When they knocked on his door, he waved them in, and both men took seats across from them.
“Agents,” he said, getting up. “Coffee?” he asked, pleasantly.
Ethan had finished the one Gene had gotten him, and he could use another.
“Thank you, please,” he said.
Gene also nodded.
“That would be nice.”
As the man made them coffee, he introduced himself to the two agents.
“I’m Captain Jerome Vala. You can call me Jerry,” he said, handing both men a cup of black coffee and then packets of sugar and creamer so they could make it how they liked it.
Gene made the coffees, so Ethan could do the heavy lifting on this one.
“We appreciate you making time to see us, Jerry,” Ethan said, like they had a choice in the matter. “I’m Ethan Blackhawk, and this is my partner, Gene Cantrell. Let’s keep it informal. First names it is.”
The man sat.
Apparently, it was time to get down to business.
That was fine with them.
“I’m glad you are here. The second I was told about the three victims being connected, I knew we were ill-equipped to handle this. Don’t get me wrong, Detectives Pezzimente and Balo are good cops, but three bodies and what is likely a serial killer? That’s out of their league. When they told me about the two missing women, I was already going to call the FBI office as soon as we found their bodies. I don’t like to let things like this linger. I’m glad you happened on the scene.”
Oh, happened nothing.
Blackhawk knew that the two birdies had been singing plenty. This cop knew everything they knew thanks to the detectives reporting to their bosses.
Blackhawk laid it all out on the table.
“I’m sure by now, the detectives have told you everything, like the fact that I was here visiting family.”
He reassured him.
“Yeah, they told me that you’re originally from here, but we all have family, Ethan. What I want is to keep my job. There is a re-election in November. What I need is competent people to handle this. I would be lying if I said I didn’t speak to your boss.”
Oh, boy.
That could go in a bunch of ways.
Gabe wasNOTtheir biggest fan at that moment, so this was a crapshoot for them.
“I see,” Ethan said. “And was it a call you don’t regret? Because most people don’t hang up happy when they run headlong into Gabriel Rothschild. He’s not one to mince words or enjoy being annoyed.”
Ethan knew he’d rather eat his own eyeballs than deal with Gabe.
That was why he was never doing it again.
Luckily for them, the man behind the desk waved that off.
“He said you guys would have this, and that we could trust you to handle the case. Granted, he mentioned one of you was on desk duty, and to make sure you stayed that way.”
Gene raised his casted arm.
“Serial killer souvenirs,” he admitted. “I’m the desk jockey. I can't carry.”
