Before He Longs (A Mackenzie White Mystery—Book 10)

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FOUR

Being Sunday, there was no one at the desk in the small waiting area outside of McGrath’s office. In fact, his office door was standing open when Mackenzie and Ellington arrived. Mackenzie knocked on the door before entering anyway, knowing what a stickler McGrath could be when it came to privacy.

“Come on in,” McGrath called out.

When they entered, they found McGrath behind his desk, rummaging through several folders. Papers were strewn everywhere and his desk looked to be in a mild state of chaos. Seeing a usually tidy McGrath in such a state made Mackenzie wonder just what sort of case had managed to fluster him this much.

“I appreciate you coming so quickly,” McGrath said. “I know you’re using most of your free time to plan the wedding.”

“Hey, you tore me away from my mother,” Ellington said. “I’ll tackle whatever case you throw at me.”

“That’s good to hear,” McGrath said, selecting a pile of paper-clipped papers from the clutter on his desk and tossing it to him. “Ellington, when you first started as a field agent, I had you working cleanup in a case in Salem, Oregon. A deal with the storage units. You remember it?”

“I do, actually. Five bodies, all turned up dead in storage units. No killer was ever found. It was assumed that when the FBI got involved, he got scared and stopped.”

“That’s the one. There’s been an ongoing search for the guy but it’s come up with nothing. And it’s been the better part of eight years.”

“Did someone finally find him?” Ellington asked. He was looking through the papers McGrath had handed him. Mackenzie caught a peek as well and saw a few reports and details from the Oregon murders.

“No. But bodies have started to show up in storage units again. This time in Seattle. One was found last week, which could be ruled as coincidence. But a second was found yesterday. The body had been dead for a while—at least four days from the looks of it.”

“So then it’s fairly safe to say that the cases in Seattle are no longer being considered isolated incidents?” Mackenzie speculated.

“That’s right. So the case is yours, White.” McGrath then turned to Ellington. “I don’t know about sending you, though. I’d like to because you two manage to work well together despite the relationship. But this close to the wedding…”

“It’s your call, sir,” Ellington said. Mackenzie was rather surprised by how flippant he was being about the call. “But I do think my history with the Oregon case could benefit Macken—Agent White. Plus, two heads and all of that…”

McGrath contemplated it for a moment, looking back and forth between the two of them. “I’ll allow it, but this might very well be the final case the two of you are partnered on. I already have enough people uneasy with an engaged couple working together. Once you’re married, you can forget about it.”

Mackenzie understood this and even thought it was a good idea in principle. She nodded along with McGrath’s explanation as she took the papers from Ellington’s hand. She didn’t take the time to read them right there, not wanting to appear rude. But she scanned them just enough to get the gist.

Five bodies had been discovered in storage units in 2009, all found within a span of ten days. One of the bodies seemed to have been killed rather recently while one had been killed so long before its discovery that the flesh had started to rot from its bones. Three suspects had been brought in but were ultimately cleared thanks to alibis and a lack of any real evidence.

“Of course, we’re also not prepared to say there’s a direct link between the two, right?” she asked.

“No, not yet,” McGrath said. “But that’s one of the things I’d like you to figure out. Look for connections while trying to find this guy.”

“Anything else?” Ellington asked.

“No. Transportation is being handled as we speak, but you should be in the air within four hours. I’d really like this wrapped up before this maniac can net another five people like he did before.”

“I thought we weren’t saying there’s a direct link,” Mackenzie said.

“Not officially, no,” McGrath said. And then, as if unable to help himself, he smirked and turned to Ellington. “You get to live with that sort of scrutiny for the rest of your life?”

“Oh yeah,” Ellington said. “And I look forward to it.”

***

They were halfway back to his apartment before Ellington bothered calling his mother. He explained that they had been called away and asked if she would like to try to get together sometime after they got back. Mackenzie listened closely, barely able to hear his mother’s reply. She said something about the perils of a romantic couple working together and living together. Ellington cut her off before she could really get going.

When he ended the call, Ellington tossed his phone on the floorboard and sighed. “So, Mom sends her best.”

“I’m sure.”

“But the thing she said about husband and wife also working together…you prepared for that?”

“You heard McGrath,” she said. “That won’t happen after we’re married.”

“I know. But still. We’ll be in the same building, hearing about each other’s cases. There are days where I think that would be awesome…but others when I wonder just how weird it could get.”

“Why? You afraid I’m going to eventually overshadow you?”

“Oh, you already have,” he said with a smile. “You just refuse to acknowledge it.”

As they rushed to the apartment and then through the chore of packing, the reality of the situation hit her for the first time. This could be the last case she and Ellington ever worked on together. She was sure that they would look back on their cases together fondly when they got older, almost as a sort of inside joke. But for now, with the wedding still looming and two dead bodies waiting on the other side of the country, it was felt daunting—like the end of something special.

I guess we’ll just have to go out with a bang, she thought as she packed her bag. She peeked over at Ellington, also packing a bag for the trip, and smiled. Sure, they were about to head into a potentially dangerous case and lives were likely on the line, but she couldn’t wait to get on the road with him one more time…perhaps one last time.