Slay Bells Ring (An FBI Romance Thriller Book 12) (40 page)

“Hey, don’t judge me. I blew the dust off her. She was sitting there feeling neglected while her husband was off with his business. All women need to feel wanted.” He looked at Elizabeth. “You know what I mean. You need a tune up every now and again, right?”

She jerked her thumbs at the large Native men behind her. “They’re the ones handle that, and right now, they want to drop your transmission.”

He opened his mouth and closed it when they glared at him. 

“Did you notice anyone lurking around her? Did she mention that she felt like she was being followed?”

He shook his head. “After the hubby incident, she didn't talk to me. That was about a week ago. I figured it would blow over by now. I guess dead is dead.”

She shook her head before rubbing her fingers over her weary eyes.

“Would you be willing to submit some DNA?” she asked.

He stared at her. “Seriously? Don’t you need a warrant?”

“If you won’t donate, yes.”

“Sorry, but I took criminal justice classes. I know I’m innocent, but you’re the FBI. I don’t want to end up in Guantanamo.”

There was nothing they could do.

Standing, she pointed at him. “Stay in town. We may have to ask questions.”

“I’ll be around.”

She didn't doubt it. He was going to be hunting down a new wallet.

What was the world coming to?

                 
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Morgue

Friday Late Afternoon

Before heading back to the cabin for the day, Elizabeth wanted to check in with her team. The second she strolled into the morgue, Chris gave her the look.

“It’s not happening.”

Tony agreed.

“I wasn’t coming in for you two. I was looking for my agents and the US Marshals. So, chill out.”

Chris didn't buy it for a second. “They’re in there,” he said, pointing. When she actually walked away, he relaxed.

“By the way, what do you have?”

When he actually growled, Elizabeth was amused and snickered. There was nothing better than torturing her team. They went way back, and she was more than willing to bust balls.

“Get out!” he ordered.

For once, they listened.

Ducking into the spare room, she found four people doing research. That was surprising, since she didn't ask Dakota and his partner to help out.

Was he playing nice?

It was an odd day.

“What’s going on?” she asked, taking a seat. Both Callen and Ethan flanked her.

“We’re digging into the mayor’s life. Salvatore may have had some secrets. We found the money to pay for the apartment, but nothing else. For a while, we had a thought.”

“Which was?”

“He was being blackmailed. Maybe he did something, and the deputy was holding him to it.”

Her gut said no, but it was too early to be sure.

If he was paying a blackmailer for some past sin, he’d still be marked by Bonnie and Clyde. They had a broad scope when it came to piss poor morality. Who really knew what lived in the minds of two crazies.

“Keep digging. If you find anything, let me know. While you’re at it, I want background on Antonio Emerson.”

She then told them about the interview.

“And he came right out and admitted it?” Johanna asked. “No rubber hoses?”

She snorted. “I know, right? That pissed me off. I have to find some enjoyment in my job.”

“What’s wrong with college kids? Is it the den of iniquity?” asked Brody.

Callen interjected, “Sorry, but that title is taken. That’s what we lovingly call our home.”

He took a rough shot to the gut with her elbow.

“Shit. Pull the punch a little, angel.”

She continued, “Antonio had no shame, which means he may have no morals. Maybe he has something to do with this. I want to know where he’s from, who his family is, and anything else that looks shady in that tree.”

“Got it.”

“We also need Alessandra Savage checked out.”

They made notes.

“I like to cover our bases. I find it odd that we have two college kids in the thick of this.”

“As long as I don’t have to go undercover,” Johanna stated. “I’m over that.”

No one blamed her.

“We have something,” offered Dakota. “I don’t know if it’s anything pertinent, but when I was interviewing Veronica Boone, she said something.”

“What?” Ethan asked, trying to work all these people into his profile.

“And I quote,
‘it’s probably a good thing he’s dead because I’d cut his dick off and feed it to him’
,” he said.

She stared at him. “Wow, that’s something to think about.”

“Is anyone else creeped out over that?” Dakota asked. “I pictured some poor guy tied down while being force fed his penis in a shake.”

Callen shuddered. “I hope not.”

Standing, she opened the door to shout out to her ME. “Christopher, can you join us?”

He put down his tools and headed toward them. “Yes, boss?”

“Did you test stomach contents?”

“Yes. What were you looking for?”

She pointed at Dakota, and he repeated it.

“Jesus, can this get sicker?”

“Probably. That’s why we have to derail this crazy train. I never even went there. I pictured them drinking it, not them serving him back to himself.”

“I may be sick,” Dakota offered. “I’m so glad we just hunt people and arrest them. I don’t’ think I’d like doing this day in and day out.”

There were weeks that they felt the same.

“You can relax, Marshal Rakin. I tested, and there was no processed penis in their stomach contents.”

For some reason, that still worried her. If they weren’t force feeding it to the victims, what the hell were they doing with it? “Why take the time to lop off a penis, and then blend it?”

“Shits and giggles?” Dakota added.

It was all just weird.

“Ethan, if you were a killer and cutting off penises, would you put them in a blender?”

“I love that in a room full of men, you picked me for this example. Callen is more likely to do something like that than I am.”

“Hey! Don’t even be spreading that around!”

She laughed.

Elizabeth knew they were trying to lighten the mood.

“Seriously? What do you think is going through the mind of that killer?”

“I think that he’s got some mental issues to begin with, but if I was a betting man, and from studying the crime scenes, I’d say it’s not him.”

They all stared at him.

“Really?”

“Yes. Look at it this way. We’re all men, right? Who in here wants to handle any dick but their own?”

No one answered him, but when the men all glanced over at the two brothers, Callen broke his silence.

“We share her, not each other. Get your minds out of the gutter. I don’t let anyone touch the goods but the woman.”

Elizabeth was amused by the whole thing. Both men, despite having sexy Native skin, were blushing.

It was hot, and that wasn’t the pregnancy hormones talking.

Ethan agreed. “She’s the boundary we don’t cross.”

“Then what’s going on?” Dakota asked.

“I’m betting that’s her idea. While he’s raping the woman, she’s manhandling his junk. It seems that she has some anger issues.”

They all thought about it.

He had a very valid point.

“If we go with that, what can you tell us about Bonnie?”

“We discussed her being the more submissive, but maybe she has a past of sexual abuse. She hates men, and she’s acting out her fantasy of hurting them.”

And what a fantasy it was.

“Clyde may be driving the bus, but she likely has a hand in it.”

“So, she’s just as sick.”

“Could she be his prisoner?” Elizabeth asked, throwing it out there. “I don’t want her crying when we bring her in.”

He shook his head. “No. She’s not suffering from Stockholm syndrome. If she was taken, she’d do what he said, but people still have that moral compass deep down. Blending a man’s junk is something that would stop almost all people in their tracks.”

“This is so damn confusing,” Callen stated.

Ethan didn't disagree. That’s why his job was important. Not everyone could do what he did. “The books would say survival will trump breaking that code, but in this case, she’s participating. She’s getting something from it. Would you cut off someone’s penis, Elizabeth, and then process it?”

She grinned.

“I’m never sleeping naked again,” Callen offered. “Don’t even joke about that.”

“No, I wouldn’t,” she reassured. “I hate killing. Why would I want to mutilate?”

“Exactly. She might do as he asked, but she’s taking it further. Blending a penis wouldn’t please a man—not even a crazy one. Cutting one off, bleeding him, that would. Playing with it? No, that’s sheer lunacy.”

“So she’s as crazy as the Mad Hatter?”

He nodded. “If she’s caught, she’s going to be smart. She’ll play insane to save her ass.”

Dakota stopped him. “You just said she is crazy. How can she play it if she is it?”

“The law and courts will test her. I’m betting she’s very smart, very cunning, and knows it. While she may play submissive, she has no problem hurting people.”

“So, this brings us back to the comment made by the mayor’s wife. Did Veronica mean it or was that just the anger talking?”

This was a tricky one.

“Agents?”

“We’ll run her. Find out if her life is squeaky clean, and then see if she was really at that spa.”

“Speaking of which,” Dakota began, “want to guess who the trip was booked through?”

That had Elizabeth’s attention. “Please tell me it’s Juliet Singer.”

He grinned. “Yep.”

“Three for three?” she asked. “If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck…”

“Then it’s likely a duck,” Ethan stated.

They didn't buy coincidences, and this was a huge one that couldn’t happen on its own.

“What happened?”

He told her everything—from the trip being altered to exclude the hubby, to the travel agent knowing the sister would be attending.”

“Interesting.”

And it was.

This pointed the finger at the travel agent.

“We know why the husband didn't attend. He was likely planning on getting off. He didn't think it would end like this.”

No cheater did.

“We need to talk to her,” Elizabeth stated. When she glanced down at her watch, she knew there wasn’t time. It was already after five, and that meant the business was going to be closed.

“Do they have Saturday hours?”

Johanna searched it. “Yes, boss.”

“Tomorrow, we’ll meet up here. We’ll break down what we found, and go from there.”

“We’re going to be helping, right?” Dakota stated.

“You will be. I think it’s fair to say that you handled that interview just fine, and you earned it.”

He relaxed.

The men behind her…not so much.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Team, I’ll be heading to the Rez. I want to study the whiteboard and get ready for tomorrow. If you find anything, you know where to send it.”

They watched her head out, the two men behind her.

“By any chance, Agents, would you like some help with those searches?”

They stared at him like he was crazy.

“You want to do them?” Brody asked. “And not at gunpoint?”

They laughed.

“We’re not used to this part of the process. Let’s call it cross training.”

They handed them half the names, and they all settled in to get to work.

“Maybe we can get out of here a little earlier?” Dakota offered.

Yeah, maybe.

Then again, this killer was crazy. Who knew what they had planned next.

                 
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