Whitefox nodded.
Blackhawk tried to reassure his brother. “For the record, Callen, Doctor Adare isn't too shabby herself. You definitely could win that lottery too and get very lucky.”
“Yeah, well I have to seal the deal, and if she hears about this DNA, I’m a dead man.”
“My lips are sealed,” he answered.
“You aren’t the one I’m worried about,” he paused. “Two words: girlfriend code.”
Blackhawk laughed as he pulled away from Carly Kester’s book store. “You’re so screwed.”
~ Chapter Eighteen ~
Elizabeth Blackhawk sat on the counter and watched her friend autopsy a co-worker. Now that she thought about it, she should have found someone else to do it. It was clearly visible on the woman’s face that she was suffering. The tears kept coming, as she removed organ, after organ and spoke into the recorder. Despite whatever Doctor Adare thought of herself, there was only one true fact. She was tough.
Her heart ached as she looked over at the face of the man that worked in the lab, and always had a pleasant cheery word for her when she came down to the morgue. Derek Williams would be missed, and then it occurred to her, they would have to notify the family.
“When will the body be ready for release?” she asked her friend.
“In a day or two, Elizabeth. I need to get the test results in, and make sure I caught everything the first time. We don’t want to have to notify the family and girlfriend that we need to exhume for a second go at the body.”
Yeah, that just sucked, she’d been there for her father, and she didn’t want that to happen to anyone else. “I think Ethan wants to call the family today, and let them know.”
Desdemona looked up.
“I’d prefer we keep the body until we can find everything the killer took,” Elizabeth said, nodding her head at the obviously missing parts of the man’s anatomy.
“Me too, but honestly, they may be degraded too much, and really I can only hold him for so long. Legally, he has to be released by a certain date.”
“I understand,” said Elizabeth. “What do you know for sure now?” Hopefully the doctor would give her something; she didn’t want anyone else to end up on the table, especially like Derek.
“I think the main question is if he suffered, correct?” She started the stitches to close up his chest.
“Yeah. Please tell me that Derek didn’t feel that being done to him.” Elizabeth couldn’t imagine the horror he must have felt if he was awake for that act. Just the idea made her stomach swim.
“He took a strike to his head, and in fact,” she turned Derek’s head and pointed to a sticky substance. “The killer left trace, for the first time.”
Elizabeth hopped down and looked at the spot. “It looks like grease or some kind of oil product.”
“I already swabbed it, and packaged it. I have a courier coming in the next hour to transport the samples back to FBI West. We should have results on this, and the evidence found under his nails in a day or so.”
“We found DNA trace?” she asked, surprised.
“Epithelial cells.”
Elizabeth was surprised. This would be the first human trace that the killer left behind other than the blonde hairs. She was either getting sloppy, or they were close and she was having her cage rattled. “Derek, you got a few shots in didn’t you,” she whispered, softly. “Good for you. I promise that I’ll get a few in for you too.”
Somehow Desdemona didn’t doubt it. When Elizabeth Blackhawk promised payback, she got it. The lab techs talked about how she nearly killed her own brother and took out the last killer without flinching. She was very glad the woman was her friend and not her enemy.
Elizabeth’s phone beeped and she looked down at the screen. “It looks like our killer isn't a real blonde,” she said, reading the message from their head tech. “Christina pulled up the reports and looked at the chemicals on the hairs, and there was peroxide present.”
“Bleached blonde huh? We seem to have a few of those around her.”
“That eliminates Courtney Brewer, she’s the only real blonde in the bunch. We’ll still run the DNA in case she’s helping someone commit these crimes.”
“Good idea.”
“I'm going to forward this over to Ethan,” she said, typing up a quick email.
“Want my professional opinion on what happened to Derek?” she asked.
“I’m always open for the impression of our fine ME staff,” she said, looking up and smiling at the woman. She was pretty sure she knew what had happened, but why not get the outside perspective on the situation.
“I think Derek was drugged, when he woke up he struggled.” Desdemona lifted his wrists, and showed Elizabeth the abrasions. “He got free and then tried to fight off his killer. That’s how the trace got under his nails. The killer subdues him with something handy. Derek gets struck this way,” she demonstrated the downward strike. “It cracked his skull, and it caused intracranial hemorrhaging. Death was fast at that point. When the killer took his genitalia, he was already dead. There was very little bleeding, and he was already beginning the coagulation process.”
“Thank God he didn’t feel that.” Finally she said it out loud.
“Exactly.”
“Now I need this report in hard copy form. I have to give it to Ethan.” Elizabeth wasn’t looking forward to that, once he knew the wound that was inflicted, she was pretty sure that would be insult to injury, and he was going to be upset. Then again, most men would be upset, putting themselves in his place.
“I’ll prep it for you now, Elizabeth. Do you want me to tell him about it? I don’t mind being the one that breaks it to him. I could use some big terminology and bury it in there so he doesn’t quite get the full impact.”
Elizabeth laughed. “You have big word terminology for ‘his penis was removed’?” She felt a little better, that her new friend was willing to take the heat for her.
Desdemona thought about it. “Yeah, you’re right, you better tell him.”
“I thought as much. I’ll tell you one thing, when I get my hands on the woman doing this; I swear I’m going to ass kick her into the next county, just for making me have to deliver this report to my husband.”
Desdemona transmitted the report from her tablet to the printer. As it printed out, she washed up her tools. “Hey, where’s Callen?” she asked, suddenly wondering where he’d disappeared to earlier. He’d gotten a text and then ran out, promising to return later.
“Oh, he and Ethan went to go get DNA from Carly Kester.” Elizabeth pulled the report off the printer.
“Oh did we get a warrant?” she asked, drying off her tools.
“Well, not exactly.”
Desdemona looked over the top of her glasses at the agent. “Not exactly?” That didn’t exactly offer her reassurance. “Then how was he going to get DNA from the woman?”
Elizabeth grinned and didn’t say anything.
“On second thought Elizabeth, it’s probably best I have no idea what went on today. I have a feeling that it’s not going to make me happy at all.”
She laughed. “I knew you were a smart woman,” she said, winking and then heading out of the room to find her husband and brother-in-law.
Desdemona Adare thought about it. Yeah, well now she was obligated to find out what the man she was sleeping with had done to get DNA from a suspect.
Then she just might kick his ass herself.
Saturday afternoon.
Elizabeth added another photograph to her whiteboard. Victim number seven was one of their own, and she placed his FBI photo ID on the board and for her husband’s sake, didn’t put the picture of him from the crime scene. Hearing about the injuries was going to be bad enough, and she still had yet to write the wounds on the board, because she needed to be the one that told him, not the board. Maybe she could soften the blow.
Hopefully.
She could hear their voices, as they walked down the corri
dor to the room. Elizabeth braced herself, and hoped she’d have the courage to tell her husband the truth of the situation. Plastering a fake smile on her face, she prayed for patience and the ability to stay calm if there was an implosion in the room.
Callen carried the baggie with the evidence into the room, and saw from the look on his sister-in-laws face, and knew the autopsy was complete. “Hey Lyzee, I got your DNA for you,” he said, trying to keep his voice light. “You’re sadistic, and I’m glad I’m the love of your life or that would have been particularly miserable,” he teased, dropping the bag on the table and a kiss on her cheek. Whitefox took a protective stance at her side. He was ready for what was coming.
Blackhawk laughed, and then looked over at the Whiteboard. There was his tech’s picture, happily staring back at them all. “Where’s the death picture,” he said, knowing exactly why it wasn’t up there. His wife didn’t think he could handle it. Just that alone pissed him off, and made him want to lose his temper.
“I don’t want to see it,” she said, lying. Immediately she prayed he’d not notice the way he was killed wasn’t posted on the board either.
“Why didn’t you fill in the rest of the information?” he asked, angrily.
Elizabeth knew she was going to be the target, and she wanted to get her brother-in-law out of the room before the eruption happened.
“I didn’t get there yet,” she said, staring at him evenly.
“Bullshit, Elizabeth.” He felt rage that she just lied to him.
“Callen, can you take the DNA down to Christina?” asked Elizabeth, picking it up and handing it back to him.
“Maybe I should stay.” He didn’t want to leave Elizabeth alone to take the heat. She was pregnant and didn’t need to be dealing with his hostility alone. He’d never seen his brother this angry before at Elizabeth, and it worried him. The male in him wanted to stay and protect her. The part of him that was in love with her was demanding he do it.
“Please go, Callen,” she said softly, rubbing her hand up and down his back reassuringly.
“Yes, please go, Callen. I’d like to have a discussion with my wife, privately if you don’t mind. I think she’ll be safe enough,” he said, venomously. On a normal basis, his brother’s protectiveness wouldn’t bother him in the least, but right now in the moment it did.
Whitefox walked towards the door, looking back at the woman and exchanging silent looks. He was looking for any sign that she needed him to stay.
Before he could leave the room, Christina appeared, and it was apparent that she’d been crying.
“I saw you came back, Director, and I came to see if you had more trace for us to analyze.”
Elizabeth and Callen both went deathly quiet. It was the worst possible moment for her to show up. Elizabeth knew what was coming, and she prayed that the woman didn’t say a word.
“As a matter of fact,” Ethan Blackhawk pointed at his brother. “Callen has a sample from Carly Kester. Since you’re here, you can take it down with you.”
Christina sniffled, and took the bag, signing off on it, and continuing chain of evidence. “I’ll get it done as soon as I can,” she said, looking up at her boss.
Elizabeth crossed her fingers behind her back, and she could tell Callen was doing the exact same thing. Again, they looked at each other and braced for worst case scenario.
“Are you going to be okay, Christina?” asked Blackhawk, focusing on the woman.
“I think so,” she answered. “I just can’t believe how this sicko killed him,” she said finally and there was an audible gasp.
Elizabeth realized it was her, and then she just closed her eyes.
Damn you, tech department for following procedures and logging the report the minute the ME had completed it.
Just for once she wished they hired incompetent idiots.
“Damn it,” she muttered.
“You’ve seen the report?” he asked, looking over at his wife, and then his brother. Now he had confirmation that they both knew how Derek Williams’s life had ended and were keeping it from him.
“Yes, a few minutes ago, when Doctor Adare put it in the file,” and then she must have realized what she just did. “I’m so sorry,” she looked at Elizabeth. “He didn’t know yet did he?”
“I was going to break it to him now. ALONE.”
“Oh my God! I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay, Christina.” Elizabeth had no one to blame but herself. She didn’t tell Doctor Adare to sit on the report for an hour or so. This was all on her.
Christina nodded with big eyes and backed out of the room. Now she didn’t know who to be more afraid of at that moment. Elizabeth looked calm, and Ethan looked like he was ready to murder.
Callen tried to get to Elizabeth’s side, but his brother moved between them. “Get out Callen!” The look on his face was somewhere between betrayal and murder.
“Ethan, come on. Just take a break and calm down before you say anything. Go for a walk and get it out of your system,” he warned, knowing this was going to be a huge blow up and it was going to be directed right at the woman he loved. Already he’d placed himself directly in front of her protectively. “Don’t hurt her.”
“Get out now!” he roared at his brother’s words. The implication enraged him, as much as the man trying to stand between them.
“Callen, just go,” Elizabeth said, softly. She nodded at him and offered him reassurance that she’d be okay. Even this mad, she knew he’d never hurt her. He was just going to blow off steam.
He weighed the options, and if staying made his brother angrier he should leave. He wasn’t going to go far that was for sure. Now he’d take sentry outside the door to be there if Elizabeth needed him.
When the door clicked closed. The sound was so loud in the silence that it could have been a gunshot. Elizabeth almost jumped.
Ethan had never been so mad in all his life. Yes, they’d had fights before, and mostly they’d been his fault, but this time, she’d purposely withheld information from her partner, and husband. The betrayal he felt whipped at him, and clawed at his heart, that she shared information with his brother and not him.
“Ethan,” she started, unsure how to calm him down.
“Don’t even, Elizabeth. Trust me when I say, just don’t even try to justify it to me. You purposely excluded me from the loop. You know how our tech died, my brother knows how he died, and apparently our staff does too.”
Elizabeth said nothing; she just stared at him with a blank stare. Her own temper was rising that after all they’d been through, he could really believe she’d hurt him intentionally.
“My own brother kept this from me too?” he accused loudly.
She was one more step closer to her own eruption.
“Where’s the report?” He stepped towards her, and she stepped back from him. She only did that once before, and it enraged him further.
Elizabeth pointed at the table and watched his face as he picked it up, scanning it and then looking back at her. “So you didn’t think I could handle it? Wow, you have very little faith in the man you married.”
“Oh, I knew well enough what was coming and that’s why I did what I did,” she answered, angrily. Elizabeth was mad at herself that she backed away from him, and that she was actually afraid.
He lost it.
Rage ripped through him, as she admitted to keeping him out of the loop on purpose. He lost complete and total control; he rushed the table, clearing it in one shot, sliding everything off to the floor. Papers slid, reports mixed, and he found it offered him no reprisal from his anger. If anything the fire of rage just burned hotter.
Elizabeth took another step back to be clear of the rampage, as she almost fought to catch her tablet as it flew across the room and hit the floor.
Blackhawk saw her move and it infuriated him, even though it was completely rational, he still was beyond help. He turned towards the whiteboard and felt the anger at the picture of his tech o
n there, and how he failed completely as a boss in keeping his staff safe, and he swept all the pictures off that too, and then pushed it over.
His wife stared open mouthed.
“What’s wrong Elizabeth? Never seen me this angry before?” He stalked towards her, and as she moved away from him again. It ripped him to pieces inside, and he became more volatile.
“I think you’re being a total asshole, and you just ruined hours of my work.” Elizabeth had a standard rule to never call her husband names, especially since his ex-girlfriend used that tactic to damage him. Yet now it seemed appropriate.
“I’m an asshole?” Blackhawk repeated, incredulously.
“Yeah, this is definitely asshole behavior!” Her own temper spiked. “You want to know why I did what I did? Well, Mr. Blackhawk I’ll tell you. I didn’t want to hurt you. I wanted to break it to you in private, and not in front of everyone that your tech was mutilated. I was trying to be a caring supportive wife who took her damn husband’s feelings into consideration. NOW I see how stupid that was on my behalf.”
He stared at her.
“I didn’t tell Callen anything before you. I asked Doctor Adare and she told me, Callen happened to be standing there and overheard the conversation. We decided to tell you in private, all together to be here for you and help you through it. In fact, we were going to tell you right now.”
Blackhawk looked into her eyes and saw nothing but truth. Damn it! How he needed to see that she was lying so he could justify what he just did.
“Your brother and I wanted to tell you to your face, not make you read it off a fucking piece of paper. Now I see that was a huge ass mistake, because you took it as us betraying you.”
Now she moved towards him angrily, and he stepped back.
“So screw you, Ethan. I’m not going to stand here and be your emotional punching bag because you’re mad at a killer. I’m hurting too. While you went off with Callen to get the DNA, know what I did?” She pointed at him, tapped him on the chest and crowded his space.
“No,” he answered.
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