“You think?” she said, staring at him.
“Oh, I’m pretty sure that I’m going to need to get a second job to afford your garden.”
“Only two jobs, Quinn?” she teased.
He found that funny, since it was probably very accurate.
Callie was glad that the storm had passed, and she was actually proud of him for not going too far with his anger.
It gave her hope.
If he kept it up, Quinton Gaines had a definite chance.
Callie followed Quinn into the sheriff’s station. It wasn’t lost on her that every one of the deputies stared at her incredulously. She wasn’t sure if it was the blood on her shirt, or the wicked split lip which was swelling.
At his office door, he let her go in first. Quinn could feel everyone’s eyes on them, and he wanted to send a silent message to the men ogling the doctor. Turning, he glared out at the deputies before slamming the door.
“What was that about?” she asked, jumping at the sound.
“Whenever my men see you, they stare like lovesick puppies, and it’s irritating as hell,” he admitted, as he walked over to the coffee pot to pour them both a cup. After this morning, they had earned it. “Cream? Sugar?”
“I drink it black,” she replied, as she picked up the file on his desk. “May I look at this?”
“Sure thing, Callie. Here’s your coffee, but I have to warn you that it’s cop swill. It’ll knock you over and eat away at your stomach lining.”
“I’m used to the toxic brew that you law enforcement types drink. My father was a sheriff, much like you,” she added, not looking up from the file.
“Really?” he asked curiously, wondering if she dated many in her past.
“Uh huh. Cops have been a part of my life for years.”
He wasn’t entirely enthused by that response. Chugging the scalding coffee, he tried not to think about her dating anyone, but especially men like him. Cops were notoriously difficult to have relationships with, and now she’d have a heads up.
Damn!
“When will the coroner’s report be in?” she asked.
He wasn’t entirely certain. “I’m not sure, but I can call and find out for you,” he offered.
“Thank you,” she replied absently. Already, she was trying to process the information they had available.
Quinn silently observed Callie as he waited on hold for the coroner. She was flipping through the papers, lost in thought. As she began digging in his desk for a notepad, he was fascinated. The scribbling of notes had his attention, as did the look on her face. Quinn was about to interrupt her, when his old friend picked up.
“Hello, Doctor Thomas Brooks here.”
“Hey, Tommy, it’s Quinn. Do you have anything on Aimee Jo yet?”
“Not much, Sheriff. We found DNA under her fingernails, and we’re hoping that there’s enough to test. Don’t get your hopes up on that, since she had just left a shift handing people money in a grocery store. Anything we find could be linked to hundreds of people.”
“Great.”
“The rape test gave us nothing, but I can tell you that she was either engaging in very enthusiastic sex or we’re talking multiple assailants.”
“How did she die?”
“I’m calling asphyxiation as the COD.”
“So, she was dead before he cut her up and left us the new word?”
There was a pause before he continued, “Sorry, I’m multitasking and eating my lunch. What did you say?”
“How the hell can you eat while you’re sitting in the morgue and talking autopsy?”
“It’s fairly easy. I take a bite, and then chew. When I’m done, I repeat the process. Now, what was your question?” he asked, laughing.
Quinn noticed that Callie was listening to his end of the conversation. “Was she dead before he carved her up?”
“Oh, yeah, and the knife had some sort of other substance on it. We found traces in her wounds. The investigators are running it right now, trying to isolate it for a match. As soon as we know, you’ll know.”
“Okay. Call me when you have more.”
“Give me a few hours, Quinn. Aimee Jo is at the top of my priority list today,” he said, chewing again.
“Thanks, Tommy.” Quinn hung up the phone and glanced over at her. Callie was sitting quietly, obviously waiting for him to tell her something.
“Well?”
“She was indeed dead before he carved her up and sliced her throat. It looks like you were right again, Callie.”
This wasn’t the first time she had seen a body in the same state. In the FBI, you tended to see a great deal of death. “And what about the DNA that they found?”
“They retrieved some from under her nails—whether it’s from putting up a fight, only time will tell.”
“I hope it’s viable. That could give us a suspect, or a direction to take this.”
Then, he told her everything else the coroner said.
“Have hope, Quinn.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
He couldn’t help but stare at her. Part of him wanted to repeatedly apologize for the mark he’d put on her body. When she refused to look away from him, Quinn knew he needed to escape.
“I have to check on the troops and make sure they have their orders,” he said, standing up.
“I’ll make a call. I’ll track down my contact at the FBI and see what he can tell me about any other cases that they may have like this one.”
“He’s going to just tell you all that?” he asked skeptically.
“Yes, he will. I happen to have a close friend or two on the inside,” she answered.
That made him curious as hell. When he walked away, Quinn left the door open. Yeah, eavesdropping was beneath him, but his inquisitiveness was piqued as to the kind of ‘friends’ she had in the FBI.
Callie first dialed the local pizza place to put in an order. She knew that everyone was working hard, and they could probably use some food, including the sheriff. There was this overwhelming need to feed the man, and it was unsettling her. It was the first sign she was getting attached.
Ordering ten trays with various toppings, she paid with her credit card and asked to have them delivered. She was just dialing the direct number into the FBI office in Raleigh, when Quinn returned. She went to stand, and he motioned for her to stay in his chair. She mouthed the words ‘thank you’, as she waited for the call to be answered.
“Special Agent Lucas Mars, how can I help you?”
“Hey, darlin’, whatcha wearing?” she purred into the phone seductively.
“Oh, gorgeous. I am so glad to hear your voice, and what timing. I’m stripping right now, so to answer your question, nothing. What are you doing?” he asked, genuinely pleased to hear from her.
Callie continued the conversation, “I’m about to hit up my favorite Fed for a big fat favor.”
“Does that mean later you’ll have to pay me back?” he asked, laughing.
“Wouldn’t that be a bribe and aren’t these lines recorded?” she reminded him.
“I think the director will forgive me, since he has a soft spot in that chilly heart for you.”
“Screw that, Luke. He should be madly in love with me. I worked my ass off for y’all,” she teased, noticing that Quinn was watching her with an unreadable look on his face.
“Well, your brother always said you were too smart for your own good and needed to be kept busy.”
Callie laughed. “Come on, Luke. I need a favor. I’m afraid it’s serious this time.”
That’s all it took for the man to go serious. “Callie, honey, are you okay? Did something happen?”
“Yeah, darlin’, I’m fine, but we have had two dead women here in town, and I think it’s about to get worse. The lunatic doing this is total serial killer material, and it’s only a matter of time before the nut falls from the tree.”
Lucas Mars knew that she wouldn’t be calling if there wasn’t something urge
nt going on. Callie was tough, and could handle herself pretty well. If she was calling in a favor, there had to be a big mess brewing.
“What do you need from me?”
“I’m helping the sheriff, and I might need some assistance on background info.”
“Sure, honey, what can I do for you?”
Quinn watched in fascination. Yeah, her flirting horrified him, but Callie was no stranger to dealing with the FBI. She was to the point, concise, and knew how handle the Feds. It was obvious, from the way she was speaking to the man on the phone, that person on the other end was wrapped around her finger.
Yeah, that pissed him off.
Swallowing his anger, he was well aware that if he lost his cool, there was only so much Callie would tolerate in one day. He listened to her finish up the call.
“So, you’ll look for me, handsome?”
“Gorgeous, for you and a slice of your peach pie, I’ll walk over coals barefoot and naked,” he said, laughing.
“Darlin’, you come through, and I’ll hand deliver you a peach pie to your place every week, and you can sit around eating it completely naked,” she teased.
“Yee haw,” he drawled, making her laugh.
“The sheriff and I appreciate it.”
He paused. “How did you get dragged into this? I thought you swore that you were done after the last case,” he asked curiously. This had the fingerprints of a male all over it.
“There were circumstances that were out of my control,” she replied, staring at Quinn. Yeah, sexy ones that made her crazy enough to do stupid things.
“Ah, the sheriff must be eligible. I’m telling your brother that you have the hots for some stranger.”
“Luke,” she said, warning him. If he went there, Nate would go crazy. It would kick off the insane brother things, like background checks and fingerprinting.
“I’m telling him, and we’ll come check him out.”
Callie snorted. “Great. That’s just what I need. You two men circling me like sharks.”
Quinn tensed at her words. Wasn’t that exactly how he saw all the men around Callie? They were all looking for a bite to eat, and she was the very tasty snack.
“Okay, you win gorgeous. I’ll check it out and see what Nate knows. Give me some time, and I’ll call you back.”
“Do you want me to give you the sheriff’s office number?” she asked.
“Gorgeous, I’m the FBI. I can find it on my own, and I’ll forgive you for the insult that you just bestowed upon my ego.”
That amused her. “I’ll kiss it and make it better when I see you,” she promised.
Quinn’s blood pressure spiked. “Yeah, like hell you will,” he muttered under his breath. Her lips weren’t going to be on any other man’s face, or other body part.
“Okay, gorgeous. You better get baking those pies. I’m dying for something sweet.”
“Thanks for your help, Luke. Tell Nate that I love and miss him.”
“Will do, honey. I’ll call you back soon.”
Callie disconnected the call and moved back around the desk so Quinn could have his seat back.
“Well, that was the friendliest conversation I have ever heard with the FBI. You must have helped them out big time, Callie,” Quinn said, dropping his boots on the corner of the desk. In his gut, there was something dark and dangerous brewing over everything that he had just heard. Yeah, it was only half the conversation, but it was probably good that he wasn’t privy to the rest. From the way she was laughing, and flirting, it would most likely make Quinn lose his mind.
“Yeah, let’s just say that those two Federal reprobates owe me big time, and they’ll come running if I call them,” she offered, picking up her cold coffee to take a sip. From the look on his face, Quinn obviously wanted to know what her relationship was with the FBI agents, but before she could tell him, there was a knock on the door.
“Come in,” called Quinn.
“Hey, Sheriff! Someone ordered pizza! I thought that I’d save you a tray before they were gone,” said Jimmy Lee.
Quinn knew who did it. “Pizza?”
“Well, I was hungry and someone had to order something. I’ve worked with enough cops to know that if I didn't share, they’d be in here trying to eat ours.”
“Well, that happens to be how my deputies generally work. If you feed them, you make a friend for life. They’re like strays,” he offered, taking the tray from Jimmy Lee.
“Well, if all it took was a tray of pizza, then I say I lucked out. Who couldn’t use a cop on their side now and again?”
Quinn dropped the box on the desk and opened the lid. “Hot damn! It’s mushroom. That’s my absolute favorite. How did you know?”
Callie picked up a slice and took a bite. The cheese burned the roof of her mouth, but it tasted so good. “Mmmm… it’s mine too.”
Everything else that previously happened fell away. “See, Callie? We have something else in common.” After hearing that phone call, he was trying to reel her in and solidify something between them.
“Yeah, I guess so,” she answered, grinning at him. Callie honestly believed that they had a great deal in common. Quinton Gaines was a really great guy.
Quinn wanted to grin as he took a bite of his slice. There might just be hope after all. A woman didn’t order a guy’s whole department pizza, and share it with him in the office, if there wasn’t a chance for them, now did she?
He prayed that finally, his luck was changing.
* * *
Four hours later, Callie sat in Quinn’s office with her feet up on the opposite side of his desk, looking through her notes and pictures of the crime scenes. When Junior came to the door, he handed Quinn the coroner’s report. “It just arrived, Sheriff,” he said, and then glanced at Callie. “Ma’am, can I get you a drink? It’s mighty hot out, and maybe you would like something refreshing.”
Quinn lifted a brow.
“Well, thank you, Deputy. That sounds great. I’ll take anything diet, if you don’t mind. We girls have to watch our figures,” she said smiling. When the young man turned and walked right into the doorframe, she struggled to not laugh.
“Do you have that effect on all men?” asked Quinn, irritated by his red-faced deputy.
“No, not all men,” she said, honestly. “The sheriff of our fine town seems immune to my womanly charm.”
Yeah, that was total bullshit. Callie made him anxious and twitchy whenever she was near. Just sitting in his office, the last five hours, had put him on edge. He was acutely aware of the way she smelled like vanilla every time she moved to pick something up. It was making it hard to concentrate, and slowly driving him insane. It was to the point, where he wanted to grab and kiss her senseless.
Before he could act out his fantasy, Junior returned to the office with the beverage.
“Thank you, Deputy.”
“You’re welcome, ma’am, and thanks for lunch,” he said, his face flushing as he backed toward the door. “Do you want some ice for that lip?” he asked, looking concerned when she held the cold can to it.
“No, I’m fine. It feels so much better now. Besides, the sheriff already apologized for doing it,” she joked.
The look on the deputy’s face was comical. He actually faced Quinn and stared at him, horrified.
“She’s kidding, Junior,” he said, glaring at Callie. “Please tell him that I didn't do that on purpose.”
Her only response was laughter.
Oh, at this rate, he was definitely going to put his hands all over her, whether she liked it or not. It occurred to him that she was baiting the tiger, and at some point, she was going to get attacked.
“Whew, that’s good to know,” Junior said, tipping his hat at Callie as he walked out.
She laughed even more.
“You think that’s funny, Callie? Now, they’ll be talking about how I go around beating women, and that it’s no surprise that I’m single with my foul temper.”
“What? I
didn’t lie! You did apologize for doing it, didn't you?” she added. Then, she winced at the pain from smiling.
“See? You deserved that after destroying my reputation with the men.”
“Oh stop! When you get off work, since you need to take me back to my car, I’ll take you home with me and feed you again,” she offered, watching him. “That should revive your sullied reputation.”
His heart started pounding. “You’ll cook for me again?”
“Yeah, unless you want to cook for me?” she replied, smiling.
“What? You feel like visiting the hospital tonight?”
Callie found that amusing. Popping open her soda, she had to hide the mile-wide smile behind the can. The sheriff was going to be having dinner with her again!
Score!
When his phone rang, Quinn reached for it. “Sheriff Gaines.”
“Yeah, I’m looking for a tall, dark-haired, gorgeous woman?”
Quinn looked down at the phone and then over at Callie. “Yeah well keep looking,” he practically growled into the phone, only to hear masculine laughter.
“Can I speak to Doctor Carter, please?”
“Yeah,” he snarled, as his mood quickly soured. “Who may I say is calling?”
“Tell her it’s her fiancé, Luke.”
At the mere utterance of that word, Quinn felt like throwing the phone against the wall. Instead, he turned to Callie and calmly relayed the message, “It’s your fiancé,” he said, holding out the phone to her, his eyes cold and icy.
Callie didn’t miss the look, and it erased the joviality she had been feeling.
Before she could reassure him, Quinn snapped, “You want to be alone? I wouldn’t want to impose,” he stated. His heart was pounding in his chest, and he swore that he was going to lose control at any second.
Holy shit!
The sheriff was pissed.
Yeah, that worried Callie. She’d seen him mad, but this was a far cry from what she had experienced.
“Hey, Luke, what do you have?” she asked, preparing to scribble down the information that he was relaying.
“We had a series of killings in a small town, outside Phoenix, about four years ago. It had the same MO. There were women killed, their throats were sliced, and the maniac gagged them with their own panties. The only difference is, there were no words carved into their bodies.”
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