Past Will Haunt (19 page)

She understood.

“No one thinks they’re going to walk into that mess. Only, we’re all they have left. Someone raped her, cut her open, and spread her out like a piece of meat. We have to give her dignity back. You have to lead the way, Chris. I’m only as good as you are. If you can’t do this for you or her, do it for me. I need you, Christopher.”

He thought about it.

“Fifteen years from now, where will you be?”

“I don’t know.”

“Know where I’ll be? I’ll be getting down and dirty in the trenches. I’ll be trying to save that next victim. If you can’t say that, Chris, then maybe you’re right.”

He looked surprised.

“I can only protect you for so long. Let’s face it. Last year, over twenty Feds went down. I may not be here forever. I may burn out. I may go out in a gun fight.”

“That makes me want to be sick.”

She kept going. “You have to dig deep. If this is your calling, then go for it. You gotta own it, rich guy, or you gotta get your ass home, make more money, and live that life. Make the choice.”

He looked like he wanted to say something to her.

“Go ahead. You can always be honest with me.”

“You’re a total bitch.”

She kept her face neutral. “Why do I get the feeling that you’re likely going to tell me that again and again over the next two decades?”

He laughed. “I don’t know what to do about you. You have me as confused as hell.”

“You’re the worst boyfriend ever, Newton,” she stated, busting him about his boxers.

Chris stared at her. “You’re insane, and I think I love you.”

Elizabeth laughed. “Darlin’, you ain’t seen nothing yet. What do you say we take this town by storm, and we really give them something to talk about?”

She held out her hand.

Chris stared at her. In that moment, he didn't want to let her down. If he didn't do the job, she’d get another ME, and he’d be miserable. He wanted to work with Elizabeth—more than anything, and he always wanted this job. It was just a matter of digging deep and getting through this.

He took her hand. “I trust you.”

“I won’t let you down. I promise.”

That’s all it took.

They both had to stick.

They were now a team.

When she got back to the scene, Livy was running it as she waited for her.

“Is he going to be okay?”

“Yeah, Chris is going to be fine. He’s tougher than he looks. Plus, he called me a bitch.”

She laughed. “Yeah, that’s shocking. That’s not the first time I've heard that used to describe you.”

“Hey! Come on!”

Livy patted her on the back. “You know I love you, but you’re an acquired taste. You either love Elizabeth LaRue, or you want to run her down with your car.” As if to prove her point, Livy pointed at the scowling head tech. She’d busted her chops in front of the entire team.

That was hell to swallow for anyone.

“Yeah, well, you know I’m hard on techs. I run them through the ringer, but I don’t expect more from them than what we do. She touched the doorframe with no gloves. That’s FBI one-oh-one. They teach you to glove up on day one.”

She laughed more. “I hope you never get to be boss. If you do, there will be mutiny.”

Elizabeth shrugged. “Probably, but if someone puts me in charge, they’re even nuttier than I am. Who would do something so insane?”

She thought back to what she said to Chris—chances are that she’d burn out long before that ever happened.

The good ones always did.

“Where to next?”

“We need to give the techs some time to pull all the trace, and then we have to come back here. We should also take her picture to the bar. Maybe someone saw something.”

“That works for me.”

Elizabeth knew the bar wouldn’t be open at that time, so they had to do other things first. They were going to be hitting the road.

“Christopher,” she called.

“Yeah?” he replied, as he was working with his team to get the woman loaded up.

“I need your keys.”

He reached into his pants and pulled them out. Without hesitating, he tossed them to her. “I’ll ride back with the team in the van.”

She smiled, knowing everyone was watching their interaction. Well, screw them.

“Darlin’, I’ll bring you coffee when I get in-house.”

“Hey, Lyzee?”

She glanced over at him. “What, Doc?”

“Don’t make me wait fifteen years to get that coffee.”

Livy watched the interaction between them. She saw something there, but she wasn’t quite sure what it was. Elizabeth was a private person but now she didn't seem to care.

It was puzzling.

“Are you telling me that you’ll still be here in fifteen, Doc?” she asked, thinking back to their conversation.

He grinned at her. “You better believe I will be. Someone has to have your back.”

With that, she winked and headed to the vehicle. When they got in, Livy shook her head.

“What?”

“First, people are going to question why we’re Federal employees driving a sexy Mercedes.”

She snorted.

“Next, I’m going to tell you that you should hook up with the ME, and fast.”

Elizabeth looked over. “Why?”

“The man just gave you the keys to a pricy car and didn't bat an eyelash. That should tell you something.”

Elizabeth revved the engine.

The whole team looked over.

“Yeah, that he should have his head checked out. No one in their right mind would do anything so insane.”

Livy held on as she took off.

This was going to be one hell of a ride. Chris wasn’t the only insane one. Apparently, she was too.

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

Wednesday

Mid-Morning

Together, they strolled into the office.

Elizabeth looked smug.

Livy looked frazzled.

Before they even got to their desks, they were met by their boss. Gabe was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, and he looked just as worked up as Livy.

“What?” she asked, taking a seat.

“Why did the Capitol police call me to verify that we have a Doctor Leonard on staff, and to make sure you hadn’t stolen a hundred grand Mercedes for a joy ride?”

She laughed. “What a jackwagon! I told him I borrowed it, but he must not have believed me.”

He stared at Livy as if expecting some sort of logical explanation. “What did she do?”

The woman shook her head. “Sorry, Gabriel, but it’s the girlfriend code. I can’t say shit, and she knows it.”

“Well, make sure you give it back to Doctor Leonard, and don’t do it again. For Christ’s sake, Elizabeth, stop screwing with the cops. You’re going to turn my hair gray.”

“Yee haw.”

“Zip it.”

“We just got back from the scene, and you may want to take a seat,” Elizabeth said, noticing a folder on her desk.

“What happened?”

She told him about the previous night.

“What? Wait! I know I didn't hear you right. You took your ME to get him drunk, got into a fist fight, and then brought him back to your place?”

She laughed. “Well, when you put it like that, it sounds horrible. I was actually working, and it paid off.”

He closed his eyes. “Elizabeth, what the hell am I going to do with you?”

She snorted. “I don’t know, Dad, what are you going to do?” she teased.

He growled. “Be serious.”

Livy tried not to laugh. It was fun to watch her partner stir Gabe up. They were close, and this proved that it was one hell of a bond. Anyone else would be in his office, door closed, and getting their ass chewed off. Gabe truly loved Elizabeth.

“Why were you out screwing with the ME? He’s a hot mess as it is, and he doesn’t need Hurricane Lyzee rocking his world.”

She snorted.

“I’m serious.”

“Gabe, I’m entitled to a personal life outside the office. If I want to go out with Chris, I can. Not that it’s any of your business, but I didn't sleep with him. He went with me so I’d have backup at the bar, but he got a little tipsy. I didn't dump him at his place, since I don’t know where he lives.”

“Oh, it was a spectacle when they rolled up in his very pricy ride,” Livy stated, enjoying the mêlée.

He tried to keep his blood pressure down. “So, the techs think you…”

“Yep, and I don’t care.”

He knew this was a mess.

“He’s a good ME. I’ll bet my paycheck on him. He just needs a chance.”

Gabe just didn't see it. He had his own team of staff he liked to use, and he thought Elizabeth was crazy for taking on the new ME. His people were seasoned. Gabe was betting that the new ME would burn out and never last.

“Then he’s your responsibility. If you take the nerd to the scenes, you need to keep his ass from getting hurt. This one is on you.”

“Deal. I’ll train him. Be patient.”

“You said you were working at the bar. Why?”

“After Livy and I found that napkin from Stephanie’s home, I was curious. So, we headed there to take in the surroundings. Chris and I both saw today’s victim there. She was having a few drinks and trying to pick up men.”

Gabe trusted Elizabeth in the field. If she was working on getting information for the case, she’d find a way to pull it off. While it might be unorthodox, it generally panned out.

“We have two victims tied to
‘The Bog’
, and that’s not going to be a coincidence. We just have to figure out how he’s picking them, and if they’re connected.”

Elizabeth read the note on the folder on her desk.

“This is for you,” she said, handing it to him.

Gabe took it and opened it. As he was reading, both women moved to flank him.

Silently, they all studied it.

“Is this from your profiler?” Elizabeth asked.

“Yeah, this is good, damn good.”

She thought about it. “If he’s right, I should head to Boston, and before you say no, you don’t have a choice. This started there, and your profiler suggested it.”

“I don’t know if this is a good idea,” he admitted. Honestly, Gabe didn't want her running loose in another city. DC was already terrorized by hurricane Lyzee, he didn't need more mess.

“I hear you, but I need you to listen before you say no.”

Gabe waited.

“Your profiler said that the killer is a watcher, and this is a game, right?”

“Yes.”

“So, he watched the last victims, correct?”

“Yes.”

“I need to study the location, Gabe. I want to see if he hunted in a specific place, and if he did, I can see what’s around it. That may be the key to breaking this wide open. You know you want this notch in your belt.”

He stared at her. “You have to give me more.”

“Chris also believes that the city ME didn't do the job justice. He said the files are half-assed. I need to see what other information he has on the murders. There aren’t nearly enough photos in the files. I have this gut feeling that we’re missing something.”

He stared at her. One of the things he loved best about Elizabeth LaRue was that she was a damn good agent. She had the potential to go far in the FBI, if she didn't tank her own career with that wild streak of hers.

“You travel there tonight, you stay over, and you come back. I can’t authorize a week of you taking in the Irish pubs in Boston with your favorite ME.”

Elizabeth grinned. “I can take Chris?”

Before he could answer, Livy interjected.

“Hey! What about me?” she asked. “Shouldn’t her partner be joining her on the field trip?”

Gabe stared at her. “I think you have a prior commitment tonight, don’t you?” he asked. “Or is this your way of backing out?”

She had to choose between work or her date with Gabe. Yeah, that was a no brainer.

“Oh, yeah, have fun in Boston, Lyzee.”

She laughed. “Yeah, great to see my sidekick ditched me for someone tall, dark, and bossy.”

Gabe was going to object, but before he could comment, Livy defended him.

“Technically, you’re tall, dark, and bossy. He’s more tall, dark, and boss.”

Elizabeth shook her head. “You’re a traitor. I’ll remember this,” she teased, winking at her partner.