Her brain was working overtime, and her heart was still patching up the damage done.
At that point, she needed help.
Doctor Tony Magnus would be that assistance.
As she waited for him to answer, Callen was busily doing research on the pub, and a few of the patrons. He kept looking at her, making faces.
It always amazed her that he just knew when she was having an internal struggle.
How? She never knew.
Even her other husband was able to figure it out. She was blessed to have them.
Speaking of which…
Ethan was on the phone with the commissioner, breaking the bad news. Their killer was at it again. It didn’t sound like a good conversation, and she was glad it didn’t involve her.
Ah, the burden of being the boss man.
When Tony answered his phone, he sounded a little overwhelmed.
It looked like it was time for her to help him out, too, and then get him to return the favor.
“Yes?” he asked.
“Hey, Tony, it’s me.”
“OH! GOD! I needed you to call me.”
“Uh, okay. What’s wrong? You sound frazzled. How’s Jaxon?” She should know that particular frustration, currently, she was frazzled.
“I don’t know what to do,” he said nervously.
“What? Is she okay?” Elizabeth asked, getting both men to glance over at her in concern.
“We had a doctor appointment, and the doctor said Jaxon has preeclampsia.”
She shook her head so Ethan and Callen would know it wasn’t anything serious.
It was a new father-to-be having another freak out. They’d all been there. Her men wanted to control freak the pregnancy, and they’d lost it a few times too.
And that wasn’t the norm for Mr. Cool. Ethan didn’t do emotional breakdowns—unless she was having a child.
“What do I do?”
“DON’T GOOGLE IT!”
There was silence.
“Oh, Tony. You already did, didn’t you?” she asked, knowing that nothing he found online was going to be good. The internet was a hot spot of terror for expectant parents.
Your finger hurts?
You have pancreatic cancer.
You have a swollen toe?
You have a brain tumor.
Using the internet to answer medical questions was a huge risk. It didn’t often end well.
Here was the proof.
“Yes, and it scared me shitless. I was going to call Chris…okay, he was my first choice since he went to med school, but you have ovaries.”
He paused.
“Okay, I did call Chris, and it went to voicemail. That means he’s in a body.”
“He is.”
“So then I was going to call you, and you called. It’s a sign. How the hell did you do this four times?”
“I just did it. When you have kids, sometimes you get preeclampsia.”
“Is she going to be okay?” he asked.
“Yes, she’s going to be perfectly fine. Don’t stress it. She’ll see her doctor more. That’s all.”
“Are you sure?”
“I had it with Charlie. She’s fine. I lived, and I worked, too, while I had it.”
“You’re my hero. I don’t know how you did it. I want to put Jaxon in bubble wrap.”
That made her laugh.
“She’s going to kill you if you drive her insane. Think about HER Marine.”
She couldn’t say Jagger’s name, since the world thought he was dead, but Tony would get it.
“Yeah, you’re probably right.”
“I am.”
“What did you want?” Tony asked. “I know you’re on a case, so that has to mean you’re too busy for a social call. Chris told me a little about the case. I’m jealous.”
She laughed. “What you are is insane. This wackadoo is cutting up women and trying to string them together with piano wire. He’s certifiable.”
“I have the worst luck. I could be there.”
“Well, you can help me.”
“HOW?”
She wanted to laugh. The man sounded like he wanted to jump through the phone. He was a total job junkie.
“If I wanted to etch something into bone, how would I do it?”
“That’s really hard to do. Why?”
“This cuckoo thinks he’s an artist, and he’s signing his work.”
“You guys have all the luck.”
“Yeah, if him peeling flesh back to reveal bone so he can stamp it is luck, I think I’d rather have none.”
“That takes patience.”
“We know. Can it be done?”
“If the tool he is etching with is sharp enough, like say a Dremel, and he uses a vice, it could be stamped. It likely won’t be a femur bone. That’s a tough bone. Where was it?”
“The clavicle.”
“They are softer. It only takes two hundred and fifty pounds to break it. The bone is thinner, but it’s also softer.”
“Well, our cuckoo knows that. He’s leaving a tiny signature there. I’ve never seen it before.”
“I’ve seen bone etching before. It’s possible.”
“If I send it to you, are you going to be in the office in the next day or so?”
I’m thinking of coming up there. Chris could use my help. He doesn’t talk to the beetles first. They like to be romanced before a big meal.”
It took her a second to figure out if the man needed a therapist, or if he was being normal Tony.
“How are we friends?”
He laughed.
“Luck?” he asked.
Yeah, or fate had blessed her with amazing friends. So, she’d take one for the team.
“You should be there with Jaxon, Tony. Maybe you should stay.”
“WHY! You said it was nothing!”
“Tony, breathe. Then head here in a few days. That’s fine. Just don’t freak out, okay? There’s enough crazy running amuck here in Boston. I don’t need you joining in.”
Jaxon owed her one.
The poor woman…
“Okay. When I get there, I’ll look at them for you, and I’ll figure out if he’s using a Dremel to etch the bone. It’s not something you figure out overnight.”
She could only imagine.
“Thanks, Tony! Go spend some time with Jaxon, and tell her I said she’s welcome for taking you off her hands so she can have some peace.”
He laughed.
“Thank you, Lyzee.”
She hung up, and rubbed her temples. She shouldn’t feel stressed out from a phone call. Yet, here she was.
“Are you okay?” Callen asked.
“Yeah, I’m okay. I’m just at that point where my brain is telling me I’m missing something, but I don’t know what the hell it is.”
He understood that.
“How’s your search going?” she asked, sipping her coffee.
When hers was empty, Callen slid her his cup.
“And that’s why I love you,” she said.
“You’re using me for coffee. I feel cheap.”
“I can make you feel even cheaper later, if you play your cards right,” she stated, leaning in to whisper in his ear. When she teased his earlobe with her teeth, he pretty much moaned.
“I wish we were alone,” he stated.
Elizabeth laughed. “Earn it.”
“As for my search, I found you another person to add to your list of suspects.”
“Who?” she asked.
“The one dishwasher, who works at the bar, was a no show yesterday.”
“Okay, and?” she asked. “If I had to wash dishes for a living, I’d call off too. That’s got to be boring as hell.”
“Well, this bored, fine, upstanding citizen has an arrest record.”
That had her attention.
“For?”
“Someone took his ex for a ride, only she was driving and he was holding the knife. Later, she dropped kidnapping by changing her story, but they k
ept the dangerous weapon charge. He violated parole, and went back to jail.”
Oh, that was definitely a flag.
She was feeling better.
“Knife and violence against women...you like shit like that,” Callen stated.
Ethan sat down.
“Uh, you may want to rethink saying something like that with media outside the window,” Ethan offered.
“You know what I meant,” he said.
Elizabeth laughed.
“What’s his name?”
“Louis Vincent.”
“Do you have his address?” she asked.
“Yes, I do.”
“Okay, let’s get this show on the road,” she said, going to stand. Only, Ethan stopped her.
“We need to talk.”
“About?”
“Doctor Julliard.”
“Oh, shit, here it comes. What?”
“The commissioner wants her put back on the team. He said she’s causing one hell of a stink, and it’s going to look bad in the media.”
“Did you tell him that we planted fake information and took the pictures?”
“Yes, but the reporter hasn’t dropped it yet. Until he does, there’s really nothing we can claim. I mean, Chris can file a complaint, but he did have sex with her.”
“She slipped him Viagra and pot, Ethan.”
“Which he said he doesn’t want to get out. I can’t tell the commissioner that. If I do, then I have to have Chris press charges.”
She sighed.
“I don’t like this.”
“Well…”
“He pulled a gun on me.”
They both stared at her.
“Pardon?” Callen asked.
She told them about waking him earlier.
“That can’t be good.”
“When I was ‘with’ him, he never carried his gun. When I wasn’t with him, he never carried his gun. Now he’s carrying his gun.”
“He’s humiliated,” Callen stated, “and scared. I’ve been there. He was participating in that act, and he likely knew what was happening. I know. I let a man do it to me so I could have a sandwich—twenty-three times.”
She took Callen’s hand.
“At some point, he’ll move on,” Ethan said. “He’ll find someone, and he’ll be okay.”
Here was where she had no choice.
“He told me that’s not happening. Chris said I was his soulmate, and he’s realized that’s never going to be replaced.”
They both looked at Ethan.
“What?” he asked. “Why are you both staring at me?”
“I’m waiting for an eruption.”
“Not going to happen for a few reasons.”
“Like?” Elizabeth asked.
“Yeah, let me know them because I’m feeling a tad bit explosive myself,” Callen stated.
Ethan laughed.
“I trust our wife, and I trust Chris. I’ve watched him with her for a while now, and he’s never been over the line. Plus, we told them we had to accept that they had a past. I just didn’t want to be lied to, and Elizabeth didn’t lie. She could have, but she didn’t.”
Callen agreed.
“If anything ever happened to us, Callen, who would you want taking care of her?” Ethan asked.
He sighed. “Chris.”
“Why?”
“He wouldn’t hurt her, and she’d be safe. He loves all of our kids like we love Bethe.”
“So, basically, he’s our brother.”
“Okay, my explosive moment is over. You have a point. We told them no lies, and he just told you this when?”
She looked at her watch.
“Right before we got in the ride, about three hours ago.”
“You good, Cal?” Ethan asked.
“Yes, but he’s not sleeping with her—as in sex. I’m nice, but I’m not that damn nice.”
“You realize that I’m right here, right? I don’t plan on sleeping with anyone—you two included if you keep talking about me like I’m your favorite blanket.”
“So what do we do?”
“We love him until he’s strong enough,” Elizabeth said. “He may find that one still. We let him move on when it’s his time. Chris is a smart man. He’ll get over it.”
“I’ll talk to him,” Callen stated. “When we have a moment alone, I’ll talk to him.”
She was good with that.
“Now, back to the skank who sexually assaulted my brother,” Elizabeth stated.
“I can’t keep her away until the reporter says something without outing Chris.”
“You realize that it’s not okay to drug anyone, right? We are on the same side here, aren’t we? There has to be something we can do. He’s edgy and off. Putting her near him…”
“Baby, what do you want me to do?”
“So someone drugs you to have sex—sex you did NOT want to have, and your boss makes you work beside them. What do you do? We may not be able to tell the commissioner, but WE know!”
“Elizabeth.”
“No, Ethan. Unless you’re going to sashay your fancy suit-wearing ass to the morgue to play babysitter, it’s not happening. You’re not taking OUR friend and OUR brother, and making him stand beside some woman who slipped him a dickey.”
Callen stared at her.
“Wait, what?” he asked. “Slipped him a DICKEY?”
“You know, not slipped him a mickey, but a…”
Only her.
“Yeah, I got it.”
She shrugged.
“Oh my God. Just when I think you’re out of funny things to say, you come up with one on the fly. You are truly my soulmate.”
She knew what he was doing.
Callen saw the conversation escalating, and he was using himself to take it down a notch. While Ethan was calm, he didn’t want it to escalate.
“Yeah, we are soulmates. We have the spiffy bracelets to match,” she said, touching the snowflake obsidian that Ethan had gotten them.
It reminded her to calm down.
“You’re not doing that to him. It’s uncomfortable for anyone, but he’s been through enough.”
He got it.
Someone was on babysitting duty.
“Rock, paper, scissors?” he asked, knowing it had to be him or Callen. She was chasing a killer and needed to be in the field.
His brother shook his head.
“Nope. I wouldn’t let the woman near Chris. This is your call as deputy director. You get to do the dirty work.”
“Traitor.”
“Absolutely. I am not riding a couch over an ME who assaulted someone.”
“Fine. I’ll go,” Ethan stated. “I actually can take a few conference calls anyway. Gabe was holding down the fort, but no one wants to do the budget meeting. I’ll sit in a cold, chilly morgue, with my trick knee, and watch our ME.”
She stared at him. “Your trick knee? What the hell kind of trick does it do?” she asked. “Tell the future or jokes?”
“Come sit on it and find out,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows.
This was the man she’d married. He was calm, sweet, and it looked like he was indeed back to normal.
She was proud of him.
Ethan had stayed calm.
“You’re insane,” she said, but she still went into his lap, despite the media taking pictures outside. They were still clamoring about them being on the skids.
They just wouldn’t quit.
“Okay, so you head back, Callen and I will start our wonderful day of interviews with Mr. Elijah Elliot. It’s almost time for our meeting, and then we’re going to head to Louis Vincent’s home to find out why he played hooky from work when the waitress went MIA.”
He was good with that.
“Tell Christina to get on that blood we found on that window sill, and get me something we can use to find a killer. Houdini, he is not!”
“Maybe we can have the detective and Johanna head to the waitress’s apartment and see if they
can find anything,” he offered.
She gave him a kiss.
“I love you, handsome. That would help me out. With two victims in a shot, I need to get some help with the little things. If they find something, let me know. If not…”
He totally got it. They wouldn’t bother her with the little things.
“Make sure you stay safe,” she said. Honestly, she’d rather him be inside anyway. If it came down to it, he was a target. As one of the big guys in the FBI, Ethan was always in danger. He and Gabe handled all kinds of things that she wasn’t privy to, and that ALWAYS worried her.
“I’ll be safe. You do the same. You sent Ivan back to the hotel, so make sure Rory is right there.”
“What could happen?” she asked.
They both stared at her.
“What?” she asked.
“Really, Elizabeth?” Callen asked.
Ethan didn’t even want to think about it.
With his wife, the possibilities were endless.
* * * B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x * * *
Morgue
Chris was about to begin cutting the piano wires, when the door to the autopsy suit opened, and Doctor Julliard entered. She had a Cheshire Cat smile on her face, and it made his skin crawl.
Here was the woman who drugged him and then used him for sex.
What the hell was she doing there?
He had a big case of remorse.
HUGE.
He should have gone back to the hotel to be with his family and Elizabeth.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, continuing to work so she wouldn’t see it rattle him.
“It seems I’ve been told to come back to work. I guess you’ll have to deal with me,” Heather said, moving to stand beside him.
She purposely was in his personal space.
“It seems your boss couldn’t keep me away. What a shame,” she said.
His heart began racing, and his palms were sweaty.
“Do you mind?” he asked. “I’m bumping into you as I try to work. I don’t need to cut myself.”
Yeah, been there and done that.
He wasn’t sure who the women were, but he wanted to stay biohazard free.
Doctor Julliard moved closer to make him even more uncomfortable. She liked seeing him squirm. This man had come into her morgue, again, and he blew her off the first time. Now she was getting even.
She was the one in control.
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