Hell Is Burning Read online

  Ironically, they wanted them to think that…until they fell into billions. Now--they couldn’t get off that train.

  The hunters laughed.

  Mace Bristol was amused. To him, this never got old. Then again, he didn't have people taking pictures of his feet and shoes to see if he was in style.

  “My wife loves you. She thinks you have the best fashion sense. I didn't think you’d be dressed like this,” he stated.

  Okay, she’d had about enough.

  If you wanted to piss her off, this was the best way to do it. Emma hated when people talked about her clothing and ignored that she actually had a job. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as a clothes mannequin. She was a cop.

  A damn good one.

  “Yeah, well I leave my tiara and ball gown at home during work hours. This is my day look. You know--pissed off homicide cop. Now can we discuss the body?” she asked, pointing at the woman still hanging from the tree.

  Emma really wished the ME would get her ass in motion and get the victim down. It was creepy how she hung from the branches of the big tree like some sick ornamentation.

  Jingle bells. Their killer was crazy.

  “Sure thing, ma’am,” the youngest one said.

  It wasn’t that Emma didn't trust them, but she wanted their stories separate from each other. She couldn’t count the times that someone who ‘found’ the body turned out to be the one who killed the person.

  She took the youngest one and led him toward their dropped hunting gear.

  “Start from the beginning,” she stated.

  The boy did just that. “We decided to go camping and hunting about three days ago, so Bobby got us some beer and weed…I mean jerky.”

  She held out her hand. “If you give it to me now, I’ll forget where I found it. If I have the nice officers frisk and cavity search you, you’re going to be spending time behind bars. Marijuana is illegal here.”

  He immediately handed it over.

  She tucked it in her pocket. “Now spill it.”

  “We were out here walking around, looking for the perfect area to bed down and wait for something to come through. That’s when we saw her.”

  Emma made notes.

  “At first, we thought someone was screwing around. You know, you see those scary movies where they hang the body in the trees, and the unsuspected person gets freaked out.”

  “Most people do get freaked out. Dead bodies are a little scary,” she stated.

  “No way! I want to see it when it’s down.”

  Yeah, that wasn’t happening.

  While Emma was easy going, she wasn’t that easy going. She could tell that the woman had suffered. Anyone strung up like a human piñata had to have a rough time. She couldn’t imagine allowing someone to do that to her.

  Well, not without one hell of a fight.

  “Okay, so you saw her. What next?”

  “Jimmy called the cops.”

  “Did you see anyone around?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “No, but there are some drag marks not that far away,” he offered. “There’s nowhere to park around here. We had to walk in because the closest road is for official vehicles only. We don’t break the law.”

  She pulled the pot out of her pocket, and he had the dignity to blush.

  “Sorry, ma’am. Other than that, we don’t break the law. No cars means no cars.”

  She glanced back at her Navigator. It had been one hell of a trip in, and she had a monster vehicle. If the killer drove back here, he likely did too.

  “Where are the marks?” she asked.

  “I can show you, ma’am.”

  She motioned for him to go ahead.

  “We were over here, and that’s when I saw them,” he admitted. “I was taking a leak.”

  Great.

  The forensics team was going to have fun with that one. There were days when being a detective sucked, but this wasn’t one of them. At least she wasn’t going to have to track through pee covered grass. Some tech was stuck with that crappy job.

  It was a small miracle.

  “Right here.”

  Emma looked around. The tracks came from the opposite direction of where she was parked. The killer didn't drive in to deposit the body.

  He’d been careful.

  That said a lot.

  This was meditated. It was planned. This wasn’t a spur of the moment thing.

  When they got back, she was going to take her husband up on borrowing his profiler. Emma was pretty sure Paris would have a field day with this one.

  Body hanging from tree…

  Yeah, someone was a few crayons short of a box.

  “What else did you see?”

  “Not much, ma’am. We didn't want to get too close to the body. We knew that the cops would need to check it, and we didn't want to be suspects.”

  “You found the bodies, so you’re automatically suspects.”

  He stared at her. “Really?”

  “Yes.”

  “That is so freaking cool!” As he pulled out his phone to post some message on social media, she took it away from him.

  “NO.”

  He pouted.

  Emma simply shook her head. “I’m going to have one of the CSI’s check your clothes and get some samples from you. Is that okay?”

  “Yeah, I don’t mind,” he offered.

  When she waved over a tech, the young man was taken away. While Mace was making sure the techs were doing their jobs, she motioned for the second man to join her.

  She was going to see what he had to say.

  “Can you tell me what happened?” she asked.

  “We were hunting, and we found the body. That’s all.”

  “I already have the weed, so you’re in the clear,” she stated. “You can calm down. I can see your pulse jumping in your throat.”

  The man swallowed.

  “I don’t want to be in trouble with the FBI.”

  She tapped her badge. “LVPD. I’m not with the Feds. You have the wrong Croft. He’s taller than I am, has that pirate scar, and a bad temper when people lie. Oh, wait! So do I.”

  Again, he began, and once more, it was the same story. Emma was beginning to believe that the men were on the up and up.

  When she sent him off with another tech, the final man joined her. He was far less nervous than the other two.

  “What’s it like to be a celebrity?” he asked.

  “Annoying.”

  “It looks cool.”

  She was getting irritated. “What’s it like to be in jail?” she asked.

  “I don’t know. I’ve never been arrested before,” he stated.

  “I can change that if you don’t stop talking.”

  He clammed up. “Sorry.”

  Emma proceeded to ask him the same questions, and he, too, gave the exact same answers. When she was done with him, off he went.

  It didn't take her partner long to find her.

  “All set?” he asked.

  “Next time, you get the interviews,” she stated.

  Mace grinned. “Are you sure I’m qualified to ask the hard hitting questions? Who designed that suit? I bet it cost more than last week’s paycheck,” he teased. When she gave him a look, he lifted both hands. “Kidding! Man, someone’s cranky about their fashion this morning.”

  She punched him in the arm.

  “Yeah, yeah. Where the heck is Doctor Hanlon?” she asked, looking around.

  “She’s running late,” a tech stated. “We’ve documented the scene. The doctor gave us the authorization to take her down.”

  Emma rolled her eyes. If Steele was there, he’d shit a brick if someone touched his victim.

  “You’re the lead investigator. It’s up to you, ma’am.”

  “Okay, whatever the doctor wants. Do it.”

  They stepped back and stared up at the body as it was slowly lowered. It was clearly a woman, and in the pit of her stomach, Emma had that feeling. She couldn’t quite put he
r finger on it, but it was there.

  Something felt off.

  All this talk about clothes had her focused on the dead woman’s things.

  In fact, they looked familiar.

  It was like she’d seen them before…but where?

  Emma shook her head and tried to focus on anything else. She was obviously out of her mind. The trio of hunters had dropped her IQ to dangerously low levels.

  As the body reached the ground, the techs again started taking pictures. Immediately, Mace began noticing things that were different.

  “She’s got all her jewelry,” he stated.

  Emma took note. “You’re right. That’s odd.”

  The last two victims were missing their rings, earrings, and necklaces. The killer even took a toe ring.

  Yet, now, not so much. She was adorned with a wedding band on her bloody finger.

  Why?

  The team began bagging her hands. She was placed on a tarp so they could catch any trace that fell off of her.

  “Ready, Detectives?” the tech inquired.

  Emma nodded. They were going to take the pillowcase off the victim’s head and try to ascertain her identity.

  Mace handed Emma a pair of gloves and snapped into his own. With gentle fingers, he felt the woman’s arm.

  “Rigor has set in. She’s been dead at least eight hours,” he stated.

  “Remember when we had an ME who would be here and could tell us that?” she asked.

  He snorted. “Yeah, it was all fun and games until that suave, coroner stealing bastard of yours took our fine doctor away.”

  Yeah, not quite, but it was still amusing.

  “No ID,” stated Emma, checking the woman’s blazer pockets.

  Again, she got that feeling in the pit of her stomach. It was like a swarm of bees buzzing around.

  She tried to ignore it.

  “Nothing in her pockets,” he stated, checking her pants.

  “Okay, cut the rope, but make sure it gets placed in with the body as evidence,” Emma stated. “Let’s disturb her as little as possible.”

  She’d done enough of these that she could do a crime scene in the dark, blindfolded, and drunk. Sadly, she didn't trust the techs, who looked like they were fresh out of high school, to do the job.

  They watched as the CSI clipped through the rope around her neck, trying to be careful not to damage her in any way. When the rope was free, she tucked it into an evidence bag.

  “Want me to unhood her?” she asked.

  Mace nodded.

  Gently, the woman pulled back the hood enough for the detectives to see her face.

  It was like a punch to the gut.

  “Cover her,” Emma stated.

  The tech looked at her like she was crazy, but she did it anyway.

  Mace stared at her. “Oh, holy shit!”

  She knew what he was saying because she, herself, was between weeping and puking. Then again, she might do both.

  “I have to call this in,” she stated.

  “To Ford?”

  Emma shook her head. “No, to Greyson. We need the FBI’s help, and we have to keep this under wraps.”

  He totally agreed.

  It was apparent to both of them that the tech who did the unveiling didn't know who the woman was.

  It was a damn good thing.

  It was going to buy them that needed time.

  As Emma pulled out her phone, she directed the tech. “Call the ME and cancel her trip here. This body is going with us to the FBI lab. We’re officially asking the Feds for help. I need you to get all the evidence gathered and ready for transport.”

  The woman headed off, and Mace personally zipped up the body bag.

  Emma finally was able to dial her husband’s number at the office. Instead of answering his direct line, his secretary’s voice appeared over the phone.

  “I need to talk to my husband.”

  “Detective Croft, he’s in a meeting with his agents and asked not to be disturbed unless it was an emergency. He has a full schedule for today.”

  Emma didn't care. She had a dead detective on her hands, and the fallout was going to be epic.

  “Are you sure you need to interrupt?”

  She didn't want to scare him but this was bad, and she pretty much believed that it fell in the category of ‘emergency’. It also fell into the boned and screwed category too. If the media got wind…

  “Tell him it’s urgent that I need to talk to him right now. I’ll take the heat on this one.”

  The woman paused. “Okay, Mrs. Croft. Hold for the director.”

  When his voice came over the phone, he sounded worried. “Emma, honey, what’s wrong? Are you okay? Did something happen to you? You didn't get shot, did you?”

  “Greyson, I need your help, and I know you’re probably busy, but I need it right now,” she whispered into the phone, trying to be cognizant of everyone around her.

  His breath caught in his chest.

  Yeah, that didn't sound good at all.

  “Give me a second,” he said before he dismissed the agents who were in his office briefing him on their assignments. If Emma was calling and sounded this rattled, there had to be a reason.

  A damn good one.

  “Okay, Em, we’re alone. What’s happening?”

  “We’re at the scene of the next body, and I need the FBI’s help on this one. I need you to meet me at your lab and have Doctor Bentley ready to do three autopsies.”

  He could do that. “No problem, honey.”

  After all, he offered up his lab just that morning. Still, he wasn’t sure why the urgency. Autopsies weren’t a big deal. She could have called Doctor Bentley on this on her own. He gave her access to his teams.

  “Are the bodies all heading this way?” he asked, typing up an email to the ME.

  “Yes, and we need to keep this under wraps. By that, I mean no one but you, me, Steele, and Mace can have access to the room during the procedure.”

  He didn't get it.

  “Emma, honey, what happened? What has you so freaked out?”

  “We just unhooded the third victim, Grey, and we know her.”

  That caught him off guard.

  “Who is it?” he asked, getting that sick feeling in his gut. It was the one he got as a sniper before he had to kill someone. It was never a good thing.

  Emma wanted to throw up.

  “Honey, who is it?” he asked, when she went silent.

  “It’s Brynn Westmore-Briggs. Someone killed Curtis’s wife, and I’m in charge of her case.”

  That’s all she had to say.

  It looked like his gut was right.

  Chapter Two

  Tuesday Mid-Morning

  FBI Las Vegas

  Everything happened so fast.

  It was like the team was on fast forward as he alerted them that there was a body delivery coming in.

  Somehow, Greyson Croft had managed to isolate the lab, kicking all the techs out. It wasn’t easy, but when the boss man said move, they moved. Granted, they gave him a few looks that spoke volumes. They apparently thought he was a few bricks shy of a wall.

  That was fine.

  This was an emergency.

  As he hustled the last one out, until it was only him and Doctor Bentley, he couldn’t relax. Then he still couldn’t calm down. He dreaded seeing Brynn Westmore-Briggs on the slab.

  While he was pissed at Curtis, he didn't want the man to hurt like this.

  “What’s the big evacuation for?” Steele asked, pulling on his protective garb for the autopsy.

  Oh, the man was going to understand the second he saw his first ‘patient’ for the day.

  “I need anything you find on these three autopsies to be pass coded for my eyes only. Are we clear?”

  Doctor Bentley couldn’t help but notice the man didn't answer his question. It must be big. Before he could ask again, the bay door alarm went off. He was pretty sure whatever was coming was going to be a me
ss.

  “Why are we bringing the bodies here?” he asked, still trying to get anything he could from the man.

  Greyson didn't know if he should tell Steele, or wait until the third victim was unveiled. Sometimes, actions spoke louder than words.

  “Emma’s new ME isn't as efficient as you, and fortunately for us, the techs only got the trace done. No one’s cut into the women, and that may make or break this case.”

  “Greyson, who is coming in? I’m getting the distinct impression that you don’t want to tell me.”

  He rolled his neck to get rid of the tension. “We can’t call the ID until you do the autopsy, but it appears that the final victim is Brynn Westmore-Briggs.”

  It was all he had to say.

  He actually gasped. “Oh, shit!”

  Yeah, Croft knew how he was feeling.

  “Are we sure?”

  “Emma and Mace did the on scene ID. They worked with her, so I’m betting the assessment is spot on. There was no ID or badge on her body.”

  This was bad.

  Very bad.

  “We can’t let any of this leave the room. It has to stay locked down tight. I have to have time to notify Curtis and for Emma to do her thing.”

  He pulled on his rubber gloves as the autopsy room doors automatically opened.

  There was Emma, Mace, and one tech.

  Immediately, the tech helped the detective lift the bodies onto the metal trays.

  Then Steele dismissed him.

  As soon as he was gone, the doctor crossed to the door to punch in the passcode to lock the room behind the man.

  Now no one could get in or out.

  “Steele, I need her autopsy done fast.”

  He completely understood. This had the potential to blow up all around them.

  She handed him her tablet and he scrolled through the pictures before opening the body bag. It showed the position of the body before it was moved.

  They watched as he took it all in. His eyes crisscrossed over the photos, gathering information.

  Finally, he glanced up.

  There was so much emotion in his eyes.

  “Okay, I’m ready. Were all the women found like this?”

  Mace replied, “Yes. That’s why we didn't think anything of it. Had we known, we wouldn’t have left her hanging up there for as long as she did.”

  Emma continued, “We also would have locked the scene down. There was media there snapping pictures and chasing after the men who found her.”