The Killing Times (An FBI Romance Thriller (book 1)) (17 page)

“I got shot.
I don’t know what else you want me to say.”

“I can see you got shot, but when and how bad is it?”

Elizabeth rolled her shoulder. “The day Ray got himself killed, this was my parting gift.” She didn’t want to discuss that day. She didn’t want the truth to come out. It died that day with Ray, and it was better that way.

“How bad is it, Lyzee?”

“I took one round. It embedded in my shoulder blade, splintering some bone, damaging the tendon surrounding it. It has its good days, and its bad days. Today landing on it made it a bad day. Really, that’s all.”

“How did it happen?”

Elizabeth tensed up, she didn’t want to have the discussion, and it really wouldn’t change anything.

“You know you can trust me, right?”
Ethan reassured, looking at her, his face very serious.

“I believe that I can,
Ethan. I’m just not ready to discuss it. It has nothing to do with trust or you. It has to do with me not being able to yet.”

“I see.”

Elizabeth wondered if he did see, or if that was the standard line. She paused, lifting her sunglasses from her face, so he could read her eyes. “Ray played fast and loose that day. He went cowboy- if you will, and it cost him his life and me nearly mine.”

“Is it in the report?”
Blackhawk inquired softly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. If she said yes, he would have a copy by morning.

“No.
I let them assume and follow standard line.”

“Is that why you ran, Lyzee?” This time he touched her cheek. He didn’t care if the newspaper man was watching.

“Yes.” It was the first time she admitted it out loud. It was as if the burden was finally lifted off her shoulder, and replaced with a new one. She just told a stranger what she didn’t trust Gabe, or anyone else, with. Now she needed to figure out why she trusted this man so much.

“Thank you
for the truth,” Ethan replied, lowering his glasses as he didn't want her to read his eyes. If she only knew what her sharing the truth did to him, it was certain she’d bolt.

Elizabeth nodded, unsure what to say
. Part of her hoped she didn’t make a mistake, as she began trusting someone again.

Blackhawk was surprised she admitted it
. He truly believed she would deny it all, and pretend to tell him the truth. When she said yes, his chest tightened. She trusted him with her biggest demon, and that meant something to him. Buried deep within him were secrets, and he knew the burden of carrying them alone.

It gave him hope.

“I think I see her. Sheila is sitting on the park bench,” she interrupted his thoughts, and then recognized the man beside her. “Damn it! It’s Forbes,” she growled, ready to kill the man.

“We better break up this party,”
suggested Blackhawk, as they strode towards the two.

Forbes didn’t see them coming, and it was probably a good thing, because he had just asked Sheila about Elizabeth and her background. H
ad he seen the look on her face he would have run home screaming.

“If you want to know my past, why don’t you ask me
?” Elizabeth said, ready to kill him.

It played out like a scene in a movie
. His head turned slowly and Sheila gasped, covering her mouth with her hand.

“I’m pretty sure, Sheila
, that giving this man any information that is housed in my personnel file is illegal.” She watched the woman pale. “Worse yet, it borders on offensive. So I’m sure you were just about to tell him no, and decline whatever bribe he just offered you,” she drawled.

When she
said the magic word, Sheila looked sick. Her face actually turned a shade of gray.

Blackhawk stepped towards him
his body tense. “Why don’t you beat it, Forbes, before I let the sheriff kick your ass, and I hold you down for her,” said Blackhawk, glaring at the man, menacingly.

Forbes had the common sense to run for it,
but not before shooting her a dirty look.

Elizabe
th sat on one side of the woman and Blackhawk on the other. When Forbes had crossed the square, the sheriff broke the silence. “What did he offer you?”

Sheila stuttered, trying to come up with a good lie.

“Seriously, what did the weasel offer you to sell me out? I only ask because I’m wondering the going rate on betrayal.”

“He offered me two hundred bucks.”

“Well hell, aren’t I just cheap,” Elizabeth glanced at Blackhawk, enjoying the slight curl to his lips. “I expected it to be more substantial. I am the sheriff.”

Blackhawk sat forward. “It’s very illegal to bribe and accept a bribe if you are a state, local official, or work for one.
We’re talking jail time illegal, Sheila, not community service illegal.”

She swallowed. “I’m sorry
. I won’t do it.”

Elizabeth believed they sca
red her enough. “Where were you last night, Sheila? We want the truth and not the made up shit the mayor told you to tell us. I will find out if you’re lying to me. The big guy here is my bullshit detector.”

Sheila looked panicked again.

“We went out for drinks, and he dropped me at home at midnight.”

Blackhawk lifted a brow
. It was funny how the mayor said he was out until one. Here was their first discrepancy. “How long did he stay?”

She looked scared. “He didn’t. I’m...” she paused, “married.”

The ugly just got uglier. So not only had he lied, but he was having a fling with a married woman who worked under him

Elizabeth patted her knee.
There wouldn’t be judgment from her. After all, she had done the same thing, unwittingly, but it was still essentially the same sin. “Why? You're a pretty woman and young. Why are you having an affair with Argot?”

Sheila started crying. “He told me
that I would lose my job like the last secretary if I didn’t, and I need my job.”

Elizabeth took her hand in hers, and tried to be sympathetic. “Who was the last secretary?”

“Her name was Melody something or other.”

“Thank you, Sheila
. Now go back to work and stop worrying, it’ll all be okay,” she said, standing. “If anything happens, give me a call.” Elizabeth was feeling that little wave of awareness, the one she always got when a big piece of the puzzle was about to fall into place. When they were out of earshot, she turned to Blackhawk. “Do you think it’s a coincidence one of our victims was named Melody and a secretary?”

“I don’t like coincidences. T
hey usually mean the shit is about to hit the fan.”

Elizabeth couldn’t help but agree.

For now it looked like the mayor was back on their suspect list.

In fact, he was the only one.
 

~ Chapter Six ~

 
Friday Night

Sitting in the conference room, Elizabeth blocked everything out, with the exception of the report sitting in her lap from Tyrell. He had been given the job of researching Melody Howe and did a damn fine job.

Once
back, Ethan Blackhawk had excused himself and ran off to make some calls and check in with his partner. As Elizabeth flipped through the pages of Melody Howe’s life, she found it just too coincidental that her employment before death was working for the mayor. In police work, coincidence usually meant substance. Something was there, if it smoldered enough to draw their attention.

The girl’s life was pretty basic.
Melody had a decent job as a secretary working for the mayor. Then she was found dead. Their big question was if she was fired before she hung herself. Was the mayor covering his ass to make it look like the girl was indeed distraught over losing her job? She was willing to bet he had forged the paperwork to make it look that way, whether he was the killer or not.

As she stared at the list of woman and their murders, something just didn’t seem right, and it was bothering her. She
was about to start making notes when Tony entered the conference room, Blackhawk right behind him.

“Lyzee, we’re going to grab dinner
. You want to join us at
‘The Barrel’
?” Tony inquired from her doorway.

“Are you off the clock, D
eputy?” she asked, not even looking up.

“Yes,” he said, grinning at the FBI agent. “Told you she gets riled up when you use
her nickname.” He liked their little game, that’s why he tormented her so much.

Blackhawk could have told the man he’d been using it all day and she hadn’t
said a word, but why rub it in and gloat. She must have known what he was thinking, since she glanced up and right into his eyes, like they were sharing a secret.

“Then
I won’t kick your ass for calling me Lyzee,” she added, pausing and wondering why she wasn’t bothered by him using her nickname at work. “As for dinner, I’m heading home.”

“Alone?” asked Tony, surprised. He looked over at
Blackhawk, and he shrugged when she didn’t offer a reply.

“Have fun,” she said softly, twisting a piece of her hair around her finger
, as she went back to work.

When Tony left, Blackhawk sat
beside her. “Your shoulder hurt?” he asked, waiting to meet her eyes again. 

“Yeah,
it does a little,” she answered honestly. “That and I keep thinking I’m missing something, and it’s driving me insane. I won’t be good company tonight, Ethan. I know how I am. I’ve been called borderline obsessive with a dash of pit-bull thrown into the mix.”

Blackhawk understood.
He felt the same way, but he had to go back to the hotel, and that’s the last place he wanted to be tonight. In fact, there was only one place he wanted to go, and she had the ‘
keep out’
sign up for tonight. He was compelled to run out and replace the daisy that she must have tossed out, just to see it in her hair. While it was there, he felt like he had a chance with her.

“Promise you’ll ice
your shoulder and lock your doors, Lyzee?” He wanted to see again if she’d tell him to lose the nickname. There was a curl lying against her face, and he moved it to her ear. His hand caressed her cheek, perhaps lingering longer than needed.

“Worried about me, Ethan?”
Elizabeth questioned smiling, as she ran her thumb across his split lip.

Her touch was
feather light as she tried to not hurt him.

“As a matter of fact, I am. Today you pissed off the mayor, the newspaper guy, and who knows who else while I wasn’t paying attention
.” Blackhawk suddenly didn’t want to leave her side.

“Well
Ethan, in my world that’s a productive day,” she drawled, and then stopped as he leaned down his lips near hers. Her heart skipped in her chest, or she swore it did as he felt his breath on her lips. Everything in her demanded she do it, but she still fought hard, costing her dearly.

“Ice it, Lyzee. I’ll see you in the morning,” he
paused, waiting for her to close the space between them. When she didn’t, it took every ounce of strength he had to pull away and exit the room.

Blackhawk
obviously was a masochist, but why make it worse by kissing her and going for dinner with a bunch of men. A wave of pure disappointment crashed through him. Ethan was unsure why she didn’t make the next move. Kissing her earlier should have spoken volumes to her. How could he be clearer? Unless she wasn’t interested in him, and that gave him a sinking feeling.

Elizabeth watched him walk away, and all she could hear was the pounding in her chest and ears. Since Ray, she had a rule about dating men she worked with
, and Ethan was making it damn hard to not break it. Then again, it wasn’t like she worked with him…

See, she just did it again, trying to justify it to herself. She was definitely screwed
, and knew it was only a matter of time before she did something that she hoped they both wouldn’t regret.

                            *   *   *

Blackhawk sat
beside Tony at the table. He had just finished his sandwich, and was halfway through his beer. The sheriff had some pretty decent co-workers, and he had a feeling they weren’t just her deputies. When they spoke of her, they spoke with reverence, and that said a great deal. Most employees would toss in a few negatives, but not her group. It spoke volumes to the kind of woman she was, but then he already was figuring that out on his own. 

“So, why didn’t the boss come
with us?” asked Sara, finishing her beer. “It’s not like her to skip dinner with us.”

Tony shrugged
, and then thought about it. “Something has to be bothering her, or she would have been here.” He motioned his head towards Blackhawk to let the others in on it.