Slay Bells Ring (An FBI Romance Thriller Book 12) (39 page)

If you smelled one bloody crime scene, you smelled them all.

When the doctors entered, they were ready to go.

“He left them for us in here,” she said, leading them to the macabre scene.

Chris whistled. “It’s just like the warehouse, but somehow worse.”

She agreed.

Reaching up, he touched one of the severed limbs. “They aren’t starting rigor yet. They’ve only been dead for a short time.”

Well, they were getting closer.

Now…whether that was good or bad was a matter of perspective. The crazies were getting nuttier by the second.

“The time frame is speeding up,” Chris admitted.

She was well aware.

Since the woman disappeared only a day ago, they weren’t being tortured as long. That was probably a blessing for the victim, albeit bad for them.

“Small miracles,” Elizabeth muttered.

Yes, it put the pressure on the team, but they’d worked with far less. This case wouldn’t break them.

“They look to be the same cuts to the bone,” stated Tony Magnus.

“What did they use?”

“I’d say a circular saw.”

She shuddered. “That’s nasty. We deal in shit like that all the time, but still. People are crazy.”

Here was the proof.

They all moved toward the table. Merry was scanning it with a UV light to get more of the story.

“We’ve got the same thing here, boss. There are samples of semen and another fluid. I’ll bet that it’s vaginal.”

“It’s sad that I’m only hoping it’s from one woman,” Elizabeth stated. “It’s gross that they’re doing it in someone else’s blood.”

Nobody disagreed there.

It was three days past creepy into plain old wrong.

They moved into the kitchen, and there was more of the same. It was the duplicate of the other scenes.

There was blood splatter, uneaten food, and of course… the blender.

Elizabeth bit the bullet and approached it. Once there, she peered down inside. “It’s chunky. They didn't have time to liquefy it.”

Callen scrunched up his face. “I can’t wait until this case is over. I’m never going near a blender again. I’ll forever think of this if I have to make a milk shake.”

They all would.

You never forgot any of the cases. The more brutal, the longer they lingered.

“It looks like the other scenes,” Merry stated. “We can pretty much assume that this is the same killer.”

Chris didn't often speculate, but on this one—he agreed. “From the cuts in the wrists, he bled her. I’ll note that the torso from the male, hanging from the ceiling, is missing his genitalia.”

Elizabeth closed her eyes. “We have to find a way to get these nutjobs. If the media gets a picture of this, God only knows what the headline will be.”

Chris smiled. “Speaking of which, we saw the paper.”

She gave him a look.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m a huge hussy, and they’re my boy toys. Yada, yada, all I do all day long is get laid.”

Callen snorted, but before he could say anything, she elbowed him.

Ethan knew better.

As they were processing it all, there were angry shouts from the sheriff.

“It looks like the fun is going to continue,” she said, heading toward the front door. As a precaution, she’d called in her agents, and they were standing sentry.

Already, she knew what the hubbub was all about. Elizabeth had decreed that once the man had left the scene, he wasn’t to return.

It was for his own good.

“What’s wrong, Sheriff O’Neil?”

“We want to take this case over. We get that the FBI takes jurisdiction, but she was one of ours. This is our town and our deputy.”

Elizabeth wasn’t moved by his speech. “Technically, they’re all citizens of your fine town, so they’re all yours. What you neglected to realize that is why you’re not getting lead on this. It’s staying ours. Your duty is to protect and serve, not wig out and seek revenge.”

He fumed.

She didn't care.

This wasn’t her first day on the job. She’d seen countless law officials go rogue, seeking payback. With Bonnie and Clyde, this could be a slaughter, and she wasn’t talking about the killers dying.

These green cops didn't have a clue who they were hunting.

“Our job is to solve this for all parties concerned. We can do that. You can’t. You’re pissed, and I get it. I lost a deputy when I was a sheriff. I was out for blood. It didn't end well. So, you’re going to back your ass on out of here and stop staring at me like I’m public enemy number one. Your request is declined.”

“I’ll call your boss.”

Ethan raised his hand. “That’s me. It’s still declined.”

“I’ll call his boss then too!”

“He’ll tell you the same.”

“I’ll call his boss and work my way to the top of the FBI food chain!”

She shook her head. It was time to school the man.

“Yeah, you can say that all you want, but it doesn’t work like that. You really don’t know how this works, do you? Our boss answers to POTUS. I’m thinking the president doesn’t have time for your temper tantrum. Call me crazy, but he’s a little busy with the rest of the mayhem in the world.”

The man went red.

“We’ll investigate on our own.”

She laughed. “Have at it. If you find anything, and I hope you do, let me know. I’d like to get home for Christmas, my anthropologist is getting married, and he’d like to make it to the church on time. So, the sooner we find these nuts, the sooner we’re out of your hair.”

He stormed away.

“Well, that went about as well as they always do.”

Callen shrugged. “It’s just anger. Are you really going to let him investigate this on his own?”

“Nah, there’s no way. He’s just pissed. Give him a few hours to forget what he’s seen, and he’ll calm down. I was like that too when I lost a deputy.”

“You stayed calm,” Ethan offered. “I’m proud of you.”

She laughed. “Hell, he’s lucky I didn't lose it. Pregnancy hormones are unpredictable.”

Elizabeth pulled off her gloves and handed them to a waiting tech.

“Chris, we’re heading out to do an interview.”

“Who’s under the microscope?” he asked.

Elizabeth broke it all down. “We’re heading out to talk to Antonio Emerson. He’s the young man Lily was caught naked with.”

“That should be fun. See if you can get his DNA,” Merry offered. “It might help.”

They could ask. If he said no…well, they couldn’t hold him down and rip out hairs. It didn't quite work like that.

“We will. We want to find out how long he was sleeping with Lily Schneider. When you’re done, have the team search the upper floors. We might find something.”

He saluted and headed back in to Tony and the mess.

The two men followed her out.

“So, after the interview?”

She rolled her shoulder and neck. “I think we’ll head back to the cabin. I want to regroup.”

They were good with that.

“I need some quiet so I can start working through this. My brain feels like it’s on overload. I get this feeling that something bad is coming, but I can’t put my finger on it.”

They were aware.

The men knew that if she had that gut instinct, they should likely follow it.

“I hope they don’t have the next two victims yet,” Elizabeth admitted.

Ethan pondered it, but said nothing.

The clock was ticking, and two more people’s lives were definitely on the line.

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

Local College

It didn't take long to find Antonio Emerson. He was a college kid living near the campus. What they found odd was that he didn't go home for the holidays.

It was sheer luck that they found him.

At her knock, he showed up at the door. He was in boxers and appeared to just roll out of bed.

“Yeah? What’s up?”

“Antonio Emerson?”

“Yep. That’s me.”

“We’re with the FBI, and we need to talk to you.”

He stepped back and sleepily wandered to his couch. “I’d offer you coffee, but I just got up. I’m going to grab some on campus.”

“Why aren’t you home for Christmas break?”

He shrugged. “I took a mid-semester course, and I have to stay. I want to graduate early. College loans suck when money’s tight.”

She understood. They had five kids to put through school. They were going to be buried in college debt. It wasn’t going to be pretty, and they all knew it.

“Do you know a Lily Schneider?” she asked.

“Heck yeah! I have sex with her.”

They all stared at him. Normally, people didn't blurt out bedroom details without provocation.

Okay, maybe she did, but that was just her.

“Um…okay,” Elizabeth said, a little surprised. “So you’re admitting to having a relationship with her?”

“Yeah, I am. She buys my books for the school year. I give her a few wild nights, and I don’t have to worry about my book tab.”

She closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose. What the hell was wrong with college students? They’d just encountered horrible ones on the last case, and here they’d found more—first a panty thief, and now a book gigolo.

The world was coming to an end.

Smarts apparently did not equal common sense.

“You realize I’m a Fed, right? You just admitted to prostitution.”

“No, she buys my books. I didn't take money from her. It’s no different when a woman sleeps with a man to get jewelry or pretty things. I need books, she needs her box filled.”

Callen opened his mouth, and then closed it. This was best left for the angry pregnant woman. Anything he could add to that might just get him killed—even if it was a well-placed joke.

“Are you shitting me?” she asked.

“No. I was being honest. It’s tit for tat, so to speak. I give her the best time, riding a young guy, and she takes me book shopping. I like older ladies. The girls today are just skeezy.”

Elizabeth wasn’t going to lose it.

There was no point.

“So, when’s the last time you played ‘dick for dollars’ with the married woman?”

He laughed. “We cooled down for a while. Not long ago, I was getting busy with her, and the husband came home. He started swinging, and I had to get stitches.”

Thus the police report.

“What happened after that?”

She told me she’d call me when the heat died down. I haven’t heard from her yet. I hope she calls soon. My chemistry book is four hundred bucks. I’m sure she’ll make me work for it.”

It was time to deliver the bad news.

“Yeah, not likely going to happen, Antonio. Your days of prostituting yourself out are done.”

“What? Why?”

Was he this big of an idiot?

Really?

“Because it’s against the law, and…”

He cut her off. “You didn't read me my Miranda rights, so you can’t hold that against me. Don’t you have to prove it?”

She shook her head. “They don’t cover stupid, son. Trust me. We’ve been down that road before. The reason it’s over, as I was trying to tell you, is that she’s dead. Someone killed Lily Schneider and her husband. Know anything about that?”

He looked surprised.

“Really?”

“Yes, really. I’m not here for shits and giggles, Antonio. I’m the FBI, and so are my two partners. We have better things to do than yank your chain.”

“I can’t believe this.”

“We need to talk about it. When her husband came in, what happened?”

“He flipped out for no reason.”

Ethan glared at him. “You were having sex with his wife. That’s a pretty big reason. You’re lucky he didn't kill you.”

He shrugged. “It’s not like I loved her. I was working a part time job, and nothing more.”

They all stared at him.

“We don’t have to worry about college for our kids. They’re grounded until I’m dead,” Elizabeth stated. “Better yet, it’s the military all around.”

The two men were beginning to agree.

“Anyway,” she continued, “how long were you to hooking up with Lily?” she asked.

“It was less than a year. I ran into her at the grocery store, and she was flirting. We had coffee, discussed her needs, and my terms. It went from there.”

They waited for him to continue, but their faces must have said it all.