Redemption is Here (An FBI/Romance Thriller Book 9) Read online

  “Director, I have a funeral in two days. I need this cemetery accessible to everyone who comes to bury their loved ones. You can’t keep it locked down for long.”

  She had no intention of keeping the living out. Her worry was stopping a killer from leaving a trail of bodies. “Well, the longer it takes me to do my job, the longer it’ll be shut down. If you want that funeral to happen, you need to let me get back to work. You go calm the masses, and I’ll worry about the body. If I find any more victims, you and the sheriff will hear from me.”

  The man hurried away.

  Elizabeth waited for him to leave before turning to face her two anthropologists. She could feel them staring at her, which meant that they might have something for her. If anything, her team was predictable. “What do you have?” she asked.

  Tony noticed she was shivering from being wet. Pulling off his semi dry FBI pullover, he handed it to her. “Here, Lyzee,” he said. “You don’t need to get sick.”

  She gratefully took it and pulled it on. “Thank you, Tony.”

  Callen appreciated the man’s concern. Had his own clothes been dry, he would have offered his up.

  Tony prepared to give her all he had at that point. “It looks to be the same MO. The only thing that was noticeably different was the mummification of the animal. We won’t know more until we get it open, but I will tell you there was a lot of blood on the wrappings when we moved the body. The victim was killed, and then bled as the killer did his thing.”

  “Yeah, I noticed. What can you tell me about the use of the cemetery?”

  Tony glanced over at Jaxon. It was time to let her see what the FBI was going to be like. “Why don’t you take this one?”

  “Okay, Tony,” she stated. “First, I’m sorry if I sounded inappropriate in the crypt,” she offered. “I wasn’t aware you were pregnant and if I had been, I would have been less enthusiastic. I just happen to love cemeteries.”

  “It’s okay, Doctor Armstrong. I’m not easily offended, but I am a little emotional now.” She placed her hand over her stomach, still trying to calm Charlie down. “Normally, nothing bothers me. How about we forget it, and you give me what you know?”

  “Okay, I can do that. This screams burial ritual to me. In life, there’s only one thing which is certain. We’re all going to die. Our killer is taking it and making it ‘special’. Everyone buries their dead. When we pass on, we’re embalmed and buried, whether in a jar, casket, or tomb. He’s making it elaborate. Where you’re seeing a sicko who is killing, I see it a little different. While he’s taking their lives, he’s also giving them their moment in the end.”

  Elizabeth glanced over at her anthropologist for his opinion. When he simply nodded, she went with it. “Continue, Doctor.”

  “Most species mourn their dead, from elephants, to gorillas, and then humans. Where we differ is how we lay them to rest. If he’s killing them because of sin, he’s also purifying them in death. They’ve paid the ultimate price and are still important. After killing them, he’s preserving them in frankincense, meticulously wrapping them, and finally burying them. Even though he’s a cold, calculated killer, he’s still reverent in their demise. To him, it’s a calling.”

  Elizabeth understood. They weren’t just dumped on a roadside, but handled carefully. “Okay, why?”

  Tony spoke up, “To me, he’s mourning them. I’ve seen societies where they would wrap the bodies, and then lay them to rest much like this. Some used banana leaves, others used paper. It’s a way of sending them off to their maker.”

  “Like giftwrapping them?” Callen asked. Until then, he’d remained silent, getting ill over the entire thing. This killer was obviously insane.

  “Yes, you can say that,” Jaxon said. “If he’s wrapping the bodies like mummies and preserving them with frankincense, he likely has a fascination with Egyptology. This is exactly like dig sites I’ve worked before.”

  “I agree,” stated Tony. “I worked in the outskirts of Cairo years ago in college. The canopic jars, the oils, and now the mummified pet all point that way.”

  “Yeah, I noticed,” Elizabeth stated. This was all a mess.

  They had a killer who was callously taking a life, but in death he was being reverent. It seemed that the killer was a little more than crazy in her book.

  None of this made sense to her, and it looked like she was going to have to call in the big guns on this.

  It was going to be profiler time.

  Elizabeth glanced down the path toward where her husband was busy with the media. She was sure he’d have a field day with this one.

  “Boss, can we get in to sweep the crypt?” asked Meredith, as she stood there with her kit and three techs.

  “Yeah, get me everything you can find. I even want the spiders brought in for interrogation,” she said.

  “You’ll be able to eat off the slab when we’re done,” she stated.

  “Yeah, that’s appealing,” Elizabeth said. “You and Jaxon can get back to the morgue. Thank you for your insight. Help Zane out as much as possible. We’ll be heading back in for the autopsy soon,” she said.

  The two wandered off to their vehicle.

  “I don’t like this at all,” stated Callen.

  Yeah, neither did she.

  “Join the club.”

  After Ethan had dealt with the media and Callen had made sure the sheriff’s deputies understood that the cemetery was on lock down, they headed to the morgue. While no one really wanted to watch an autopsy, they had no choice. In order to get to the bar and interrogate the patrons, of the dead prostitute, they needed to check this off their list.

  Once arriving, they waited as a tech finished pulling fibers from the mummy wrappings. Doctor Legend was pulling on his scrubs as he prepped to start.

  “If it’s okay with you, Director,” he said, pulling out his tools, “I’d like to let Tony and Doctor Armstrong handle the smaller victim. Then, I can focus on the body.”

  She was fine with that. This wasn’t her area, and Elizabeth was more than willing to let them run with it. “Have at it, Doctors.”

  All three gloved up, and Zane gave the go-ahead. “Let’s begin.”

  Elizabeth leaned against Ethan, letting him wrap his arms around her. Right now, she wasn’t feeling well, and it had nothing to do with her pregnancy. There was this sick feeling brewing in her gut over this case. She was accustomed to sickos. After all, they’d dealt with devil worshipers and cannibals. Yet, this didn't sit well with her at all.

  Killers, who did their crimes in the name of their God, were generally extremists. They had few boundaries and didn't believe they had anything to lose. A martyr on a killing spree was terrifying.

  Tony and Jaxon had their victim freed first, since there were fewer bindings.

  “It’s a dog,” stated Tony, getting his boss’s attention. When they approached, there lay a small poodle. He wasn’t mutilated or missing any parts. Touching the collar, he read the name. “His name was Killer.”

  Elizabeth snorted. “Oh, the irony. Where do I even begin with this one?”

  Jaxon picked him up to examine his body. Immediately, his head lolled sickly to one side. “He has a broken neck,” she said, holding the poodle as Doctor Magnus began feeling the bones.

  “I concur. Someone likely twisted it to incapacitate him.”

  “Yeah, but why? The killer didn't mutilate the dog.”

  Ethan spoke up. “It might be possible that the person who was killed had an attachment to the dog.”

  Elizabeth shared with him what they had discussed in the cemetery. She noticed that Ethan was taking it all in, and the wheels were definitely turning in his head. He was processing everything.

  “That’s feasible,” he began, “Or the killer is being reverent because he views himself as God-like. In Christianity, the almighty is the judge, and he will strike down those who sin, but he is still considered merciful and loving.”

  “So he thinks he’s God?” she ask
ed, horrified. Yeah, this was her big worry.

  “God-like. While he knows he’s not the big man, he may think if he’s just like him that he can hide his own flaws. The person doing this wants attention, but I doubt it’s ours that he’s after. If he’s obsessed with helping judge sinners, he isn't going to care what we think.”

  “Only God’s opinion matters,” Callen stated. “That’s dangerous.”

  Ethan agreed. “It certainly is, because we’re just an annoyance. He’ll ignore us, until we get in his way. If we try to stop him from reaching his ultimate goal of impressing God, he’ll strike out.”

  Callen was sick to his stomach. “Under no circumstance are you to tell anyone we’re a couple. Am I clear?”

  “You know what, boys? I’m about at my limit for bossiness today. While I get that you’re trying to be protective, it’s tying my undies in a big wicked knot, and you know how bitchy I get. How about we try not ordering me around? For your safety, you might want to take that route,” she warned.

  The men stared at her.

  Tony tried hard not to laugh. It was fun to watch Elizabeth threaten to hurt them because while he knew she was dangerous, they might be the two men who could best her.

  Callen’s face said it all. “I’ll repeat this one more time. Under no circumstance is anyone to know we’re a couple.”

  Ethan laid a hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay, Callen. Take a deep breath. We’re here and she’s safe.”

  The man did just that. When it didn't work, he finally spoke, “I need a break,” he said, heading out of the room.

  Elizabeth watched him leave. “Yeah, you need to focus on the tribulations of this relationship in your next paper, Tony. Maybe you should write it from my perspective. It’s not all sexy fun being the only one with ovaries in our house.”

  Jaxon glanced over. “So you’re definitely the subject in that paper?” she asked excitedly. “I can’t believe you admitted to it. That journal article is the talk of our peers.”

  Tony said nothing. Here, he didn't spill the details on this one. Yes, he allowed Jaxon to think it was them, but now his boss just outted herself.

  Elizabeth let him off the hook. “See that mummy?” she stated, pointing at the body. When the doctor nodded, she continued, “If you spread the details around, you’ll be next.”

  She stared at her. “Uh, okay.”

  Tony laughed. “She’s not serious, Jax, but keep it quiet please.”

  Who would she tell?

  Zane called for them. “You may want to see this,” he said, peeling back the strips of cloth. “I know why there was so much blood. The killer took his fingers.” Lifting a jar, he gave it a shake. “I’m betting all ten are in here,” he stated.

  Elizabeth stared down at his mutilated hands. “I want to know how he removed them, and we need that jar open. I want his ID too.”

  Jaxon rushed over. “I’ll do it, Director,” she said, using a scalpel to unseal the wax ring. As soon as she did, Tony was at her side with a metal tray. Gently, she dumped the contents out and reached inside to pull out the Ziploc bag.

  “Thank you,” Elizabeth said, grabbing tongs to pull the driver’s license out of the bloody bag.

  Once out, Ethan held out a tray for her.

  “Well, holy shit,” she said, staring down at the ID.

  Ethan read the name and glanced over at his wife. “It’s Jed Proctor.”

  Doctors Legend, Armstrong, and Magnus looked confused, so Elizabeth caught them up to speed. “He’s the man who was accused of stealing money from the church and destroying Allen Payne’s vehicle. Now, he’s dead.”

  Tony whistled. “Someone’s watching that church.”

  Yeah, didn't she know it?

  Ethan spoke up. “This is definitely tied to religion. In my mind, this proves it.”

  Doctor Jaxon agreed. “In biblical times, if you stole something, even if you were doing it because you were starving, there were two outcomes. You were stoned, or you had your fingers cut off. One offense might mean a finger to mark you as a thief, but if you continued that was the end result.”

  Elizabeth thought about all of it.

  “An eye for an eye,” Ethan said. “Our first victim lost his penis, the second his tongue, the third her genitalia, the fourth her heart, and now fingers for stealing.”

  “He’s being very literal,” Tony said.

  Zane interrupted, “Yeah, except this time he didn't strangle him,” he said, staring down into his throat. “The hyoid is completely intact, but the back of his skull is a scattered puzzle.”

  “COD?”

  He replied, “Someone bashed his brains in.”

  “Is Merry back in from the field?” Elizabeth asked.

  Ethan sent a text. “She’s on her way in now.”

  “Good, because I want to know what she’s learned so far.” Pulling out her own phone, she texted her agents. They were upstairs working, and she wanted them down there ASAP.

  When they arrived, the barrage of questioning began. “Tell me what you learned about Dixon and our other victims.”

  Johanna scanned her tablet. “Wade Dixon may have felt guilty that his family died, but he was still attached to Emelia Southland. He was paying her rent, car payment, and we found a credit card that she was added to for her shopping pleasure.”

  “He said he wanted time away from her. If you were going to break up with me, Ethan, would you leave your credit card for me to use?”

  He started laughing. “Hell no! There is no sane man who would do that. Women are sadistic. The ex is prone to go out and bury the man in debt just to get even.”

  Elizabeth thought about it. “That’s exactly my point. So when you dump me and tell me you need time, you take back my financial freedom. Maybe that’s not what happened. What if he didn't dump her, but she wanted him out of her life?”

  They all looked at her.

  “Think about it. I come to you and say it’s over. The last thing I’m thinking is spending money. I’m worried about how to keep you out of my life.”

  “You should be worried about me going over the edge and stalking you.”

  She grinned. “Again, see? Let’s take an informal poll. For you men in this room, what do you do when your girl dumps you?”

  Tony started laughing. “You crawl and beg, hoping she’ll take you back?” It wasn’t like he had any experience, but he was thinking about Jaxon and what he’d do in that situation.

  “And if that doesn’t work?” she asked.

  Zane thought about it. “I start making sure there’s not someone else. If there is another man sniffing around, I’d go and kick his ass.”

  Ethan agreed.

  She shook her head. “Okay, we’ll write that off as a Native thing,” Elizabeth said, laughing.

  Broderick Seaton spoke up, “No, ma’am, I’d eventually do it too. If the woman I loved was telling me it wasn’t happening, I’d try to wear her down. I’d start by sending her flowers, and then follow her around ‘accidentally’ running into her.”

  Johanna stared at him. “That’s creepy.”

  He grinned. “Yeah, I know. The best part is because I’m a Fed, I could get away with it.” To torment his partner, he winked at her.

  Agent Madden laughed.

  “What about you, Jaxon?” Elizabeth asked. “What do you think?”

  She shrugged. “I’ve never had a boyfriend long term, and I’ve never been married. I’m generally in a pit somewhere, reconstructing victims. You don’t have a lot of downtime. People who play in the dead don’t generally make good partners.”

  Elizabeth saw the expression on Tony’s face, and there was worry there. Quickly, she moved on. “Okay, we now know two things.”

  They all listened.

  “All of you men are freaks and shouldn’t be working for the FBI,” she began, getting them to laugh. “And we just found ourselves another motive, at least for one victim.”

  Johanna was ready. “We ran Wad
e Dixon.”

  “Awesome. Give me what you found.”

  She flipped screens. “The man in question had a few issues in his past. While he may have felt guilty about cheating on his wife, he didn't have a problem fighting with her. We found three calls to their house for arguments. The fighting was so bad, that their twelve year old called the police twice, and their eight year old once.”

  “See, shit like that makes me want to head there and slap the stupid right out of him.”

  “Is she kidding?” Jax asked Tony.

  He laughed. “No, she’d do it if Ethan would let her.”

  Blackhawk grinned. “She’s not allowed to slap civilians. We like to keep it in house. I hate paperwork.”

  Just then, Meredith entered, followed by the rest of the team. Immediately, she sent them off to get started as she pulled off her wet pullover.

  Johanna continued, “He’s worth a shitload of money, and that’s likely why the wife tolerated his bullshit.”

  “Anyone want to bet there was a prenup?” Elizabeth asked.

  “No need to make any bets, Director. There was one. If the wife left, there was no payout,” Broderick said. “If he left, he had to pay her a hefty sum. You’ll be happy to know that there was also a clause that stated she would be a wealthy woman if he was caught cheating.”

  Ethan lifted his brow. “How did you dig up that little bit of information without a warrant?”

  “It took some maneuvering. Since the wife is dead, I went with that angle. When I tracked it back to her attorney, he was more than willing to spill his guts once he heard I was a Fed. I didn't even have to ask questions. The man was like a fountain spouting all the details.”

  “Brody can be very persuasive,” Johanna admitted. “He’s good with charming the hell out of people.”

  Elizabeth offered him a fist bump. “I love my team, especially when they can outthink an attorney to circumvent the law.”

  All the techs stared at her like she was certifiable.

  “What? Get back to work,” she practically growled. That seemed to reassure them that she wasn’t abducted by pod people. “There’s no need to stare at me like a bunch of crazies,” she said, grinning.