“Lastly, you have the two women left in the lake. Did he drown them in a pool and then panic?”
“Trying to hide the bodies and wash away evidence?”
Elizabeth looked up into his eyes, “One more thing is bothering me,” she continued, pointing at the two women they found in the water.
“Yes?” he could tell she had been a damn good FBI agent. Elizabeth LaRue wasn’t a backwoods sheriff. Lily’s assessment of her wasn’t even close. When she said details were her thing, she wasn’t kidding.
“He hides the bodies in the lake, so why didn’t he weigh them down?”
Ethan Blackhawk stared at the pictures, everything they discussed he had already considered. In fact, if she looked in his folder, he did an assessment and it said pretty much the same thing. Except, he missed the last point and she hadn’t. If the killer was a novice, first instinct would be to have weighted the bodies down to keep them hidden for as long as possible.
“So I go from someone killing for shits and giggles, to someone killing with the intent to have us find the bodies, a more calculated approach like that of a predator.”
“That’s a big leap,” came the voice from the doorway.
Elizabeth and Blackhawk both turned. His partner stood in the doorway, watching them working through the white board.
Something about how close she sat to Ethan, rubbed her the wrong way, especially since she knew what happened in her past. She swallowed the tension and moved toward the table. Gabe already warned her to play nice or else.
“Do you disagree?” asked Elizabeth. She had moved away from Blackhawk to face the woman. There was no way in hell she was giving the agent her back. Something about her made her very wary. Lily had nothing but aggression and negativity in her eyes, even if her body looked relaxed and at ease.
“I happen to agree with you. If he wanted to hide the bodies and keep them missing, he could have buried them in the woods, or a swamp. Instead he chose to light them up, knowing the fire department would be called. Hang one in the center of the square in the park, and lastly drop two untethered bodies into the lake. Eventually a swimmer would find them, or they would float to the surface.” Lily hated that she and the sheriff had come to the same conclusion; she wouldn’t be giving her credit for figuring it out.
Elizabeth pondered, “So is our killer a murder refining his technique, or just a novice killing for the fun of it?”
Blackhawk contemplated that very question.
“I think that’s what we need to figure out.”
All three left the building together to get to their cars. It was late and the night was considerably cooler. Already it was past ten and into the pitch blackness of evening. All that illuminated them was the starry sky above. Elizabeth couldn’t help but look up at the twinkling heavens, and then smile at the agent beside her.
“This is one of the reasons I left the north,” she pointed to the sky. “We actually have stars. You don’t really miss them, until you come back and find them again.”
Blackhawk understood what she meant; he grew up looking at the sky, finding the constellations with his grandfather. He understood the lure of nature, since it ran through his veins.
“Where’s the hotel?” interjected Lily Sanderson. She may have to work with the woman, but she didn’t have to like her. “I want a shower and a bed. I don’t care about the stars in this hick town.”
Blackhawk bristled and gave her a look. They were going to have to discuss it on the way to their hotel. Elizabeth LaRue had been more than accommodating, and all the hostility was now one sided. It was going to get them distracted, and distractions were dangerous. “We’re booked at ‘The Wayfarer’.”
Elizabeth started laughing, her arms crossed over her chest.
There must have been something he missed, so he asked, “What’s so funny, Lyzee?”
“Ethan, have you ever known the FBI to put agents up in quality places?” she teased, ignoring Lily and focusing only on the man before her. She wasn’t going to get into another pissing match with Lily; she had enough on her plate. “Now toss in your sadistic boss who is trying to punish you…”
“Are you trying to warn me that it’s a roach coach?” he grinned, knowing she would understand the terminology and get it.
“Oh yeah, Ethan,” she drawled, laughing again. “Mr. Blackhawk, picture the worst case scenario, and then double it.”
He laughed and was finding her southern enunciation turned him right on. He’d noticed it when she was really angry or really entertained.
Lily let a torrent of profanity rip. She had enough of the FBI bullshit for one day. First, Gabe had read her the riot act, and now a shitty hotel too? This day was destined to just suck from start to finish.
Elizabeth found herself feeling sympathy for them, well for him anyway. ‘The Wayfarer’ would be a dreadful experience. “My home is large, Agents. It has four bedrooms, and you both are more than welcome to stay with me. It’s a decent ride from town, but it’s definitely not a roach coach and it’s private.”
Blackhawk was about to accept, his pulse picking up at just the thought, but his partner beat him to it.
“No! We stay where assigned. Bunking with the sheriff is not professional.”
The barb hit its target.
Elizabeth LaRue needed to get the picture. It wasn’t going to happen in this lifetime. Blackhawk may be a menace, but he was still her partner. Lily would have his back against this man eating Piranha.
“I gotcha Special Agent Sanderson,” acknowledged Elizabeth, ignoring her words and taking a folder from Blackhawk and pulling out a pen. She scribbled the address down for him. “If you change your mind, or wake up covered in roaches and need to escape, here’s my address,” she winked at him, making him break into laughter.
As she headed to her Jeep, one last thing popped into her head. “Oh, and Special Agent Sanderson?” Elizabeth glanced back over her shoulder, her eyes meeting Ethan Blackhawk’s. “Just one last thing, darlin’.”
“What?” she snapped, angrily.
Her words were for the woman, but her eyes stayed connected with the man, sharing her immense pleasure at what was coming. “Sleep tight and don’t let the bed bugs bite,” she drawled with her best hick town accent, and then her laughter flooded the night. She enjoyed every damn second of it, as she climbed into her Jeep. Saluting them both, and giving him another wink as she pulled away.
“I really hate this place,” Lily muttered, scowling after the woman.
Blackhawk grinned. He was finding it very accommodating.
~ Chapter Four ~
Friday Pre-Dawn
As the last stone was placed on the body, a feeling of intense joy filled him. The voice had told him to cleanse the town of this witch too, and he had to obey or suffer the consequences. There was no denying the voice, or it always ended badly.
Take the woman before him.
Here she lay, pressed beneath the stone when just hours ago, she was flirting and sitting in his lap. It was a shame. She had been such a pretty girl too, but again she was one of the wicked, a witch who needed to be purified. He had offered her salvation, asking her to confess her sins. But in the end, the weight of the rocks won, and her body had given out as her last breath was stolen.
Reliving the entire thing, it gave him chills. The power and the strength to do God’s will to smite the sinners from the world enthralled him. It was his calling, and he had a job to do.
He closed his eyes, as he stood over her, saying a prayer for her soul and delivering her back to God. He only hoped it pleased the voice and his almighty.
A witch could not be left to live among them, or they would all be forced to pay for their sins. These wicked women tried to lead men astray with their pathetic morals and someone had to stand against it.
As he prepared to leave, he noticed the trail of blood dripping from her nose, and he couldn’t help himself. He dipped his finger in, and smeared a symbol on one of the rocks
. He had a feeling that this would send the sheriff off the trail and down a whole other path. The glee filled him again, as he walked off into the night, and waited for the sheriff and the FBI to find the next victim in God’s wrath.
* * *
Ethan Blackhawk tossed and turned in the very uncomfortable bed. It wasn’t dreams plaguing him this night, but now the hours he spent wide awake. Sheriff Elizabeth LaRue was something else. When she pulled away after her parting remark to his partner, he couldn’t help but laugh. Earlier in the day, she took some brutal shots from Lily, but she bode her time, and got the final word and it hit its mark. It had riled up his partner and soured her mood even more.
Ethan was a firm believer in karma, and Lily had deserved it. He had the feeling that Elizabeth LaRue was a tiger, just waiting to strike when she was baited.
His partner was obviously clueless.
The ride to ‘The Wayfarer’ had been one filled with tension and anger from both of them. He just couldn’t understand what the big issue was, and how could it be worthy of ostracizing their only ally in the town. He’d said as much to Lily, and all she could say, was ‘she slept with Ray and ruined his marriage’. He understood that she was close to Ray’s wife, and that they had grown up together but that was a poor excuse. Granted, she had introduced them, and watched them get married, but he doubted Elizabeth LaRue had anything to do with the demise of their relationship.
Let’s face it, being married to anyone in law enforcement tended to end badly. It was why he steered clear of commitment. He tried to say as much, only to be met with stony silence, and a look of betrayal. She wanted her partner to have her back, and on this one thing, he couldn’t. She was in the wrong and he couldn’t ignore it.
Upon check in, he had gotten the call from Gabe, asking if everything was okay or completely out of control. He did what he could to assure his boss that he had it managed and then he did one step above that.
He lied like a rug.
What else could he do? His partner had made this one hell of a mess. Who starts shit with their boss’s friend, especially after they’d been warned?
It was surprising to see that this time he wasn’t the one responsible for stirring the pot.
When Gabe said the magic words of ‘send other agents and you both return’, he felt the cold panic overtaking him. Here he finally found her, the woman in his dreams, and he wasn’t walking away so easily. If he got called back, he would take vacation time and stay here, just to see this through. But how did you tell your boss you couldn’t leave because your dreams superseded his authority.
He spent a good hour talking Gabe into letting him stay in the consult position. Even suggesting he pull Lily out, but he needed to remain. He was willing to sell his soul to the ‘Dragon Slayer’ if need be.
When he finished with his call to Gabe, he showered and looked around his room. It was sparse, and the sheriff had been right. It was a definite roach coach. As he climbed into bed, and prayed for sleep, he was forced to think about her. The way she laughed, smiled, and her scent caused everything in him to go taut with desire.
He couldn’t leave now.
There was no way in heaven or hell.
His mind was made up. Because of the dreams, he was cemented to Salem for the time being.
Growing up, he’d always had unusual visions. His grandfather had called them gifts from the spirits. One way or another, they didn’t bother him until now. Until he saw Elizabeth in them and knew he had to find her. Without locating her, there was no doubt he would have been pushed into the madness. There was something about this woman, where they were, and the journey they were on together that mattered. He just needed some time to figure it all out.
Fate had intervened, whether he liked it or not. When he was near her, he was feeling so many things he hadn’t felt in so long. Being apart from her at the roach coach was making him incredibly restless.
In sheer frustration, Ethan climbed out of bed. He dressed and scribbled a note on a piece of hotel stationary. Blackhawk locked up, and slid the paper under his partner’s door. He would meet up with her at the sheriff’s station later. Right now, he had something he needed to look into that was important.
There was a little twinge of guilt because he was taking the rental, but she would find a way back to the station. Once inside, he programmed the address she had scribbled on the folder, and headed there. He had no clue how he planned on explaining why he was on her doorstep at the ass crack of dawn, but he figured he could blame it on work and go from there.
He only hoped she would buy it.
Elizabeth wasn’t kidding when she said it was outside of town. In fact, it was outside the outside of town. The long driveway was tree lined and the big house sat far enough back, that everyone inside would know when a car approached. He couldn’t help but be impressed with the large homestead. It was big and spacious, and it had a quaint front porch with planters full of flowers. Two Adirondack chairs sat, almost welcoming visitors, and Blackhawk wondered if there was someone she sat out there with as she gazed at the stars. Jealousy whipped through him violently at the mere implication. Ethan forced himself to take in more of the surroundings, and not focus on the woman inside the house.
The landscaping was meticulous, and he appreciated that. It appeared the sheriff took pride in her home. Suddenly, he was reminded of what he didn’t have growing up as a kid. There was that small brush of anger that pushed past his carefully built wall, reminding him of his past and making its presence known. Blackhawk willed it away, knowing he was above it now, and the past didn’t matter. He’d hidden it well enough that no one would ever know the truth.
The present made the man and nothing more.
He parked in the spot next to her Jeep, and walked to the bright red front door, knocking loudly. No one was answering, and he didn’t plan on entering uninvited.
They both had guns and that was a recipe for a disaster.
Instead, he sat on the porch in one of the Adirondack chairs, and just waited until she woke up and came down. Maybe then Elizabeth would have mercy on him, giving him some coffee, and keeping him company so he didn’t feel so alone.
* * *
Elizabeth’s shoulder tightened in pain and she pushed through it. The day before had been one gigantic disaster. She needed this run to clear her mind and to beat out the anger that was brewing beneath the surface. She had a great dislike for murder and stealing someone life. It just insulted everything inside her. Elizabeth had always wanted to balance the scales of justice. That’s why she became an agent. It was why she rushed head first into the FBI.
She wanted to make a difference and hoped that she did.
Now here she was in her own town, and someone was making a mockery of the justice she loved and believed in. It pissed her off.
As she rounded the back road from her house, Elizabeth knew all that was left was the incline and the driveway. Then she could have copious amounts of coffee, a hot shower, and maybe she could face the two agents without making herself look bad.
Her mind kept going back to Agent Blackhawk. Yeah, he was sexy and big. It was rare she had to look up at a man, and yet with him she did. Granted, she wanted to climb up him the minute she met him, but there was so much more about him. It was the eyes. Those blue black orbs that seemed to look right through her, like she had no secrets. He was exotic looking, the skin, the hair, and that smile.
Oh, wow, did he have one hell of a smile.
She could stare at him all day, and she only hoped she didn’t drool while she did it. On her way home, the entire inside of her jeep smelled like his cologne, and she had to admit, it made her all hot and bothered the rest of the night.
It was now the home stretch, and immediately she recognized the big Denali in her driveway. Well, hell, it was either Blackhawk or his partner. Something inside her prayed it was going to be only him. Then that prayer turned to fear as she remembered she just ran six miles and was a mess. It figures
that a sexy man would show up at her house, and she’d be a holy wreck. The laughter started and continued all the way to the porch.
When she saw it was just him, she laughed even more.
“Something funny?” he inquired, his eyebrow going up. “I know when I run, seldom am I laughing during it,” he teased her.
“It’s a girl thing, Agent Blackhawk,” Elizabeth replied, falling into the chair that sat beside him. There was no way she was going to tell him the entire run she was thinking about him and there he was, waiting on her porch. She braced her running shoes on the railing, and looked over at him, trying to catch her breath. Soon she forgot everything else and only noticed him. He was wearing a black button down shirt, and black dress pants- and damn it he wore them well. The scent of his cologne again lured her in, and she needed to regain in the control fast. “You were in the neighborhood, and just thought you would stop in Mr. Blackhawk?”
Ethan was feeling this wave of unease, like he didn’t belong there all of the sudden. What if she was seeing someone and right now he was naked in her bed? That just made his blood heat and not for good reasons.
Angrily, he pushed it out of his mind.
Ethan refocused his attention at Elizabeth, and the wave of desire he had experienced when he saw her running up the hill in the miniscule running shorts and FBI training shirt. He almost wanted to volunteer to run with her, well behind her anyway. It would be a spectacular view. “Well I could lie about why I’m sitting on your porch before six in the morning, but let’s just go with the truth and see where that gets me first.”
The Killing Times (An FBI Romance Thriller (book 1)) Page 8
