Dead Shall Speak (An FBI/Romance Thriller Book 10) (15 page)

Elizabeth laughed. “I think I can tell you a thing or two about my life.”

“You won’t leave out any details, will you?”

She found the woman funny. “I think I can get your heart rate up a little bit.”

Avalon smiled. “That sounds nice.”

                               *    *    *

Blackhawk liked spending time with the man beside him. As they were sitting in the diner, they had the chance to listen to gossip and just be brothers.

It was nice.

“Dad called me before,” Callen offered, all the while focusing on everything around him.

“How’s things at the fort?” he asked.

Callen shrugged. “He mentioned that the new housekeeper is doing an amazing job, but the kids are a little off their game. They miss their momma bird.”

Didn't they all?

Here came the guilt.

“Do you think they’ll be okay? I mean, we had it pretty rough without our mothers. Well, you did. I’m glad mine died. You don’t think this is damaging them, do you?” Callen asked.

“Children are resilient. Ours will be fine once they see her again,” Ethan reassured.

“Maybe we can fire Cindy and get Elizabeth to stay home full time.”

The coffee sloshed over the lip of Ethan’s cup. “Say that again?”

“I've been thinking about it. Maybe Elizabeth should retire. We could have more kids, she could be at home with them, and we’d have a normal life.”

Ethan sat back in his chair and studied his brother. It wasn’t that he’d never thought the same thing, but he knew in reality that it would never happen. Being a Fed was who Elizabeth was inside and out. She was a mother too, and balanced it pretty well.

“She’ll never go for it, Cal.”

“Damn it! Why not?” he blurted, garnering attention from the next table. “Sorry.”

Ethan leaned forward. “Cal, I love you, and I love Elizabeth. She’s fulfilled, and this is just a minor bump in the road. If she quit her job, she’d suffer. I know you miss her, but we have to hang in there and just suck it up. Nathaniel Carter is getting Oracle in a few weeks, and I’m working on a safe place for her. Lyzee will be coming home soon.”

Callen sighed. “I’m just edgy.”

He could see that.

“It’s okay, bro. It’s coming to an end, and soon. You can look forward to the welcome home sex.”

His smile brightened. “Yeah, there is that.”

When the waitress approached, Ethan ordered some food. The coffee was burning a hole in his gut. “Excuse me, Selma. Can I ask you a question or two?” he inquired, giving her the best Blackhawk grin that he could muster.

“Sure thing,” the woman replied.

“We’re with the FBI,” he offered, pulling back the side of his suit jacket. When her eyes went big, he continued, “We’re investigating some women who went missing from this area. Have you heard anything?”

She snapped her gum as she pondered the question. “Well, I’m datin’ this man named Freddy, and he said one of the girls he hired to work the ice cream stand stopped showing up. In fact, she never told him why she quit.”

That could be a lead or a dead end.

It was a tossup.

“You wouldn’t happen to know her name, would you?”

She tried to think about it. “It was Stacy,” she said, pausing. “No, it was Jacey. That’s right. I don’t recall him mentioning her last name, but you can head on over to the
‘Twist and Shout’
and ask him yourself. Tell him that I sent you.”

When she wandered away, Callen grinned. “You were right. This place is a good way to get leads.”

“I keep telling everyone that I was a Fed before Lyzee. I think I can hold my own. I might not solve them like she does, but I do have some redeeming qualities,” he stated, as the waitress dropped two large burgers in front of them.

“Yeah, you do.”

Before Ethan could take a bite of his, the cell at his hip began ringing. Glancing down, he took note of his agent’s name across the screen.

“Blackhawk,” he stated.

“Director, you wanted us to call if we found anything, and Johanna and I located a picture to go with the name of our possible first victim.”

That was great news.

“How?”

“We found an archive online for the town’s local 4-H club. It seems that Ruth Hildebrant raised a few prize chickens for the competition.”

“Okay,” he said.

“Well, she had her picture taken for the newspaper. Do you want me to take this in to Doctor Armstrong so she can stop working on her skull?”

That was the last thing he wanted. Ethan Blackhawk was one to take advantage of all the little gifts that the crime solving gods were willing to offer up. If he could get a forensic artist, he might be able to add Jaxon to his staff.

Granted, he had an anthropologist, but he could wiggle in a backup one with another skill. Gabe wouldn’t question it as much.

He hoped.

“No. I want to see what she can do. Keep this quiet until later. Callen and I will go interview the family, but we won’t mention that she’s dead. It’ll be more of a follow up to her going missing than anything else.”

“Sure thing, boss.”

“Did you find anything else?” he asked hopefully.

“Nothing yet, sir. I don’t think the sheriff here uses electronic missing person reports. I can’t find anything logged online in our system.”

Ethan wouldn’t be surprised. “That’s okay. I need you to run a place called the
‘Twist and Shout’
. See if they pay taxes and claim employees. I want some information on a girl named Jacey. I don’t have a last name, yet.”

“Will do,” Broderick Seaton offered, hanging up.

Callen finished chewing a bite of his food. “That was pretty tricky. Are you checking the doctor’s credibility?”

Ethan picked up his burger. “No. I’m trying to find a way to keep her on staff so Tony doesn’t mope around like a giant lost puppy when he’s back in-house. The second she has to head back to Gabe and Quantico, we risk losing him. That’s a bad deal for us. It took Elizabeth over a decade to train him. Why mess with perfection?”

Whitefox laughed. “You’re just as bad as our Cupid. You know that, right? I don’t buy that you’re not trying to keep her here for a friend’s heart.”

“I’m just doing what needs to be done as a boss.”

Callen noticed his brother didn't look him in the eyes. Yeah, it was total BS. He knew better. “You keep trying to convince yourself of that, Ethan.”

This time, Ethan couldn’t help but smile. Apparently, he was transparent.

“I’m just trying to make my wife proud.”

In fact, that’s all Ethan Blackhawk wanted. When she finally returned, he wanted her to know they’d held it together for her.

Or at least they tried.

                               *    *    *

Chris Leonard was a man of science and watching the woman in front of him, he wasn’t buying it. Best buddy’s girl or not, it just wasn’t happening. When it came down to finding the truth, guessing and estimating wouldn’t cut it.

Like now.

Jaxon was quickly applying clay over the little foam markers that she’d placed over the victim’s skull. While that was precise, the rest was… hooey.

She was guessing.

And it was driving him insane.

There was a reason his lab had the best record out of all the FBI satellite offices around the country. Doctor Christopher Leonard didn't let them speculate or guess.

They went on cold, hard facts and nothing less.

Yet, Chris could tell by the look on his buddy’s face that Tony Magnus was a goner. Now, Chris was wondering if he’d looked the same way at one time when Cyra was around.

If he did, he owed them all an apology.

Yet that wasn’t his biggest concern. Was Tony being lured to the dark side of guessing?

If he was, could he find his way back?

Chris was worried.

“What do you think?” Jaxon asked her fiancé as she wiped her fingers on the towel he’d handed her. Tony had been standing over her shoulder, watching the process. While it should have bothered her, it didn't. His gentle fingers remained on the back of her white lab coat as he stroked her back reassuringly.

“I think you nailed the maxilla. That’s the best looking jawline I’ve ever seen. Well, maybe except for yours.”

Chris rolled his eyes as he tried to stifle a laugh. Yeah, his best friend was lost.

Who would have seen it coming?

“I should be done by tonight. I have to admit that this is very cathartic.”

“And not a science,” muttered Chris.

Tony glanced up, hearing his friend’s comment. “Knock it off, Chris.”

The tone said it all.

Yet, Chris couldn’t do it. He was a man of science and this was his job. He ran the team and had to answer for any screw ups.

“I’m just being logical.”

“Well, keep it to yourself,” replied Tony, his aqua eyes firing. “She’s doing a damn good job, and Doctor Armstrong is an equal here.”

She tensed beneath his fingers.

The last thing she wanted was for the two men to get angry. Jaxon knew that the ME was Tony’s family.

“This is speculation. You know there’s no science to this. She’s simply guessing at what she thinks the face would look like. How am I supposed to give that to Director Blackhawk?”

Tony moved toward his friend in disbelief. Whenever he’d needed someone to support his choices, he’d been there. Now, he was simply asking for the man to cut Jaxon a break.

“I know what you can do when it comes to the director. How about you try shutting your mouth? Maybe you should let Doctor Armstrong’s work speak for itself,” stated Tony.

He could feel his blood pressure rising.

“I’m in charge here.”

Tony wasn’t having it. “For years, I’ve let you play boss in this lab. I may not have a medical degree like you do, but I’ve muddled along just fine while you were away on your month long honeymoon. Life went on here, and we survived. You’re in charge because you dig in bodies, not because you’re better than anyone else, so let’s get that straight.”

All the techs around them stopped moving. Immediately, Meredith motioned for them to all leave the room. It was about to get ugly, and no one wanted to be in the crossfire when the shit hit the fan. She genuinely liked both men, but as history had shown them, war was about to be raged, and over a woman.

They were just lucky Elizabeth wasn’t around.

She’d boot them both home—
in a heartbeat.

“You’re not thinking with the right head,” Chris stated, and then he pointed down.

Jaxon gasped, knowing Tony was going to lose it. She could tell by the look on his face.

Rage filled him.

“That’s priceless coming from you. You wandered around like a bumbling idiot for a full year before you finally figured out how to get Cyra even to go on a date with you. Who the fuck do you think covered for you? Me! I made sure your tools were put away. I made sure the files were sent to Elizabeth. I covered your ass because you were my friend. Now, I’m asking for you to do the same thing, and you’re on your pedestal preaching down your nose.”

Chris flushed red.

Had he really been that bad?

“I’m not doing that. All I’m saying is that she’s not using science. I’m not the only one who thinks that. Forensic reconstruction is an art, and nothing more.”

“Please stop,” Jaxon said softly.

They ignored her.

“I’m pointing out a cold hard fact, Tony. That’s my damn job. Whether you like it or not, this is
MY
lab.
MY
name is on the door back at FBI West, and I am fully responsible for what goes on here. It won’t be your ass on the line if something gets screwed up. It’ll be mine.”

Jaxon hated watching this happen.

This was all over her.

She knew that Tony loved Chris Leonard.

“I really wish you would both stop,” she said, trying once more.

Again, they ignored her like she wasn’t even in the room. It was incredibly frustrating.

“I can’t believe how narrow minded you are,” stated Tony Magnus. “No, wait! I do believe it. You have that jacked up rich kid mentality. You’re the brightest, best, and it’s your way or the highway.”

Tony’s well-aimed words hit their mark. He knew that Chris didn't give a shit about a dime he had. He was all about his wife, his unborn child, and this job.

So, he retaliated the only way he knew how. Deep down, he knew it was petty and childish. Still, he was wounded over the man’s disregard for Jaxon.