Past Will Haunt Read online

  “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 li
ttle 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.”

  Livy laughed. “Yes, it was. You don’t think it was a compliment?”

  Elizabeth shook her head. “Uh, no.”

  Livy patted her on the back. “Don’t take it personally. I didn't mean it like that.”

  “You told me I think like a killer. How am I supposed to let that one slide?”

  “I didn't say you were a killer. There’s a huge difference. You get into their minds and root around. It’s why you can solve these cases. You have a special skill, don’t you think?”

  She had a point.

  “Where to now?” Livy asked. “We raided this woman’s panty drawer, and there really wasn’t anything to find.”

  Elizabeth glanced out the woman’s window at the surrounding buildings. “There are a lot of mourners out there. Maybe we should talk to them.”

  “That works for me. Want to play divide and conquer?” Livy asked.

  Elizabeth nodded before tugging off her gloves. “Good luck. I’ll meet you back on the porch in a couple of hours. Then we’ll see what we dug up in the canvas.”

  “Deal.”

  With that, they headed out.

  Hopefully, they found something they could work with. If not, they were batting a big fat zero.

  Still.

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

  J. Edgar Hoover

  Building

  Gabe was in his office working on a file when Ethan Blackhawk knocked on his door.

  When he glanced up, he motioned for the man to enter. “Come on in, Ethan.”

  “Hey, boss, I just went over those two files. The agent in charge did a pretty thorough job of laying the groundwork, so Jay and I should be able to wrap it up soon. She had a good sense of direction in the case.”

  “Yeah, she’s got gut instinct you can bet money on. It’s kind of like yours.”

  He took a seat.

  Gabe stared at him. “Is something else going on?” he asked, knowing the man before him didn't usually like to talk.

  “No, I’m just checking on you. You looked stressed earlier. What are you working on? You’ve had your nose in the book all day.”

  Gabe leaned back in his chair. “I’m stressed, since I’m buried in the ‘Irish Butcher’ case.”

  Blackhawk whistled. “I caught it on the news. Is it the same guy from Boston?”

  “Yeah, it is. He’s here hunting, and the director isn’t really happy about it.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  He shrugged. “What can I do? The director has picked the team. He wants me to use one of our newbies as bait.”

  Ethan stared at him, his midnight blue eyes going wide. “Wow. He’s hard up to close it if he’s willing to risk someone’s life.”

  “Yeah, this maniac escaped the Boston bureau. He’s on a mission to nail this bastard down. It’s all political, and as I keep getting promoted, I see it more clearly.”

  “That sucks.”

  “I know. Once upon a time, I was a damn good field agent, and then I began pushing papers. Don’t let it happen to you, Ethan. Stay in the field as long as you can.”

  “I plan on it.”

  Well, sort of. Ethan wanted to move up, but he would make sure it wasn’t political with him. It was going to be about running a tight ship.

  “Do you need any help with the case?” Ethan asked.

  Gabe turned the file around so Blackhawk could see it. “Sure. Here it is. What do you think?”

  He studied it. “Can you give me a few minutes?”

  “Yeah, have at it.”

  He watched his agent. The man’s serious face creased with focus as his cheek actually twitched. He was hitting it up hardcore.

  Finally, he glanced up.

  “He’s going to be a bitch to catch. Even when you nail him down, he’s likely not going to spend a day in jail.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He’s dissecting women alive, spreading them out, and then leaving by the front door. He’s not going to have any fear. If you do get him, he’s not getting the chair. He’s crazy.”

  “Is that your professional assessment?”

  “Oh yeah, it really is. Whoever you have as bait, keep your eyes on her. If he gets her
, by the time you get there, he’s going to have her cut apart. This guy is getting better and better with each case. He’s improving his skill. That makes him incredibly dangerous.”

  Shit!

  Shit!

  Shit!

  This wasn’t good.

  Gabe’s heart dropped in his chest at Ethan’s words. Granted, he couldn’t have a relationship with Livy, but it didn't mean he didn't care.

  “Tell me a little about the man we’re hunting.”

  Ethan was more than happy to help. “He feels older, and he’s skilled like someone more your age, but he’s also scouring bars. That’s risky. Just that slight element of danger makes me think he’s not all that old. He’s also calculated, smart, and he’s a craftsman.”

  “What?”

  “Look at how close to the bone he’s getting. He’s handled meat before. He’s not seeing her as a person. He’s taking her apart for a reason.”

  “So that means?”

  “I would look for a butcher, restaurant owner, chef, or teacher of culinary arts. Someone had to teach him those skills, and he didn't pick them up on the street. If he’s not one of those trades, someone in his family is. You don’t just pick up a knife and then kill someone like this.”

  Ethan had a point.

  “I’d also go back to where it all started. Wander the area, and get a feel for him. I’m willing to bet that he didn't just pick Boston and run with it. He’s picking Irish victims. Boston is home to the Irish mob and a large immigrant population. He’s going to have grown up there.”

  He didn't think of that.

  “If he’s from there, he’s going to have left his mark somewhere.”

  That was perfect.

  His agent was damn good at profiling.

  Now his head wasn’t spinning. There was a point to focus on, and at tonight’s meeting, he was going to tell Elizabeth and Livy exactly what Ethan had given them.

  “You should profile for a living.”

  He laughed. “What? This little skill? I’d miss the field too much. Maybe one day, when I get old and I don’t want to get shot at anymore, then I’ll settle down and deal with the crazies on a full time business.”

  “I hope you do. I see potential in you.”