They began walking back up the hill.
“Okay, spill it, Tex. What do we know?” Callen asked. All he was aware of was that Elizabeth needed a very short leash.
Ethan wiped a bit of coal dust from her cheek.
“You two couldn’t fit through there. While neither of you are huge, you’re still measuring in at over six foot five. I’m just at six feet with my boots on and just made it. Our killer is going to be smaller than both of you.”
Callen laughed. “Well, that narrows it down. We cut billons to millions.”
She wasn’t done. “Yeah, well, I like to leave the best for last, darlin’. You know that. I also can say that this wasn’t something just anyone would know about. It had to be someone on the inside, like a church or staff member. You don’t randomly walk through a cemetery and find a secret location. The person behind the killing had to know.”
Ethan thought about it. “It fits. Who better to take God’s word a little too far than a church full of believers?”
Callen’s phone rang again. “Shit! It’s Dakota Molala. We’re about three hours late to the meeting.”
She grinned. “Wow! The Natives are restless before I even got to speak to them. Go figure.”
Rolling his eyes, Callen answered, ready for the ass chewing. He wasn’t the least bit surprised that the man was irritated.
“I apologize, sir, but we had an abduction and were called to the scene. Yes, I know I should have called you, but I was a little busy.” Callen paused. “No, sir. I’m well aware that you had outsiders stomping all over your land. We weren’t far away, Chief. I assure you they didn't dig or damage anything.”
Ethan found it amusing. He was so damn glad that wasn’t his job. It would have sucked big time. He may be Native, but he didn't like playing mediator.
Not for bullshit like this.
“Yes, sir. Can we reschedule for today? Chief, I know we offended you by not showing up, but I can assure you that we were detained because of a valid reason. We weren’t jerking you around. Sometimes, things come up in our line of work that are out of our control.”
Elizabeth could tell that Callen was being run through the ringer. He’d apologized plenty of times and enough was enough. Walking over to him, she took the phone out of his hand.
“Chief Molala?” she asked sweetly.
“Yes?” the man replied.
“This is Director Elizabeth Blackhawk. Remember me? I’m the little woman who was supposed to be doing the interview today.”
“Yes, and it is very disrespectful to not show up. We do have lives of our own.”
She grinned at Ethan and mouthed ‘sorry’ to Callen. “I do understand that, and if you thought that was disrespectful, you’re really going to hate this,” she said, before laying into him. “We’re currently working on a serial killer case, where some of your people are implicated. You’re going to make yourself some tea, sit your asses in your meeting house, and wait for me. I’m moving as fast as I can, and if you and your tribe don’t like it, that’s too damn bad. My priority was the woman who was abducted by the killer. If you think I have the patience or inclination to play your little kiss ass games, you’re wrong. Director Whitefox apologized, and now I’m telling you that I’m on my way. End of discussion.”
Chief Molala stuttered.
“So chill out and get your warbonnets out of a bunch or your tomahawks won’t be the only things stuck up your ass.”
Hanging up the phone, she handed it back to Callen. Where she expected him to say something or get angry, he didn't. Instead, he simply laughed.
“I like it better when you do it in person,” Ethan said, grinning. “That was anti-climactic. I couldn’t see him get all worked up.”
Callen finally spoke, “Yeah, I can’t wait to see how this one works out.”
“Pretty much like they all do,” she stated.
“What’s the plan, Tex?” Ethan asked, as he scanned the cemetery watching over his team.
“We’re going to pop over to the meeting house, and I’m going to question Bruno Whitefeather, Anna Tunica, and Brian Brewster. Then, we’re going to head back to the morgue to see what they found. After that, we’re calling it a night. I want to work on the whiteboard, and Callen is on babysitting duty.”
“What about the church angle?” Callen asked.
“Yeah, that’s why I want to look at everything on the whiteboard. Tomorrow, we’re going to have to visit the church and ask some interesting questions.”
They were good with that.
“Let me give the tech team their jobs, and we can head out,” Ethan offered.
Already, Elizabeth was starting to work it all out in her head. It was only a matter of time.
* * *
There was nothing which could break a man quicker than hearing a woman cry.
At that very moment, Tony was lurking outside Jaxon’s door. When she came out of the shower, he watched her walk somberly into her room before shutting him out of her space. Everything in him wanted to follow her, pull her into his arms, and offer her peace.
Yet, he was afraid.
If she pushed him away, he’d never recover. All his life, he kept this little piece of him held back. It was the only way to protect himself. When his mother disappeared, and he heard the news as a child, he was crushed. Now, he was scared shitless that she’d walk away, and he’d lose his heart again.
As he stood there, the sobs drove a knife right through his soul. He wanted to go in and make her feel better.
Maybe more than he wanted to hold back and stay safe.
When his brain tried to override his heart, he couldn’t say no anymore. Tony had to go to her. Not only was it the right thing to do, it was what he wanted.
Opening the door, he walked in. He found her curled up, facing the wall. It occurred to him that she was small, fragile, and delicate. Once more, the masculine part of him kicked in, and Tony knew what he needed to do.
Crossing to the bed, he pulled back the blanket and crawled beneath it. Jaxon’s body went stiff as soon as he touched her, but he didn't relent.
“Shhhhhh, I’m here, Jaxy. I’ll keep you safe.”
The use of that nickname brought more tears, since it was what her mother and brother called her growing up. Rolling over, she moved into his body and allowed him to soothe her.
His scent offered her peace.
Tony’s familiar form gave her someone to hold onto amidst the storm.
When he began dropping kisses across the crown of her head, his words offered her more pain. “I won’t leave you,” he promised. “I’ll be here as long as you need me.”
In her heart, she wept for him. When the morning came, she planned on doing the opposite. She was going to run.
“I’ll keep you safe, honey. You can trust me.”
The more he spoke, the more she lost her heart to him. Here was a decent, good man. Jaxon didn't deserve him, and she was about to prove it.
“Tony, I…”
He cut her off. “It’s okay. Just close your eyes. You need to get some sleep. I’ll make sure that you’re taken care of, honey. I want to take care of you.”
Her heart flipped upside down, viciously betraying her. She was in love.
In that moment, she knew it.
Instead of peace, it brought her terror. How could she walk away now?
“I’m going to leave, Tony,” she finished.
Where she thought he’d get mad, he didn't.
“I know, honey. I know you’re going to leave me, and I can’t stop you. I will tell you that I hope you don’t.”
She buried her face in his throat and wept more. She found the best thing in her life, and she was willing to run from it. What was wrong with her? She had to be so screwed up to even be considering it.
Tony held her tight. Well, at least she didn't lie to him. That was a start. For now, he’d wait, keep her safe, and pray for a miracle.
God knew, he needed one.
* * *
Showing up to the meeting house, there was no doubt that the shit was going to hit the fan. All five Natives were standing there, arms crossed and looking pissed.
Yeah, yeah. She was so damn used to pissing people off, this was going to be just another day in the field. Grabbing a seat, she sat, her men flanking her.
“Well, it’s about time you showed up,” stated Red Darkeagle.
“Yeah, well you know how disrespectful we outsiders can be. You want to skip the lecture on how I don’t fit in and have no idea what your lives have been like? I’ll go on record and say that I’ve come across quite a few Natives. This isn't my first day getting tromped on by the painted pony.”
They all stared at her.
Before walking in, Elizabeth had warned Callen that he might not want to be in there to see what was coming. The Natives were going to be looking to skin someone, and she wasn’t willing to let him or Ethan be the recipients of their shittiness.
“We don’t like being left out of this or having our calls ignored,” he stated.
“Zip it!” she ordered, pulling out her tablet. “First off, you found bodies and dug them up. You should have called in the authorities at the first inkling that there was something going on. Next, when you did call, the FBI came running,” she said, pointing at Callen. “Since I’m his boss, he had to call it in. Thus, you have to deal with me. Your reservation is now under my jurisdiction until this case is cleared up. I don’t have to ask your permission to dig it up, dance around naked on it, or be a pain in your ass. You unfortunately inherited it when a killer decided to play his sick burial games here.”
The two men stared at her, appalled by her mouth.
“Yeah, I get that look a lot. You can stop catching flies, and we can get to work, or you can go in for hindering an official FBI investigation. By going in, I do mean to an outsider jail, since it’s a federal offense.”
Chief Molala glanced over at Callen. “Are you okay with the way she’s behaving?”
He shrugged. “I do recall you thought you were being a smart ass when you requested her to do the interview. You thought she’d be easy to manipulate. Boy, were you wrong on that one. She’s the meanest, most vicious pitbull the FBI has, and you sicked her on yourself. I would have been doing this part, but you made the deal.”
She smiled at him. “Callen Whitefox, you’re such a sweet talker.”
Ethan sat back in his chair and began making notes. With eyes that missed nothing, he watched each one of them. This was nothing new, and he fully expected a few meltdowns along the way.
“If you have anything to add, now’s the time. Once I begin asking questions, no jackassery or tomfoolery will be accepted.”
Chief Molala spoke up, “We had one of our people severely beat. Where are you with that part of the investigation, or doesn’t he matter to you, white woman?”
“Yes, what about Dean Quinlan?” Red Darkeagle asked.
Normally, Elizabeth cared a great deal about the Native people. In Dean’s case, she could give a rat’s ass if he rotted in his hospital bed. There was no way she was going to say that, but they couldn’t keep her from celebrating in her head.
Callen tensed beside her. Maybe he should have stayed out there. If he had to hear his name over and over again, he might be sick.
Ethan took over. “We’ve investigated. Since he won’t tell the police anything, we’re going to look at his record and go from there. He’s got a history of drug use, a prison sentence, and other offenses. It’s likely he pissed off someone at the bar, and they followed him home. Since he didn't get in any shots at his attacker, there’s no DNA, so it’s closed.”
They didn't look happy.
Ethan didn't give a shit. His brother came first.
“I guess that topic is done. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll start my little questioning. You know, the one you were looking forward to.”
They watched her pull a big bottle of Tylenol from her purse. “You’ll need this for your headaches,” she said, slamming it down on the table. Everyone jumped but Anna Tunica. That said a lot.
Yeah, she thought she was bad ass.
This was going to be fun.
Heads were going to be rolling.
“Get this over with,” Chief Molala stated.
Elizabeth pulled out the photos of the victims. “We’re going to play a little game. It’s called ‘tell me who you know’,” she stated.
“I’m in fucking mourning!” shouted Anna Tunica, standing. “I’m not going to sit here and listen to some squaw throw those pictures down and make me look at them.”
Ethan and Callen both tensed. The word she’d chosen to use was a vulgarity in their culture. It was probably the obscenest word she could toss at their woman.
She didn't bat an eyelash. Standing up, Elizabeth leaned across the table until she was almost eye to eye. “If you think you can toss around some Native profanity, you’ve got another thing coming,” she said. “Unless you want me to come over there and beat your ass down, Anna, you’re going to want to sit and look at the pictures. For someone in mourning, you’re not acting like it.”
She went bright red but did as she was told.
Score one for Elizabeth.
Brian Brewster just wanted to get this over with. It was beyond humiliating. “I knew Kaylee. I picked her up at the bar a few times. We had some fun, and that was it. I don’t know where she lived or much else.”
“So, you used her for sex?” Elizabeth asked, more than glad one of them was cooperating. Sometimes being a bitch was draining.
“Yes, ma’am. Listen, I’m a good cop. I like working on the Rez to keep the peace, but I’m only human. I like non-Natives. It’s not easy to catch a good one, so you have to take what you can find.”
Elizabeth wasn’t sure if she should be insulted or amused. Women weren’t things you acquired, at least not in her world.
“I need to ask, and I’m sorry to do this in a group setting, but your chief was afraid I’d abuse the hell out of you one on one.”
“It’s okay, ma’am. I’ll be honest.”
“You had sex with her, but did you use protection?”
He blushed. “Most of the time, ma’am.”
Ethan and Callen knew the young man was in for a rude awakening.
“Brian, she had herpes. Have you been tested?”
He was horrified. “Oh my God! If she wasn’t dead, I would be looking for her now!”
Then, he realized what he said.
Elizabeth made note of it, but let it go, only because he was the only one in the room who was being helpful.
Bonus points for him.
“You need to go get checked. She was out spreading her herp-ified cheer all over the place. Trust me. You weren’t the only one who’s probably picked up something from her.”
“I can’t believe this,” he muttered.
Callen wasn’t sure why he was surprised. He was having sex with a hooker. What did he think was going to happen?
A ‘Pretty Woman’ happily ever after?
Someone needed a reality check.
“Anyone else want to own up to knowing any of the victims, whether socially or intimately?” Elizabeth asked.
Bruno Whitefeather raised his hand. “I know a few people from the pictures. Jed and I were friends. We used to go out and fish together all the time. He was a really good guy,” he stated.
“How did you know him?”
“We went to school together. Then, he started dating a girl from the local area. We didn't get to hang out too much, since she didn't dig Indians.”
“Who was that?” she asked, curiously. The entire time, Anna Tunica sat there fuming. Oh, yeah. She didn't like the idea that Jed had been shacking up with another woman.
“Her name was Emelia Southland. She taught Sunday school at the local church.
My, my, that was fascinating. This was one big circle of coincidence.
“Why didn't they get married?�
� Elizabeth asked, again watching the other woman in the room for any reaction. She flinched at the mere mention of the ‘M’ word.
This was getting her some good information.
“She hooked up with a white guy,” he said, then realized that terminology might be considered offensive. “I didn't mean that in a bad way.”
Elizabeth laughed. She had a far thicker skin than that. “Please, Bruno, she called me a squaw. That’s nothing. I’m Caucasian, and that’s merely an observation on your behalf.”
He nodded.
“Please continue.”
“He was heartbroken when she dumped him. Then, he was forced to watch them at church.”
“Yeah, well then he met me,” interjected Anna. “I made up for all of it.”
“Zip it,” she stated, silencing the woman.
“When did you see Jed last?” Elizabeth asked, as Ethan made notes for later. All of this was going up on her whiteboard.
He went with honesty. “The day he died. We were at my place, having a few beers. Out of the blue, he left to go let Anna’s dog out.”
“Around what time?” she asked.
“I think it was about eight at night. He said something about getting to bed after the game.”
Elizabeth faced down the woman. “How about you? Who do you recognize out of these pictures?”
She pointed at her boyfriend, Emelia Southland, and then Allen Payne.
“How long were you with Jed?” she asked.
“Almost four years.”
“Do you consider yourself a violent person, Anna?” she asked, leaning back in her chair.
“No. I like to think I’m passionate.”
Sticking out her hand, Callen handed her his tablet. “You have an arrest record for being overly passionate with a knife, a brawl outside a bar, and oh look, you slapped a meter maid. I forgive you on that one, since I would like to do that on occasion myself.”
“You think you’re funny, bitch?”
Elizabeth laughed. “Nah,” she drawled. “I like to think of myself as the thorn in your side. I’m going to make it my mission to make your life hell unless you answer my damn questions.”
Redemption is Here (An FBI/Romance Thriller Book 9) Page 36
