Then focused on the cuffs.
Yeah, the techs were predictable if nothing else.
“Send me a text with the information. If you can get it to me before Doc comes back, I’ll buy you pizza all next week.”
She knew the way to the tech team’s heart was right through their greedy little grease-loving stomachs.
“Deal.”
He got to work.
She left the morgue and headed outside. She was meeting Kaleb and hopefully, he brought coffee. When she got to the curb, he was there with his ride.
Yes, he had coffee.
“Where’s Glen?” she asked. “Is your boss going to be bitchy that you’re helping me?”
“Glen is taking some time off. He doesn’t want to, but he has no choice. Our boss busted chops. Glen started this sting three months ago, and then the first hooker went MIA. Metro wants a scapegoat.”
She knew what that meant.
It was him.
“As for help, let’s just say I’m working the files on my desk and not here—if you get what I mean.”
Yeah, she knew how that was. ‘The Butcher’ had been her cross to bear. It still was. No cop wanted to be teamed up with her within the city limits.
She was wearing the scarlet ‘F’ for failure.
“Thanks, Kaleb. I appreciate this.”
“You’ll owe me. One day, I may need your help. Don’t be shocked when I call.”
She was fine with that. Elizabeth paid her debts.
“Well, want to hit up some suspects?” he asked. “We need to get this show on the road.”
“Yeah, I’ll update you in the car. I did some searches,” Elizabeth offered.
“I can’t wait.”
They loaded up.
“Thanks for allowing me to help,” Kaleb said.
She didn’t mind. Honestly, it was keeping the heat off of her. The other cops would be riding tail, but since they suspected that Kaleb was helping, they were backing off.
She was buying herself time.
If she didn’t solve this, and soon, someone would yank it out from under her. Gabe hadn’t called her, so she was on her own. There went her protection.
It was only a matter of time before the director flipped his shit and realized she was running this case solo.
It wouldn’t be pretty.
“What did you find out when you ran Rodney Cole?” Kaleb asked, as he drove them to the location.
“He’s got some issues,” she stated. “When I pulled his record, there were some hits to it other than prostitution.”
“Like what?” Kaleb asked.
“He was bounced around from foster home to foster home,” she stated. “They’re sealed, but that says enough.”
He agreed. Then Kaleb thought about it. “Can we get one of those profiler guys that the FBI is so proud of to give us a hand?” he asked. “This feels a little out there. IF this guy is nutty…”
Yeah, she knew.
Pulling out her cell, she called Gabe.
When he answered on the second ring, she heard the baby crying in the background. Well, it looked like someone was a daddy.
“Lyzee, I was just going to call you.”
“Hey, Gabe. How’s tricks?”
He laughed. “Beyond my wildest dreams. Our daughter is here. Livy gave birth to Amelia a couple hours ago. She’s beautiful.”
Elizabeth couldn’t help but smile. She could hear it in his voice, and the man sounded like he was beaming from ear to ear. Yeah, this was going to be a beautiful thing for him.
Gabe deserved it.
“Will you come see her?” Gabe asked.
“Uh.”
“Please?” he asked. “We want you to be her godmother. She’s so beautiful and angelic. Please, Elizabeth?”
“Does Livy want me there?” she asked.
Gabe put it on speaker. The phone filled with crying baby. “Olivia, Elizabeth is on the line. Do you want her to come see the baby?”
“Absolutely. I want her to see her Aunt Lyzee.”
She was shocked.
What the hell had happened?
How did Livy go from avoidance to welcoming in under a day? Yeah, this was odd.
Gabe went out into the hall.
“She’s okay now,” he offered, knowing Elizabeth had to be confused. He only hoped she’d show up and let it go. Livy needed her, and so did he.
“Are you sure?” she asked.
“Yeah, we want you to see Amelia.”
“Okay, well, I’m mid-case right now, but I can come by your house if you’ll give me access to the gate.”
“You have an open invitation any time, Lyzee. You’re our family.”
She was so damn confused.
“How’s the case?” he asked. “I’m sorry I had to bail. Do you need something?”
“I’d hate to bother you…”
“Just ask.”
“I need a profile. If I send you everything I have, can you get it to your golden boy and have him whip me up a suspect?” she asked.
Gabe knew his profiler was pissed. Ethan Blackhawk was not amused at running into his family—neither was the director. He’d bailed on his partner, and took a vacation mid case. Heads were about to roll.
This was a mess in the making.
Gabe would be putting out that fire for a long time. He only hoped that Ethan didn’t burn his bridges to promotions. The FBI had a long memory, and they played favorites.
Look at Elizabeth.
Almost a year later, and she was still paying the price.
“Yeah, send it over. He’s backlogged, but I’ll see if I can get him to handle it.”
“Thanks, Gabe.”
“Are you safe?” he asked. “I know you’re working this alone.”
She glanced over at Kaleb. “Actually, I’ve absconded a Metro detective. We’re quietly working this.”
“I saw the news. If this is your idea of quiet, we have to have a training class.”
She braced for the lecture.
“Keep up the good work.”
What the hell was going on? First, Livy was acting like the last nine months never happened, and now Gabe was being pleasant.
Holy shit.
It was the end of the world.
“Elizabeth? Are you still there?”
“You need to freaking bottle whatever the hell is making you this happy, and keep it for later. I don’t know if I should laugh or run for the hills.”
Gabe was amused.
“My wife and daughter are healthy. It’s a good day for me.”
She figured that had to be it. If this was how he was going to be after one baby, everyone under him needed to pray he had more.
Lots and lots more.
“Thanks, Gabe. We’re heading into an interview. I’ll send those things over as soon as I can.”
“No problem, Elizabeth. Be safe.”
She hung up the phone.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
She didn’t go into it. “He’s in a good mood. It’s like the apocalypse.”
He laughed.
“Go with it. When the bosses are happy…”
Yeah, she got it.
“We’re here.”
They checked out the place. It was rundown and needed a lot of TLC. Rodney Cole was living in squalor. The place was one hot mess. It immediately told them what the inside was going to look like.
Elizabeth was betting hoarder.
She’d seen it before.
“Do you find it odd that a man living in a dump was always trying to drop cold hard cash on a hooker?” she asked.
He wasn’t shocked. “Sex is an addiction. You should see some of the Johns we’ve come across. They are desperate for sex. It’s like they can’t function.”
“That’s a sad existence. I like sex, but I can’t imagine skipping food or a decent place to live to get it.”
“That’s because you’re probably getting it on a regular basis. In fact,
you’re not as cranky today.”
She stared at him. “Don’t go there.”
“You got laid.”
She sighed.
“I’m not confirming anything.”
He snorted. “You just did.”
That was the bad part about hanging around with cops. They tended to see everything you didn’t want them to see—like this.
As they got out of his vehicle, they headed toward the house. At the door, Kaleb knocked with his boot. They braced themselves, hands on their guns.
The man opened the door. “Yes?”
“Rodney Cole?” he asked.
“Yes?”
“I’m Detective Williams, and this is Special Agent Elizabeth LaRue. We need to ask you a few questions.”
The door slammed shut.
“I have the back,” Elizabeth stated, racing off the porch and toward the backyard. She hopped a fence in time to see Rodney Cole running down an alley.
She gave chase.
“FBI! Stop or I’ll shoot!”
Yeah, he kept running. Apparently, he didn’t think she’d do it. She hated when they were right.
Elizabeth closed the gap.
When she was within grabbing distance, she took him down with a body slam to his midsection. They hit the ground, and Elizabeth ended up on top, her gun pointed at his forehead.
“I said stop!”
He began crying.
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”
She rolled him over and cuffed him. After getting him contained, she walked him back toward his house.
“Good catch,” Kaleb said when he saw her. “I think I know why he ran,” he stated.
“Please tell me you found a garrote,” she stated.
He led them back inside, all the while Rodney was weeping. “Not quite.”
When she saw it, she couldn’t believe it.
“You ran because of a freaking pot plant?”
“I’m so sorry! I just found it and thought I’d let it grow to see what happened.”
They rolled their eyes.
He was an idiot.
It looked like they caught a penny ante criminal, but was he a killer too?
That would be the big question.
* * * E l i z a b e t h L a R u e * * *
Hoover Building
FBI
Chris had barely survived the ass chewing. The director was not amused. He never thought he’d say this, but he was actually sad that Gabe wasn’t around.
No, they didn’t get along, but at least he knew the man valued him. For a few minutes, he really thought the director was going to fire his ass.
Thank God Elizabeth had the fortitude to cover for him with the robbery set up. It wasn’t a total lie.
He had been robbed.
Only he had been there.
Back in the morgue, he found Tony working on some paperwork.
“Hey! How was your date?”
Chris laughed.
“That good?”
“Let’s just say it didn’t end the way I thought it would,” he stated.
Yeah, that was one hell of an understatement. Chris wasn’t the least bit upset about Madeline, or whatever her name was. He’d gotten exactly what he wanted.
Elizabeth.
“Well, there are plenty of fish in the sea,” Tony stated. “I’m sure the next one will be better.”
“I’m not online dating anymore.”
“What? Why not?”
Chris told him everything about Madeline and what had happened.
Tony stared at him.
“You brought her to your place?”
“Yeah, how else was I supposed to have sex?” he asked. “Isn’t that how people work? You meet a girl, you want to get laid, so you bring her home?”
“Uh, no. That’s dangerous. You don’t take them to the nest. You only sleep with the long-term babes in your bed. The rest you take to a hotel. Not getting robbed is worth the money spent.”
Chris laughed as he headed into the doctors’ lounge. “Great. Now you tell me.”
“You gotta get back on the horse.”
The funny thing was, he was happy now. The night with Elizabeth had been worth it. He felt fulfilled and that hole he’d been trying to fill was overflowing.
Chris was happy.
He had someone to share his love with in his life.
Chris had his best friend, and they had their own secrets. That was what he’d focus on for now.
“Nope. I’m done.”
Tony shrugged. “Well, at least you’re okay. Don’t tell Elizabeth. She’ll flip out. She’s protective of you. I’ve only been here a couple days, and I can see that.”
“Yes, yes, she is.”
Tony got quiet.
Chris glanced over as he was pulling on his scrubs. “What?”
“You have a hickey on your neck. I thought you didn’t get laid.”
Chris laughed. “I said I didn’t have sex with Madeline.”
Tony stared at him. “Who then?”
He shook his head.
“You’re holding out on me?”
“We’ve known each other two days. In that time, you’ve puked on me, talked me into a dating disaster, and nearly got me killed. You are not high up on my trust list.”
Tony stared at him. “I see.”
He walked out of the lounge.
Chris felt bad. He followed him. “Tony.”
“It’s okay. I get it. I won’t bother you anymore,” he said, focusing on the bones in the box.
“I didn’t mean…”
“It’s okay. I’m the outsider. I’m always the outsider. I was just trying to be a friend and make one. I don’t have many. It doesn’t matter. I have my bones.”
Chris saw himself in the man a year ago. He’d just started out at the FBI, and he’d been alone. If not for Elizabeth, he would have tucked his tail between his legs and run for the hills.
He had an idea.
Chris went to his bag and pulled out a candy bar. Instead of eating it, he placed it beside a femur on the table.
“What’s that?”
“When I started here, no one liked me. I was a pariah. People actually went out of their way to torture me daily.”
Tony glanced up. “And?”
“One day, this gorgeous agent walked in to find them abusing me. She felt bad about what I was living, so she bought me a candy bar.”
Tony glanced down at the bar and then up at him. “Okay.”
“Since that day, she’s been my best friend. We do everything together. That one candy bar bridged a gap.”
“And you’re giving me one?”
“Yes. I’m offering you my friendship.”
Tony picked it up and unwrapped it. Before taking a bite, he broke it in half and offered it back to Chris.
“I like to share.”
He smiled and took a bite. “We’re not having sex together,” Chris stated.
Tony stared at him. “Uh, I’m not gay. Was this some euphemism for that?”
Chris laughed.
“I don’t get it.”
He shoved the candy bar into his mouth. “One day, you will.”
Tony didn’t buy it.
“What did you find?” Chris asked, getting the man to focus on the case. “We should talk work.”
“Nothing out of the ordinary. I’m still looking. The tech reports are still running.”
“Yeah, that’s not going to fly.”
“What do you mean?” Tony asked.
“Elizabeth will be here at one point, and she’s going to want evidence.”
“Or?”
He started laughing.
“What’s so funny?” Tony asked.
“Let’s help them look for something,” he stated. “You don’t want to anger the investigator. She gets bitchy when you rub her the wrong way.”
He grinned to himself. He was thinking about the night before and the shower.
Tony stared at him. “
Oh my God!”
“What?” Chris asked, looking around.
“You’re smiling and thinking about her. She’s the one who gave you that hickey! You sealed the deal!”
Yes, yes, he had.
Chris pulled on a pair of gloves and said nothing.
“Come on! Share!”
No way in hell.
Chris wasn’t going there.
Ever.
He and Elizabeth had made a pact, and NOTHING was going to break it.
Absolutely nothing.
There was no way he was risking this. For the first time, Chris wasn’t thinking about work at work.
He was thinking about life.
And that was huge.
There was no way he’d risk that.
* * * E l i z a b e t h L a R u e * * *
They sat him down and continued with business. Rodney Cole was one hot mess. He wasn’t only trying to grow a pot plant, but he was a user too.
From the needle marks in his arms, he was hardcore too. Pot was the least of his problems.
“Rodney, do you know these ladies?” Elizabeth asked, pulling out photographs of their dead hookers before they ended up in the morgue.
“Yeah, they’re sluts.”
Well, he wasn’t mixing words.
“Did you hate them?” Kaleb asked. “Did you want to hurt them?” he asked.
“No. I wanted to fuck them. They wouldn’t take my money. I hate them. I hate that lousy pimp too. He thought he was too good for me to use his sluts. He’s no better than me. He’s just as far down the food chain.”
Yeah, this was one hell of an angry powder keg ready to blow.
Someone had issues.
Speaking of which…
“We checked on your background,” she stated. “You were in the system.”
He closed his mouth. “So? I didn’t grow up with a family, but I’m fine on my own. I’m just fine.”
He was growing pot, granted it was only one plant and nothing major, he was living in a rundown brownstone in the worst part of town, and he was obviously into drugs.
Oh yeah.
And hookers.
This was not fine.
This was the opposite of fine.
She rattled off the dates. “Where were you on those nights?” Elizabeth asked, hoping he’d simply come right out and say he was the killer.
That would be sweet.
He shrugged.
“Around.”
Stalked by the Past: An FBI Flashback Novel. (An FBI Romance Thriller Book 17) Page 32
