Free Past Will Haunt by Morgan Kelley

sin.
    “I have to run. I’m working the ‘Irish Butcher’ case with LaRue and Spencer. If you need me, don’t hesitate to call me. I’ll be available.”
    With that, Gabe was gone.
    “Who are they?” he asked, watching his boss run off.
    Jay grinned. “You’ve been out in the field too long, Ethan. They’re two newbies.”
    “Great.”
    “She definitely is. The one is so scorching hot. When you see her, you’ll know what I mean. It’s like a model fell from the heavens to the Earth.”
    Blackhawk grabbed the file. “Great. Let’s hope she’s not clueless. I hate cleaning up after newbies. They make one hell of a mess.”
    Jay shrugged. “She’ll owe us.”
    “Yeah, yeah. Let’s just get out of here and start working this case.”
    He wasn’t worried about another agent.
    He was the job.
    That’s all that mattered.
     
    That LaRue agent wasn’t his concern.
     
    Not now.
    Not ever.
     
     
     
     
     
                      * * *   B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x   * * *
     
     
     
     
     
    Morgue
     
     
     
    When Gabe finally got down there, the two women were standing there waiting.
    “I’m ready. I passed off your files. I hope everything was in there. If not, you’ll have two agents dogging you for more details,” Gabe warned.
    Elizabeth sipped her coffee as Livy handed Gabe one. “I’m not a bad agent. I know how to do my paperwork. I hate it, but I do it.”
    He laughed. “Yeah, I’ve seen it. You suck at it.”
    She grinned. “That’s why Livy does it. Right?”
    “If we want to keep our jobs, someone has to keep the wild woman from losing it.”
    Gabe laughed. “She’s not wild. She’s totally cowboy. When she starts wearing boots and a hat to work, we’re all screwed.”
    She elbowed him. “I didn't know that was an option. I think I’m going to start.”
    He sighed. “Of course you will.”
    “Yee haw! I certainly will.”
    “Okay, get serious. We have a body to view,” Gabe stated. He didn't need them making a spectacle. By them, he meant Elizabeth.
    When she headed into the morgue, it was dead silent in there. Generally, Chris Leonard was a bit more rambunctious. Today, it was like the fun was sucked out of him.
    She knew why.
    He was elbow deep in a dead woman, and that had to be a hard job to swallow.
    “Hey, Doc. I hope you have something for us,” she offered. “Gabe has opted to join us.”
    That was her warning to him.
    When Chris looked up, his face said it all. Doctor Leonard was struggling with this one, and it wasn’t like Elizabeth could blame him.
    It sucked.
    Gabe shook his head, knowing where this was heading. He’d seen the morgue sweats before, and this was just proof that this man wasn’t cut out to be in the FBI.
    “I’ll call in another ME,” Gabe stated, grabbing for his phone. “We’ll replace him.”
    Chris’s eyes went big. “Sir!”
    Elizabeth glanced over at her boss, putting her neck on the line. “Gabe, give him a shot. He’s learning, and I vouch for him. Chris has this. I know he does.”
    “Well, what are we supposed to do? Put a pair of gloves on and help him do his job?” Gabe asked.
    He didn't have time for this.
    Really .
    He didn't.
    Elizabeth handed her cup to Livy and placed Chris’s coffee on the empty metal table. She wasn’t giving up on him, and she couldn’t let him take the heat because they were all frustrated with this case.
    There was no way.
    She saw the value in his work.
    Gabe came across tough, but there were times when you had to be patient with people. You couldn’t ride them all the time. This was going to be one of those cases. Elizabeth could see it when she watched Chris.
    The man was meticulous. With time, he’d season and be one of the best in the field. She’d bet money on it. Besides, she had to give him a chance. She wasn’t leaving any newbie behind.
    If it worked for the Marines, it worked for her.
    “What’s she doing?” Gabe asked, watching his agent cross the