Ashes to ashes, p.6
Ashes to Ashes, page 6
The house was a brick monstrosity that spanned three floors and boasted over twenty windows just on the front-facing side. A curved driveway went from gated entrance to a massive garage with space for six cars inside, and the front entrance was framed with marble columns holding up the awning.
“Shall we go knock?” Max asked.
“Yeah, but still wear the vests,” Evan said. “Just because it’s a nice house doesn’t mean he won’t meet us with a gun in his hand.”
They got out and geared up, then climbed back in while Max pulled up to the door. He put on his body camera and turned it on before they went up to knock.
An older woman in a uniform dress and apron met them at the door. “How may I help you, officers?” she asked.
“I’m Agent Wylder and this is Lieutenant Prescott. We’re here to speak with Jace Edwards,” Evan said.
"Master Edwards doesn’t live in the main house anymore. He now resides in the guest house. If you follow the driveway around behind the garage, the road leads to the back gated entrance and the parking area for the guest house is there.”
“Thanks,” Max said and started back down the stairs.
Evan paused and turned back. “Does Mr. Edwards live alone in the guest cottage?”
“He’s the only legal resident, but he often has both male and female friends staying there. I couldn’t say who might be there at this time,” the woman replied.
Evan handed her one of her business cards. “Thank you for your help. If you have any questions, just call me at that number.”
“Yes, Agent. Thank you,” the woman replied and closed the door.
“What were you asking?” Max said as Evan slid into the passenger’s seat.
“I wanted to know if he lived there alone. She said that he often has male and female friends staying there but she couldn’t tell us who or how many would be there now.”
“Great, so it’s a party house. Let’s go see if Jace is up for company,” Max replied.
They drove around the garage and down a paved road that ended in a space large enough for several vehicles with a massive gate on one side and a normal-sized two-story brick house on the other. There were four cars in the parking area and the front door was hanging open. Loud music spilled from the open door and windows, while empty beer cans could be seen in the bushes beside the front steps. A smashed whiskey bottle was right in the middle of the second step, with other liquor bottles laying on either side of the doorway. Max used his boot to brush the broken glass off to the side before he stepped up to the door.
“Go around to the side door,” Max told Evan. “Just in case he rabbits.”
Evan drew her weapon and made her way to the door on the side of the house near the back. She couldn’t hear Max over the music, but it only took a couple of minutes before the music was shut off. Suddenly, the back door slammed open and someone came racing towards her.
“Freeze! FBI!” Evan shouted and he skid to a stop and stared at her. “Jace Edwards, put your hands on your head. Now!” She’d recognized him from his photo, even though he was currently just wearing unfastened jeans and a tank top. “On your knees.”
Jace did as he was ordered and Evan pulled out a pair of handcuffs and got him secured. She walked him back around to the front of the house and put him in the back of Max’s vehicle and locked it before she walked back up to the front door.
“Max, I’ve got him,” Evan yelled inside.
“Good. He’s gonna have company,” Max called back. “Go wait with him for me.”
Evan went back to Jace and opened the front passenger-side door. “You shouldn’t have run,” Evan said. “We just wanted to ask you some questions.”
“Yeah, not happening. Lawyer,” Jace replied.
“Yeah, not happening,” Evan replied. “You’re not a Haven PD suspect, you’re an FBI suspect. We play under different rules.” No, they really didn’t, but sometimes the bluff worked. Evan hit the record button on her phone and lay it on the seat. “Tell me, Jace Edwards. Did you know a girl named Esha Markham?”
“Nope,” Jace replied.
“How about Edith Rayburn?”
“Yeah, I know Edie. Haven’t seen her in a while. Seems I played a little rough for her,” Jace said with a low laugh that made Evan’s skin crawl.
“What about Amber Chisolm?”
“Nope.”
“When was the last time you saw Edith?”
“Must’ve been a couple of months ago. Why’re you asking about these girls?” Jace asked.
“I’m curious. So you like hanging around the high school?”
“I still have friends that go there.”
“You’re a little old for the high school kids, aren’t you? What’s the matter, dating pool a little shallow?”
“I have friends that go there. I don’t date people that go there.”
“Uh huh,” Evan said as she watched Max escort two girls out to the car that were maybe sixteen if they were lucky.
“We have you on video, hanging around the high school,” Evan said as she turned back to Jace. “In a silver SUV that seems to have trouble keeping its plates on.”
“I drive a black Mustang,” Jace replied. “I wouldn’t drive an SUV. That’s like a mini-van for fucksake.”
Evan turned to look at the cars and there was a black Mustang parked nearby. No silver SUV. No silver anything, unless the light gray Mercedes coupe counted as close to silver. A bright blue mini-SUV was parked nearby with the plate “BIRDIE”, but that was as close as it got. Evan felt her stomach clench as she wondered if they’d been wrong about Jace. She shut off the phone recording and watched Max bring the girls over.
“I called the techs to come scrub this place top to bottom. There were enough drugs in that place to stock two pharmacies and a hospital. Nothing that we might find useful, though,” Max said as he helped the girls into the back seat.
“Yeah, I don’t think this is who we’re looking for,” Evan replied, voice low. “Are we bringing them in?”
“No, I’m waiting for a couple of patrol cars to come take them to booking,” Max replied.
Evan handed him her phone and queued up the recording for him to listen. He held the phone up to his ear and when it was done, he handed it back to Evan. “Shit.”
“Yeah, my thoughts exactly. I’m gonna text Derek to tell Rudy it’s no good. I mean, yeah, you get him on a possession and distribution charge – and probably delinquency of minors with the girls, but not what we were hoping for,” Evan said.
It took a few hours to get everything sorted out before Max and Evan were, once again, back on the road.
“How about we stop and I pick up take-out before we get you home? We can eat, regroup, and refocus before I head out,” Max said.
“Hmm? Yeah, sure. Just not chicken, please. I’m so sick of chicken,” Evan grumbled. “Harper has been on a chicken kick lately and I just can’t.”
“You sick of seafood?”
“Never.”
“How about Surf Shack takeout? Or we can do Chinese, or Thai, or burgers…”
“Surf Shack sounds good. I could go for fried clams and French fries,” Evan replied.
Max called in the order and they were soon parked in the very full lot for the Shack. “I’ll be a minute. Hang tight.”
Evan was tired and she was feeling the strain of worry. Worrying about the twins, their friends, the other girls in the Huntsman’s victim pool – it wasn’t something she was used to feeling. Agents learned early to keep to themselves and compartmentalize their emotions. Functioning in general society would be impossible if they didn’t learn to suppress their fears and box up the negative memories they collected on the job. Evan had long suspected that her ability to keep her emotions in check was a major part of why she never really dated. One of the guys she’d seen for a few weeks had called her an unemotional robot before he left her sitting in the restaurant alone. That had bothered her more than she cared to admit, because it wasn’t something she could easily undo. Either you kept it separated and contained, or you lost your ability to function as a rational human being.
No one could see the evil and darkest of humanity day in and day out – and not feel it at some level. You just couldn’t let it bleed over into your everyday existence or you’d start looking at everyone as an unsub. Unidentified Subjects, or unsubs, were what FBI agents were taught to call the actors of the crimes they were trying to solve. And right now? Jace Edwards was not the unsub they were looking for in the Huntsman murders. Their unsub was still out there, hunting down his next target.
Max opened the door and put the bag of food on the floor in the back before he slid into his seat and backed out of the lot. “You look pensive,” he said.
“I’ve been thinking and I’m trying to shove the fear back down. I’ve never had a case hit this close to home before or threaten someone I care about. Two someones,” Evan said.
“The girls are safe at Maggie’s. Greg has a permit to carry and he’s home tonight, so if anything were to happen, he’s ready. We both need to take a breath and wind down a little before we look at the case again. I had Tom send me the electronic copy of the murder book so we can go over that after dinner. We’ve taken to scanning everything from paper – and I mean everything – after the flood two years ago. Destroyed about five years of paper files, but they’d all been scanned already. The stuff that hadn’t been damaged got pulled out to safety before too much damage had been done. It was close, though.”
“I know I need some perspective, but I’m really feeling frustrated that Edwards wasn’t our guy, and I’m tired and hungry and getting cranky,” Evan said.
Max pulled into her driveway and shut off the vehicle. “Then let’s get you inside and get some food in you. How about I get the food set out and you go grab a shower and put on your sweats?”
“That sounds like a plan. And wine. There’s a nice pinot in the fridge that’ll go good with seafood.”
They stepped into the house and Evan locked the door and reset the alarm. Max had already put down his bag and carried the food into the kitchen. She watched him moving around the space and smiled. It was nice having him around again. A night of food and friendship might be just what she needed to reset.
Chapter eight
Evan turned on some music while they ate. They tried chatting about inconsequential things, but soon ended up trailing off into silence. Esha’s death had shaken them both more than either was ready to admit.
When they gave up on eating and put the food away, Evan made them both mugs of coffee, then decided to add some Irish Cream liqueur to her mug. Max brought the last of the food over to put in the fridge and saw her doctoring her own mug.
“That looks good, can you fix me one?”
“Sure,” Evan replied and poured some into his mug as well.
They carried the cups into the living room and settled together on the couch, taking a few sips and just letting the music be the only noise for a little while.
“I know we should be working…” Max started to say.
“I think I need to just relax here a bit…” Evan began at the same time. They both stopped and grinned at each other, then Max waved his hand to Evan to go first.
“Yeah, we should be working – but I think I just need to relax here for a little while. That was one of the things I remembered about you. Being able to just sit and be together without needing to talk or do or whatever, y’know?” Evan said.
Max gave a nod. “And I remember that about you. We could both be reading something and you’d just reach out and press your foot against me and that’s all I needed. Simply acknowledging the connection we shared, without words.”
Evan’s stocking-clad feet were tucked up on the couch, so she slid one over and pressed it against his thigh.
“Yeah, like that,” Max said, his voice soft. He reached down and gently squeezed her ankle, then slowly slid his hand up her calf. He put his mug down and reached for hers to join his on the coffee table. Slowly, carefully, Max pulled her to him. “Tell me no,” he whispered as his face hovered above hers, “and I’ll stop right now.”
Evan didn’t speak, just leaned up slightly to close the infinitesimal distance and pressed her lips to his. There’s something about kissing lips that were once as familiar as those on your own face. So much time had passed that they should’ve felt foreign, but they didn’t. Like slipping into your favorite comfy shirt after finding it in storage after it had been packed away for years. It may not fit exactly the same way, but it felt like the past and the present had collided in one’s memories.
Evan’s hand slid to the nape of his neck as she pulled him close, the weight of him settled against her bones. Nothing mattered beyond the feel of him against her. When Max lifted her in his arms and carried her to her room, she knew, even then, if she said no, he’d stop.
Evan didn’t say no.
There was a moment where Evan tried to pull the sheet over her body as Max undressed her.
Max shook his head and gently pulled the sheet back as he bent to kiss each inch of skin as it was revealed. “Don’t. If anything, you’re more beautiful now than you were then.”
“I have scars,” Evan said.
“So do I,” Max replied. “But scars show that we’ve lived. We fought battles and survived. We took risks and came out on top. They’re beautiful, powerful, and a part of you I get to learn all over again.”
Evan wrapped her arms around his back and arched up to meet him as he slid into her. For the first time in nearly twenty years, she felt complete. Whole.
They laughed and sighed, kissed and touched, slept and woke again to gentle caresses and fierce cries of passion.
Evan woke slowly in the pale light of dawn, her head on Max’s shoulder, one hand curled against his chest, a leg thrown over his under the covers. His arm wound around her, one hand on her hip as he slept, as if he feared she’d slip away once more. She shifted her head to look at his face, the dark lashes against stubble-dusted skin, features relaxed enough to make him look almost boyish.
“I can feel you staring,” Max grumbled.
“Uh huh. I need the bathroom. You want to sleep more?” Evan said as she slid out of his embrace and got to her feet.
“Once I’m awake, I’m up. I’ll shower after you if you promise to start the coffee,” Max replied.
“I’ll start the coffee, but you’re cooking,” Evan said as she stepped into the ensuite bathroom and started the shower water so it could warm up.
When she got out of the shower, the bed had been stripped, the covers folded down, and she could hear the washer going in the hallway. Leggings, a sweater that hit mid-thigh, and warm socks were pulled on before Evan found her way into the kitchen and got the coffee started. The sound of the front door made her jump, but then she smiled as she saw Max come in with a duffel bag from his rig.
“I have clean clothes in this. I’ll be ready to cook in about fifteen minutes,” Max said as he headed back towards her room.
Evan knew that Max preferred to cook without other people in the kitchen, so she took her coffee and went into the office to start her day. Email, reports, and other requests for her time kept her busy until she heard Max call out, “Food’s ready!”
Biscuits fresh out of the oven, scrambled eggs, bacon, and a bowl of fruit were on the table. Evan took a seat and refilled her coffee before she dished up her plate. “Thank you for this. It’s a lot more food than I usually eat for breakfast, but I’m starving this morning. Must’ve been the all-night workout.” Her teasing tone drew a laugh from Max.
“I started cooking and realized I was more than a little hungry, so I made the biscuits and started on the rest.” He paused to butter a biscuit, then handed the knife to Evan. “Thank you for last night, and for letting me cook for you.”
“Well, cooking for me is part of your love language. I remember the morning I tried to make us breakfast and you were all ‘that’s my job’. I didn’t get it at first, but then I realized that it was part of your way of showing me you cared,” Evan said.
“Sue Ann refused to eat breakfast, even if it was just a cup of coffee. She said I was trying to make her fat when I cooked for her,” Max said. “And yeah, I know I shouldn’t be talking about my ex right now – but the fact that you not only understand me, but actually eat food in the morning? That’s two more things I love about you.”
Evan tried to hide the panic that surged in her belly when he said ‘love’. The bite of biscuit she’d just taken, felt like a rock in her throat. She forced it down and took a swallow of coffee before she spoke. “I understand,” is all she said, but even she could hear the waver in her voice.
“You know,” Evan said after a few more bites, “we need to focus on the case and not let this distract us too much, okay?”
“Sure. But life is more than just work, Evan,” Max said.
“Maybe, but when it’s my girls who are at risk? I can’t afford to be distracted.”
“I care about them, too,” Max replied.
“Yeah, but they’re not your responsibility, they’re mine. It’s different,” Evan said.
“What do you think is going to happen? Do you think you’re so distracting I’m going to forget my job? I’m not going to let my dick rule my head. I’m not sixteen anymore – or twenty-six. But I’m hearing you loud and clear.” He got to his feet and carried his unfinished food to the counter. “You can handle cleaning up the rest of this, right? I mean, it’s not too much of a distraction?”
“Max, wait…” Evan said as she got to her feet. “That’s not what I meant.”
Her words echoed in the quiet of the room as the door closed behind him.
“Well, fuck,” Evan sighed.
Chapter nine
Five days had passed since they’d grabbed Jace Edwards and nothing was playing out the way they’d expected. Facial recognition hadn’t brought them anyone other than Edwards, so they’d focused on the vehicle – and that was a dead end, too. The only bright spot was that there were no new reports of missing girls – yet. They knew that wouldn’t last. That’s why Evan was in a video conference with Derek and Rudy, trying to figure out where this guy had started his killing.
