Dead Shall Speak (An FBI/Romance Thriller Book 10)
Page 34
He was willing to do that to find the perfect bride.
Now, he was sure she was it.
From the long black hair, to the sparkling blue eyes, this woman would be the perfect mate.
He could just sense it about her.
As he ate his pizza, she gave off a really good vibe. She was definitely the one.
Soon, she would be his.
Taking her would be easy. He knew her routine, saw everything she did, and even got up the courage to talk to her a few times.
She loved him.
He could tell.
When he took her home and claimed her as his own, she would make him very happy.
In return, he would do the same.
Then, he thought about Magdalene. The anger filled him, and he was forced to push it back down. There was no way that he would let that worthless skank stress him out.
She was gone from his life.
Now, he had new purpose.
This was his prize to claim, and he would.
Tonight, he would have a new start, and she would be a far better one. He would have perfection, and in the morning, his life would begin anew.
Tomorrow, he would be a happily married man with his blushing new bride.
* * *
Two Hours Later
It was a good day, until he showed up at the hospital morgue. The second he walked in, he could tell something was very wrong. The man he’d asked to do the autopsy was sitting there, waiting.
It didn't bode well.
He’d given him time, but the look on his face said it all. He looked pissed off.
“Doctor Vanguard, what’s wrong?” he asked, glancing around. “Are you done with the autopsy?”
“We have a problem.”
Immediately, his mind went toward the case.
“What did you find?”
“Nothing,” he stated. “I didn't find a single damn thing.”
That gave him pause. “The killer didn't leave anything to point you in his direction?”
The ME shook his head. “I wouldn’t know. I was about to start the autopsy, and a bunch of Feds strolled in, took the body, and left me standing here. I’m a little irritated that you didn't warn me that I was possibly digging into a Federal hornets’ nest. That really sucks, Doug.”
“What?” Now it was his turn to be pissed off. Hopefully, he had just heard the man wrong.
“What did you say?”
It couldn’t be.
“You heard me. The FBI strolled in here, threatened me, and took your victim.”
How the hell did they find her?
“And you let them?” he demanded.
The man laughed, taking a seat at his desk. “What was I supposed to do? Throw myself over her and hold on for dear life?”
He opened his mouth and was cut off.
“When the FBI rolls in, taking over, favor or not, I don’t stop them. I wasn’t going to end up in jail for your case. Had I even known it was a possibility, I wouldn’t have done it in the first place. Consider yourself out of favors when it comes to me. You dicked me over, Doug. This bridge is officially burned down.”
He kicked the metal autopsy table in anger. “Son of a bitch! I hate that woman!”
Douglas Carlton was beyond pissed off.
As he began pacing, his temper grew. He couldn’t believe this. They weren’t going to get away with this.
Before he could say more, one of his deputies raced in. “Sir! I just got a call from HQ. They said that the media has been inundating us. Apparently, there’s a press conference tomorrow morning, and Magdalene Monroe’s name was mentioned.”
The sheriff fumed. He didn't want to take it out on Deputy Trey Stephens, but he was close to losing it.
“What the hell?”
“The FBI is holding it to release an update on the case,” he blurted. “How did they find out?”
He would be damned if he knew.
“Who took the call?” he asked, trying to breathe through the anger.
“Deputy Richmond.”
“Call him back. Tell him to give nothing else out. We’re going to get to the bottom of this, and kick the FBI out of our town once and for all. I’m done with this bullshit!” When he got his hands on that pregnant bitch, he swore he was going to make her pay for screwing with him.
Enough was enough.
He stormed toward the door, motioning to his deputy to follow. “Thanks for nothing, Doctor. The least you could have done was keep track of one lousy body!” he hissed, slamming the morgue doors behind him.
When he got hold of that FBI director, her ass was going to meet his boot. Pregnant woman or not, she was in deep shit.
This was his town, and he wasn’t screwing around.
This was the last straw.
* * *
When Jaxon and Tony strolled in, everyone looked up. He didn't flinch, but the woman behind him did. In fact, Tony had to admit that he probably looked a little smug. From the looks on their faces, it was likely they all knew where they had been.
As always, Tony dropped his arm protectively around Jaxon’s shoulders, refusing to care.
“Elizabeth and Ethan, are you free?”
As their bosses, it was rare for anyone to call them by their first name while working. Their team only did that if they were giving them a subtle clue as to needing a personal talk.
This was obviously one of those moments.
She hopped down from the table, heading their way with Ethan not far behind them. “Sure, Tony, what’s up?”
“Can we talk in private?” he asked.
Elizabeth suspected that this wasn’t going to be a good talk. The one anthropologist looked worried, and that didn't bode well for her.
Ethan motioned to the spare work area.
Everyone watched as they headed there.
Inside the other room, Elizabeth dismissed her two agents. They were working, but she needed the space, and that was a commodity in the small concrete building.
When they were gone, Tony began, “Today something happened. It was unprofessional and crossed a line, so I’m going to ask for a favor.”
She didn't like the sound of that at all.
In all the years of working with the man, he’d never done one thing unprofessionally or come to think of it, ask for a favor.
“What happened, Tony?” she inquired. “How much trouble are you in?”
Tony wasn’t surprised she went there, so he told her everything, much to Jaxon’s horror. On the way there, he informed her that they needed to go to the boss with all the details.
They didn't have a choice.
She didn't have to like or agree with it. To her, Elizabeth was still a wild card. While Tony trusted and obviously loved her, she was still nervous about getting too close.
It was like the lioness on the plains of Africa. They were pretty to look at, but if you ended up on their radar, you were dinner.
Elizabeth might be pregnant, but that was just a veneer. Over the last month, Tony had told her the stories, and she was scared.
When he finished, Elizabeth sat on the corner of the desk, deciding how to handle this. Generally, between her and Ethan, she let him handle the lab staff. Unfortunately, Tony had called her out on a favor.
“This is a big one, Tony. You realize that, right?”
He did.
Staring down at the woman, Elizabeth watched her cringe. Well, at least there was remorse.
There was also Tony watching her imploringly.
Shit!
It occurred to her that she was to blame. Elizabeth had gotten soft. Damn the obligations of family and friendship. It was time to put her relationships first.
Focusing on Jaxon, she began, “I get why you punched out the doctor. If I found any woman’s body on or near Ethan or Callen, I’d go shit nuts too.”
“I’m sorry,” she replied.
Elizabeth sighed.
Jaxon relaxed when Tony squeezed her hand.
He could have kissed his boss for the words she was sharing. It touched his heart because he felt the same.
“I need you to be very aware of one thing, Jaxon,” Elizabeth said, using the woman’s first name to make it more personal. “Despite what you may think, there aren’t fist fights in the FBI. If I can’t go around kicking the shit out of people, neither can you.”
Blackhawk grinned and had to hide it behind his hand.
“I’m going to assume that this was a one-time incident. From here on out, this is the official end of this discussion, am I clear?”
She swallowed. “I’m sorry, Elizabeth. I can guarantee that it won’t ever happen again.”
That was good enough for her. “By the way—nice ring, Tony. You picked out a great one.”
He grinned proudly.
Before he could say anything, there was a loud crash from the other room. It sounded like two rhinos tap dancing on powder kegs.
All four of them rushed in, only to find Callen being pummeled on the ground by two uniformed men.
He was doing his best to protect his face and ribs as they threw punch after punch.
The second Ethan saw that his brother was in danger, he didn't hesitate to jump into the mêlée. Without a thought, he slammed into the sheriff, taking him off his brother’s body.
They crashed into a morgue table.
Tools scattered.
Elizabeth stared in horror, as did everyone in the room. This was the worst timing ever.
As the Blackhawk boys kicked some ass, she couldn’t believe it was happening. Both of the men in her life were involved in a full blown fight.
In the morgue.
In front of the tech team.
And worse yet, in the presence of the woman she had just reprimanded.
Well, so much for no fistfights on FBI time.
Someone was up shit creek on this one.
There was no doubt.
~ Chapter Twelve ~
Saturday Afternoon
Thankfully, the brouhaha didn’t last for long.
To say that the sheriff and his deputy were grotesquely outmatched would be an understatement. Once Ethan joined the fight, he leveled the playing field.
Everyone cringed as Ethan’s fist repeatedly found Sheriff Carlton’s body.
Yet, none stepped in to stop it.
When both local lawmen were flat on their backs, Ethan pulled his brother up from the ground.
“Are you okay?” he asked Callen, checking out his brother’s face.
“I think so.”
Elizabeth erupted. “Seriously? That’s your first question?” Elizabeth asked. “How about what the bloody hell is going on in here?”
She pointed at her ME. “What happened? You’re usually logical and concise, so tell me what this was all about!”
Chris was just as shocked as she was. “We were standing here joking about something, and in strolled the sheriff and his deputy. He threatened me, told us he was claiming the body back, and asked where that…”
He stopped, rethinking his choice of words.
“Continue, Christopher, and stop looking at Callen. I’m talking to you.”
Chris swallowed. “He didn't have complimentary things to say about you,” he stated. “That’s when it got out of hand.”
She pointed at Callen. “Who threw the first punch?” she asked, getting irritated. She’d just told Jaxon there were no fistfights in the FBI.
Her fingers were crossed as she prayed.
“I did.”
Well, that sucked.
Immediately, Chris interjected, “That’s not entirely true. The deputy went to move Callen out of the way using force. He put his hand on a Federal officer. That could be construed as assault. It’s how I saw it.”
Callen didn't flinch even as the blood dripped onto his shirt.
Elizabeth wanted to lose her cool, but she knew that this was her fault. She’d poked the sheriff by hijacking his body. Anything which happened after that point was meant to be aimed at her, not him.
Grabbing some tissues from Meredith, she handed them to Callen. “Your mouth is bleeding,” she offered.
He was still pissed. Whatever the man said about her, must not have been complementary. Callen was still seething, and he wasn’t one to hold a grudge.
Checking on Ethan, she found he was relatively fine, although he was rubbing his hand over his ribs on his right side.
“You’ve obviously lost your mind,” she said to the sheriff who was helping Deputy Trey Stephens off the floor.
“You stole our body!”
She shook her head. “I don’t see it that way.”
“Prove that these cases are linked. If you can’t, then she’s coming back with me!”
Elizabeth wanted to punch him herself. Before she could say what was brewing in her gut, Meredith stepped forward.
“Ma’am, I can solve this.”
She hoped so.
“We ran the semen found in her body. She was indeed having sex with the same man who killed our other victims. Plus, when we ran the collar and chain, we found some epithelial cells on the links. They, too, match the killer. We have the same person.”
“Well, that ends this conversation,” Elizabeth stated, moving toward the sheriff. “Pack up your sidekick and get the hell out of here. I will tell you that if I ever hear what you said to incite Director Whitefox’s anger, I’m going to likely be knocking you back on your ass. If even one word was defamatory toward their ethnicity, I will be shoving my boot so far up your ass, Sheriff, you’ll moo when you open your mouth.”
The man went to speak.
“Shut it. You even allowing your deputy to put his hands on a Fed has put you both in a very bad situation.” As if to prove a point, she asked a question, “Who here saw the deputy get into Callen’s personal space?”
They all raised their hands.
“Who here will testify to that?”
She didn't even have to turn around. Elizabeth knew her team would have their backs, just like she would always have theirs.
“You’re screwed, and not in a good way. Think of it more like getting caught with a transvestite in a back alley. You went in thinking one thing, and left walking funny.”
Blackhawk had to cover his laugh with a cough. Despite the situation, it was still entertaining. Ethan knew that in her own way, she was trying to defuse the situation.
“Okay, I’ll concede that the body is part of the case, but I want in.”
She laughed, almost manically. “You come in here and exchange blows with one of my staff, which happens to be my husband, and you think I’m going to sit here and say ‘welcome aboard’? You’re crazier than an old lady with a house full of hungry cats and only one can of tuna.”
The southern was out in her voice.
Merry leaned over toward Callen. “I have cats.”
He knew she was trying to get him to smile. It almost worked. There was no doubt in his mind that Elizabeth was going to be chewing on his ass next. He liked pain, but not that kind.
The sheriff closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Okay. I’ll be the first to admit that this escalated. I’m sorry that my deputy touched your director. We came in here angry, because we heard about the press conference and the body being taken. It pissed us off.”
Elizabeth didn't care. While she wouldn’t belt the man herself, she needed to prove that sometimes she wasn’t the wild card. Here she was, calm as anything, and everyone else was out of their minds.
“We need to warn your townspeople. We have a killer with a preference and that needs to be shared. Besides, this isn't our first rodeo, Sheriff
. I wasn’t going to come right out and say, ‘if you have black hair and blue eyes, run for your life’. Despite what you’ve seen, heard, or experienced with the FBI, I can tell you this team is top notch. My ME is impeccable, our techs leave no stone unturned, and our agents are damn good at their jobs. If anything, they’ll do right by these women.”
“I want in.”
She shook her head. “Yeah, not happening. I’m here to deal with a killer and save a few lives, not play babysitter to a bunch of grown men who can’t behave. If you want to whip it out and see who has a bigger dick, this isn't the group to do it with. We will have you for breakfast. By ‘we’, what I mean is ME.”
Then she headed toward the deputy. “If you ever touch one of my people again, I’m going to reach into your body, find your colon and give you a colonic you never saw coming. If you think I’m just some pregnant woman, let me tell you that I’ve broken bigger men than you.”
Sheriff Carlton shook his head when his deputy tensed. They were in enough shit. From here on out, they’d tread lightly. He’d let his anger get the best of him, and that was a dangerous thing.
“I’m serious, Director. We want in. As the law in this town, we have a right to ask to assist. I’m coming to you to ask for a little leeway. Let us help.”
She moved back toward the men. “You screwed up again. I’m just the one who runs this circus. The boss—well, he’s the man you were hitting in the ribs,” she stated.
Ethan grinned. He loved when she let him drive the crazy train. “Oh, look at that. It must be why I’m wearing the suit.”
The man sighed. “Please?”
“This isn't a game,” Ethan said. “We have four new victims and a grave with thirty bodies. This town is one hell of a mess.”
“We can help any way you want.”
“It’s up to the lead investigator,” Ethan stated, deferring this one back to Elizabeth. It was his signal that he was okay with whatever she opted to do.
Elizabeth caught his nod.
The ball was in her court.
“If you can bring something to the table, you’re in. If not, you’re on your own.” That was all she had to say about it.