Christmas is Killing (A Croft & Croft Romance Adventure Book 3)

by Morgan Kelley

  It was related to Emma.

  “I really need you both to just tell me,” he ordered.

  Agent Brass pointed at the desk, waiting for her boss to walk over and look down.

  It only took a second for the man to lose his cool, and then there was the tirade that followed with a storm of profanity.

  “Grey, what is it?” Emma asked, walking towards him. When she got there, she too stared down.

  “Oh my God,” she muttered, taking a step back, repulsed at the implication of what she found there.

  There smiling back up at here was her own face, circled in red and an X drawn through it.

  Paris stated out loud what they were all thinking. “Boss, this may be the person who took your wife.”

  Chapter Eight

  Friday Afternoon

  Greyson finally got everything under control. He had the lab team arrive to take samples of all the carpets and other plush items around the man’s house. If this was his wife’s temporary prison, he’d find out, and then hunt the man down.

  As far as he was concerned, Kristopher Karson was a dead man. He could run and hide, but eventually Croft would find him in his rat hole.

  As they were leaving, he asked his team to meet him back at his office when they were done, but for now, he needed to assure that his wife was holding up.

  Emma didn't say much the entire time in the vehicle. She simply stared out the window as the landscape passed. Her silence was unnerving. From the outside, she looked serene, but he knew her all too well.

  There was a storm brewing.

  It was just a matter of when it would strike.

  Deciding on a detour, he took her to the little park that she discovered behind the building. It wasn’t a well-known place, and they could get some privacy.

  When he came to a stop, she glanced over.

  “We need to take a break,” he stated, getting out and searching the area for anyone who looked threatening to her well-being. When no one was near, he opened the door for her.

  Emma didn't argue. She followed him and was going to listen to anything that he had to say. Right now, she was all confused. Was she abducted by the same person who was killing these women, or was this what they wanted them to assume?

  It was making her head spin, and someone was definitely screwing with them.

  Honestly, for the first time she doubted her gut.

  “Have a seat,” he said, patting the bench beside him. “Want to talk about it?”

  Emma didn't know what she could say. Nothing seemed right anymore. She was confused. “Grey, I don’t believe I was taken by your serial killer. Too much is pointing the other way. This feels off to me.”

  He knew where she was coming from. “There’s the note, the retuning of the rings, and how convenient this all feels.”

  “Yes! So I’m not the only one?”

  Taking her hand in his, he kissed her palm, and then pressed it to his heart. “Honey, I can’t explain it yet, but we will. I promise that we’ll figure this all out.”

  “I feel all shaken up and off balance.”

  Considering her words, he knew what he was feeling too. “I think that may be what they had in mind.”

  “I hate this.”

  He dropped his arm around her shoulders. “We’ll figure this out. They aren’t smarter than the FBI. We just need to stay focused on the evidence and go from there. It’ll lead us to the killer. Trace doesn’t lie. You saw the car as you escaped, and we’re working with that to get more specifics. The floor you were lying on left evidence too, and we’re running it. Piece by piece, we’ll dissect it and get to the bottom of all this until we pull the facts from this swamp of lies.”

  “I want a promise from you,” she said, finally.

  “Okay.”

  “When we find out who did this, you don’t go after them personally. You let the courts handle it.”

  He stared at her and said nothing. That wasn’t what he was expecting her to throw out at him.

  Emma gazed into his eyes. “What if that’s part of the plan to get rid of you? If they can’t bribe you, then they’ll chip away at you this way. What if they want you to break the law so you go to jail?”

  He thought about it and had to admit he never considered that could be part of the master plan.

  “Nevada has capital punishment, Grey. What if that’s how they plan to end the game? They can’t corrupt you, so they get you arrested and put to death. I can’t get up every day and know you’re sitting in a box waiting to be executed for premeditated murder.”

  She began sobbing and broke down.

  Greyson brushed a piece of stray hair away from her cheek as he tried to soothe her as much as possible. “Emma, honey,” he began, only to be cut off.

  “He’ll get what he deserves, but I need you to do this for me. Please babe. I’ll never ask for anything for the rest of our lives. Just don’t fall for it out of anger. They may be baiting you because they know the principled man you are inside. This person may realize that you’d avenge my honor and are hoping you’ll do it.”

  The love he felt for her was so powerful. Croft knew there was nothing he wouldn’t give her. “I promise on our marriage that I won’t go after whoever did this.” It would kill him, but she had a very valid point. If they were studying them, the people behind this would know that would be his first instinct.

  Emma pulled his lips to hers to seal the vow with a kiss. It offered love and safety as it wrapped around them and bound them together.

  Greyson deepened the kiss as he held his wife’s mouth to his. Need took over as he stole everything that he wanted from Emma and gave just as much in return.

  She clung to him, knowing that he’d always be there for her, as he was the only anchor to life she’d ever need. He was her strong, protective Greyson. In that moment, the tears were gone, and in exchange were filled with nothing but reassurance.

  This man was the love of her life.

  Croft pulled her into his lap and wrapped his arms around her as they shared the moment. Never would he love anyone an iota of what he felt for her.

  Breaking away, she stared into his amazing eyes. “I love you, Grey. For the rest of my life, my heart will only belong to you.”

  Her words touched him. “When I think of you, I want to have lots of sex all over the place.”

  She started laughing, since she knew he was trying to alleviate her fears. “You’re a goof.”

  Croft rested his forehead against hers. “I’m only like that for you, Emma.”

  They took the next few minutes to simply remain connected as their arms wrapped around each other.

  When his phone rang, he sighed. “It looks like life found us again,” he said, pulling it from his pocket. “It’s my boss.”

  “Greyson?” came the voice, when he answered.

  “Yeah, Ethan, it’s me.”

  Emma curled into his body and rested her head on his shoulder as he took the call.

  “I went over the profile, and it’s pretty good. I only found one thing that I would add to it. Your killer is doing this for attention. That’s why he’s posing the bodies, leaving cards and bows. He wants to be the focus of everyone and that includes us and the media.”

  “Okay, what else?”

  “In situations like this, the perpetrator could possibly be a sibling or twin who was ignored. Maybe he wasn’t as smart, or as athletic. Now, he’s viewing it as a way to finally be the focus.”

  “Great,” he said, sighing.

  “What’s wrong?” Blackhawk asked, concerned for the man. He was under a ton of stress, and understood how tough that could be.

  Croft told him everything they just found. How Kristopher Karson had Emma’s picture. How he could be the abductor. Croft purged it all and waited for his mentor to give him some insight.

  “My wife has a saying that may be very apropos here. If it looks off and smells off, it’s off. For the record, I cleaned that up. She’s got a foul mouth
and curses like a sailor.”

  There was some objection and laughter from the background.

  “Follow it and see where it leads. If he is the killer, well then all’s solved. If he isn’t, you’re already tracking someone else. Just stay focused.”

  “I’m trying.”

  “If you need us, just ask and one of us will be on the next flight.”

  Greyson knew they’d follow through. “Emma also pointed something out that has me concerned.” He shared the theory of jail and taking him out that way.

  “That waxes poetic. They can’t buy you and make you break the law, but you’ll lose in the end because of revenge and being taken down by the justice you love. I’d say your wife has a very valid point and may be right.”

  Croft didn't like this at all.

  “Just watch your back. I’ll see what I can do for you from here.”

  “Thanks, Ethan. If I don’t hear from you, have a great Christmas. I hope you’re spending it with family.”

  Blackhawk laughed. Were they ever? “Elizabeth, Callen and I shall be cuddling on the couch with the three kids. Our house is sheer chaos. We may all need a vacation from the holiday.”

  The man laughed and could only imagine.

  “Merry Christmas, Greyson.”

  Croft hung up the phone.

  “I wasn’t eavesdropping, but I heard it all. It sounds like a good plan to me.”

  He agreed.

  “We better get to your office. The team should be back in for now. Maybe they found something for us,” Emma offered, hopefully.

  “Let’s go, honey. I don’t really like you out in the open here either.”

  “Yes, Grey,” she replied, letting him tuck her into the passenger seat. What she didn't tell him was that it scared the hell out of her too.

  Back at the FBI building, Agents Archer and Brass were sitting in Director Croft’s office. They were conversing with Curtis, who had decided to park his ass in the boss man’s chair. When they walked in, he grinned, looking a little better than earlier.

  “Why are you behind my desk?” he growled, causing the other two agents to tense. He was glad his partner and friend was feeling a little better. He hated seeing the man suffer.

  “I wanted to see what it feels like to be you. Next, I’m going to kiss Emma,” he quipped, trying to put on a happy face.

  When he moved towards him, the man leapt from the seat laughing. “Okay! Man, you’re testy about where you put your ass and lips. Who knew?”

  It was hard not to laugh at them. Emma giggled, shaking her head. “He’s going to make you pay one of these days,” she warned. “You shouldn’t provoke him, Curtis.”

  “He wouldn’t do anything to me, because I’m like his kid brother.”

  Croft hit the speaker phone button and started dialing.

  When the voice came over the phone, it was similar to Greyson’s, but only younger. “Grey! Hey bro, what’s up?”

  “Dante, when you were seven and I was eighteen and you made kissy noises at my girlfriend and tried flirting with her, what did I do to you?”

  There was laughter as the memories flooded back. “You held me down and shaved me bald while mom and dad were at work, why?”

  Croft grinned wickedly at a no longer smiling Briggs. If that didn't prove a point, he’d make sure the rest did.

  “Did I ever even warn you that it was going to happen?”

  There was more laughter. “No way! You’re a stealthy bastard. I thought you’d forgotten, and then one day I let my guard down and you attacked.”

  “What do you think would happen if I caught you with your lips anywhere near Emma?”

  “I’d be two nuts short of a set.”

  She couldn’t help but laugh at that.

  “Is that my new sister?” Dante asked, promptly making kissy noises.

  Croft snorted, knowing he wouldn’t hurt his brother for being affectionate with his wife. Since she had no other family, he welcomed when Dante and his sisters showed her some love.

  “Dante, I miss you! Please come see us soon. Your brother misses you too.”

  “I will. I love you both, even though we have the oddest conversations when you call me.” It was a tradition of theirs. Emma once randomly called to talk about sex as a way to bust his brother’s ass. It backfired.

  “Love you, Dante,” he said, hanging up. “Now, if I’d shave my own brother’s head bald, what would I do to someone who continually pushed his luck with me? Let me think…”

  “Point taken,” he answered, staring at his boss.

  Tessa started laughing, because she couldn’t help it. It was funny to watch the man who everyone called the ‘Ice King’ melt in front of them. No one thought that he had a family or a life outside the office and apparently, they were all wrong.

  “Now, shall we begin?”

  The agents flipped open their tablets.

  “Paris, you’re up first, only because I like alphabetical order,” he said, grinning.

  It caught the man off guard and he looked confused.

  Agent Brass leaned over to whisper in his ear, and the man laughed when he finally got it.

  “Tessa and I watched them comb Kristopher Karson’s place. We didn't see a single picture linking him to the serial killer. Yet, we’re finding it hard to believe that it isn’t connected. How do two seemingly random circles connect without being related?”

  Croft had the answer. “Someone makes them connect by forcing them together. I want a BOLO put out on the man. I want to know everything about him, from the kind of car he drives to the toothpaste he uses. If this is the man who took Emma, I need to find out how he’s related to the murders.”

  “Like I said before--people who think that everything isn’t connected are usually wrong. If we search deep enough, into the mind of the person who did this, we’ll find the reasoning.” Emma had to believe there were two separate individuals. Everything she’d ever learned on the streets as a cop was warning her to dig beneath the surface.

  “The only thing that ties him to the women is the stalker report,” Paris reminded them. “That wouldn’t be made up.”

  Again, Croft spoke. “I want everything on him. From the day he fell out of his mother’s womb, to the day he grabbed my wife.”

  The agents nodded.

  “Why weren’t the pictures on the wall?” Emma asked, out of the blue. “There was space, so why didn't he put them up there?”

  “Maybe it’s because he’s not done with you?” Tessa suggested.

  Everyone in the room who knew what was going on saw that it didn't fit. Something was fishy about the entire thing all around.

  Croft changed the subject. “I spoke to Ethan Blackhawk,” he stared right at his agent. He could actually see the man swallow. Yeah, Archer was feeling a little bit of the pressure. It wasn’t a bad thing to adjust to the anxiety. If the man wanted to be a profiler, most of the stress fell on the person working up the profiles for the agents. If you were off your game or scared, the whole team would suffer.

  “And?” Tessa asked, placing her hand on her partner’s wrist, offering him reassurance.

  “He was impressed and only added one thing to the entire profile. Ethan believes that the killer is looking for the spotlight and it’s possibly a sibling or twin that didn't have the attention he needed as a child.”

  “Damn, I should have had that!” muttered Paris.

  “Are you kidding me?” Tessa said, patting him on the back. “You nailed a profile and impressed Ethan Blackhawk. That’s your gold standard, Paris! You did awesome and should be proud.”

  Croft grinned. “You’re officially able to profile from here on out. I have faith in you.”

  The man just sat there staring.

  “Okay, so back to that little tidbit. I want to know if Kristopher Karson has a twin or a sibling.” Greyson pointed at the agents. “I need it fast, too.”

  “I’ll have it by tomorrow,” stated Briggs, offering to take it
on. He was going to be working tonight anyway, since his social life was officially over.

  “What about the weirdo reverend?” Emma asked. “Did we find anything on him?”

  Briggs flipped pages on his tablet to find the correct screen. “Reverend Thomas Corey has also used the name Ripper on the street. It seems our guy was a dealer when he rolled with a gang as a kid. He did time in juvie, and then three years as an adult for possession. Vice had just under the amount that would put him in for selling. After that, he found Jesus.”

  “Don’t they all?” added Tessa. “If I had a dollar for everyone who claimed salvation in the state pen, I’d retire.”

  “He went straight and opened a church. I’m still digging,” Briggs stated. “If there’s more to find, I’ll get it.”

  “So, we have an ex-dealer and druggie preaching salvation to women are at a Methadone clinic, and they turn up dead?”

  Tessa shook her head. “It’s getting more confusing and not any clearer at this point.”

  “It usually goes down just like this,” Croft admitted. “The water will get less muddy as we pull the debris out of it. As for tomorrow, it’s Christmas Eve. I’m sure we all have plans,” he said, noticing everyone staring at him.

  “I don’t,” Tessa admitted.

  Paris agreed. “I’m free.”

  Briggs started laughing. “I was dumped. You and Emma are the only ones going to that big fancy party.”

  Croft snickered. “Well, well, the oldest one in the room has the best social life. Go figure,” he laughed, pointing at his partner. “Let that be a lesson, Curtis.”

  “Yeah, yeah. I get it. You have the Christmas babe.”

  “HEY!” Emma objected, and then simply laughed about it.

  “Anyway, we have a lot of research to take care of tomorrow. I want to check out the timeline of ‘nice’ number two, Mary Lou Harwell. The principal called it in, when she didn't show for the last two days of school before break. I have the home address from the police report, and we’re taking a trip.”

  Emma didn't mind. She didn't want to think about the party anyway. It was hard to believe her husband had a surprise big enough to stop her worrying over her bruises.