Ethan was entertained that his anthropologist was this tied up in knots. “I fell in love the second I met my wife, and that’s why we got married so fast. I don’t think you falling for the girl is weird. When it’s meant to be, it just is.”
He measured Ethan’s words carefully.
“Do you think I have a snowball’s chance in hell? Jaxon is absolutely gorgeous and a decade younger than me. She’s full of life and…”
Ethan cut him off. “Did you score with the babe yet?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Multiple times?”
“Yes,” he replied.
“Did she initiate any of them?”
“Yes.”
“Was she shitfaced drunk at the time?”
“No, she was sober, why?” Tony asked.
“Then go back to your cabin. Everything’s fine. The girl is interested. My best advice is to go with your instinct, and you’ll figure it all out.”
He let out a deep breath. “Are you sure?”
Ethan found that funny. “Have you met my wife? Of course I’m sure. I landed a babe. You can get yours too.”
Tony hugged him fast, and then was out the door.
It was hard not to laugh as the man charged toward his cabin like a lunatic. Maybe this Cupid thing was rubbing off on him too. It seemed to give him great pleasure when all the people around him were just as happy and in love.
He flexed his swollen hand.
Yeah, he was such a sap.
* * *
Once on the plane, they were ready for takeoff. Where they had wanted to escape for a few minutes to get home and see the kids, they knew there was no time.
Ethan was alone in Devil’s Lake, and neither Elizabeth nor Callen wanted to risk him.
They had to get in the air.
Once buckled in, Elizabeth signaled to the pilot that they were ready to take off. It wouldn’t be a long flight, less than an hour.
“Lean on me and close your eyes,” Callen offered, dropping his arm around her shoulders. “You’re going to be beat,” he added.
“You’re worth it,” she said, yawning. “I only need a cat nap,” she whispered, cuddling into his chest to get comfortable. The scent of his cologne and soap lulled her into sleep.
As the plane taxied down the runway, Callen thought about the man who would inevitably be waiting for him back in Devil’s Lake.
The fear rose up, bringing along a wave of panic. As he fought to not have an anxiety attack, Elizabeth stirred beside him.
“It’s okay, Callen. I’m here,” she whispered, as she took his hand in hers. Their fingers twined, locking them together. “No one is going to hurt you anymore. I swear on my life,” she vowed.
He started breathing easier and was grateful to have her. Without Elizabeth, he wouldn’t be going back.
Callen knew the truth.
Underneath it all, he was still scared.
For the first time in his relationship, he doubted Elizabeth.
He was pretty sure that his past was going to destroy his life and no one could stop it.
~ Chapter Twelve ~
When Ethan strode into the morgue, his team was already hard at work. Heading directly to his head tech, he hoped she had the answers to his questions.
Elizabeth was back in the air with his brother, and they would need to get this solved before getting the hell out of Devil’s Lake.
“Meredith, did you find anything on our fifth victim?” he asked.
“We did find some trace. Unfortunately, it’s nothing that will help us narrow down a killer. There was pollen on Jed Proctor’s body. It’s likely he walked through a patch of weeds and picked it up that way. Each finger was swabbed, and nothing showed up in the tests that shouldn’t be there. He didn't get a shot in at his killer.”
Blackhawk began making notes on his tablet. Elizabeth would want a profile, and soon.
“We didn't find anyone’s DNA on him.”
“Please tell me that you checked the dog too.”
She nodded her head. “We shaved him down to make sure we got everything off his body. In processing it, we found three fleas, the same pollen which was on the victim, and fecal matter.”
“Well that’s an awesome combination.”
She smiled. “It actually is, Director. It tells us what the dog was doing before he died. If I were going to postulate a scenario, I’d say that Jed Proctor was out at night, taking his dog for its last walk of the evening.”
He stared at her. “How do you know time of day?”
She turned her tablet around. “The pollen was from Datura Inoxia or ‘Angel’s Trumpet’. From the quantity of the spores, they were walking through it or possibly dragged. Since it only blooms at night, he wouldn’t have picked up as much pollen on his person if they were closed up.”
“That’s really good work, Meredith.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Ethan was impressed. Apparently, Callen did pick them a winner. Taking Meredith’s findings, he squirreled them away for his profile.
Doctor Legend strolled over with more information. “I can concur with Meredith’s findings. We located the victim mid-morning, and TOD is approximately twelve hours earlier.”
“So, he’s killing, transporting, mummifying, and then placing them all within twelve hours.” Ethan pondered that. “He has to have a location close by. It has to take some time to cut off or remove parts of the body.”
Zane spoke up, “I agree. We also locked down the weapon,” he offered. Pointing at Meredith, she held up the picture on her tablet.
“I own that same hammer,” Ethan admitted.
“Great. You’re the killer,” teased Zane. “Let’s head home.” He wasn’t sure what reaction he was expecting, but Ethan began laughing.
“Don’t tell my wife. She might get testy if she thinks that she’s married to a homicidal maniac.”
No one wanted a pregnant Elizabeth on the edge.
Motioning his two agents to join him, he wanted to make sure all their tasks were completed when his wife arrived. “How are we doing on Jed Proctor’s background search?”
Johanna spoke first, “We’re almost there. It’s running now, and then we can go through it.”
“Thank you,” he offered. “We’re going to head out to the victim’s home. I want to search and see what we can learn. Maybe the killer got sloppy. Who knows what we’ll find? Divide up the tech team and get them ready.”
Doctor Legend had a question before he left. “Have you seen Tony? It’s not like him to be late,” he stated, glancing down at his watch.
Oh, he knew why the man was late, and he opted to cover for him. “I saw him this morning when he checked in with me. I’m sure he’ll be arriving shortly. The anthropologists are wrapping up some small details.”
Motioning to his team, he instructed them to suit up before they headed out. Ethan knew that the killer was bound to escalate at some point. Right now, they needed to find something to start locking him down.
Time was running out, and they needed a lead before the next victim turned up.
At Jed Proctor’s house, they were met by two deputies on duty. Neither man looked excited to have been stuck guarding the place, especially all night.
“No one went in or came out?” Blackhawk asked, as his people prepared to enter.
“The place was deader than a doornail. Now can we head out? I’d like to sleep sometime today,” asked Deputy Turner testily.
Ethan dismissed them.
“We’ll search first, and then the techs can do their thing,” stated Ethan, pulling his sidearm. His two agents followed him in, mimicking his actions. As they swept the house for any intruders, they noticed a few things.
“He left here fairly unexpectedly,” stated Broderick. “The TV is on, the kitchen counter is set up for making a sandwich, and there’s dog food sitting beside the refrigerator.”
Ethan holstered his gun. “Well, with the information Meredith
found, I’d say he was making a late night snack, planned on sacking it on the couch to watch a game, and then the dog needed his attention. Killer must have wanted his last walk of the night.” Ethan was familiar with the situation, since they had two dogs that did pretty much the same thing.
“The perp didn't take him from here, so that leaves the area surrounding the house,” stated Johanna, heading for the door.
Once outside, Ethan motioned for his team to move in and begin their search. Hopefully, they’d locate something.
Anything.
“We’re going to walk the perimeter. Our family has two small puppies, so we don’t take them for a long walk. Jed had a poodle. I’m betting he stayed close to home, especially if it was late.”
They each took a direction. It was like finding a needle in a haystack, but what choice did they have?
Fortunately, it didn't take long. Johanna called to her boss, the second she found the brown stains. “Director, I think I found the point of abduction!”
Rushing over, Ethan crouched down and pulled a pair of gloves from his pocket. With gentle fingers, he plucked a leaf from the plant. “Will one of you search online for a picture of Angel’s Trumpet?” he asked.
Broderick pulled out his phone and did what his boss asked. Holding it out, Ethan examined it.
“Good job, Agent. This flower matches Meredith’s findings. From the trampled grass, it looked like there may have been a fight here.”
Moving into the thicker brush, Broderick found a dog leash. “Maybe the dog isn't some elaborate message from the killer,” he stated. “What if he took the pooch to shut him up? Maybe the poodle was trying to protect his master, and that’s why his little doggy neck was snapped.”
It was plausible.
Just as Ethan was going to say something, there was a scream from the house. One of the techs raced out, calling to them, “Director, we need you!”
Ethan charged across the yard and bounded up the stairs to get to his team. Once inside, he found Meredith rolling around on the floor trying to subdue a crazed Native woman.
Grabbing the stranger, he pulled her off his tech. When she went for a groin shot, Ethan took her to the ground, pressing his full body weight across her torso to subdue her.
“Calm down!” he hissed in her ear. “Who are you?”
She kept struggling. “Where’s my boyfriend? What have you people done with him!” she bellowed.
The picture became much clearer. Slowly, Ethan released her, realizing what was coming. This woman’s life was about to drastically change.
Once off her, he prepared to deliver the news. “I need you to get up, but if you try attacking one of us again, you’re going to jail.”
She stared at the gun and badge at his hip.
“Where’s my Jed?” she demanded.
Ethan ignored her to check on Meredith. “What happened, and are you okay?”
She shook her head to clear it. “I was in front of the recliner, looking for trace, and she jumped me from behind.”
He turned to the woman. “You just assaulted a Federal officer. Now, who the hell are you?”
The woman had the decency to look scared when he raised his voice. “My name’s Anna Tunica. Jed is my boyfriend. I came in the back door and found her in his house. I thought she was an intruder.”
Ethan lifted a brow. “She’s wearing a blue jacket with FBI across the back. I assure you they don’t sell them in the mall. Are you trying to tell me you’re illiterate and colorblind too?”
She got angry. “I came into my boyfriend’s house and found a woman here. You connect the dots.”
Directing one of the techs toward Meredith, he gave his instructions, “Take her outside and clean that scratch on her face. I’ll talk to Ms. Tunica, then you can come back in and sweep. We found a sample in the grass over by the flowers,” he offered, being nonspecific. Mentioning blood might set the woman off, and he needed information first and foremost.
The techs headed out, and Ethan got down to business.
“Was anyone giving Jed a hard time?” he asked.
“No, why?”
He shrugged nonchalantly. “How about any problems with a man named Allen Payne?” At his name, Ethan noticed she bristled and the expression on her face drastically changed.
“What did that asshole do to my Jed? I swear I’m going to go over there, and kick his ass to get this settled, once and for all!”
Ethan pushed on, as his agents made notes behind him. “What did Allen Payne do, exactly?”
“That rat bastard sold Jed a lemon. When he complained, he laughed in his face. I told him to just kick his ass and show him who’s the boss, but Jed was religious. He said God would handle it. Well, I’m going to take care of it now!”
It amazed Ethan that in town, gossip hadn’t spread. This might be the first instance where nothing leaked. Generally, they’d be inundated with media by this point. Other than the one incident in the cemetery, it had been quiet.
“So, you want to kill him for screwing with your boyfriend. I can relate to that. I sometimes want to do that with my wife when she’s given a hard time. Tell me, Ms. Tunica, are you religious?”
She looked at him like he was crazy. “Yeah, I worship on the almighty Rez. What the fuck does that have to do with anything?”
Ethan was sorry his wife wasn’t here. This woman was a pain in his ass.
“Sometime last week, to the best of our knowledge, Allen Payne was murdered.”
“Good for him. I hope he rots in hell.”
Both agents stared at her. Oh, the nastiness karma was on its way. Anna Tunica was about to get bitch slapped by fate.
“I hope you don’t think my Jed did that! Is that why you’re searching his place?”
Ethan ignored her question. “Why was Jed fired from his job at the church?” he asked.
She stared at him. “If you weren’t one of us, I’d tear your ass a new one. That’s no one’s business but ours.”
Ethan wasn’t bothered by her comment. “Yeah, and if my outsider wife was here, she’d turn you inside out and dance on your colon. So, answer the damn question, before I take you in for questioning.”
She glared at him. “He was let go for missing funds, which I’m assuming was some sort of mistake. Jed was a good man, and we had a fantastic relationship.”
Yeah, not so much so, since she didn't know he was fired for stealing.
“Why did he assault Allen Payne at church?”
“Because he got tired of being dicked around! I’m glad he did it. That man deserved everything he had coming. As far as I’m concerned, justice was served.”
“Ms. Tunica, where were you last night?” he asked.
“I was at my job. I work in a factory, so I had a twelve hour shift. I went in at eight and just got out. I came by to get my dog. Where’s Killer? I hope you bastards didn't take him to the pound, or I’m going tear you apart,” she warned menacingly.
“What company do you work for?”
She rattled off the name. “Where’s Jed and my dog, you assholes!”
Ethan sensed her getting riled up again, so it was time to let the air out of her sails. “I’m sorry to tell you this, and you have the FBI’s sympathy at this time, but last night your boyfriend and dog were murdered.”
She glared at him. “You think that’s funny?”
Ethan saw the intent in her eyes. She rushed him, but before he could stop her, his agent stepped in. Johanna Madden took one shot and took her to the ground.
Broderick grinned. “So hot,” he muttered, trying not to laugh.
“Thank you, Agent Madden. It’s like having my wife here to act as my bodyguard. She’s going to love this story and be a little jealous that she didn't get to initiate that hit.”
Johanna shook out her hand. “Her head is like a rock,” she muttered.
Ethan was saying the same thing earlier that morning about another Native. Oh, the irony.
“Get the
tech team in here to get working. We’ll call an ambulance to check her out. Cuff her first. I think she’ll be raring to go the second she realizes that she was sucker punched.”
The agents did what he asked.
Staring around the room, Blackhawk took everything in. This place appeared to be another dead end.
It looked like the killer had one up on them once again.
They needed a break, and soon.
* * *
The flight there was quiet. Elizabeth napped the entire trip, and Callen worked on his tablet trying to figure the best birthday present for his woman. In the back of his mind, he knew what he wanted to do, but now it was a matter of the fine details. Callen couldn’t wait to see her face when she saw it.
When the pilot notified him of landing, Callen gently touched Elizabeth’s cheek. “We’re back, angel. It’s time to get to work.”
Sitting up, Elizabeth rolled her shoulder. Sleeping on it had made it stiff. When Callen’s hand began massaging it, she relaxed and enjoyed the sensation. “Thank you,” Elizabeth murmured.
Callen offered her a kiss. “My pleasure.”
Once touching down, Elizabeth held his hand the entire way thought the terminal. Yes, they’d garnered some attention, because there were two gun toting Feds holding hands. Yet, when he tried to pull away, she wasn’t having it.
In the car, she drove as Callen calmly sat there, praying that the man who haunted him would stay far away. He’d give anything at that point to be free from his psychological tyranny.
As they pulled up to the sheriff’s station, they noticed Ethan was just arriving with his team.
“He was at Jed Proctor’s,” she told Callen. “From the look on his face, he must not have found anything.”
Callen tried to swallow his fear. Yes, Elizabeth had accepted his deepest, darkest horror, but would his brother? All his life, if there was one man he wanted to emulate, it was this one. Now, Ethan would know the truth.
Redemption is Here (An FBI/Romance Thriller Book 9) Page 31