“How are you planning on doing that?” asked Elizabeth. “Hey I know. Why don’t you have the CSI team that missed a ton of evidence stomp all over it? Then my team can clean up the mess afterwards again.”
Leto was pissed, as were the CSI’s behind him. “Are you saying we fucked up, Director?”
The southern was raging to come out. Elizabeth tried to keep it in, but it was about to explode all over the jackwagon. “I’m saying that we’re claiming this to be our jurisdiction. If you don’t like it, take it to my damn boss. His name is Gabe Rothschild, and you can find him out at Quantico. He’s the top dog, and you can voice your displeasure there,” she drawled.
Just then the FBI tech vans rolled up and disbursed like ants, going into work mode. No one was even bothered that their boss was going head to head with the police. If they had a dollar for every time that happened, they’d all be rich. Elizabeth and local law didn’t mix on a good day. On a bad day there was the potential for a nuclear explosion.
“Sweep it and leave nothing behind!” she yelled over her shoulder. “Now if you don’t mind, Detective Leto, I have work to do. Step your ass behind the crime tape.” As Elizabeth moved to walk away, Detective Leto grabbed her arm roughly. It just happened to be her bad arm, and it hurt wickedly. Elizabeth was about to kick his ass, but she didn’t get a chance.
Callen saw red as the detective put his hands on Elizabeth. Normally he’d let her beat the man into oblivion, as it was highly entertaining, but this was his woman. His and Ethan’s and no one put their hand on her in their presence.
Whitefox hit him so hard, that they landed back against the squad car. Callen had the man by the jacket and stared down into his surprised eyes. “You never want to put your hands on her again. Am I perfectly clear? Next time I will be ripping your fucking arms off and beating you to death with them.”
Everyone around them stopped moving.
“Yeah, you’re clear,” he hissed between his teeth.
Callen stared angrily down into his face. “We have this, so get the hell away from the FBI’s scene, and take your CSI’s with you.”
Elizabeth whistled and the entire tech crew started back up again. “Get to work! I want this scene processed ASAP!”
Whitefox got off the man, and placed himself between Elizabeth and Brian Leto. “Have a nice day, Detective.” Callen waited until he removed himself before turning to face Elizabeth. “Sorry baby,” he whispered, moving closer to her body. “I lost my head all of a sudden.”
She offered him a fist bump. “Way to take him down. Very impressive Mr. Whitefox,” she said laughing. “You’re getting stealthy. He didn’t even see you coming.”
Detective Austin, Tori and Julian followed them over to the body. It was still hot, and there was the distinctive smell of cooking human flesh. You couldn’t mistake it for anything else in the world.
Elizabeth felt the bile rise in her throat, and it took everything she had to swallow it and keep it down.
Chris Leonard was kneeling on a tarp they’d placed underneath the charred remains, and slowly removing the woman’s shoes. “Apparently, he dumped the accelerant on the middle part of her body. There are scraps of clothing remaining. After he strung her up, is when he lit her up. When he struck the match, the middle went combustible and then the flames spread up, not down.”
Elizabeth breathed through her mouth. “So tell me what we do know.”
Chris Leonard looked up and laughed. “When I get her back to the autopsy lab, you’ll know what I know.”
Elizabeth was cranky. Her arm hurt, and she could retch at any second. Her patience was running really thin. “Come on, Doc. Seriously.”
He shook his head.
“Okay, then I’m playing a rousing game of guess the facts.” Elizabeth threatened. “Anyone else want to play a game I like to call ‘speculation’?”
Callen raised his hand. “She liked high heels.”
Elizabeth winked at him. “With what skin is hanging from her legs, she looked to be Caucasian.”
“She’s not that tall,” tossed out Tori.
“Okay, stop it. I get your point,” stated Chris both laughing and finding it irritating. Unsubstantiated guessing bugged the shit out of him. “From my initial assessments, she looks to be a Caucasian woman, standing roughly at five foot six. Hair is gone, as are the eyes cooked, so I can’t tell you color. From the scraps of fabric beneath the body that we found, there are sequins.”
Elizabeth thought about it. “Strippers like sequins.”
Doctor Leonard stood. “So I hear, but since I’ve never been to a strip club, I can’t ascertain if that’s fact or fiction.”
Whitefox coughed and mumbled ‘bullshit’, right before winking at the man.
Elizabeth looked over at Callen and gave him a look, lifting an eyebrow.
“Although, I haven’t been to one either.” He threw it out there to make her laugh. “Only the things I’ve seen in movies. I swear.”
Tori moved closer to the body. “He used the basic run of the mill chain that you can purchase at any store. Our killer isn't being elaborate, and the fact that he didn’t know fire would only burn up, tells me that he’s not a pro fire bug.”
“I tend to agree,” said a man behind them.
When they all turned around, Elizabeth noticed the badge on his belt, and the name tag. It looked like the police called in the fire department’s investigator.
“I’m Patrick Wells. I’m the fire investigator for the city of Damascus.”
No one moved, nor were they impressed.
“I’m here to assess the scene and give you my information,” Patrick stated, pulling on gloves.
“Hold your horses, Mr. Investigator. You’re not allowed to touch the body,” said Elizabeth, stepping forward to impede his access.
“I’ve been given access by Captain Gilman.”
Now Elizabeth laughed. “I don’t care if you had an angel delivered message from God himself. I’m in charge of this crime scene, and I already have a fire expert here. So, you can back up and take off the gloves.”
The man stared her down, but before he could say anything, another man approached in a suit and looking pissed.
“What’s going on here?” he demanded.
Elizabeth noticed that Callen moved closer and protectively to her side. “I’m going to assume by that shiny Captain’s badge that you’re the man in charge of the police detectives and CSI team.”
“I’m Captain Zane Gilman, and these are my people. I just received a call saying one of your people assaulted one of mine.”
Elizabeth laughed at that. “Your detective put his hands on me, Captain. I believe that’s assault, so half the bullshit you heard is correct. What actually happened was he grabbed my arm violently, as he was unhappy with being booted from the scene, and Director Whitefox slammed him against the hood of that car.” Elizabeth pointed.
Gilman looked over at Detective Austin, and she simply nodded. The man sighed. “I apologize for my detective’s behavior.”
Elizabeth stared at him emotionlessly.
“Can I speak to you privately?” he requested.
She followed, looking over her shoulder. “Back to work, Chris, and yell if anyone tries to stop you,” she paused, glancing at Callen and motioning to him.
“Agent, I’d really like the fire inspector in on all of this,” he said quietly. “He doesn’t work for me; he’s an independent investigator, and neutral party.
“It’s Director, Captain. I head FBI West for a reason. Everyone thinks I just slept my way to the top, but I assure you the truth is I killed and maimed to get here. Particularly assholes that think they can come onto my scenes and throw around their weight with shiny badges. Oh look, kinda like yours.”
Whitefox crossed his arms across his chest.
The man just stared at her unsure if he should bother making a comment or just let it go. The relations between them was already rocky and a growing issue.
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“Here’s our problem. Your CSI’s didn’t do a really good job at retrieving anything from the scenes. They left a heel that was a murder weapon, condom wrappers, gum wrappers and liquor bottles.”
“We don’t get a lot of violent crimes here. Maybe it has to do with the FBI being our next door neighbor.”
Elizabeth shrugged. “I don’t get a lot of elephants running down the street, but I know that procedure calls for using a rifle not a nine millimeter to take it down. That’s common sense.”
He laughed. “My detective said you were a bitch, and he wasn’t kidding.”
Callen tensed and was willing to knock the man to the ground and beat him senseless.
“No, that’s probably the only thing he got right since these killings started.”
“Again, please Director?”
Elizabeth contemplated it, turning and looking at Callen. “I lean towards no, but you’re the more level headed one, and in Ethan’s absence you get to be my conscience.”
Whitefox was the mediator in their life and in his job, and he knew why she was asking. “I think we continue to exclude the hot headed asshole detective and include the fire investigator. The more eyes on this one the better. He can help Tori out.” Callen knew she understood. As of yet they weren’t really sure what to do with their agent and her issues.
“Works for me.” Elizabeth started walking away from the captain. “But if he fucks this up, he’ll be getting his ass handed to him, and you for requesting it,” she said easily.
Captain Gilman watched her walk away. Specifically her fine specimen of posterior in those jeans and couldn’t help but grin as he thought about it.
“You may want to refocus your eyes on something else, Captain, before I take them out of your skull for you,” stated Whitefox. Men generally checked out Elizabeth, but it didn’t mean he had to like it or accept it.
The man looked over. “Oh, she’s taken? What a pity on that one. She may have a temper, but the package on her would be well worth it!”
Callen wanted to growl but managed a civil reply. “She’s more than taken and eyes off her ‘package’.”
He followed after his woman, letting it go at that or his head might just explode.
~ Chapter Seven ~
Mid-day
Elizabeth strode around the crime scene, making sure the tech team was catching everything. You couldn’t read the local PD the riot act about doing a shitty job, and then do one yourself. If her team screwed up, she had every intention of going bat shit insane on each and every one of them. The beauty was that they knew it.
“I get tomorrow’s Christmas Eve, and I get that everyone is thinking about the company Christmas party, but let’s wrap this up. This woman deserves to have justice, as do the other five women. They don’t get a Christmas this year, but the killer does and that’s just not right.”
Stopping at Christina, Elizabeth put a hand on her arm to get her attention.
“Yes Boss?”
“You look off your game, do you need to talk?”
Christina glanced over at her boss and briefly hesitated for a moment. “Are you going to the Christmas party tonight?” she asked.
Elizabeth smiled. “Yes, Callen and I are going, but Ethan’s still in Quantico. He might not make it back in time.”
She nodded.
Elizabeth could tell something was bothering the woman. “Take a walk with me Christina,” she said, heading towards her vehicle, the woman right behind her. “Now, why don’t you tell me what has you bothered? You’re generally all chipper and bubbly, and now you’re not even half-way to irritatingly happy.”
Christina looked around to make sure that they were completely alone. “I’m a little freaked out about the scars on my arms.”
She finally understood. While they were in Cypress Grove working, the killer decided to blow up a vehicle or two, and Christina and Elizabeth were caught in the explosion. Christina was a bit closer and took some war wounds because of it. Now she was super self-conscious about the scars across her upper torso.
“I just feel like everyone will be staring at me tonight. I don’t know if I want to go or not, and I just wondered if you were going to be there.”
Elizabeth took her hand in hers. “Want me to do something so completely scandalous that I become the center of the talk and no one will even notice?”
Christina snorted. “Yeah, can you arrange that? Or better yet, how about I do something scandalous with Callen, because that may work better.”
Now Elizabeth laughed, ignoring that request. “Did you find a dress yet?” The Christmas party was semi-formal, and being hosted at the nicest venue in town.
“No, I’ve been a little busy.”
Elizabeth thought about it. “Let’s keep this between us, but after you do the retrieval, how about you swing on by the mall and get yourself hooked up. You should have plenty of time. I’m sure Chris will handle the techs for us.”
“Seriously?” Now she was feeling better. “You’re going to let me take personal time during an investigation to get beautified for the party?”
Elizabeth laughed. “Let’s keep this one between us, and if it gets out, we’ll blame Ethan. I have street cred to keep up. His is already shot to shit after he bought you that pink teddy bear.”
Christina smiled hugely. “You’re bad ass, but in a really good way,” and with that, she offered Elizabeth a fist bump and headed back off to work. “I want you all to get every damn piece of retrievable evidence out here,” she yelled to her tech team. “Director Blackhawk needs it done and done to our standard!”
Whitefox watched her from a distance with the tech, and when she moved away, he approached her. “Everything okay?”
She nodded. “I’m just playing fairy godmother to Cinderella.”
He looked confused and touched her forehead. “I’m sorry, what? Do you feel okay? Fever?”
Elizabeth smiled and let him in on it. “That’s all. I was just trying to make her day a little brighter. Every girl wants to feel pretty at the party. I was just leveling the field for her, that’s all.”
Callen dropped his arm around her shoulders. “What would make your day brighter?” he asked, quietly.
Elizabeth didn’t have to think twice. “Ethan home in time for tonight. I’d like to have both of you beside me at the function. The Christmas party won’t be the same without him. It just seems unfair that he’s going to miss it because of work.”
“I happen to agree with you.”
Elizabeth shrugged. “I guess it doesn’t really matter. Life is far from fair, and we both know it.”
Despite her no kissy-face rule, he dropped a chaste kiss to the top of her head. Santa Callen planned on delivering a special present to his angel, if it was the last thing he did.
Julian walked the perimeter of the crime scene and checked out all the possible exits and entrances into the clearing. Nothing was touched. Maybe some deer and a few creatures of the forest, but there were no signs of anyone coming or going.
“Find anything?” asked Tori, standing behind him, watching the man work.
“No tracks, but,” and he paused, pointing at a liquor bottle, “there seems to be a booze bottle tossed into the grass.”
Tori called Christina over. “We found a liquor bottle,” she stated, watching the woman cautiously step into the grass to retrieve it.
“I’ll have the tech team bag it. There won’t be results on it until tomorrow late afternoon.”
“Not a problem, Christina,”
The woman sealed the bag. “Are you going to the party tonight, Agent Christensen?” she asked, smiling.
Julian looked up at the woman, surprised to hear there was a party. She made no mention to him the entire time. In fact, no one did. He had to wonder if that was intentional. Then he glanced around the crime scene. It seemed more probable that they were all just wrapped up in the homicides.
“I wasn’t planning on it,” Tori stated, feeling
Julian’s eyes burrowing into her back.
“Too bad! Last year’s was amazing. Director Blackhawk is an amazing dancer, and you should see him and Elizabeth hit the floor together. I’m hoping I can get Callen to dance with me. That’s my goal, anyway.”
Tori just nodded as the woman walked away.
“Why don’t you go,” suggested Julian.
Yeah, it was so much fun going and standing in a corner alone. That just wasn’t her thing. Besides, she wasn’t really a ballroom kind of girl. IED’s she got, along with Kevlar and body armor. Slinky dresses and dancing, not so much.
Julian watched as Tori simply shrugged, and said nothing. “I’m here and I’d like to go. Want to be my date?” he asked, hopefully.
“Uh, Elizabeth invited you?” Tori stared at him blankly, waiting for his answer.
Julian glanced across the clearing. When he saw Elizabeth he whistled really loud, until she looked over at him.
“Yeah?” she called.
Julian grinned at her. “Can I go to the Christmas party if I bring an FBI agent as a date or is there some rule thing that I should be aware of?”
Elizabeth laughed. “The more the merrier. You can be our personal guest.”
Julian faced Tori again. “Next excuse?” He was ready for her.
She simply stared at him. “Why Julian?”
It surprised him. “Because I want to see you dance, smile and be happy.” It was the complete truth. Something about the woman made him want to offer her calm and peace. The storm that brewed in her eyes hurt his heart. It was such a simple thing and yet she was wound so tight, Tori wouldn’t or couldn’t let go.
“I don’t have anything appropriate to wear.”
“Cop out. You’re a woman, and I’d wager that in your closet are three black dresses at least.”
Now she laughed. “You brought a suit with you?” she said simply.
“You worry about you, and I’ll worry about me.”
Tori considered it. “Okay Julian. I’ll go with you.” Once he grinned, she laughed even more. “If it ends up sucking, I don’t want to hear about it,” she stated. “This was all your idea.”
Fire Burns Hot ((An FBI/ Romance Thriller~ (Book 5))) Page 16