Devil Hath Come (an FBI/Romance Thriller ~book 7) (54 page)

“That’s it. We have
the Satan lover on ice in jail. If there are any more killings, then we know he’s not doing it.” Elizabeth hoped the murders were done, and she could go home.

Ethan added some more,
“Our suspect is going to be fairly strong. He may work out. He’s able to handle these women and not get a scratch on him. Granted, they aren’t tough and tall like Elizabeth, but a woman about to die is going to fight.”

“Officer Marsh stated
that he goes to the gym,” Elizabeth added. “So, as of right now, he’s the main suspect.”

“Ethan, tell us about him mentally and personally. I don’t see it like you do,
and I need someone to hold my hand through this,” Callen asked.

He didn't mind. Sometimes he wished he didn't see it the way he did too. “He’s an outsider, socially inept
, and can’t assimilate. If he is married, then his wife is likely the boss. If he’s not married, he’ll have social issues with strong women. He’ll be drawn to them, but he’ll hate them at the same time.”

“That’s why he’s focused on Elizabeth isn’t it?” Callen needed to know.
“He wants her because she turns him on, but she also repulses him at the same time?”

“Hey!”

Ethan snickered. “Yes, that’s exactly it. He hasn’t been sexually assaulting the women, because he likely can’t get it up. Now, with Elizabeth, she probably stimulates him. He sees her as the prize, since she brings life back into his body.”

“Yippee. Go me
,” she laughed, trying to reassure them. “Boys, he’s not taking me. No worries. No one’s dipping their quill in my well but love bug and stud muffin.”

Callen started laughing. “
I want a redo on that nickname. I can’t believe that’s the one that you picked for me.”

“The names just happen, Cal. I don’t preplan them, so suck it up,” she replied, winking at him.

“It fits you, bro,” Ethan stated and then refocused. “Our suspect is borderline impotent, until the right woman comes along.”

“
Awww, the poor guy can’t get it up,” she paused. “Didn't we find a shitload of Viagra at the church of Satan?” she asked.

“Yes, we did.”

Now, her wheels were turning. “He was probably drugged up at the church and that’s why he believes this is the path he needs to be on. He’s relating sex to the devil.”

“I agree with you. In his mind, he thinks that his issues are solved because of Satan.”

“It’s creepy and dark,” Callen added. “The women that are participating are likely the only females he can get.”

S
he wiggled her eyebrows at the men lecherously. “Hey baby, wanna come over to my altar and let me sacrifice you to Satan?”

Callen started laughing
at the way she said it. “Damn, I should have used that pick up line on you, Elizabeth.”

She whipped a pen at him.

Ethan absolutely loved them both. Here they were neck deep in death and still trying to lighten it with levity. “Here’s the point that bothers me most. He actually believes in Satan, so that means he likely believes he hears his voice. That might mean he has schizophrenia and can be psychotic.”

Callen stared at him
. This whole conversation was making him sick to his stomach. The idea that someone, total crazy, was focused on Elizabeth had him scared shitless. “And?”

She picked it up. “There won’t be a court to convict him on anything but insanity.
When we bring him in, he won’t do hard time.”

Sadly, in the justice system this happened.

Callen didn't need to worry about a court of law. “If he touches you, Elizabeth, he won’t be going to jail.”

“I agree. I’ll cross that line and execute him in cold blood. I know it’s wrong, but if so much as one hair of your head is messed
up after this, he’s finished.”

His comment
surprised her. Ethan was by the book and bled for the FBI. What he had just said was something reminiscent of what she would say and do. Wow, the lines were getting blurry.

“Boys, I’ll be fine.”

Callen prayed that she was right. “I’m just making it perfectly clear. That’s all.”

“Off the record and between the three of us, I’ll say this once,” Ethan began. “I
would feel better if he was dead.”

That meant a lot that Ethan would even say such a thing out loud. He was a firm believer in justice and the law, but he was close to the edge.
“If he goes to an institution, there’s always the chance that he will escape. If he breaks out, chances are that he is well aware of where we live.”

They both knew
what had him so concerned. Ten years down the road, the nut would end up on their porch waiting for her.

Silence descended
on the room, as they all fought to adjust to the idea that justice might not be enough.

When was it acceptable to bend the law?

Finally, Elizabeth spoke. “Okay, so we have an insignificant man trying to appear important.” There was no point dwelling on what they were going to do when they caught him, if they couldn’t find him first. She would cross that bridge when she came to it.

“He believes Satan is the route to that happiness and since Wicca offered some power, Satanis
m would give him even more.”

“Yeah, kiss the competency hearing goodbye. He’s crackers,” stated Elizabeth.

“He won’t be the first or the last.”

She glanced down at her watch at the knock
on the door. In peeked Christina and she was looking nervous.

“
I’m sorry that I’m late,” she said as she entered when Ethan waved her inside.

“That’s okay,
” Ethan reassured. “What do you have for us?”

Christina took a seat and opened her tablet.
“First and foremost we have the initial woman’s ID. We did what Chris suggested and we came up with a name. Our victim was once Jenna Martin.”

Elizabeth was glad
that they had her real name. “What else?”

“I have the report back on the powder residue found on the last victim’s lip. Doctor Leonard was indeed right. It’s smelling salts.”

“So he’s escalated to torture,” Callen added.

Christina shrugged. “All I know is
that this guy is screwing with the lab techs.”

“What do you mean?” Elizabeth didn't like anyone messing with her team, and she intended to catch him and put a stop to it as soon as possible.

“Generally, our killers follow a plan. Everything is consistent from victim one to the final one, but not him. With Scarlet Red, he shoved a necklace down her throat. There was raven blood and the fire contained evidence. That’s not the same with victim two, Dyana Carlos. She had the raven blood and no clothing burnt or necklace.”

“Could he be keeping the necklaces as a souvenir?” Elizabeth inquired, staring at her husband.

He considered the possibilities. “If they were significant to him, then he could be doing that.”

“
Christina, continue,” Elizabeth urged.

“With victim three, Harmony Wilcox,
we had no clothes burned again and this time no raven’s blood, but did find trace.”

“Yeah, did we get DNA on the hairs and run them through the system?” Elizabeth asked.

“Um, yeah. I have really bad news about that.” Christina didn't want to be the one who told them the truth, but they couldn’t hide it for long.

“They
weren’t viable?” she asked, waiting for her reply.

“We had a really bad screw up
, and you’re going to want to kill someone,” she gushed.

“Oh shit,” muttered Ethan. “Christina, what’s happened?” He prayed the only DNA sample wasn’t destroyed.

“I was working personally on the hairs. I logged them out, I didn't get to finish since more evidence came in, so I placed them back in holding and re-logged them. The next day, I went to finish and they were gone.”

Elizabeth stared. “I’m sorry, gone?”

“Yes,” she squeaked. “I’m taking full responsibility for this one, and I want to tell you that we pulled the lab apart and searched the dumpsters and still nothing. They just vanished.”

“Like magic
?” inquired Elizabeth.

Both men watched her flush a shade of red that only happened when she was about to blow.

“So, what you’re telling me is that someone lost the only DNA evidence we have, after we officially put it on the log?” she drawled, the southern coming out.

Oh hell.

“Yes.”

“That we did something so rookie, that if it were someone else I would have humiliated them unmercifully, dragged them down the street and kicked the shit out of them?”

“Probably.”

Elizabeth stood
and that caused Christina to slide back in her chair. Instead of going after the woman, she turned and rested her forehead against the white board. Finally, after a few minutes she spoke. “I want you to go back to the lab and find them. I don’t want to hear they’re gone. Am I clear?”

“Yes, m
a’am.”

“Next time
that there is a screw up, mistake, issue, incident or anything else, you’re to report it ASAP.”

Christina swallowed
and knew she had no choice but to tell the truth. “I did, boss. As soon as I figured out that they were gone, I told Chris, and he instructed me to find it or he was going to have to tell you.”

“Please go.”

She didn't want to lose her temper, but now she had two people to be angry at over this. Her head tech and ME were in big trouble if she couldn’t get it under control.

Christina ran from the room, not even looking back.

Ethan got up from his chair and led her to it. Sitting her down, he knelt beside her. “Baby, it happens. You have to relax. We like to believe that we’re above mistakes, but sometimes we’re not. I’ll call FBI West and have them recheck the evidence that we shipped with Chris. We’re running on minimum staff here and scattered.”

“It’ll turn up, a
ngel.”

She nodded
and took a deep breath. “You’re both right. Evidence doesn’t just walk away.”

There was a knock on the door, and Chris Leonard and Cyra Austin walked in together.

“Director Blackhawk?” she called, waiting for acknowledgement.

They both answered
, “Yes?”

“I have a little problem.”

Elizabeth started laughing. It was that scary laugh, the one she let out when she was going to put her hands on someone and inflict pain.

“If it’s about the missing
evidence, let me assure you that we just found out.” Ethan stared at Chris. “A day after we should have been told.”

The looks said it all.

He grimaced at the cat being let out of the bag. “I’m sorry. I was trying to give them until today to find it. I did warn them I was going to have to tell you both.”

She was still laughing. “We just compromised our court case. It’s logged in as being collected. Unfortunately, we can’t unlog it.”

“It has to be here. I’ll go help after our reports,” Chris stated.

Elizabeth stared over at her. “What’s your problem, Cyra
?”

She whistled
, and in trotted a dog.

There was more laughter.

“I know this is unprofessional and inexcusable, but my brother bailed on me and the dog had nowhere to go. I couldn’t leave him in a house for the rest of the time we’re here.”

“He can sit in the lab with me,” Chris offered. “He’s really a good dog.”

She stared at him openmouthed. This was just plain insanity. They lost evidence, and now she was actually contemplating letting a beast of a German Shepherd stay while they worked.

Cyra clicked and he walked over to Elizabeth and offered his paw.

Okay, so he was smart. Maybe he could find the evidence.

Next
, he laid his head on her knee and she finally broke down and ran her fingers through his fur. “What’s his name?”

“Rex.” Cyra couldn’t believe the tough Elizabeth Blackhawk was even considering it.
It had to be a sign of the apocalypse. All that they needed now were some horsemen to fly by the window, and she’d know it was the end of the world.

She stared down at the dog. “Rex, do you promise to not eat evidence or pee on the floor?”

When he barked, she laughed. “I may replace all my lab staff with dogs.”

Blackhawk was entertained by the
notion, especially today.

“Okay, can we finish this meeting?” Elizabeth asked. “I have a killer to find.”

Chris and Cyra sat together as they prepared for the reports. Chris opted to start first, since he was going to need to get down to the lab to help tear the place apart. “The team finished the church processing. We have seventeen different DNA samples from males on that altar cloth. I won’t say what from. You’re all smart enough to figure it out on your own. There were three samples from women. We’re running them through the system, but you know how far of a long shot that’s going to be.”

She
was well aware.

“The Demon powder
that they were burning matches the same one as we’ve consistently found on the victims. Here’s the good news; they found the original packing materials, and we’ve contacted the company asking for any names of buyers in this area. We told them to comply, or we would be forced to get a warrant.”

“Good job, Chris,” stated Blackhawk.

“I also can tell you that the killer moved positions during the kill. I re-ran all the numbers, and it looks like with Scarlet Red/Jenna Martin that he stood beside her body. With Dyana and Harmony, he was behind them and moved the knife in the opposite direction.”

“He didn't want to get messy?”

Blackhawk thought about it. “Or have to burn his clothes. If he stood behind her he could redress if he was naked, or just stay clean if he was clothed.”

Elizabeth glanced over at her ME. “Anything else?”

“Not yet. If you don’t mind, I’ll go help find the hairs and then start working on anything else we’re behind with for the day.”

She
dismissed him.

Before he left, Chris leaned
down to kiss Cyra on the lips before walking away. He ignored the look on her face and how red she flushed.

“Oh my God! I’m so sorry!
”

Elizabeth laughed, finding it funny. She knew exactly how Cyra felt. “You get used to it. You had searches to run, how about you tell us what you found?
”

Trying to not be mortified, she made a mental note of
warning Chris not to kiss in front of the bosses. It was weird. “You wanted a comprehensive search run on Harmony Wilcox and it’s done. First, she’s thirty two years old and gainfully employed at a CPA’s office as the manager. She’s had the same job for six years now. When she graduated college, Harmony came back home to live in Circle Rock to take care of an aging parent until his death. Everything about her looks squeaky clean and there’s not a single thing that screams Wiccan either.”

“So
, you’re telling me that you found nothing?” Elizabeth asked as disappointment began to settle in her gut.

“Oh, I found you a suspect,” Cyra said victoriously. “Our last victim had filed a PFA against her live in boyfriend one month to the day
that she was murdered.”

“What did she allege?” Callen asked, entering details.

“It seems that he was angry when she tried to break up with him, and he tried to shove her through a glass door. He ran from the scene and wasn’t arrested because there was no one there to verify the story. It was he said/she said, but they helped her file against him.”

“Do we have a name?”

She sent the information to their phones. “I took the initiative to get you the address of his new residence.”