CHAPTER EIGHT
“The toxin on the door was an artificial form of Sumac,” said the lab tech.
“Sumac? Like the plant?” frowned Sor.
“Exactly like the plant. It appears that Sgt. Weathers was deathly allergic to Sumac and Hemlock. Either would have killed him almost instantly without an epi-pen and someone to get him to the emergency room quickly.”
“Was there an epi-pen found on him?” asked Fitch.
“No. He had one in his bag in the truck, but he didn’t stand a chance of reaching it. The doorknob was coated in a liquified form of it. Someone knew that he was allergic to it and really amped up the toxin.”
“What about Jill? Was she allergic to it?” asked Fitch, staring at Sor.
“That’s a great question.”
“No. She has no known allergies, ” said Hiro through comms. Sor and Fitch nodded, and the lab tech stared at them with a peculiar expression.
“No worries, man, we were just talking to ourselves. I think what doesn’t make sense here is that Sgt. Weathers wasn’t living at that address. He occasionally stayed there with his now ex-fiancé, but he didn’t live there permanently and had recently moved out and moved on. How on earth would someone know that he was coming back to that address?”
“That’s a question for you guys,” said the tech. “I only look at the evidence.”
“Anything else you can tell us that might be helpful?” asked Sor.
“Well, he was in quite a fight recently.” He tossed some photos on the table, and Fitch laid them out. “Two broken ribs, dislocated elbow, contusions all over his abdomen. Someone did a real number on him. There are some small knife cuts on his left shoulder blade that look as though they could have been made while he was trying to get away. I asked his commander about it, and he said they’d taken a beating on their last deployment.”
“You don’t sound as though you believe that,” said Fitch.
“I’m not an idiot. The dude’s last deployment returned before Christmas. Those marks were recent, like within a few days of his death. Since they didn’t cause his death, I didn’t argue with anyone about it. Just showing you guys because you’re obviously a little brighter than everyone else, and you seem to give a fuck.”
“We don’t give a fuck,” said Sor. “Not about him. We care about his ex who seems to have suspicion shining on her.”
The tech nodded at them, turning to grab something from beneath his keyboard. He pulled out a plain manila folder sliding it across the table.
“Old-school paper,” smirked Fitch. “Cool.”
“You won’t think so when you read it. I did the autopsy on Weathers’ wife’s late husband.”
“I don’t think I’m going to like this, am I?” said Sor.
“Nope. Same injuries, same locations, when I got his body. They said he was killed by friendly fire on his op, but I didn’t buy it. Submitted a recommendation for further inquiry into his death.”
“What happened with the inquiry?” asked Sor.
“I was told to mind my own fucking business.”
“That’s her house. Or it was,” said Jill. “I’ve only been here once, but that’s where she lived with Adam, so I assume she kept the house.”
“That’s a damn fine house for a guy on a Ranger salary,” frowned CJ.
“Like I told you, she always wanted more, demanded more. I know she didn’t come from money. She told another wife once that her family was dirt poor, and she wasn’t going to live that way.”
“Let’s see if she’s home,” said Dan.
The three stepped out of the car and walked up to the door. Snow covered the grass, but the home looked to be well-maintained. Dan knocked several times. Finally, someone cracked the door.
“May I help you?” asked the man. He was dressed in tight-fitting gym clothes, his hands covered in oil.
“We’re looking for Alana Weathers,” said Dan.
“Let them in!” came the voice from behind the door.
The man opened the door, and they were greeted by Alana Weathers lying face down on a massage table. Her back was bare, slick with massage oil. A tiny towel covered her ass cheeks, but everything else was out and oily.
“Mrs. Weathers, could you please get dressed? We’d like to speak with you,” said Dan. She turned, leaning on one arm, smiling at him. When she saw Jill, her smile vanished. She stood quickly, grabbing the sheet to her breasts and wrapping it around her body.
“Hello, Alana.”
“Jill. I-I didn’t know, I mean, I didn’t expect to see you,” she stammered.
“No, I suppose you didn’t. Don’t worry, Alana. I’m grateful that you showed me the real Tim. I see you’re grieving as expected.”
“You can’t imagine the stress I’ve been under,” she said, looking at the masseur. “I need help getting the knots out of my neck.”
“And your bare ass?” frowned CJ. Alana smiled up at CJ, licking her lips at Dan.
“I smell Special Forces,” she grinned. “It’s a gift of mine.”
“I’m sorry to hear of your loss,” said Jill carefully.
“Don’t be. It wasn’t going to work with Tim and me. He wasn’t a visionary at all. He was too short-sighted and didn’t understand what has to be done to get ahead in this world.” Jill nodded, taking a step forward.
“I meant the loss of your unborn child.”
The woman stared at her, then took one step backward toward the hallway. She looked at the two men, then her masseur.
“Let me get dressed. I’ll be right back.”
There was an awkward silence as she shuffled down the hallway. The man never moved, just staring at the three giant people.
“We have a few minutes if you need a little relaxation,” he smiled, winking at Jill.
“You touch her, and it will be the last time you touch anything,” growled CJ. Dan just chuckled, shaking his head.
“Sorry. Just offering since I’m here.”
“How often are you here?” asked Jill.
“Three times a week. She likes to relax,” he smiled.
“I bet she does,” whispered Dan.
“Alright, I’m dressed now,” said Alana, walking out into the living room.
“That’s debatable,” said Jill. She was wearing a skin-tight t-shirt with no bra, emphasizing her recently purchased breasts. The tiny black shorts showed her ass cheeks in spite of the biting cold outside.
“Not exactly weather-appropriate clothing,” frowned Dan.
“Listen, are you here to criticize my clothing or ask me questions? I’ve got things to do, and now I’m going to have to pay Marco extra to stay and finish what he started,” she smirked.
“You really have no sense of self-preservation, do you?” said Jill.
“It’s over-rated. I do what I need to do to keep myself happy, healthy, and comfortable. Adam knew that, and Tim knew that. I made no bones about it.”
“And the fake pregnancy?” asked CJ.
“It wasn’t fake. I was pregnant and then I wasn’t. It wasn’t the right time.” Dan and CJ stared at the woman, then at Jill. She was calm and cool, her face expressionless.
“Screwing around with your husband’s teammate was pretty risky,” said CJ. “Men have been known to kill each other for that offense.” She shrugged, smiling at the threesome.
“It doesn’t even bother you, does it?” said Jill.
“Listen, Adam and I were never going to make it. I needed him to take more ops in danger zones. They pay more,” she said, looking at Dan and CJ as if they didn’t know that. “I want to be the wife of a Special Forces guy, but preferably a commander, general, admiral, something along those lines with more visibility and more money.”
“This isn’t a Shop-N-Stop for military husbands, Alana,” said Jill. “You married two Rangers, both dead, and all fingers are pointing at you right now.” She scoffed, laughing at Jill.
“Puh-lease! Adam died because he was stupid while on a mission. Ask anyone and they’ll tell you. Tim died at your doorstep. Strange, isn’t it?” She smirked at the other woman, pulling her legs up against her chest, her vagina visible to everyone in the room. CJ grabbed a blanket from the back of a chair and tossed it to her.
“Cover up. I don’t want anyone’s leftovers.”
For the first time, Alana blushed. She actually looked embarrassed as she draped the blanket over her legs.
“Look, I don’t know what you want from me. I wasn’t anywhere near either one of them when they died.”
“Did you even love them?” asked Jill. “Adam was a good man. He was a good Ranger with a great reputation.”
“Adam was a fool,” she said flatly. “The only thing he provided for me was a life insurance policy that will make my life more bearable.”
Jill stepped forward and slapped Alana so hard she flattened against the sofa. She had tears in her eyes but refused to shed them, staring at the woman in shock.
“You are a cold-hearted, ruthless bitch. Adam deserved better, and even though I had no love for Tim, so did he. You had something to do with all of this, and I’m going to prove it. When I do, I will come for you personally.” Jill turned on her heels, leaving the house. CJ smiled, nodding at his woman.
“You saw that. She assaulted me.”
“I didn’t see a damn thing,” said Dan. “Neither did Marco, old boy there. Right? Marco?”
“Uh, well, I…”
“Oh, fuck off!” said Alana. “Get out of my house!” CJ looked at the woman and nodded.
“Gladly. The stench of whore is a little much for me.”