Deep Dark Mire (An FBI Romance Thriller ~ book four) (78 page)

Sheriff Denton pulled up the electronic time sheets. “Jonathan was here working on the second date.
On the first date, he was in court all day. That was his ticket day. We had a tourist fighting a speeding ticket, and the officer on duty had to be there to dispute the claims of the man.”

Elizabeth felt sick to her stomach. “Thanks, Sheriff.” She hung up the phone and realized that they’d discounted the stalker for most of the assignment because he’d been silent. Pulling
out her phone she dialed Callen, and she prayed he’d answer his phone. When he didn’t, she figured they were trying to deal with Jonathan Delray. It went to voicemail and Elizabeth left a message.

Jefferson Delray killed his lover and mother of his children for a reason they’d never know. Maybe she was going to tell the girls the truth,
or maybe tell his ailing wife. That secret they both took to the grave with them.

Elizabeth suspected the killing of Cordeli
a was a personal thing; one where the killer knew the truth of family blood ties. He’d taken her to the body of her mother, and laid her to rest beside Trinity Adare. That screamed personal, with a touch of feeling a disconnected stalker might not feel. The roses left for Desdemona Adare by her stalker were about love and relationship. The stalker was trying to tell her something, and Elizabeth believed she knew why. The stalker would need a personal connection, one that Jonathan never had that with Desdemona.

Think about the symbolism of the roses, she thought back to the one that was left with Timothy in his casket. Elizabeth left it for only one reason
; as a reminder of what they shared.

Love.

Pulling out the list of people Desdemona had made of all the men she had a relationship with; she circled the name on the top of the list. It was her first sexual conquest as a young girl and in the mind of the stalker, the most important one.

The
killer was going to make one last shot at the family to finish up what he started, so many years ago. He was going to kill the last illegitimate child of Jefferson Delray, because he loved her.

Shit!

Desdemona Adare was marked for death because of who she loved as a young girl. Elizabeth started dialing, as she drove towards the woman’s house, praying that Desdemona would have enough sense to answer her damn phone.

Sending
the woman out of the bed and breakfast was exactly what the killer needed her to do. Distraction and divided attention may have just cost the woman her life.

Damn it!

                                *   *   *

When the caller ID lit up on her phone,
Desdemona Adare stared down at the incoming number. The options were simple. Answer the call from the woman that was once her friend, or pretend she didn’t give a rat’s ass anymore.

She went with option two, only because she told the woman to never contact her again. Now pride was at stake, and Desdemona wasn’t going to kiss the ‘great’ Elizabeth Blackhawk’s ass no matter what. Enough was enough, and it was time to take care of her own life and kiss the old
one goodbye.

There was a knock on the back door, and
once Desdemona saw it was her brother, she was sick to her stomach again. How did you face a man who knew the truth?

“Hi,” she said, answering the door
hesitantly.

“I just heard about your mother and sister and our father. I’m so damn sorry, Desdemona.”

Her eyes filled with tears. “But hey, at least we all have each other, right?” she said, wiping her eyes.

Desdemona’s brother opened his
arms, offering her comfort against his body. “You always have family, Des and we’re here for you now. You’re not alone.”

She hugged him tight in complete gratitude. Maybe the truth of what happened in their past wouldn’t break them but make them stronger in the end. The idea gave her an iota of peace.

“The rest of the family is going to where your mom and sister were found. They want to say a prayer and do a little memorial for them. Do you want to come?” he asked, breathing in the scent of her hair.

Desdemona thought about it. This was now her family, and despite what happened, she needed to embrace it and them.
It was time for everyone to heal. “Okay, let’s go,” she answered, closing the door behind her.

“Great
!” He held out his hand and took his sister’s in his own. “I think this will cheer everyone up and be a great way to start to heal. We can talk and reminisce about the past and what the future holds.”

Desdemona smiled
at the idea. Maybe having a family was going to be a big blessing after all. “I agree. I think a trip to where my mom and sister were found will help me become free.”

He smiled and thought about the words she just spoke. The truth couldn’t be clearer.

          
Oh, Desdemona you have no idea.

                                *   *   *

Elizabeth pulled up into the driveway
at the Adare home, slammed the Escalade into park and ran to the front door. Furiously, she banged on the wood with the palm of her hand, trying to get Desdemona or Morgana Adare’s attention. When no one answered, Elizabeth ran to the back, only to find it open. Hesitantly, she entered, calling for either woman and hoping that the trigger happy granny wasn’t going to shoot her on the spot for trespassing.

On the table was the phone, the car keys
, and beside it sat the suitcase Elizabeth had seen at the bed and breakfast.

“Hell,” she muttered, pulling out her phone. Elizabeth dialed her husband, and
he too didn’t answer. Now it was dire and she needed help. Next there was just one person left that she could think of, and she dialed his number.

The phone rang three times, and finally Julian Littlemoon answered
the call. “What’s up, Elizabeth?”

“We have a huge
problem. Vincent Delray killed Cordelia Adare, and I think he’s just taken Desdemona.”

Just then
, as if she was being given a sign, there were loud caws of birds coming from the swamp behind the Adare house.

“I think he just took her into the swamp,
Julian. Right to where he killed her sister and left her.”

Julian
pulled on his boxers and his jeans, and stared down at Tori Christensen lying in bed. As much as he disliked being interrupted, the urgency in Elizabeth’s voice told the tale. “What do you need me to do, boss?”

“Get to
Ethan. He’s not answering his phone, and neither is Callen. I’m going to go into the swamp to see if I can find Desdemona, before he kills her.”

“That’s an incredibly stupid idea, Elizabeth. Wait for us
! Tori and I’ll be your back up and go in with you.”

Elizabeth calculated the time it took them to find their way to the bodies in the crevasse and knew the truth. They
didn’t have time; she just knew that the brother was going to end the woman’s life. It was just sitting in the pit of her stomach. “I don’t think Doctor Adare has that kind of time, Julian. Get to my husband and get him out to the swamp as fast as you can, because I’m sure I’m going to need back up. I’ll delay confronting him as long as I can, and maybe you can get there in time. If not, I’m her last chance.” Elizabeth hung up the phone and started towards the water and then she heard the wind chimes tinkling in the light breeze, and she remembered the warning.

“Okay,
Granddad. I get it. I’ll vest up.” Running back to the Escalade, Elizabeth pulled out her FBI vest and struggled into it. She checked the front and back to make sure they had the extra ceramic plates, as she velcro-ed into it. Slipping into a pull over, Elizabeth prayed it would keep the vest hidden, just in case it was all that stood between her and death. After all, that was granddad’s warning, wasn’t it? Wear the vest or else.

The wind
chimes stopped their song, and she took it as a sign. Elizabeth needed to get into the swamp and fast. “Damn it, these are my favorite cowboy boots,” she muttered, stepping into the swamp water and moving as quietly as possibly to the location that was the makeshift Adare family crypt.

All Elizabeth could hope
, was she was in time or Desdemona’s blood was on her conscience.

                                *   *   *

Blackhawk and Whitefox had one hell of a time subduing Jonathan Delray at his sister’s home. The sisters had practically attacked them, as they put the man in handcuffs. It wasn’t easy, and they were particularly vicious little women too.

“You both are just lucky my wife wasn’t here to kick your asses,” he stated, as his brother zip-tied their hands in front of them. “You assaulted Federal agents, and that’s jail time
ladies.”

“Our brother isn't guilty of anything! We loved our father!” The one woman protested and struggled against the ties
, trying to kick Callen in the groin.

When his phone rang again, this time he reached down to grab it. He knew his wife had tried to call him, but they were a little busy getting the two women subdued and
keeping them from scratching their eyes out at the same time.

“Blackhawk,” he said
into the phone.

“You have a big problem,” Littlemoon said, driving towards the swamp entrance.

“I have quite a few problems today, but what specifically is my issue now?” he asked, pulling the man up from the ground roughly.

“Your wife is on her way into the swamp to where the bodies were found. She said Desdemona Adare’s been taken by Vincent Delray.” It was all he had to say.

Blood began pumping, and his heart thudded in his chest. “Elizabeth’s absolutely sure on that?” he demanded, dropping the man back to the ground.

“She just called me two minutes ago, and told me to keep calling you until you answered your damn phone.
It didn’t sound like Elizabeth was yanking anyone’s chain on this one.”

“Okay, we’re coming. I don’t know my way
to where the bodies were found. Wait for me there.” He felt his stomach rolling at the idea that his wife was once again in danger. Damn it, he was getting her a leash!

“You have Callen with you, he knows the way in and out. I’m going in as soon as I get there.
Director, I have a really bad feeling about this, and I don’t know if she should be in there alone. Elizabeth mentioned needing backup on this.”

“Just get to my wife, Julian!”
Once he heard that Elizabeth requested backup, he knew she expected it to go bad.

Whitefox didn’t like what he was hearing. “What is going on?” he asked, as his brother hung up the phone.

“Do you know your way to the site where the bodies were found?” he asked, bordering on hysteria, as he started dialing his wife. When it dumped into voicemail, he knew the truth. The love of his life was on her way into the mire to take care of business and didn’t want the distraction.

“Yeah, I can get us there. Why the change of plans?”

“Elizabeth somehow thinks that Vincent Delray is the killer, and she believes he has Desdemona in the swamp. Right now, Elizabeth is tracking them alone.”

Whitefox pulled out his phone and started dialing the woman he loved. His calls went to voice mail too. “I have a message from her,” he said, following his brother to the Denali. When he hit play, her voice came over the phone, and she was calm and precise.

“Cal, darlin’, I called the sheriff. Jonathan Delray can’t be the killer. He was here on the days the Denali was blown up outside your house and the day you and Desdemona found the rose on her porch. I think we have the wrong brother. I’m on my way to Morgana Adare’s house. Now that Jefferson Delray is dead, Vincent is going to tie up the last loose end. I need to get Desdemona and keep her safe. I love you both.” The call ended.

“I think I’m going to make her retire from the FBI as soon as I get my damn hands on her,” muttered
Blackhawk, as he hit the lights and flew through the streets of Cypress Grove to get to the woman who was his life.

“You? I think we both need to sit her down and tell her that she’s fired. No
damn self-preservation at all in her body. You’d think she’d have some now that she’s given birth, but ironically that has made her more insane!” Whitefox was feeling sick to his stomach. The woman he was hopelessly in love with was about to trudge into the swamp to save a woman he’d asked her to protect. This all just weighed heavily on his heart. Crossing his fingers he prayed that she’d be safe. He thought about his grandfather and sent a silent message to him, wherever he was, to watch over Elizabeth for them until they could get to her side.

“She’s going to be the death of me
yet,” muttered Ethan, as he thought about his son, and the how the hell he’d raise him without her.