Once there, they found Deputy Weatherly getting coffee for what appeared to be his whole office.
When they approached him, his smile disappeared.
“Hello there, Deputy.”
He simply nodded, saying nothing.
Ethan was suspicious. Here was the man who had been the only friendly one in the office the day he arrived. Either Elizabeth’s display put him off, or the sheriff gave him a warning.
“Nice weather we’re having,” Elizabeth offered.
He just shrugged.
When he paid for his coffee and began heading out, she motioned toward him. She was going to rattle his cage for information. The weakest link was always the easiest to crack.
Outside, she stopped beside his patrol car. “You don’t like us, do you?”
He swallowed. “Ma’am, my boss said not to talk to you. You’ll get me in a heap of shit if he finds out. He has eyes all over this town, and I really like my job.”
That sent up alarms.
Now, why would the sheriff restrict someone from talking to a Fed? In their minds, there was only one reason. Sheriff Carlton had something to hide.
“Why can’t you talk to us?”
He shook his head.
“Come on, Deputy Weatherly. Spill it. I’ve been doing this job a long time, and this makes me want to dig deep.”
“I can’t, ma’am.”
She tried another angle. “You look like you’re a good cop, Deputy. I’m sure that despite your boss hating us, you want to do what’s right in town. Correct?”
He nodded.
“So, why don’t you just tell me what has you all stirred up. I was a sheriff once too, and I ran a small town just like this. I know how important the people in it are.”
Deputy Weatherly looked skeptical.
“Seriously. I grew up in a small town. I went into the FBI and then back to the town after being shot. I know what it’s like.”
He relaxed marginally.
“I’m one of you,” she offered. At one time, she had been. Now, she would use anything in her power to save the victims who were dying.
“We got a missing person report on a woman this morning.”
That piqued her interest.
“Who?” she asked.
“If I say, he’s going to fire my ass. He’s got a bee in his bonnet over you. When you knocked Deputy Richmond out, it pissed him off. He wanted to intimidate you Feds, and that’s why he brought our biggest guy.”
That amused Elizabeth.
It wasn’t the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog that mattered. Ethan and Callen were big, but she could probably take them down too, if need be.
“Give me a name, Davvy,” she urged, using his first name to build a bond.
He sighed.
“I won’t tell your boss. I promise.”
“Wilfred Monroe called it in. He’s some big wig who grew up here. The man’s filthy rich. He and his trophy wife arrived at their house to find their daughter missing. She came up early to hang out for a few days. She’s not answering her cell, and we found her car outside a bar.”
“What’s her name?”
“Ma’am, please.”
“I swear I won’t tell your boss that you told us. You have my word on it.” Elizabeth held up three fingers in a Girl Scout oath. “I promise.”
Ethan and Callen watched from across the parking lot. They weren’t sure what their woman was doing, but it seemed to be working.
“Her name is Magdalene.”
“What’s the name of the bar?”
He sighed. “I’m going to lose my job over this, I can tell.” He paused briefly to weigh his options. Not for one second did he think she’d back off. Finally, he caved. “The car was found outside a place called ‘The Mad Hatter’.”
She reassured him. “I didn't have this conversation with you. In fact, you never saw us here.”
He relaxed, believing that he had a shot of salvaging his job. “Thank you, Ma’am.”
With that, he got into his vehicle and headed to work.
Once he was gone, the men headed to her side.
“What was all that and the finger oath?” Ethan asked curiously.
She told him what she’d learned. It looked like the sheriff wanted to pay hardball with the FBI. Boy, he didn't know the can of worms he was opening.
Well, they could play that game.
“You took an oath?” Callen asked.
She grinned. “Yeah, the Girl Scout one. My mother made me join as a child. She thought it would soften my unruly side if I made friends with a bunch of sissy debutants in the making.”
Blackhawk lifted a brow as he stared into her icy blue eyes. “I hate to remind you of this, but you were kicked out of the troop for unbecoming behavior.”
That was damn right and funny as hell.
“You better believe it, Cowboy, but our skittish little deputy didn't need to know that. Let him think I’m as pure as a virgin on her wedding night.”
“You’re going to make the sheriff’s life hell, aren’t you?” Callen asked.
“Oh, you better believe it.”
“Where to first?” Blackhawk asked.
“I want to give that asshole sheriff enough rope to hang himself. Let’s head there to ask for any information or give him an update. If he offers up the details, we don’t skin him alive. If he doesn’t, we bust his balls until he’s begging for mercy. In fact, I may cut his off and add them to my collection.”
Both men looked horrified.
“I hope you don’t consider our balls as part of that hideous assortment of yours,” Ethan stated.
She laughed. “Hell no, Cowboy. We all know you and Callen are the boss. I’m just the little woman.” She patted her baby belly.
Her sadistic laughter made them grin. They’d missed this the last month.
“Yeah, we’re the boss,” Callen stated. “When pigs do the hokey pokey in the sky.”
“Hey! You stole that from me!” she stated, laughing. “That’s one of mine!”
He winked at her. “We should get going. We don’t want to give the deputy too much of a head start.”
She pointed at him. “I’m charging you for each Elizabethism. Don’t think I’ll forget.”
Callen didn't care.
He’d give her everything he had.
Without Elizabeth, life had no color. For now, he couldn’t wait to watch her in action.
For both men, this was their favorite part of the day.
* * *
He couldn’t wait to get out of work. When he did, he was going to start looking for the next woman. Maybe he was being a little too picky.
He just couldn’t help it.
The ideal wife was a vision in his mind. She would have pretty blue eyes, which would lovingly watch him. There would be all that soft, silky hair to run his fingers through.
He would be in heaven, once he found her.
Already, he was letting go of the failed relationships. Ruth wasn’t the right one. Neither was that pain in his ass Jacey. The other girl was the closest one. April had made him happy, until she got evil.
Oh, and Magdalene.
She was just a mistake from the start. Her daddy spoiled her too much. There was no way to break her of those bad habits. A rich girl had no place in his life. Now he saw that. He needed someone who was more like him.
The salt of the earth.
A hard worker.
Sturdy.
Someone dedicated to serving.
Oh, with the next one, he wouldn’t make the same mistake. In fact, he’d been picking children until that point. With the next bride, she would be a little older than him. Maybe she would have the characteristics he longed for.
Obedient.
Wise.
Maybe even trained.
He’d seen her in town. She had the hair and eyes, and all he needed was to make her see that she was the one.
His only.
The perfect wife.
The one destined to be at his side for the rest of her life.
Once he managed to convince her of that, they could start a family. He would have the woman and child that he so desperately longed for.
His heart skipped as he pictured her belly swollen with child. He’d have nine months to convince her to stay. That would be his duty as he helped her grow their precious child.
He could do it.
He knew it.
Snapping out of his dream world, he focused on work. He needed to be patient.
If he wasn’t, it would all fall apart. He didn't know how much more disappointment he could take.
It was time to end his search.
He wanted a wife, and he wanted her NOW!
* * *
When Tony arrived at the dig, he couldn’t help but notice that Doctor Orlando Hertz had parked his ass in his chair. In fact, the man was barking orders at the team like he ran the place. It pissed Tony off as he watched the academic asshole play leader in his absence.
It gave Tony great pleasure to know that the man wouldn’t make it a day in the FBI. He was obviously not a team player. Elizabeth Blackhawk would swallow him alive and laugh while doing it.
Tony cringed as the doctor continued yelling at the team to get them to work. That pissed him off. If there was one thing Tony didn't believe in doing, it was degrading the people you worked with by shouting. Yes, he worked under Elizabeth Blackhawk, and while she’d yell on occasion, she never did it just to hear her own voice.
This man was a pompous asshole, and the last person he would leave to run his team.
Then again, he was part of the academia, and they liked to believe that they were smarter, better, and more adept at leading because of the letters behind their names.
Tony had news for the man.
It was total bullshit.
He had those same letters, but he prided himself on not letting it all go to his head.
“Excuse me,” he said, finally getting their attention as he made his presence known.
Everyone in the tent glanced over.
“I’m back, so you can vacate my chair. If you need a place to sit, I suggest you find one elsewhere that you can claim as your own.”
The man stood. “I hope you got my complaint yesterday about that insufferable woman. She actually came in here and tried to boss us around.”
“I kind of liked her,” stated Donald Hooper. “She wasn’t mean at all. She was just doing her job.”
The other male student chimed in, “Plus she was pretty hot.”
Donald agreed. “Yeah, she was.”
Doctor Hertz glared at them. “Shut up. What do you know? You didn't even do your dissertation yet. That woman had no business being here, and I was offended.”
Tony pointed at him. “First off, we don’t talk to team members like that. He’s only a student, and he needs a positive environment to learn. You’re not helping that along. As former students ourselves, we need to lead by example, not with an iron fist.”
He huffed.
“Now, as for the email I received. I believe that your complaint was unfounded, but if you’d like to be removed from the team, since you can’t work with her, I’m fine with that. I’ve actually found your field work to be antiquated and a little shoddy. You should be keeping up to date with newer techniques.”
The man looked like he’d been slapped.
“You’re not grading me!”
Tony laughed, yes, he was. The university asked him to do just that. It was part of their new process. He let that go for now.
“Director Whitefox-Blackhawk might not run this dig site, but she does run the FBI, who you are currently contracted out to through the university. Like it or not, she’s your boss. I suggest you have some respect.”
Tony liked stirring up people who thought they were better than anyone else. Growing up, he was from a single parent home, and then a foster family. He’d been on the receiving end of that look many times. The man before him was likely rich, stuck up, and thought that anyone below him wasn’t worthy of his time.
That’s not how he ran his team.
They were all equal on his team. If the FBI had taught him anything, it was that everyone bled and died the same way. In the end, that was all that mattered.
They’d all be dust in death.
“Shoddy? Antiquated?” the man stuttered, still stuck on the first part of Tony’s lecture. “Are you seriously calling me that?”
“Yes, you heard me right. You might want to get out into the field more often. If this job wasn’t attached to the university you worked for, would you be here?” Tony asked.
The man’s look said it all.
“How dare you? You work for the FBI! You probably don’t even have papers published!”
Tony was ready for him. He rattled off the list of journal articles he’d had published in the last two years alone. The man’s mouth dropped open. “I also helped the FBI develop techniques to strip the bones of flesh with minimal damage to them. You may have read about that too.”
Donald spoke up, “We’ve used that in our lab class. It’s genius. I can’t believe we get to work beside the person who developed it. Why isn't it named for you?”
He glanced over. “It’s named after my team, because I believe in the betterment of the unit, not myself.”
Doctor Bridget Seston moved closer. “Really? That’s incredibly exciting,” she offered, suddenly more interested in the man before her. She’d read all those papers and studied his technique. It was hard to believe that he didn't want to take credit for something so…masterful.
Tony ignored her. “So, Doctor Hertz, are you ready to be a team player? Or are you heading back into your dusty office to sink back into the mire of monotony?”
He stammered. “Are you firing me?”
Doctor Magnus shook his head. “No, I’m simply giving you an option. Lose the arrogance and mightier than thou attitude, and you’re welcome to stay. Keep it, and I have no room for you here.”
The man stormed for the door. “I’m going to report you!”
Apparently, he’d made his choice.
Somehow, Tony wasn’t shocked or worried by the man’s threats. Once this case was over, he was heading back to his morgue to do what he did best.
Save the dead.
He had news for his soon to be bride. He couldn’t handle the bullshit of the academic world. There was no way in hell that he could survive at a university.
It would eat him alive.
Not then, and certainly not now. He’d seen far too much and found his home.
“That’s fine, Doctor. I’ll notify the university that you’ve quit your post.”
Once he was gone, the three students erupted into laughter. Tony didn't like to bust anyone down in front of spectators, but enough was enough.
There was a hierarchy there, and they needed to follow it.
“Can I have his position as head of the dig team?” asked Doctor Seston, still moving closer to him.
“No. It’s going by experience and years in the field. You’re back up to Doctor Armstrong. She’s got more excavation time under her belt. This is a dig team, and that has to be hierarchy.
That didn't make her happy, but she had ways to make him change his mind. Now that she realized the man before her was a catch, she would work harder to impress him.
“Okay, Doctor Magnus.”
He pointed at the three students. “How are we doing on the bone groupings?
Jeffery Whilton strolled over, handing him a piece of paper. “The hot pregnant babe said she wanted ethnicity and childbirth as two of the groups. We managed to do both. As I’m sure you know that by photograph, it won’t be as accurate.”
“The hot woman has a name, so please use it. It’s Director Whitefox-Blackhawk.”
“Sorry, sir,” he muttered, appeasing the man.
Tony took the paper and read the results. “There a
re two who gave birth?”
“Yes. Skeleton twenty five and skeleton thirty are the only ones in that grouping. That’s all. If you’d like, I can head to the location where the bones are being held, and I can check in person.”
“That won’t be necessary. I’ll have them shipped to the morgue to examine myself, but good work, Jeffery.”
“Not a problem, Doctor Magnus. It was incredibly easy. It didn't take long to do that.”
Valerie Joseph was next. “Donald and I were tasked to do ethnicity. It was fairly straight forward.” She handed him her printout.
“They were all Caucasian, weren’t they?”
She nodded. “Yes, sir. While we might have had a few that were of mixed ethnicity, none showed any bone markers that proved it was prominent.”
Well, that would make it easier for Ethan when he had to get his profile going.
“This is really good work.”
They were glad he was pleased. It was obvious that the man was going to run the show. Why not align yourself with the person who would be handing out your grade?
“What’s next, Doctor?” asked Valerie.
He wasn’t sure there was much to do. “I’m going to bring these results to the FBI, and you four can check out the remains and see if anything else stands out. Maybe you can start cataloging injuries.”
“We can do that, sir,” stated Donald Hooper.
Tony knew they had an FBI team doing that, but why not? If these young students wanted to learn, he should offer them every opportunity to get field experience. One of them may decide to take their skills into law enforcement when they graduated.
Just like he had.
“That would be great.”
Tony headed toward the door, pulling out his phone. He knew that the bosses would want to get the skulls to Jaxon for reconstruction as soon as possible. So, he called the lab back home to get them shipped overnight.
When they arrived, his fiancée could dazzle them with her skill. If anyone could put a face to them, she could. Tony couldn’t help but be proud of her. While he wished she’d told him about her ability to reconstruct earlier, he was still excited.
Dead Shall Speak (An FBI/Romance Thriller Book 10) Page 25
