Sacred Burial Grounds (An FBI Romance Thriller (book 2)) (54 page)

Elizabeth couldn’t blame the woman. She knew her husband was sexy, but this was work and they had shit to do, so enough was enough.

So she just continued. “I’m Director Special Agent Elizabeth Blackhawk, and I have some questions for you
to answer. Since you can’t seem to focus when my husband directs them to you,” she tossed out the word husband again, just because she could. “Now I’ll be asking them.”

“Yes,
certainly Director. I apologize.”

Apparently, Elizabeth just gave off the ass kicking
vibe; she didn’t even have to threaten this woman. She gave her credit on being smart. “We’re working a serial killer case regarding the reservation. I’ve a few photos, and I was wondering if you could take a look at them and tell me if they look familiar?”

“Definitely.”

Elizabeth pulled out the driver’s license picture of the two victims they knew. The doctor shook her head at both of them.

“The next one isn’t as pretty.” She flipped it over.

“Oh, I should say not,” she looked ill. “No, sorry, never seen her. I can tell by her dental work, she didn’t see me. She had a bridge put in,” she pointed to the place on her teeth and looked back up at the agents. “That’s not my work. It’s distinctive to the lab that created it, and mine does a better job.”

Elizabeth nodded.

“Can you tell us if you used Chloral Hydrate in your office procedures?” asked Blackhawk.

“No, we strictly use Nitrous Oxide.”

Elizabeth placed the pictures back in her folder. “We appreciate your help,” she started to the door. “If you think of anything, give us a call.” She pulled out her card, handed it to the woman and nodded.

Both agents walked out, and Elizabeth made sure to have her badge out and gun visible again, that was for the doctor and the receptionist. She waved to the woman behind the glass. All in all, it was a pretty good day. The dentist could be eliminated, she was able to intimidate a receptionist, and she got to scare a woman hitting on her husband.
It was a good day indeed, in her opinion.

Out in the vehicle, her husband looked at her as if waiting.

“What?”

“She was something.” He was sure she was going to be angry. “You’re not mad
over all that?”

“I’m not mad, Ethan. I
found it funny.”

Blackhawk looked relieved. “I really thought it was going to get ugly in there.”

“Why? Because she thought my husband is sexy? I already know he’s incredibly sexy, and he’s in love with me,” she answered, leaning over to grab him by the front of his shirt and kiss him deep and hard. It felt like forever since she got to do that, and she put everything behind it. When she broke away, they both were breathless.

“Wow, I hope women flirt more often. If I flirt back does that get me sex?”

Elizabeth lifted a brow.

“To clarify,” he grinned. “Does that get me sex with
my very scary, dangerous, gun toting wife?”

Elizabeth laughed. “Don’t test your good luck, Cowboy. We
both know now that I’m pregnant I’m like a faulty detonator. I could go off at any second.”

“That’s what makes life exciting, baby. Living on the edge.”

~
Chapter Sixteen ~

Callen pulled into the vet center and hopped out of his truck. He’d been here many times before. Whenever
they found a stray animal they’d head out to Doctor Barnes, and he’d find it a new home. He was pretty sure that the man had nothing to do with the killings, but still per FBI protocol he was going to follow through.

“Hey Callen!” The receptionist was excited to see him. He could confirm some of the gossip she’d heard around town.

“Hey Lucy!” Whitefox leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “How’re you doing?”

“Oh, you know,” she
answered, smiling and then dove right in. “I hear your brother is back in town.” Lucy went in for it immediately, no need to beat around the bush.

Whitefox nodded and smiled at the woman. She was the center of gossip in to
wn. If she heard anything he would now get a recap. “Yeah, he’s head of the FBI out here. Well he and his wife are both in charge of it.”

“George down at the bar said he saw her and she’s a looker,” she lowered her voice. “What does she look like?” she asked.

He couldn’t see any harm entertaining the woman’s question. “Elizabeth is about this tall,” he held his hand up to his shoulder, “Has long black hair, and really pretty blue eyes.”

“Kaya Cheek is eating herself with total envy that she let Ethan escape without marrying her. George said she
’s drop dead gorgeous and the talk of the Rez.”

He laughed at that. “Lucy
first of all, Kaya didn’t exactly ‘let him go’, she more drove him far away, but I guess that’s just perspective. As for my sister-in-law’s looks, I can attest that George is spot on.” He wasn’t going to make any more comments on her hotness that could turn into some nasty gossip, much like when he cheated with Kaya Cheek. It took years for that one to die down.

“Kaya
said that the woman is probably a total bitch, because women like that are never nice.”

Whitefox bristled. He didn’t like anyone saying anything bad about
their Elizabeth. She was family and that meant full on protectiveness. “Actually, I know this for a fact,” he leaned down to the woman to drop his voice, like he was telling her a secret. “Elizabeth is even more beautiful inside than on the outside, so looks like Kaya has something else to sweat now. Ethan is head over heels in love with her, and no one seems to exist when she’s near him. Kaya never could get his attention like that.”

“You don’t say.”

“Oh yeah, and my granddad loves her to death and she’s an outsider. He couldn’t stand Kaya Cheek, because she was ugly on the inside.” He couldn’t help it. He knew it would get back to the woman. She deserved it, and he found it funny. “Hey can I see Harry?”

“Yeah, he’s in the back. You want me to get him out here?”

“Nah, I’ll wander back. If you hear anything about the killings, you call me okay?” he knew she would. She was more efficient with gossip than a tabloid.

“Bye honey, you come back and see us again!” The minute he was through the door she was picking up the phone and dial
ed her best girlfriend to tell her about what she just heard.

Callen Whitefox had it bad for his brother’s wife!

Whitefox found Doctor Harold Barnes working on a dog in the back.
When he tapped on the glass, the vet tech motioned him into the room.

“Harry, how’s it going?”

The older man looked over. “Good Callen, you here to adopt a pet?”

He laughed. He wasn’t really the pet kind of person. He didn’t lik
e to have responsibilities. “No I’m not but you know what, my brother has a back yard. Maybe he’ll get his wife a dog.”

“Send them in then. So, what can I do for you?”

“Do you use Chloral Hydrate?”

He looked over. “Yeah, we’re using it right now to keep the dog sedated. We only use it in gas form for general procedures.”

“Any missing?” he asked.

“No,” he looked over at his tech. “Are we missing any?”

“No Doctor, we have three tanks in stock. I just grabbed this one and saw two left.” Then she paused, considering something.

“What?”

“We don’t have any missing now, but last fall our shipment was delivered and it was all missing. We called the shipper and they reissued.”

“Can you get me the information?”

“Sure can. Doc, can I go grab the papers?”

“Go ahead, I have it under control,” he said, as he continued the procedure.  “Yeah, I heard about the killings.”

“Word travels fast.”

“Wyler was helping me out the other day, and he mentioned Ethan was back in town again. How’s that going?”

His father? He was working for the vet and had access to the chloral hydrate. That piece of information set off alarm bells in his head.

“How long has my dad been working for you
, and what exactly was he helping you out with?” he started digging for information.

“I don’t know if helping out is a good word, more like I ordered a totem for the front of the clinic with all the different animals that we service. I thought it would be great for business
. Wyler’s been selling them online too. He’s doing really well with his new business. He came for the measurements and then left.”

“Oh, okay.” How had he not known this about Wyler and his business?
Then again, why would he know?

The vet tech returned and handed Whitefox the papers. “All the information is in there.
Give me a call if you need anything else,” she winked at him.

He might have taken her up on it, if he wasn’t suddenly more
interested in exotic outsiders like his sister-in-law. His brother’s choice in women seemed to be rubbing off on him, and he found himself wishing cloning was legal.

Doctor Barnes looked up, continuing, “Yeah,
I heard the wife is a beauty. Your grandfather’s neighbor was in yesterday, and he mentioned he saw her with your granddad in the burial grounds.”

Whitefox laughed. “Yeah, she is and before you believe what Kaya Cheek is spouting, she’s really sweet and my brother’s crazy in love with her.”
What he didn’t say was so was he.

“He deserves the happiness,” said Barnes. “How does Timothy feel since she’s an outsider?”

“My granddad is in love with her too. It’s like he hand-picked her himself for my brother,” he added.

“Need anything else, Callen?”

Whitefox thought about it. “No, I think I’m good for now.”

“Great,” he finished the procedure and nudged his vet tech. “Missy, I’m done
. Can you take him to his kennel? Callen, you swing by anytime, you hear?”

“Yes, sir.”

Ethan and his wife leaned against the side of their vehicle. They were waiting for the third in their party to arrive, so they could have lunch. When he pulled up and hopped out, Blackhawk immediately wanted to know how it went, since theirs was a bust.

“
It was mostly a dead end. They had a misplaced shipment last fall, and they gave me the paperwork to follow-up. I have a feeling that tracing missing Chloral Hydrate a year later is going to be almost impossible. I figure it’ll pretty much be a dead end when I call the company, but I’ll follow-up,” he started laughing once he noticed Elizabeth wasn’t paying attention. “Let’s order lunch. Your wife looks like she may go all ‘Donner party’ on us at any second. I’ll tell you the rest after you feed her.”

Elizabeth snickered and didn’t miss a beat. “Oh I didn’t know the early settlers ate the Indians too
. I was under the impression we just stole your land. They need to fix those pesky history books.”

Both men laughed.

“Come on you two and stop talking cannibalism before lunch,” Blackhawk added. He was glad his brother and wife were getting along. “Especially before we’re going to eat burgers.”

“Cowboy, if you think the topic of cannibalism will s
top me from eating and feeding Baby Blackhawk, you haven’t a clue.” Elizabeth kissed his cheek. “Can we eat outside?” she asked, “It’s gorgeous out, and I could use some vitamin D or maybe a tan. I feel very pale standing between you two.”

“I happen to like your paleness,” he answered, but conceded. “Go grab a table,
and I’ll get lunch.” Blackhawk left his brother with his wife.

“You feeling okay?”
Whitefox asked when they sat.

“
It’s just the normal pregnancy crap. Nothing bad, but if I tell Ethan then he’ll have me hospitalized.” She watched him through the windows getting lunch. “Morning sickness is pretty wicked and compound it with autopsy…”

“If you need a break
then take it.”

“Worried about me, Callen?”
She smiled.

“Yeah, I found that the
Elizabeth charm has sucked me in and I can’t get out. My granddad, father and Ethan aren’t the only ones that are susceptible to it. Whitefox men fall pretty hard too,” he said, grinning. “Granted I’m the only Whitefox man left on the Rez, but now I’m hopelessly in love.”

“
Technically, you’re a Blackhawk, Callen,” she answered, grinning. “So that completely explains the feelings.”

“Yeah, I guess
so. I just always felt out of place in the family,” he answered her honestly, and it was the truth. Growing up as a kid, he wished he had the same last name as his brother.