Chapter Thirteen #4
She was aware.
They assumed, and it bit them in the ass. Knowing he was hiring people to do the dirty work…that made the picture much clearer for her.
Bless Gene for figuring out that one-hundred-dollar bill clue, because now, she was onto him.
“He set it all up. That’s why nothing we do is catching onto his plan. He found an ME who would break the rules, and on top of that, he’s worked hand-in-hand with the FBI.”
Well, shit.
This made it easier, but harder at the same time, and they all knew it.
“I don’t like this,” Chris stated.
She didn’t either.
“How much money do you think a city ME makes?” she asked.
He considered it.
“I know how much we pay our MEs, and it’s likely comparable. Doctors in public practices make more.”
She agreed.
“So, he found a twisted, broken ME who didn’t mind killing, and he let him apprentice under him. The master died, so the apprentice became the master and went out to continue the game. If he dies, there is someone to pick up and continue. He doesn’t have kids, so he created his next helper.”
Jesus.
H.
Christ.
This dude was playing a game years ahead in his mind, prepping for the worst-case scenario. If they didn’t catch all the cuckoos, there would be someone left to pick it up when this asshole was gone.
“That’s insane,” Gene said, “but crazy people do crazy things. We’ve all learned that over the years.”
That they did.
Elizabeth wasn’t done.
“Also, because he’s got people helping him, he’s prepared himself for getting caught—if that were to happen.
When this goes to court, he’s going to have set this up so that it looks like I’m full of shit, and a jury will agree that I’m wrong.
He’s going to prove he wasn’t the one doing it to destroy my reputation.
That’s his other goal. Kill me or destroy what I’ve built for a very long time.
If he goes to court and walks, my career is going to be a laughingstock of all of the country. The mighty Elizabeth will fall.”
Well, shit.
Someone was really trying to end this game his way.
Oh, and Elizabeth wasn’t done.
“We’ve figured this out. We just found his secret, and all because of that tiny little one-hundred-dollar bill clue.”
She kissed Gene on the mouth.
“You, my friend, just saved my ass.”
Well, why wouldn’t he?
“We’re married. You’re my boo, Boo.”
Yes, yes, she was.
Once more, the men she loved had helped her work through this so that she might have a fighting chance on winning this.”
Fuck Devon Slater.
His father wasn’t nearly as smart as her team. He’d miscalculated there.
Everything they’d just figured out now made sense.
How else could he be collecting these people, and setting up the scene as quickly as he was. Oh, Elizabeth was onto him, and his little game.
Now, she’d have to prove it.
“And the bones?” Chris asked.
She took a guess.
“That will be him. He’s a coffin raider. He’s The Grave Robber. They are likely from his stash. I’d bet he dug them up a while ago in anticipation of this mess and has been holding onto them. If we can find the identity, we might know why. I need that.”
Chris knew they’d do just that.
“Tony is working on it, but now, Elizabeth, you found a big piece of this. He likely didn’t expect you to put it together this quickly.”
She pointed at Gene.
“He put it together. That small clue opened it all up. Gene is the MVP here.”
He shrugged that off.
“There is no ‘I’ in team,” he stated. “I’m personally offended that he’s fucking with my family. That makes me mean.”
Yeah, her too.
“What now?” Chris asked. “While I’ve worked with you a long time, this isn’t my rodeo, so to speak. What do we do now?”
She shared.
“We have to track the people helping him, and go from there. It’s not only about him, but now them too. If they helped him, they will go to jail for this. If they took money to kill people, or to interfere with a federal investigation, I’ll lock them up and throw away that key.”
Ethan was to the point.
“He’ll tie up loose ends. He killed his secretary and his lawyer to keep them from helping us find him.
He won’t let them spill his secrets. Somewhere, he’ll have proof that the ME killed the people, not him.
I’ll bet that he hasn’t had time to fully see if the minister and his wife could be lured into doing more. ”
Callen went there.
“That or he hadn’t conned them enough to do the killing, and instead, he could get them to help set up a scene. While everyone has a price, people also have limits. They might be greedy, but not willing to murder for it. He is, after all, a minister. All those commandments and such.”
That made sense.
“We need to find out. If we can get to them, someone’s tech or phone might have a way to track him. Gabby needs something,” Gene admitted.
She agreed.
Pulling out her phone, she put a call in to the sheriff. Oh, he was going to think she was insane, but Elizabeth could feel it in her gut that they were on the right path.
“Sheriff Deen,” he said, answering the call.
Elizabeth crossed her fingers.
“Sheriff, it’s Director Blackhawk. How are you tonight, Sir?” she asked.
The man laughed.
“Well, I mean, you left me a mess here. Thankfully, your FBI came and handled it with our ME taking point for me. What can I do for you?”
Oh, she bet he wanted to take point on this little job so he could stay in control for his boss.
This was risky, but here went everything.
“Can you do me a huge favor?” she asked, praying the sheriff wasn’t also on Devon’s payroll. “Can you do a well check on someone?”
He paused.
“I mean, sure. Who?” he asked.
Elizabeth went there.
“Your town ME. Can you see where Doctor Franklin Monroe is? We had an anonymous call that he might be in danger,” she said, lying so the sheriff didn’t tell him anything if he was alive.
“I just want to cover our bases. A tip was called into the FBI office out there, and I’m not available to follow up. ”
He was curious.
“Oh, no. Really?” he asked.
Elizabeth had to lie.
“That and I’m concerned that anyone who was on that scene might be a target.”
That seemed to work.
“I can do that,” he said.
She played it up.
“And you too, Sheriff. Are you safe? Has anyone come on your radar that was off?”
He considered it.
“No, I’m good, Director.”
Well, let’s hope this played to her favor. Elizabeth rattled off her phone number.
“Call me when you talk to him,” she said, pretty sure he wouldn’t be.
Call it a hunch.
“Maybe don’t tell him about this,” she offered. “That might scare him even more, and if this is a prank, we don’t need to stress him out, needlessly.”
The man agreed.
“That’s probably for the best,” he stated. “You know how these crazies are making bogus calls. For the record, I just saw him earlier today,” he admitted. “He went home around three and seemed just fine.”
Uh-huh.
“Like I said, it’s probably bogus, but I like to make sure that anyone who works for the public is safe too,” she stated.
As for when he saw him last, that was hours ago. It was almost nine at night her time. With the slight time difference, and the hours that had passed, it would be plenty of time to clean up the mess—especially if he hired someone to handle it.
It also told her that Devon wouldn’t be doing it himself.
They knew he was here, since he delivered flowers. They had him on camera, and now, she knew why he did it. He was leaving that trail so she couldn’t hang him with those murders.
Clever.
Only, she played this game a lot. While he might think there was no paper trail, there always was when money exchanged hands.
Unless it was cash.
“I hope it’s a prank,” she stated. “Either way, I’ll be investigating,” she stated. “Call me back.”
Hanging up, she knew who was next. This was about killing two birds with two different cops.
One she wasn’t sure she could trust, and one she knew she absolutely could.
As she dialed, they already knew who she was reaching out to, and they were excited to be on the upswing with his case. They picture was finally clear.
“What’s up, Elizabeth?” Dex Corbin asked. “Are you safe?” he inquired.
She went there.
“Yes, I’m good, but first, are you and Max safe?” she asked.
He laughed.
“Uh, yeah. We’re in my office. We opted to take your concerns seriously. We’re sleeping in here with a room full of detectives outside the door. Why?”
Well, speaking of detectives.
“I need a favor. Is Quinn around?”
He peeked out his blinds.
“Yeah, he’s at his desk. Why?” he asked.
She dropped the bomb and told him everything they just figured out. It took a few minutes, but she knew she could trust Dexter Corbin.
The sheriff, no.
Him.
Yes.
When he whistled, she knew he was just as surprised as they’d been to put this together. All that was really left unanswered now, in the way of solving things was the bones.
“Can you and Quinn head to the minister’s house to do a well-check for me?” she asked.
He could do that.
“Sure, but do you think they’re dead? If they were helping him, by doing his dirty work, and he’s near you, who is killing them?” he asked.
That she didn’t know.
YET.
But she was going to bet that he’d bought more help in the way of a hit.
Like a mercenary type hit.
“I’m working on that part, but I’m willing to bet big money that I’m right.”
He believed her.
“What do you want me to do when I get there? Detain them?” he asked.
Yes, but she knew they wouldn’t be.
It was clean up in aisle helper, and she’d bet her speedy jet on that, or even her badge.
“Yes, if they’re alive, but they won’t be. They’ll be dead. He won’t want them to be able to point a finger at him. The second I walked that crime scene, he would have sent someone out to end them right afterward.”
Because he knew Elizabeth didn’t tend to be wrong, Dex began pulling on his gun and badge.
Only, Elizabeth wasn’t done.