Slay Bells Ring (An FBI Romance Thriller Book 12) (27 page)

“Head her off around the front,” Elizabeth shouted, right before racing after her.

Pulling her gun, she followed through the bakery part of the business, ignoring the surprised looks of the other employees. When the woman overturned a giant cart full of flour, it filled the air in a cloud.

Yet, it didn't stop Elizabeth.

Now it was an affront to her as a woman and investigator. If you ran, she was going to chase.

Elizabeth raced through the cloud, barely able to see. When she blinked the flour out of her eyes, the exit sign glowed up ahead.

When she caught this woman, she was going to kick her ass. If she thought she could outrace Elizabeth, she was in for one hell of a surprise.

Alessandra hit the door running and didn't even look back as she tore into the alley and finally onto the street.

As she raced away, she began pulling over garbage cans and boxes to stop the Fed behind her.

It only pissed her off.

Elizabeth was in the best shape of her life. If some Goth girl thought she was going to get away, she had another thing coming.

When the girl raced into the street, Elizabeth immediately saw the oncoming bus. It didn't take a hell of a lot of math to see how this problem ended.

A and B were about to collide if C didn't step in and handle it. There was no way the bus could stop.

So, she had one choice.

Pushing her body to the limits, Elizabeth dove at the fleeing idiot, taking her out at the hips. They slid across the hood of an SUV before landing on the ground in a pile of snow.

As soon as they hit, Elizabeth had her on her stomach, hands cuffed, and badge out.

“I didn't mean to steal that lingerie. It was just so pretty that I had to have it. I’ll give it back,” she said, sobbing hysterically.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

The girl nearly died over some crotchless panties.

Great
.

What the hell was this world coming to?

As Callen and Ethan ran up, they were staring at her in horror. They’d seen the bus and their wife diving into the path to save the girl.

“Don’t even start. This wasn’t my plan. Ms. Savage opted for a footrace through the streets.”

The girl sobbed. “I’m sorry. I’ll pay for it. Don’t arrest me.”

Elizabeth wanted to smack her in the back of the head. “She’s been shoplifting and thinks the FBI gives a damn.”

Here, they hoped she was one of the killers, but instead she was just a klepto who liked to play tag.

When Callen was finally calm, he pointed at Elizabeth’s arm. Her winter coat was torn, and there was blood on it. “You’re bleeding. Please tell me it’s hers. If it’s yours, I can’t promise I won’t lose my cool.”

Elizabeth rolled her shoulder. “Yeah, I know. It’s mine from hitting the sidewalk. You can get mad at her. Then again, don’t worry. I’m going to make her bleed for her stupidity.”

Alessandra Savage was in deep shit.

No one doubted that.

Back inside the café, Elizabeth was semi-cleaned off. The flour wasn’t too bad, and the damaged coat was easily ignored. It was only a tear. Once Elizabeth was calm, she shoved the girl down in the chair.

“You’re lucky we’re not the local police. If we were, you’d be going to jail for running from us.”

She sniffled. “I thought you were going to bust me for theft. I’ve never stolen anything before, and I shouldn’t have. I just didn't have the cash. I’m a college student.”

Elizabeth sat down beside her. “Listen, I don’t want to hear about your absconded britches, okay? I’m here because of Christian Bourdain.”

She grimaced. “I loved that job. It paid well, and all I had to do was walk around in a little plaid skirt. He got off on it and paid me well.”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “Jesus. That’s like prostitution. We are still cops. Think about what you say before you say it.”

She nodded. “Can I get out of the cuffs?”

Elizabeth laughed. “Hell no. You’re staying in them until you tell us everything you know. Why did you get fired from the job if he got off playing peeping boss?”

“It was all her fault. Christian’s fiancée didn't like me around. They fought all the time, and when she threatened to call off the marriage, he had no choice but to fire me.”

“And you haven’t seen him since?”

She didn't speak.

“Here’s where you tell the truth,” she hinted.

“You told me to think before I answered. I can’t do both. If I tell the truth, I may implicate myself.”

That said it all.

Callen got it.

He was a man, and he had lots of guy fantasies. He’d pictured Elizabeth in just about every way possible. “You were having sex with him, weren’t you?”

She nodded.

Well, that explained it.

Someone was hooking.

“So he was paying you for sex behind his fiancée’s back?” Elizabeth asked, a little grossed out. The girl was barely nineteen, if that. Christian Bourdain had to be about fifty.

“Yes.”

She shook her head. “Do you have proof that you’re telling the truth?”

“My phone has the last time he called me. Is something wrong?”

Ethan took over while Elizabeth dug through her smart phone. “Yeah, he’s dead, as is his fiancée.”

She looked panicked.

“I didn't do anything. I swear! It was straight sex for cash.”

“Stop talking,” Callen stated when Elizabeth glared at her.

“Okay.”

Elizabeth scrolled through the phone. “She sent him a text yesterday. I’m assuming that’s her wearing the stolen merchandise.”

Oddly, she had the same gear at home.

Callen and Ethan glanced over her shoulder, and when Callen opened his mouth, she pointed at him.

“I’ll never wear it again,” she warned.

He shut up.

Alessandra was pissed. “I can’t believe he’s dead. He paid my bills. That’s the only reason I slept with him. He was a creep.”

Yeah, and she wasn’t too far up on the morally just scale herself. She was prostituting.

“He never replied, huh?” she asked.

“That was normal. If the ball and chain was around, he wouldn’t. I just figured Ann was on a tear. She was a total bitch. It was hard for him to meet up with me.”

Elizabeth kept it to herself. If she went there, opening her mouth, who knew what would come out.

“I didn't kill him. I swear.”

“Do you know who would want to hurt him?” Elizabeth asked.

Alessandra laughed.

No one else found that amusing.

“You’re going to be very busy,” she said.

“Why?”

“No one liked him. Everyone wanted him dead.”

Great.

Then this should be a walk in the freaking park.

                 
* * *  B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x   * * *

Dance Studio

Brody and Johanna studied the location. It looked like any other studio. It was decorated with festive lights and there was Christmas music playing outside. It was like the owners wanted to lure in people with the promise of sugar plum fairies and all things holiday.

“What do we know about the owner?” Johanna asked, waiting for her partner to fill her in.

“Rena Woods has been living here about a year. Before that, employment records have her working in New York as a Rockette.”

“Why would you go from NYC to a small town?” Joey asked, glancing around.

“Maybe she was tired of kicking and smiling for a paycheck. I’d rather live in a small town than do that.”

She glanced over. “I just pictured you dressed up like a Rockette.”

He grinned. “In this fantasy, were you naked?”

“Broderick.”

“What? You have your fantasies, and I have mine. You’re always naked in mine.”

She punched him. “Knock it off, or later I won’t be naked.”

He made a zippering motion across his lips, even as he wiggled his eyebrows lecherously.

Joey snorted.

“Back to the owner.”

“From the appearance of this space, she obviously had money when she came here. This place stands out, and I don’t mean the decorations and festive gear. It’s all glass and shiny, where the rest of the buildings look older.”

He was right.

“Okay, so she likes nice things.”

“And plenty of them.”

“What does that mean?” Joey asked.

“This is one of four businesses that she owns. She opens them, stays until they get going, and then finds a new one. She’s pretty wealthy.”

Interesting.

“Good cop or bad cop?” Johanna asked.

“In the spirit of our sex life, how about you be the bad cop. Then you can interrogate me later. You know…since you ruined my previous fantasy.”

She snorted. “Deal.”

As they headed in, there were a few dancers in there. They were doing kicks, spins, and some moves that likely had French names. When they approached, everyone stopped like they were interrupting some global summit.

They actually looked offended.

“Can I help you?” a woman asked.

“We need to speak to Rena Woods,” Brody stated, holding out his badge.

Everyone pointed at a tall, statuesque woman in the corner. They should have been able to pick her out. She looked like a Rockette.

There was no doubt there.

Johanna was jealous. The redhead was all legs and breasts. She only wished she was half as tall. Plus the stilts she was dancing in were impressive. Johanna couldn’t help herself. She glanced over at Broderick to see if he was checking the Rockette out.

He wasn’t.

She could have kissed him.

Her fiancé was strictly focused on Rena’s face. Johanna was going to make all his fantasies come true later as a big reward.

“Can I help you?” Rena asked as they approached.

“We’re investigating the death of Ann Kong and her fiancé,” he stated, handing her his credentials.

She started laughing as if that was some joke.

Both Feds stared at her.

The more they stared, the more she laughed.

“What’s so funny?” Johanna asked. “The woman was brutally murdered. That’s really nothing to get all giggly about.”

Rena struggled to regain her composure. Finally, she was able to talk. “I’m sorry, but she was evil. I’m not the least bit shocked that someone killed her. At first, when she came here to sign up, I was excited. I mean, who wouldn’t be. She’s a model. Then her true colors came out, and they weren’t pretty. She’s vicious, nasty, and cold.”

“We hear that,” Brody said. “Was anyone bothering her?”

There was more laughter. “Well, that depends on who you asked. We all bothered her just by breathing. We were a bane to her existence, even me, who opened this dance studio. She treated everyone like they were something she scraped off her shoes.”

“So, everyone wanted her dead.”

“Sorry, but pretty much. She was a viper and made no friends here. I tried to be nice, but she’d cut you and then laugh while you were bleeding. She was a horrible person.”

Well, Elizabeth wasn’t going to be happy with this one. Their boss wanted information, and this was opening up the investigation to include more people, not less.

Shit!

“What do you know about her fiancé?” asked Brody. “Did she talk about him?”

The redhead focused on him. “You’re handsome. Did you ever do any acting? I swear you look familiar.”

He glanced up. “Nope. I’m a Fed. That’s it.”

“You should get into the business. You have some truly wicked cheekbones.”

When she reached out and tried to touch his face, he stepped back.

“Don’t be skittish,” she teased.

He laughed. “Oh, I’m not. I was just giving my fiancée room so she could kick your ass.”

Johanna waved at her. “That would be me.”

“Oh, sorry.”

While she wanted to hurt the woman, Johanna knew she was right. Brody was handsome, and she loved his cheekbones. She stared at them when he was asleep.

“Back to the dead woman,” she stated. “Ann, not the one I’m going to kill for hitting on my man.”

Brody grinned.

“Ann was only getting married for the money. She’d slowed down with modeling since she was getting old.”