Gene shook their hands, and he watched as the reservation police cruiser drove past them.
Callen stared at Ethan with such a look of devastation and loss in his eyes.
And Ethan didn’t look back.
“Thanks for meeting us,” Gene said, hating what was going on behind the scenes. It was going to make this a hot freaking mess.
Bet.
On.
It.
The female cop was to the point.
“We want to help work this. We know that now that the bodies showed up on reservation land, the FBI takes jurisdiction, but this is our case.”
Gene knew Ethan had to make that call.
He was normally the lead investigator, but he’d called Gabe, who also didn’t want to see their faces for a long time, and he’d put Ethan in charge.
All he wanted was a written report when it was done because he’d nailed this one. Gabe wasn’t backing them up anymore.
They were on their own.
Yeah, they’d made so many friends on this trip West. How could this get worse?
Ethan went there, ignoring what she’d said. He was done playing around.
“We’ll need to borrow your ME, and we’ll see how we can use you in the investigation. I suggest we check the bodies, now that you have an ME on scene, and go from there.”
The female went to say something, but her partner elbowed her. They were being told they might be able to help. That was more than they expected.
“That sounds fine,” Dannie offered.
Pissing them off meant being excluded. Leah tended to be a little too bossy when it came to cases, and she was all over this one like it was personal.
Honestly, the two men didn’t look like they’d appreciate that—especially since they’d taken this case from the Chief of Reservation police.
“Good,” Ethan said. “This way.”
He led them back into the trees where the ME’s people were setting up lights and a perimeter to begin pulling trace.
“Doc,” Leah said, getting the ME’s attention.
As they reached the bodies, there was a man kneeling beside them.
“This is Doctor Parker,” Leah stated, introducing him. “He’s our ME inDamascus.”
Ethan and Gene shook hands, since he wasn’t gloved up yet.
“I’d say it’s a pleasure,” the ME began, “but it’s cold as balls out here, and I like working with the FBI as much as I’d like having an infestation of crabs.”
Gene lifted a brow.
“Well, that sets the pace. I can’t imagine this being anything less than a miserable time,” Gene admitted. “Apparently, you won’t be keeping your crabs to yourself. I’m feeling crabby myself now.”
Honestly, Ethan didn’t care.
