Past Will Haunt (9 page)

“Hey! I was helping you out. I know how to make a pass, and catch one.”

Livy laughed. “Uh, you do not. Chris keeps sending you the ball, and you’re not catching anything.”

“Well, there’s a reason for that. I’m not in the mood to get tangled up with a man. You are.”

“Okay, how is this really going to work?” Livy asked, hoping her partner was right.

“Simple. He’s going to crack, think it was his idea, and before you know it, you’ll be a couple.”

“He won’t…”

She cut her off. “Darlin’, I’ll bet money on it.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“Trust Cupid.”

“What?” Livy asked, staring at her. “When did you decide to take on that role?”

“Just recently.”

“I’m screwed.”

“Zip it. It’ll work. Trust me. Now, you drive. I have some research to do.”

“On what?” she asked, looking worried.

“Chill. It’s on the case we’re working.”

Livy still couldn’t relax. This whole thing had her worked up, and she was pretty sure it was going to be a huge mess.

After all, Elizabeth LaRue was calling herself Cupid. That should be her first sign.

And it was a bad one.

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

When they pulled up to the scene, he watched them out of curiosity and fascination. It was amazing to find that so many people cared about the worthless wretch he’d killed.

But they did.

For some reason, they were fawning over her. Before him, she was nothing. He made her beautiful in death.

He made her art.

Strangers, neighbors, and friends were putting out flowers, candles, and anything else they could find for the makeshift memorial.

It was pathetic.

He was amused.

If they only knew the man who stole her life was there among them, mourning by their sides and hiding in plain sight, they would be shocked. Yes, he was there.

How could he not be?

The lure called to him. He’d created this, and now he was able to watch it unfold. This was better than art. It was living, breathing sorrow.

This was perfect.

If they saw what was obvious, they wouldn’t be so sad. This was a creation that took time. This was his masterpiece. Watching them mourn, he was compelled to do more.

He was urged on to kill again.

He laughed.

Oh, they’d given him motivation. It was like silent applause, cheering him on.

They weren’t anything like him, and they would never comprehend what he was doing, but they got the end result. They understood his art.

He was making them something beautiful. In death, there was immortality. He was taking their bodies, opening them up, and making them something so beautiful to see.

He was an artist.

With a blade and the naked eye, he made them memorable. What more could they ask for?

They were part of history. From flouncy nobodies to pictures on the front page, he was giving them immortality.

They should be grateful. If they were alive, they would be thanking him. He took simple and made it extraordinary.

As his payment, all he took was a simple bout of sex beforehand. In that, he was given payment enough.

He didn't need much.

All he really craved were the accolades.

As the big black Denali pulled up, he watched the two Feds hop out. He could spot cops a mile away. They had that arrogant swagger.

What astounded him was that they were women.

He wanted to laugh.

This was who they sent?

They were going to find and stop him? How dare they think that was going to happen?

They were simpletons.

These two were nothing more than pretty pieces of ass, meant to lure men in with promises of sex and their bodies.

This had to be a joke.

It filled him with anger as he watched them stride toward the scene he’d created. With loving slashes of his arm, he had painted the walls red.

He made it a masterpiece.

Now, they weren’t taking him seriously. They were sending in children to play with a man.

Well, he could fix that.

Tonight.

Later.

It would be done.

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

Tuesday Mid-Morning

Elizabeth and Livy headed upstairs and into the victim’s sanctuary. They wanted to search the woman’s bedroom for anything case related while the team wrapped up the trace downstairs.

A boudoir said a lot about the owner, and it also spoke to an investigator.

Was the person neat?

Messy?

Were there copious amounts of sex toys or was it bare?

You never knew what you were going to find, and they often equated it like a fact finding mission.

As they pulled on latex gloves, they each began their search with a section of the room. There were books, movies, and a few magazines, but nothing that really told them anything about the woman who died.

She looked like the average, run of the mill female who should still be walking in the world of the living. Instead, she was dead. They both knew there had to be something to tie her to the killer. Death was rarely random when it came to a serial nut job.

There was always a tie.

It may be small, but it had to be there.

“Hey, I think I found something,” Livy said, holding it in her hand for her partner to see.

“What is it?” Elizabeth asked, heading her way.

“There’s something scribbled on a bar napkin,” she stated. “It looks like some sort of code. It says
‘The Bog’
? Is that a bar in town?”

Elizabeth studied it. “Yeah, I think it’s downtown just off the square. It’s pretty busy.”

“I don’t know what any of this code is. All I see is a bunch of numbers and letters,” Livy offered, handing it over.

The minute Elizabeth saw it, she knew what it was.

“It’s a work schedule. In college, I worked at this wing and beer bar. I was a waitress there. On Saturday nights, the manager would always post our schedule, but the only thing I ever had in my apron was cocktail napkins and my pen. I used to scribble it down like that too. It’s waitress shorthand.”

Together they checked it out.

“This looks like some dates,” Livy stated.

“What’s today?” Elizabeth asked as Livy pulled out her phone to get the answer.

When she flipped it open, she saw the date. “Today’s the twelfth.”

They scanned the napkin.

Livy pointed to the eleventh scrawled on the paper. “It looks like she worked last night from six until twelve.”

“Well, it looks like we have our confirmation. We know where the victim was before she was taken. This will help us out a little bit.”

“Did we get a time of death from Chris?” Livy asked.

Elizabeth shook her head before pulling out her phone. She couldn’t believe that they forgot to ask the ME. With all the comments and snarling going on, she’d let it slip her mind.

When she finished dialing his number, Elizabeth waited until he came on the line.

“Doctor Leonard.”

“Hey, Doc, long time no talk, but I need to ask you about something.”

There was a confused pause.

“Elizabeth?”

She laughed. “Why are you shocked that I’m calling you? Does your phone never ring?”

He let that first part go. “I just didn't know you had my personal number.”

She grinned. “Yeah, I have it, Christopher, you know in case I have to ask you pertinent questions about the case and you don’t answer the bat cave phone.”

“Oh.”

He sounded disappointed. Apparently, Elizabeth just ruined his day. That was saying a lot considering what he did for a living, and the victim they had to stand over that morning.

Instead, she opted to bust his ass to lighten the mood.  “What are you wearing?” she asked, teasing him.

There was the sound of a metal tool hitting the table. It made Elizabeth laugh.

“What did you say?”

“You heard me, Doc. Are you sportin’ those sexy green scrubs?”

“WHAT?” he asked again.

Livy punched her.

“I’m yanking your chain, Doc. I need TOD on our victim. You put COD as strangulation with a side of exsanguination, but I forgot to get the time she died.”

There was a flipping of papers.

“Well, Doc?”

“I have it at a little after two in the morning.”

“You’re the best, Chris. Thank you.”

“Elizabeth?” he said before she could disconnect the call.

“Yeah, Doc?”

“Yes, I’m wearing the sexy green scrubs.”

She paused. Then she got it. It made her laugh. “Oh, Doctor Leonard, I have to watch out for you. You’re going to be a tricky one, aren’t you?”

“I might just surprise you.”

Yeah, she was treading in dangerous territory, so she opted to bail, and bail fast.

“Behave, Doc. We’ll talk to you later.”

When she put her phone away, Livy was staring at her like she had two heads.

“What?”

“You should date him. He’s a really nice guy. I can see you two together and happily married. There could be a big house, cat, and maybe some kids.”

She laughed. “Uh, that’s exactly why I won’t go out with him. You’re the marrying type. I’m the exact opposite. There’s a distinct difference between you and I.”

Livy stared at her. Elizabeth didn't give herself enough credit. It was how she protected her heart.

“What? It’s the truth. I don’t plan on settling down without a violent act of nature. Sex ties you up in knots. I like being loose and free.”

Livy shook her head.

“Hey, I’m all about setting you up, but I’m not looking for a man. I’m married to my work, and we’re very happy together.”

“So what you’re saying is that you are never settling down—as in never?”

She shook her head. “Sorry, darlin’, but these ovaries aren’t made for working. I’m going to get old and gray with the FBI, or at least that’s my plan. You were right about one part.”

“I was?”

“I wouldn’t mind a cat or two.”

Livy refused to give up. She wanted her best friend to find happiness one day. She knew that man was out there for her, but it was going to take a miracle to make her see it.

“You should still date him. He’s geeky and needs to get laid.”

Elizabeth shook her head. “I don’t do mercy lays, Livy, and you know it. No matter how bad I feel for a guy, I’m not getting in bed with him based on that. Sex should be fun and have no strings attached, or it should mean everything. There’s no mercy in that equation.”

She did know.

Livy also knew her best friend was all alone. Her father was in Salem, her half-brother didn't really understand their relationship, since he was still young, and her stepmother was a wicked witch.

“I’m just sayin’,” she offered. “He’s kind of cute in that geeky lab kind of way.”

“I’m not saying Chris isn't sexy. I think he’s really attractive. I’m only stating that I’m not willing to get tangled up with a man right now in my life. I’m focused.”

“Sex can be fun.”

“Yes, it can, but we work together. If Chris and I went there, it’s going to complicate things. If he’s not ‘the one’, he will be a huge distraction.”

Livy knew the conversation was just about over. When Elizabeth pointed at the napkin to get her off this topic, that was her cue.

“Our dead woman headed out at midnight and was dead by two in the morning. That didn't give him much time.”

“It obviously gave him plenty of time,” Livy said. “He cut her to pieces. The man must be good with a knife.”

Elizabeth thought about it. “He’s trying to tell us something. I just don’t know what yet.”

“You’ll work it out,” she offered. “You tend to think like a killer.”

She looked over. “Is that supposed to be some sort of compliment?” Elizabeth asked. “If it is, don’t go handing that one out to Gabe tonight.”