Choices will Destroy (An FBI Romance Thriller Book 14) (57 page)

Hoover Building

DC

Livy sat in her husband’s office as he was on the phone taking a conference call with the President of the United States. It never ceased to amaze her how influential her husband had become. He was hobnobbing it with the most powerful man in the free world.

It turned her on.

When he glanced over at her, Gabe winked. He knew what she was thinking. The flush must have given it away.

Forcing her mind back to work, she studied the papers before her. She was running a background check, and something else she thought might be advantageous.

Helena Brennan-O’Brien was nowhere to be found. The woman hadn’t used a credit card, gotten a loan, or tried to use her social security number.

She was a ghost.

Then it occurred to her. What if she checked the Jane Does who had turned up in the morgues? A person didn't stop existing like this unless they had a bad end to their lives.

It was a hunch.

She ran the parameters, of the search, adjusting to the new technology. A lot had changed in the last fifteen years. She just had that gut feeling, and she went with it.

Pulling up the local ME, close to where Helena had lived, she searched all his cases. It was a long timeframe, but she still had that hunch.

Then she found her.

“Holy shit,” she muttered.

That had Gabe’s attention as he hung up with the president. “What did you find?”

“Helena.”

“Really?

“She turned up in a shallow grave. She was beaten to death.”

“How do you know it’s her?” he asked, crossing the room to get to her side.

“Look at the artist’s rendition.”

Gabe examined the picture and then compared it to the woman’s final driver’s license photo.

She looked almost the same.

“She was killed.”

“Now we just need to find out by who?”

She laughed. “COD was a stab wound with a butcher’s knife. Her husband is a butcher, and her ex was slicing people apart. I think we have two good suspects.”

Gabe smiled. “We have one. You must be rusty.”

She lifted a brow. “Am I?”

“She married the brother after Seamus was dead. There’s no way in hell a dead man came back and murdered his muse.”

“Good point,” Livy stated. “I am rusty.”

He sipped his coffee. “So, you think it was him?”

“She was beaten, and then buried. In most cases, where a married woman goes missing, it is almost always the husband. He didn't file for divorce because he didn't know where she was. Yeah, he could have applied for a legal injunction. I’m betting he didn't want to bring up her name, in fear there would be a case.”

“I agree.”

As if to solidify her opinion further, Livy pushed on. She had something to prove, and she knew it. “If I disappeared, what would you do?”

“I’d call out the National Guard and tear this country apart to find you. I wouldn’t stop looking. Any husband, who was in love with his wife, would.”

“So why didn't he?”

“He killed her.”

“I think I have a little side case when this is over. I’m going to put James O’Brien’s ass in jail.”

“It’s not our jurisdiction.”

“It doesn’t matter, Gabriel. She was a person. She’s been a Jane Doe for the last decade. Someone has to stand for her, even if it’s not my job.”

He kissed his wife. “That works for me.” Before he could say any more, his secretary knocked. When she came in, Paulina wouldn’t look him in the eye.

Gabe lifted a brow.

Livy simply grinned in triumph.

“Sir, here’s the report you asked for earlier. I had to wait because one of the ME’s was waiting on an attendance report.”

Gabe loved paperwork. It made his day. He loved nothing more than putting everything in tidy folders for future reference.

“Oh, is someone out?”

He didn't normally get attendance reports, but he needed it to give Elizabeth a count for her team. He didn't need her going over the top and hiring too many for the budget.

“Yeah, Carol Spade is out again.”

Livy lifted a brow.

“She must be trying to avoid Elizabeth,” he joked. “Or she’s looking for a new job.”

Paulina handed him the report and hustled out.

“What was wrong with her?” he asked.

“I told her we’d had sex, I marked my territory, and she knows the next time she pictures you naked, she’s dead.”

He stared at her as if she’d lost her mind. “What?”

Livy ignored him. “Did you hear what she said?”

“Did you hear what you said?” he asked. “Let’s deal with one issue at a time, Olivia.”

She sighed. “I may have hinted that you skipped lunch and had dessert. I was probably the dessert in question.”

His mouth hung open.

“Anyway, back to the other issue. It’s more important.”

“My head is going to explode,” he muttered, trying to keep calm. Livy wasn’t even officially back, and it was already starting. He was screwed.              

“Did you hear what your assistant said? Carol Spade is out sick.”

“So?”

“Did she call in?”

He glanced down at the paper. “No. She was a no show.”

“She works in the lab, she hates Elizabeth and Chris, and she’s a blonde.”

He stared at her.

“Yeah, she is.”

“We need to tell Elizabeth we added one more person to her suspect pool.”

“Yeah, she’s either going to love us, or hate us.”

Livy was already well aware. They were adding weight to her already overloaded shoulders.

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

The Leonard Residence

Cyra had just gotten her daughter down for a nap when she recalled the garbage. The truck would be coming for pickup any minute, and she wanted to make sure it didn't sit in the garage. There was nothing worse than stinky trash where she kept Bethe’s stroller.

Hustling out, she opened the door and wheeled the can down the driveway. As she was heading back up, she heard footsteps.

She jumped.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Leonard. I didn't mean to scare you.”

Cyra was wary.

“Elizabeth Blackhawk sent me,” she said, pulling out her badge.

She relaxed.

“Why? Is my husband okay? They just left a little while ago.”

“He’s fine, ma’am. I was sent to keep an eye on you. There’s a killer on the loose, and she didn't want you in danger. She wants to protect your husband.”

Cyra smiled. She’d told Chris she’d be safe, but he must have asked Elizabeth to post an agent anyway. It was just like her sweet husband to be worried about her wellbeing.

“Okay, thank you. Would you like some coffee? I just put our daughter down, and I could use a cup. It’ll be nice to have some company.”

She smiled. “I’d love some.”

Cyra led her into the garage and hit the button to close it. When the door was shut, she punched in the alarm code.

“Just to be safe,” she said. “Not that you can’t do your job, Agent, but I have a child to think about.”

The agent laughed. “Yeah, you never know who’s out there just waiting to strike. I’ve found people are more like lambs. They follow the pack, right to slaughter.”

Cyra found the comment to be odd.

When she turned around, the woman struck, slamming Cyra’s face repeatedly off the wall.

It did the job.

As she crumpled to the ground, Cyra moaned in pain.

“I swear, Mrs. Leonard. You were an agent. How stupid could you get? You should be ashamed of yourself.”

With that, she hit her again, knocking her out. She was going to enjoy this.

In the end, she’d revel in watching her bleed. Until that moment, it was time to get to work.

Chris Leonard had helped that bitch evade justice, and now they’d both pay. When he hated Elizabeth Blackhawk, well, that would be one more crushing blow to her.

And she deserved it.

Christopher Leonard was about to lose his wife and daughter in a horrible blaze.

Covering things up didn't pay.

They only got you burned.

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

FBI West

Her first stop was her office. She wanted to check in with Ginny, making sure the place wasn’t falling apart. Okay, she wasn’t really concerned about it. That was more Ethan’s thing, but she was worried.

She felt like shit.

No, that wasn’t the word for it. She was running a fever and to make it worse, she believed she was having a slow amniotic leak. She was too early along for that to be happening, and she knew she should go to the hospital.

Only, she had this case to close.

They were close, and honestly, she didn't think the killer would take a few weeks off for her to recover.

Yeah, it wouldn’t happen.

So, there was no stopping.

With the bills, she knew that they had a good shot at taking this bitch down.

For the life of her, she didn't know who could be dogging her. As she was googling ‘leak’, her phone rang.

“Blackhawk.”

“Hey! It’s us. We have something,” offered Livy enthusiastically.

Elizabeth was all ears. “What?”

“We just found out that since you tore Carol Spade a new one, she hasn’t been in.”

“For days?” Elizabeth thought about it. “She’s blonde, and not a real one, either.”

“She hates your guts. Think back to when you rode her over Chris. All those years, you made her life hell.”

Yeah, she actually did.

“Where is she?”

Gabe laughed. “Her cell is off, and we can’t find her. We aren’t sure it’s her, but we wanted to give you a heads up. If you see her lurking around, you may want to protect yourself. I didn't send her out to you.”

She appreciated the heads up. “Thanks. Can you keep calling and tracking her? If she pops up on the radar, let me know where.”

“We can do that.”

“Did you find anything else?”

“I’m still running everyone who was murdered. I’m trying to find someone who crosses with one of our dead victims.”

“That’s great. Uh, Livy, can you take me off speaker?” she asked.

“Why?” Gabe asked. “What’s wrong?”

“I was going to ask your wife about a woman’s vagina and childbirth issue, and I didn’t really want you thinking about my girly bits.”

He laughed. “Well, now I am, and I want to be sick over it. Thanks for that.”

She snorted. “Livy?”

Her friend did what she asked.

“What’s up?”

“I think I’m leaking.”

“What?”

“I think I have a slow leak. You know. Fluid.”

She thought about it. “I had that happen in week thirty seven with our son. It took forever to go into labor. It just wouldn’t break. Once my water fully broke, labor was fast.”

She relaxed. “So I have time, right?”

“You should see a doctor, but yeah, you should be fine. I’ve done this a few times.”

She ignored the fever. “Thanks.”

“Take a break today, don’t get stressed, and try to keep from exerting yourself. You might be having this baby sooner than later,” she warned.

She laughed. “Yeah, in the middle of a murder investigation, that seems highly likely. I’m sure that will happen. This kid has to hold on, and stick with me until I have a free moment.”

Yeah, if only that was possible.

“Elizabeth.”

“I have to get down to autopsy. Call me later if you find anything. Okay?”

“Yeah, okay.”

Elizabeth hung up.

She didn't have time to slow down. She could feel this person breathing down her neck. Only, she didn't get why Carol would do it.