig. If the SJA approves my being involved.”

  Jess chuckled. “At this point it will be all in a day’s work for him. Been there, done that.”

  “Yes, I’ve heard the stories.” Midge finished her beer then stood. “Anything else? It’s been a roller-coaster ride of emotions the last twenty-four hours. I need some time to process everything. And we’re beyond exhausted.”

  “Would you at least sow the seed and call her?” Jess pleading was a sign of how desperate they were to close this case.

  Midge sighed, retrieved her phone from her purse then sat on the arm of Kurt’s recliner as she dialed. He slipped his arm around her hips, silently offering his support, even though he didn’t want this.

  “Put it on speaker,” Everest told her.

  “Nope. Not going to risk one of you making noise.”

  Midge didn’t spare him a glance. He was proud of the way she’d dug in her heels, even while he hated what she’d agreed to do. He’d wanted to see the woman beneath the mask she wore for the world. No sense faulting her for being strong and independent.

  “She’s not picking up,” Midge told them.

  “Leave a message,” Everest replied.

  Her long, beleaguered sigh signaled displeasure. Nevertheless, she did as he’d asked.

  “It’s Midge. Call me. You were right and I was wrong. It didn’t take long for everything to go to shit. He”—she feigned a sob—“he’s a monster. I really need a friend. I’m so sorry for acting the way I did. Let’s call it the hornies and leave it at that. I’m sure you’ve been there. Call me.”

  She rattled off her number, ended the call and placed the phone on the side table. “Good?”

  “It’s a start.” Everest pulled his business card from his shirt pocket. “Here’s my number.”

  Midge ignored his outstretched hand and started clearing the table. “Kurt will call his people if something noteworthy happens.”

  “It’s a joint investigation, Staff Sergeant Ellis.” He stabbed the card back into his shirt.

  “Only when it’s convenient for you.” She stared a hole through him. “I’m Team NCIS all the way. If you’d read them in from the start, you might have closed your case months ago.”

  Yeah, baby. That’s the way to put someone in their place. Kurt’s
pride doubled. He loved the smirks on his coworkers’ faces. “Midge needs her vehicle. Is the scene clear?”

  “Not yet. Locals are working on the homicide, trying to piece together what happened.” Jess ducked low, catching Midge’s gaze. “You know the family can help the two of you set things in order and be more than happy to do so—or help you pack up if you want that. Don’t hurt our feelings by refusing.”

  She smiled. “I won’t. Help is greatly appreciated. But don’t mention the rest of it to Phillip or Zach. All they need to know is that a determined robber broke in. I don’t want them worried or, heaven forbid, involved.”

  “Nor do I,” Jess replied.

  Yet putting Midge in harm’s way is all right? Kurt let it go. There was no way he was going to win this argument, though he held out hope that Colonel Scott would refuse to let yet another Marine from his office become involved in an NCIS investigation.

  “If you don’t mind, it’s been a day.” She stacked the boxes and grabbed three empty bottles in one hand.

  They headed for the door with Kurt behind them, firming up plans for the morning. He’d bet Colonel Scott would know about all of this well before then. A trill from Midge’s cell phone jerked everyone to a stop and their heads around. The little device shuddered on the end table. Midge had paled.

  And they expect her to pull off being undercover?

  “Answer it,” they told her in unison.

  She set her load down and picked up the phone. “It’s my dad.”

  Kurt watched her chin quiver before she turned her back on them.

  “Hi, Daddy.”

  “What the hell’s going on?” Her father’s voice rang loud and clear. “Your mother’s gone insane with worry. She called Dee, for crying out loud.”

  “Out,” Kurt told the men and hurried to her side.

  They wasted no time leaving, giving Midge privacy. He guided her to his chair, kissed her forehead then cleared the remains of their meal while she told her father about the break-in. She assured him that she was safe and would call with updates later. There was no mention of anything else—not the cases, not Bernadette…and not him. He was almost to the kitchen when he heard her say…