Chapter Nineteen #4
“Come on, Toady. Let’s meet up with our team,” she said, as she saw a big, blacked-out Navigator parking not far away in the parking lot.
It looked as if her husband was there.
That was some perfect timing.
As they walked, Ivan was curious.
“You’re cutting them free from work when you’re down two agents?”
She sighed.
“Sometimes, Ivan, it’s best to do the work yourself. I can handle this. If this person is insane, the last thing I need to be worried about is all the ducks wandering around. I’m good.”
If she said so.
Heading toward the vehicle, she wanted to check on her husband.
When he got out of the vehicle, he saw her, and walked across the parking lot toward her. He was in a black pair of dress pants, his hair was down, and his black dress shirt was open at the neck.
And he looked sexy as sin, with a side of lethal to the ladies.
Her being the lady in question. Someone always did give her a perpetual pair of wet panties.
“Mr. Blackhawk,” she said. “I missed seeing this face.”
Oh, he did too.
Grabbing his wife, he kissed her.
As he dipped her, it made her laugh. This was the Ethan that always tickled her pink, and the one that reminded her of their years of love.
When he righted her to her feet, she was curious.
“Uh, to what do I owe that? Because I’m doing more of it,” she joked.
He lifted her chin, so they were staring into each other’s eyes, and he was honest.
“It was because my gorgeous, impetuous wife took the time to have Granddad’s Shaman clothes tailored so I could wear them this morning. I thought I gained weight. They fit perfectly.”
Yeah, that had been her.
Sue her.
She got all giggly when he was in the role of Shaman. That was one Native drum she wanted to bang.
At his words, she grinned because she was picturing it.
“I bet you looked hot. Did he look hot, Raph?” she asked, still grinning.
Security played along because they were a bunch of jokesters.
“His ass was perfect in them. I took a picture. I’ll share it with you, but don’t tell Saint.”
That made Ethan laugh.
“Oh, harass me more, Elizabeth. I love it,” Ethan said, slapping his wife on the ass. “It was a weird, wonderful day. Dad almost got into a fistfight, but I’m here and ready to work. So what are we up to now?”
Huh?
She put her hand on his chest to stop that.
“Back it up, hot man. What was that about your father almost getting into a fistfight?”
Yeah, no shock she picked up on that.
So, Ethan told her.
“We went to the council, and they denied me the role of Shaman.”
She stood there and said nothing for about three seconds. Then, predictably, she did the most Elizabeth thing, and that amused him.
With a sigh, Elizabeth unclipped her gun, handed it to Ethan, and pointed at Raphael.
“Let’s go. I’m going to go hurt some Natives and then, I need help hiding the bodies. Ivan, you’re in charge. You’re my alibi. Pretend you’re me and work this case. Try to look less ugly.”
Ethan laughed.
As did security.
“Before you go off half-cocked…”
She stopped him.
“It’s too late. I’m all-the-way cocked. If those overly tan men think that they can diminish how perfect my husband is to be Shaman, they have another thing coming! Deny him my ass!”
He put his fingertips over her lips to stop her so he could finish.
“They needed a sign, and let’s just say Timothy delivered.”
She lifted a brow.
“How?” she asked from behind his fingertips.
Raphael did have a photo of that.
Pulling out his phone, he handed it to Elizabeth, and she checked it out. In it, there was a giant ass bird perched on Ethan’s shoulder.
Oh, it was a very familiar bird too. It was the one who stalked her all over the damn place. Usually, it saved her ass and kept her from getting hurt.
That it showed up meant one thing.
TIMOTHY.
Raphael shared.
“The minute they saw him communing with that massive bird, it changed their minds. They are calling him the Raven Talker. Apparently, he’s got a direct line to the other side, and that was the sign they needed. Hey, isn’t that your name, and your big bird?” he joked.
Ivan sighed.
“Don’t get her riled up. That’s my job. That damn bird freaks me out.”
Elizabeth grinned.
“So the flock of crazy was what ended up giving you the sign they needed? What do you know? Timothy and his antics finally paid off. It’s about time he timed it right.”
He kissed her knuckles.
“I’m the man I am now because of my wife. You’re the only raven I want to talk to.”
She wrapped her arms around his waist.
“Well, you, me, later…”
He winked at her.
“Deal. Should we start working? A little birdy, joke intended, told me that your warrants are about to be signed. I called the judge, and he’s reviewing, but likely signing off. Apparently, he’s afraid you’ll visit him. I don’t get that because I love when you visit me.”
She snorted.
“I’m naked when I visit you. You make one judge cry over a warrant, and they never let you forget it,” she joked, as they headed toward the morgue building and their family.
Apparently.
And that worked for her.
“Want to update me?” he asked.
So, she did.
“We created my list of suspects.”
Ethan was aware. He saw it on her shared drive. He’d been working on a profile on his way there to make sure she had something to use.
“I saw that you eliminated Devon Slater, and Bill Farmington, according to the cops’ research.”
Yeah, about that.
She told him about what just went down, and how she handled it when it came to the two detectives who just quit their jobs.
“That’s fair,” he admitted. “They did lie, and as their boss, you have a no lie policy on your team.”
That was basically it.
If you couldn’t trust your team, who could you trust? But you also couldn’t bust balls so hard you spited yourself. They were both good cops.
Running the division was like being a mother. Sometimes, you had to overlook the lies and see why a ‘kid’ did it. In this case, she understood.
“Well, call me Saint Elizabeth of the cuckoo.”
Because she wanted him caught up to date, she shared what else they figured out.
“We’re still digging on Larry. Callen’s handling it right now. We found that his last employer, or his only other client, was Devon’s father. The man doesn’t take on others, so he’s likely being paid well.”
Oh, likely.
“Devon’s wealthy, and he inherited his wealth, so probably. You know how Chris continues to use the same attorneys his mother and father used. They are old as shit, some of them, but they are effective.”
Yeah, she was aware.
She continued, going down her mental list of things to update her husband on.
“Jeffrey’s mother is being researched, along with all our suspects all the way back to their youth. Like you told us, many times, serial killers aren’t born. They are made. We’re looking to see if any have sketchy shit in their past.”
Yeah, he preached that a lot.
So far, it sounded like they were in a good place for day two, but his gut said that this could come undone.
That was always the potential.
“Callen’s on that too because the shit hit the fan with Corbin and Alex.”
Ethan lifted a brow.
“What happened?”
She told him.
Oh, and that didn’t sound good.
“So, Trey made a visit. Good to see you didn’t feel the need to go to church.”
She laughed.
“Oh, well, I was close. I think we settled that down, but now, it’s up to Corbin to figure this out. His dead husband gave him permission to live, and we’ll see if he is stubborn or listens.”
Ethan had faith in Corbin.
“He’s stubborn, but when he figures something out, he’s pretty good at fixing what he broke. I trust him. Alex is the wildcard here.”
Oh, well, tell her something she didn’t know.
He.
Always.
Was.
Elizabeth continued with the case.
“Then, we found out all of the victims, and we’re calling it that because there’s no doubt they were taken out sketchily by this nut, all went to the same funeral home to be embalmed. We have names, and I’m ready to roll after I check in with Chris.”
He lifted a brow.
“Really?”
She nodded.
“So that’s one of my first interviews, right after the guy who works for Bill Farmington. He employs a guy who killed his best friend over…wait for it…a woman. So, that put him on my radar.”
Ethan considered it.
“Was he in jail?”
She nodded.
“Yeah, he just got out not too long ago.”
Ethan hated to be the bearer of bad news, but that wasn’t going to fit. It wouldn’t work.
“Then, how was he doing this the last three years?” he asked, playing devil’s advocate. “Or earlier? Serial killers don’t take that long of a break.”
She knew what he was saying.
“You’re right, and I know what you’re thinking.”
He waited.
“It won’t be him, and it’s to waste my time, right?” she asked.
He nodded.
Damn it.
Elizabeth sighed.
“Okay, you told me there would be red herrings, and I’m assuming this person handpicked EVERY SINGLE PERSON I’m running into and set this up.”
Yeah, unfortunately.
“He’s incredibly smart, and likely enjoying this.”
Then, Elizabeth knew what that meant.
“I’m walking on a gameboard, and trying to avoid the pitfalls. From Devon Slater’s building to the fact that the ME’s father sold organs on the black market, everyone involved was put into play by this person, apparently.”
He stopped walking.
“Wait. Pardon? We have someone selling organs?”
She laughed.
Apparently, he hadn’t gone through all the information on the drive. Then again, it wasn’t a long drive from the rez.
Oh, well, she was going to enjoy sharing this one with her profiler. For the life of her, she couldn’t figure out why this person put that particular player into the game.
Or if it was a genuine coincidence.
Who?
Freaking?
Knew?
“Oh, Alexi’s father was also a doctor, and guess what he did to end up in prison?”
Well, he didn’t have to guess.
She just told him.
“Uh, organs?”
She nodded.
“To the tune of about half a billion dollars. Apparently, he was doing the surgery to remove them, and they sold them to willing buyers who were desperate to save a loved one. To avoid us finding out, and anyone else he came across, Alexi, took his mother’s name to hide.
Now we have to figure out why we have a dead ex-soldier who turned up with no kidney.
Was it to lead me down that trail, or was it just a case of the dude was in the wrong place at the wrong time? ”
Ethan blinked.
“Wow. This person is thorough and really set this up to be a nightmare. You should hire them to work for you.”
She snorted.
“Yeah, well, I already hired Tora and Mac,” she offered. “They are good investigators.”
On that, he agreed.
As they kept walking, she kept talking.
“Last night as I was laying there beside Gene, and I do love a bear cuddle,” she joked, “it hit me. He’s going to give me all false clues in hopes that I’m dumb enough to fall for it.
Nothing is going to fit, and nothing does.
The building and rich guy who owns it, the missing organ, the dead vagrant…
I am willing to bet my gun that this person hid this so well to protect himself from ever being caught.
This feels like I’m peeling back layers and they’re all rotten. Nothing will fit.”
He didn’t like this.
Oh, and there was one reason.
“We have to catch him. If this person has had years to do and perfect this, that’s going to make them far more dangerous. He’s methodical, and highly intelligent enough to lay traps.”
She was aware.
“I just need to work my way through the breadcrumbs that he’s leaving me.
I am betting the big clue is the cemetery and the bodies.
He didn’t think I’d figure that out, and we caught him off guard last night by going back.
I just have to cross it all off my list and weed through it to find the real details he’s tucked away. ”
He didn’t disagree.
In fact, he trusted her gut.
“He picked the victims, and it won’t be the brothers who run the mortuary either.
I’m willing to bet it won’t be the security guy who called it in either.
I’d bet my fancy belt buckle that he watched that building, and knew security did a drive around at night, and it became one more way to fuck with the investigators.
A normal cop would get bogged down, and drop the ball, much like they did with the original three grave robberies, but I’m not the normal cop.
I play games for a living, and Chess is one of my favorites.
He’s wasting my time to ensure he has time to escape. ”
That sounded about right.
“How much danger is she in?” Ivan asked, interrupting. “You know, since she tends to be the focus a lot with cases, and I need to know how to play chess too by moving security around.”
Ethan considered it.
Then, he shared.
“It won’t be her in danger. He’s going to be fascinated with women.
He’s going to covet them, and she’s the prize.
He wants a one-on-one game with the best, because he considers himself the best. Right now, he’ll be impressed that she found Steph’s body before he could bury it again.
He won’t come for her. He’s going to watch her, and then slowly take out other pieces in the game. ”
Raphael didn’t like that.
“Like whom?”
Ethan was to the point.
“Techs, doctors, husbands…then, he’ll come for her.”
That hung there.
Neither Ivan nor Raphael liked that—at all.
“How will you catch him then?” Ivan asked her, worried for the woman he protected, and loved like a sister.
She just laughed.
“Yeah, I have no idea yet. We’re so fucked, I’m going to be walking funny for a month. I’m winging this shit, Ivan, and if the past has taught me one thing, when I wing it, I tend to drop the ball.”
Well, Christ.
That terrified all of them.
And honestly, it should.