“Police brutality,” he muttered, holding his face in his hands.
Elizabeth faced the camera. “I’d like to go on the record stating that this man, Oscar Luis Lopez, physically struck me, a federal officer. He’s under arrest for assault with a deadly weapon.”
She turned. “You’re going back in the hole, but this time, not for a chop shop.”
He glared at her.
“Yeah, you’re badass, Oscar. Know what else I’m going to pin on you?”
“What, Chica? Your titties? I’ll like them all over me. Pin one on each side of my dick.”
She laughed. “Seriously. Do you use that as a pick-up line? If you do, the only titties you’re getting, my friend, is Fat Bruno in lock up as he makes you his bitch. I bet he’ll call you chica too. Won’t that be sweet?”
He stared at her.
He looked horrified.
Apparently, someone had tried to make him their girlfriend in the slammer the last time he was doing time.
Awwww.
Too.
Damn.
Bad.
“Are you done being a smart ass?” she asked, taking a seat across from him.
“No.”
“Well, feel free.”
“I bet your face hurts,” he said, laughing his ass off.
Elizabeth wasn’t a newbie. He couldn’t rattle her cage in here.
She was ready. “Not as much as yours. It’s killing me,” she stated.
It took him a second.
It also gave her the time to see one thing.
Yeah, Ethan had been right.
Oscar wasn’t the killer. He couldn’t plan his way out of a wet paper bag let along work a serial killer game. This was going to be a waste of her time, unless he could give her a lead. Still, her gut wasn’t enough.
She had to do the dance with this asshole.
“What? Nothing else, Oscar?” she asked. “Don’t you want to try to intimidate me by degrading me? How about you comment on my ass? Why not go there? It’s all that’s left. When you’re done, I’ll still be free, and you won’t be. That’s the bottom line. I’m going home to sleep in my bed with my Egyptian cotton sheets, and you’re going to lock up to sleep with some Egyptian. See the difference?”
It took everything for Callen not to laugh. If the man thought he could intimidate Elizabeth in here, he was dead wrong. This was like her playground.
She thrived on the back and forth, where she’d keep her wits sharp and deadly.
She liked nothing more than a suspect in an interrogation room. She could be sarcastic, nasty, vicious, or play on their fears. It was her specialty, and he was way out of her league.
“What? No comment? Don’t worry, Oscar. You know how the prison system is in the US. You get a different sexy roommate whenever the one is done with you. I bet you make a good bitch.”
He wouldn’t speak.
“Now if you’re done trying to impress me with your wit and charm, I’ll tell you what we’re going to pin on you. You, my friend, are going down as a murderer.”
She knew it was BS, but the fun began.
He stared in shock. “What? Who did I murder?”
She flipped over her tablet and showed him four pictures. “Which of these women do you recognize?” she asked. “If you lie, you’re going to the chair. I don’t even care at this point. My face hurts, and my husband and I have a really bad attitude right now.”
“He’s your husband?” Oscar said, glancing over.
She held up her left hand, showing off the sparkling ring. “Yeah, we didn’t get these out of the cereal box,” she stated, as Callen held up his hand too.
In fact, Callen looked about ready to kill as he leaned against the wall.
“Shit.”
“Oh, yeah, you got that right. I’m sure he recalls your titties comment a few minutes ago too. I bet he’s pissed off about it too.”
Callen laughed. “I’m homicidal. I want to hurt someone. Oh look. There’s a someone right there,” he said, pointing at Oscar.
Elizabeth admired him as he glared at the man. Callen was a big guy, so when he put on the cranky Native face, the suspects always believed it.
“I didn’t know chica was married.”
“Her name is Director Blackhawk—use it,” Callen warned.
“As for who she belongs to, yeah, she’s mine, and you touched her. So, I’m thinking I have to break all your bones, but I’ll do it in lockup. I’ll come visit. I’ll be the one the guards let in after hours.”
He swallowed.
Elizabeth tapped the tablet.
“Now, study hard. Which of these ladies did you know personally?”
“I haven’t hooked up with any of those women. I tried to get with a few the other night, but one told me fifty didn’t get me what I wanted, so I drove away. I’m not paying one hundred bucks for a blowjob.”
“Yeah, especially when you will only last thirty seconds. That has to suck.”
He scowled.
“Besides, I was there,” she said. “Your negotiating skills suck. You could have gotten all of the hookers to come down in price had you been nicer. Oscar, you tend to be a dick. I’m sorry to break that to you.”
He stared at her.
“Wait, you was there?”
“Were,” she corrected. “I was playing hooker to find a killer, and your tags popped up from the DMV. We photographed you trying to get lucky and failing. That’s sad. A hooker is a pretty sure deal, and you struck out.”
He glared at her.
“It must be your tiny dick,” Callen admitted.
“What do you know about pussy? You’re married,” he shot back.
“I know I got lucky that night, and I didn’t have to pay,” he offered. “That’s all I have to say about that.”
He grinned at his wife.
She was amused.
“You have some fancy cars, Oscar. Tell me about your shop.”
“It’s a garage. I fix shit. I saw you coming, and I was pissed. You sent me to jail. Ten years, I was locked up. You rolled on me, Chica. All I wanted was that sweet red Mercedes.”
“Actually, to roll, I would have had to be doing something illegal. I do believe I was sitting in a bar, minding my own damn business, and you approached me—as the video showed. Nice try on that one, Oscar. It didn’t work on a judge and jury, and it’s not working on me. I was there. Change the tune. We’ve heard it all before.”
He growled.
Callen slammed both hands on the table.
The man jumped.
“Tell me about your cars. How many Audis go through there?”
“Not many. They aren’t what’s hot.”
He obviously realized he was done. She had him. Now she only had to break him down.
“Then what’s hot?”
“I don’t know.”
“Talk, Oscar.”
“I want my lawyer. Now.”
She was finished with the interview. That freaking weasel was done talking. As she suspected, she’d followed a dead end.
Well, all in a day’s work.
At least she tried.
“Callen, get some Feds to his shop. I want it pulled apart. By dawn, it’ll just be a shell. I’m the repo lady, and I’m taking it all in the name of the Federal government.”
“NO!”
“Then talk.”
He did, but it wasn’t the tune she wanted to hear.
And frankly, that sucked.
Ethan was watching from behind the glass. When the man growled at his woman, he wanted to go in there, beat him senseless, and then make him bleed.
Only, something he had said had piqued his interest.
Sweet red Mercedes.
He thought about it.
Chris had owned one for the longest time, before his home had burned down. He knew, from talking to him, that he kept it for sentimental reasons.
But didn’t Elizabeth say she was meeting her boyfriend in the bar?
And Oscar wanted the red Mercedes.
His gut knotted.
What the hell?
Two and two were not equaling four.
Grabbing the tablet in the observation room, he pulled up Elizabeth’s reports on that one case. It was a while ago. In it, she stated she was having dinner with a friend.
He relaxed.
She must have misspoken. After all, it was over a decade ago.
That’s all it was.
There was no way she’d actually been dating Chris. Had that been true, she wouldn’t have lied to him. Chris wouldn’t have lied either. They were family.
They could be trusted.
Right?
This was his wife.
They didn’t keep secrets, and they sure as hell wouldn’t keep this secret. If they’d been a couple…yeah, that would have made a huge difference to him.
When he’d let Chris move into their home, invited him in to be part of their family, they’d both promised they’d never had sex. That was the only reason he let another male into their domain.
He wasn’t stupid. Letting a fox into the hen house was dangerous, and people who had pasts could easily rekindle them.
Yeah, no.
If they’d been naked...
If they’d been in a relationship...
It would make Chris an ex, and the ex was NOT allowed near the wife.
Never.
Ever.
It was the only reason he really felt comfortable in letting another male around her. Chris Leonard was her brother, and nothing more.
So he must have misheard her.
That was the only way.
Chris wouldn’t lie.
He was offering him protection, a family, and safety under their roof.
Elizabeth never lied.
Ever.
That meant that this was all some kind of mistake.
He relaxed.
There was nothing to worry about over this. For a minute, his blood pressure was through the roof. That irrational fear that his wife would cheat on him had passed.
He was good.
It was fine.
Ethan knew he had nothing to worry about.
He trusted his wife.
Why shouldn’t he?
When she rolled out of interrogation, they were nowhere. While he gave them everything they had asked for, nothing would help with the case.
Oh, he’d been running a chop shop, all right, but he didn’t have any Audis.
That was a dead end.
So, basically, she’d taken a gun to the face, jacked up her shoulder, and got her leg sliced for no reason.
Awesome.
Freaking fantastic.
“If I never see Oscar Lopez again, it’ll be too damn soon,” she muttered.
Callen felt differently about the situation.
“I want to meet him in an alley with a baseball bat and a hood. Then I’ll be good.”
She stared over at him. “You realize that’s premeditated, right?”
“So? He touched my woman.”
She shook her head. “NEVER say it out loud, Callen James. Think it only. Once it comes out, you have witnesses and you can’t play crazy. Who taught you how to do this?”
He snorted.
She made him laugh.
As they headed down the hall, Ethan was there against the wall. “No luck, huh?”
“Nada.”
“Well, your team is on the way in to the office. They have something.”
She looked at her watch.
Shit.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I wanted to get this notify done and talk to the husband before anything pops up on the news,” she said, yawning. “I guess I can do it later. What’s a couple more hours?”
Ethan shook his head.
“I can do it now instead of later?”
He shook his head again.
“When can I do it?” she asked.
“Tomorrow is a fine time to do a notify. The news hasn’t released the woman’s name, and you can do it in the morning when you don’t look like a bus ran you down. Besides, it’ll give Chris time to put her back together again.”
“Uh, he can’t.”
Ethan stared at her.
“Why?”
“She’s beetle bait by now. Tony was out buying bugs. After all this time, he’s put her in the plexi-box, and she’s going to be bug food.”
“Well, then you definitely want to wait to tell the husband. He’s not going to want to hear that he can’t see her because she’s being eaten. Trust me. No husband wants to hear that. Like Chris said, cut the man a break.”
“Yeah, Chris is probably right. I shouldn’t hit him hard right after I tell him she’s dead.”
Ethan still couldn’t believe this was his wife.
He’d take what he could get. This was a win for him. His wife was willing to compromise.
That NEVER happened.
Ever.
He was going to use that to his advantage while he could.
“So, we meet with Broderick and Johanna, and you go home to sleep.”
“I feel like you want to boss me around.”
He laughed. “I do. I’ve been so good today, so I think I’ve earned it.”
“Will you let me soak in some Epsom first?” she asked.
“Absolutely.”
“Will you rub my shoulders?”
“Yep.”
“Will you let me have my wicked way with you?” she teased, knowing she couldn’t do it if she tried.
She was running on nothing.
And it was catching up to her.
“Sure. If you can stay awake until we get home, then you can have all of the above.”
“You’re no fun, Dad. Just to prove a point, I WILL fall asleep so you can cart my dead weight upstairs.”
“Yeah, my life sucks,” he said, holding her hand as they walked down the hallway toward her area.
Actually, he wanted her to sleep.
Ethan had to talk to Callen. He needed reassurance, and his brother was it. If something had gone on, he’d know.
Callen was astute.
It was time for a brothers’ pow wow.
Tonight.
At Fort Whitefox-Blackhawk.
Chapter Fifteen
Saturday
Late afternoon
Well, at least the team had been hard at work. It made her forget the pain for a little while as they gave her an update as to what they found.
Sitting in her area, she held the ice to her face.
“Just ask,” she said, as Broderick Seaton stared at her.
“Um…did you go a few rounds with Tyson?” he finally got out.
“No, some Latino with an attitude and five friends wanted to make me their bitch. Unfortunately, I’ve made some long-lasting friendships over the years, and they’ve come back to haunt me.”
Yeah, he saw that.
“Anyway, I want to go to bed. I’m beat, I’m in pain, and I’m getting cranky. Someone tell me what they found, so I can get in my ride, pass out in my husband’s lap, and call it a day.”
Johanna pulled out her tablet and sent the information to the big screen.
“When I ran all the hookers together, I found two names. They didn’t hit with all three of them, but at least two did pop, and I thought you’d want to know about it.”
She was good with that.
At this point, she’d take anything.
“What did you find?” she asked, as Callen put a cup of tea in front of her. “Bless you,” she said, grateful that the men in her life were always thinking about her wellbeing.
He dropped a kiss to the top of her head.
“I found a man by the name of Paul Freeman. He’s a licensed contractor in the district.”
Callen sat beside his wife and made some notes.
“His name came up with two of the hookers, and I thought it might be pertinent.”
She was list
ening.
“What did he do? Purchase?”
She nodded. “Only, he went a little further with them. With Sharon Jones, AKA Cheeky, he got a little rough. In fact, he got so rough, that her pimp had a PFA thrown against him.”
She laughed. “I bet that cop had fun. ‘Please arrest him for manhandling my hooker. She’s the mother of one of my MANY children’.”
Callen snorted.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t want to sort through that shit,” Johanna offered. “He also got himself into the same situation with Jody Landry. It seems her pimp, Gavin Weeks, filed it too. The man was told to stop.”
“Let me guess,” Elizabeth offered. “He didn’t.”
She shook her head. “He kept trying to buy his way to an orgasm, and with the same girls.”
“What happened?” she asked.
“Nothing. He suddenly stopped.”
Yeah, that was odd.
Serial Johns didn’t just up and quit. So he moved on to new girls, or he was playing a role in these killings.
“Good job, Johanna. There is one gold star for you.”
“Thank you, boss!”
“Who’s next?”
“Our second man, Ralph Dixon, was arrested for stalking. He was caught following four different hookers. Two of which are now dead, but if the other two end up in the morgue, we have a really good suspect.”
“Do tell, Johanna. Spill the dirt. By the way, really nice hickey. I'm giving a gold star to Broderick for doing it up right.”
Callen snorted when the man looked horrified.
No one was safe from Elizabeth, especially when she was in a decent mood. She may be battered and bruised, but she didn’t miss a thing.
She wasn’t even looking at Johanna and she seemed to see it. That took skill.
“Thank you, ma’am, I think?” Brody said, unsure what to say.
It made Callen laugh.
“Continue, Johanna. Tell me more about Ralphie, the peeping John.”
Even Ethan laughed.
“He works the night shift as a security guard at the wharf on the Potomac. Most of those places are empty,” she stated. “So, if he needed a place to take women…”
Yeah, she got it.
Chris had just said that the last victim would have bled out all over the place. An abandoned warehouse would be the perfect place to have that happen and not get caught.
Dying to Love (An FBI Romance Thriller Book 18) Page 38