Dead Shall Speak (An FBI/Romance Thriller Book 10) (67 page)

When she heard whispers, she shifted her gaze over to see a familiar face.

There sat Bonnie Anston.

Well, shit!

The killer had her.

This couldn’t be good.

“Where are we?” she whispered.

Before Bonnie could reply, the door flew open, crashing against the wall.

“It’s good to see you’re awake. Is she bothering you, my sweet?” he asked Bonnie.

“No. I was just asking her if she was okay.”

He walked over to the other restrained woman and dropped a kiss on her forehead. “You have a huge heart. That’s why I love you.”

Jaxon didn't know what the hell was going on. Bonnie was looking at her with big scared eyes, but what she was saying didn't fit.

It was odd.

“Why am I here?” she asked.

“I need information about my brother.” He moved closer. “It seems my mother never told me he existed.”

She swallowed.

“Tell me everything and you’ll live.”

Jaxon didn't believe it. She’d seen the pit of bones. She recognized the abuse they suffered.

He wouldn’t let her go.

He’d kill her anyway.

“I’m not betraying him,” she stated.

He slapped her across the face in rage.

She gasped.

“I appreciate a loyal woman, look at my Bonnie, but you will tell me what I need to know, or I’ll have to hurt you.”

Jaxon didn't care. Tony came first.

“Fuck you.”

With his closed fist, he struck her in the face. The chair wobbled, falling back. Jaxon didn't know what hurt more—the punch or the crack of her head on the floor.

All she knew was the darkness was coming again. All she could hope was that she’d see Tony again.

She had to live.

He needed her love.

                          *     *     *

Morgue

Arriving at the morgue, he looked around for her. When he couldn’t find Jaxon with the techs, working on a skull, or beside Chris, he got worried.

“Where is she?”

He looked confused. “Who?” Chris asked. “Elizabeth?”

Tony shook his head. “No, Jaxon. I told her to ride in with you and Merry this morning. I got called out to the dig site. The doctor was losing it.”

“She didn't tell me that she was supposed to come with me. I saw you leave the hotel, she got up and followed. Merry and I finished our coffee and headed in.”

Merry agreed. “I went up to my room and didn't see her. Are you sure she’s not waiting there for you?”

Tony had that sick feeling in his stomach, but there was always the chance one of the Blackhawks grabbed her and she got waylaid.

Yeah, that’s what had to have happened.

“I’m going to head there and find the bosses.”

Chris knew his friend. “Call me when you find her!” he shouted after Tony. This all felt weird to him.

Out in the Denali, Tony took a deep breath as he called her phone. When no one answered, he began panicking.

Yeah, this was wrong.

Something had to have happened.

He put the vehicle into drive and hauled ass.

Tony Magnus needed to find her, and fast.

Before he lost his mind.

                          *     *     *

When Jaxon woke, she was bound on the floor. Bonnie Anston was sitting on the bed, chained to the headboard.

“Are you okay?” she whispered.

Jaxon wasn’t sure. “My head.”

“Shhhhh. You have to play the game. He’s fucking crazy. He thinks I’m his wife. If you want to survive this, you need to pretend you’re his friend. Lie to him about whoever this brother is. You have to survive.”

Jaxon tried to focus.

All she could hear were his angry shouts and slamming of cabinets.

“He’s told me he killed all those women. He’ll kill you too. I want to escape, but I have to have him trust me. I’m sorry, but it’s you or me. I have to pretend to be his wife.”

She understood.

But, she wasn’t betraying Tony for her own safety. She loved him and would die for him. After all, he took a bullet for her.

“I get it. Good luck,” she said, closing her eyes.

For now, she needed to play possum. Jaxon needed to bide her fiancé time. There was no doubt they’d find her.

She trusted them.

She had to have hope.

                          *     *     *

Tony arrived at their hotel room.

Something was off.

The desk chair was knocked over, there was Jaxon’s purse on the floor, and she was nowhere to be seen. Immediately, his first instinct was to run to Elizabeth.

THEN…

He saw it.

On the desk was a note.

Dearest Brother,

I have your wife. She’s not as amazing as mine, but to each their own. I guess we both have something in common. We love our women and our mother.

I heard what you said. Trust me, she didn't love you more. I was her child. She stayed with me until her death. She left you. That’s how much you meant to her.

If you want your wife back, you’ll have to come get her. As a warning, if you tell your friends in the FBI, I’ll make her pay. What happened to that whore Magdalene won’t even compare.

Come alone.

Tony memorized the address scribbled at the bottom of the paper. Then, he weighed his options. If he went to his bosses, they might get Jaxon killed. He only had one choice.

He had to go.

As long as his brother saw Jaxon as his wife, and a pawn, she was in danger.

Grabbing his sidearm, he slipped it out of the holster and into the back of his pants. It was time to save his fiancée. He was going to bring her home.

Tony had to.

He’d die without her.

~ Chapter Twenty-One ~

They worked in silence.

Elizabeth was scrolling through tech reports, Ethan was doing property searches, the two agents were watching video content, and Callen was scanning Bonnie’s email.

That’s when he saw it.

“I think I found something.”

That had all of their attention.

“What?” Elizabeth asked, moving closer to his side.

“I found an interesting email. Bonnie had a job interview a few weeks ago.”

That wasn’t surprising. “Yeah, Clark Phillipe said she was looking for a day job, so she could go to school at night. Where was she applying for the job?”

“Four weeks ago, she interviewed at this hotel to work at the front desk.”

Elizabeth scrolled through the email. It was one of those generic accounts that many people could use. Picking up the room phone, she called down to the front desk. When a woman answered, she was a little surprised.

“I need to speak to the manager.”

There was a hold and then a male voice on the phone. “Jerry Maldow. How can I help you?”

She introduced herself and explained that they were working on the case. “You interviewed a Bonnie Anston for a position with this hotel.”

“Yes, she starts on Monday.”

“Were you the one who hired her?”

He paused. “I did the final interview, but our head desk clerk did the initial screening. As you can imagine, I’m very busy.”

“Name please,” she stated, not really caring how busy he was. They were a tad bit more consumed with saving someone’s life.

“Oh, you’ve met him. Johnny Antonio. He’s such a hard worker.”

“The concierge was the one who interviewed her?”

Everyone began searching for information on him. They were very familiar with the tone of her voice.

“Is there anything else?” he asked.

“What day is the convention coming, so we can be packed up and out of here?”

“I’m sorry, but what are you talking about?”

She lifted a brow. “Never mind.”

Elizabeth hung up the phone. “I want to know everything. He just told us yesterday that he needed to know when we were leaving. He lied. That sends up a million red flags.”

Agent Madden turned her laptop around. “I have him in the pizza place.”

Elizabeth watched the man staring at Bonnie Anston. “See? He’s watching her. Lenny Ellis was pining away with love, this man was watching her like prey.”

The typing continued.

“I need more. We already know that people think that’s the best pizza place in town. He could just be getting dinner.”

She had a point.

Johanna defended her finding. “He was in there every night for a week. Then he stopped for a while. Then he was back again. It coincides with TOD of the other women.”

Callen thought about it. “So, he was trolling when he was looking for a victim?”

It could be.

Ethan spoke up, “I have his father’s info. His name is Lewis Antonio.”

“Is? He’s still alive?” If he was, this shot their mentor theory right out the freaking window.

“Well, here’s the thing. I see no record of his death. Plus, there are no hits on his social security number or credit history. He hasn’t applied for any loans or credit cards in a while.”

“How long?” she asked.

Ethan did the math. “Eighteen months.”

Bingo!

There was that magic number.

“He’s got to be dead,” stated Brody. “Who’s to say that the son didn't kill his father and bury him too?”

It could have happened just like that.

“Mother?” Elizabeth asked, pushing on. She needed more. A judge and jury wouldn’t buy the eighteen month theory without more.

“I have his birth certificate,” stated Callen.  “His mother is listed as Tawny Antonio.”

It clicked once more.

“That’s Tony’s mother’s first name. Is there a marriage license? Did she willingly take a trip to the altar with him?” If so, that was going to shoot the kidnapping thing in the foot.

“No,” stated Ethan, finishing his search.

Whew!

They dodged that bullet.

Now Elizabeth wouldn’t have to break Tony’s heart—
again.

“Want to hear something intriguing?” Callen asked, digging deeper into Lewis Antonio’s life.

“Hit me with it.”

“He was a traveling sales man. He sold books.”

She could kiss Callen, and just might. “Please tell me that he went to Indiana, because that would mean he could have taken Tawny Magnus. Plus, his son would know where he liked to ‘shop’ for women.”

“Yep. He was in the paper for winning a sales award for highest numbers in the Midwest.”

The door began swinging shut. He was almost locked in a cage.

“I want to know about Johnny. Break him down and don’t miss anything!” she ordered, directing that at her agents.

“He was a student,” stated Brody. “He didn't last long. He dropped out and his IRS records show that he’s worked for the hotel for about six years.”

“He’s a wallflower,” Ethan stated. “He’s so nondescript that we didn't even put him on the radar.”

She paused.

They all watched her.

“You okay?” Callen asked.

“The other day, when we found out Bonnie was taken, we ran into him. What time was it?”

Ethan didn't recall. “I’m not sure, but it was early. Why?”

“The media wasn’t all over this yet. We still had the staff locked down at the pizza place. They couldn’t tell anyone, right?”

“Yeah, that’s procedure,” Callen stated. “There were deputies all over them.”

“When we came here,” she began, “he asked us if another woman was taken.”

They all got it.

“He wouldn’t have known, unless…”

They all said it together. “He took her!”

Elizabeth nodded. “We told him we were close. Then, the next time he sees us, he asks when we’re leaving and lies about a convention. That’s making him look damn bad.”

“Call down,” Ethan said. “We need to bring him in for questioning. You can cuff him. He thinks you’re the easiest. He’s been plying you with cookies and milk all week.”

The man was screwed. Out of all of them, getting too close to her had been his big mistake.

As she waited for the front desk to answer, in her head she began planning out the arrest.

He was it.

It felt right.

“Front desk.”

Again, it was the female voice.

“Is Johnny there? He was supposed to drop off my laundry from the service, and I was waiting.”

“Oh, I can help you with that. He’s gone for the day. He wasn’t feeling well.”

Shit!

The rat had made a break for it.

Before the woman could speak, she’d already hung up. “He’s in the wind. We need to find him, lock him down, and end this. If he’s running, he’s likely going to kill whoever he has to in order to escape.”

That made them all sick.

They were so close.

“Get me his address. We’re going in to get him. I need to bring Bonnie home alive. We can never save the other victims we stand for, but with her, we can.”

Blackhawk looked at his wife. “With her, we will.”

Damn right.

It was on.

                          *     *     *

Arriving at his brother’s house, he wanted to be sick. Somewhere inside was his fiancée, and Tony was scared to death. As he headed toward the door, it eerily swung open on creaky hinges.

There was no doubt in his mind that he should call for backup, but he just couldn’t risk Jaxon’s life.

This was going to be a mistake.

There was no doubt in his mind, he was going to die. If it came down to him or Jaxon, he’d sacrifice himself. He’d already been shot once. Losing her would be far too painful. Tony would rather take another bullet.

Once up the stairs and into the house, he saw the most horrific sight. There on the floor was a chained and bound Bonnie Anston, and against the man was a restrained Jaxon.

He had her by the hair, and tears were in her eyes.

“It’s okay, Jaxy. I’ve come to take you home.”

The man, who he recognized as the hotel concierge, stood there with a knife pressed against her throat.

“Welcome to my home, brother.”

Tony didn't move.

“We need to talk.”

Tony swallowed. “About what?”

His sick laugher filled the room. “About the woman who loved us. We need to settle who was her favorite, once and for all.”

                          *     *     *

Wednesday

Mid-Morning

Chris still hadn’t heard from him.

That was odd. Tony, if anything, was precise when given directions. It had been almost an hour, and something had to be going on.

When he called him, the man didn't answer.

When he texted, the same was true.

Chris began worrying. It was time to alert the bosses. Since they were aware that Tony was related to the killer, that meant that he could be a target.

If the lunatic found out, the man might lose it.

He was beginning to panic, but he remembered the trouble he’d had with a killer. He wouldn’t wish that on his worst enemy. Pulling out his phone, he dialed the boss.

She’d want to know about this.

He was sure of it.

When she answered, sounding distracted, he almost felt bad for bothering her. He knew how hard it was to function while pregnant. His wife was struggling with it. Now, Elizabeth was carrying a team.

“What, Christopher?”

He told her everything. From the minute Tony arrived, to the fact that he wasn’t answering his phone.

She paused. “Okay, do me a favor.”

“What?”

“Lock yourselves in. We figured out who the killer is, and he’s in the wind. I want you to take a headcount and stay there until one of us shows up.”

“Who is it?”

She told him.

“Shit! He was in the breakfast room this morning.”

Yeah, and now she couldn’t find him.

“Sit tight for me and keep calling Tony. If you catch him, tag me. If not, I’m going to be busy.”

“Got it,” he said, hanging up.

There was no doubt what that ‘busy’ was going to be. He was going to be having another
‘patient’
, and soon.

Now Chris had to pray it wasn’t Tony.

Elizabeth hug up her phone and looked around at the four people sitting there. “Agents, go suit up. We’re leaving in ten minutes.”

They raced off.

“Callen,” she began.

“Don’t tell me I’m not coming. It’s been over twenty four hours. My arm is fine.”

“Actually, you are coming, but I need you to head to Tony’s room and look for him first. Before we go crazy, I want to make sure he and Jaxon aren’t shacked up and having sex.” She explained how the woman and man had gone missing.

“Jesus,” he muttered. “Okay, but don’t leave without me!”

Off he ran.

She stared at Ethan. “Would he go after his brother if he found out about him?”

He didn't have to think about it. “Yeah, and he’d view him as an adversary. He’s attached to his dead mother. Tony is the older brother, and that would resonate.”

“Shit! Why would he go after Jaxon?”

“Other than to use her as leverage, if he’s looking for a
‘wife’
, he might covet what his brother has. He could be bitter and jealous.”

“Great. This is a mess.”

Blackhawk was sick to his stomach at what he was about to do. “I’d ask you to stay, but if he has Tony, you’re the best shot.”

It was nice that he had faith in her.

“But after this, you’re done.”

She wanted to remind him that after this, she had worse things to worry about. A crazed killer was low on her stress scale.