Chapter 5

Jin smiled as Elle made her way to the table, a harried look on her face. Her hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, her shirt looked a little rumpled, and it looked like she hadn't had time for makeup this morning. Not that the doctor needed it. She had what people called a peaches and cream complexion, blue eyes, and high cheekbones. Long and lean…although she had filled out since having her first baby. She was still elegant at eight months pregnant. Heads turned as she approached the table, but Elle didn't pay attention.

"Did that Scotsman keep you in bed this morning?" Jin said, rising to give the woman a hug. She looked like she needed it.

"What? No," she said, sitting down. Jin opened her mouth to ask her what was wrong, but the waiter arrived for their orders. After Elle ordered without looking at the menu, he left them alone.

"Are you okay?"

She shook her head. "No. My caseload is insane at the moment. I've been filling in for Dr. Tan."

Dr. Tan was the medical examiner for HPD. "Is she okay?"

"Yes. And I don't have to do all of it, but the added work makes me crazy. I can't remember a bloody thing half the time."

Jin frowned, worry worming through her. "Try again, sista. Something is going on with you."

The waiter returned with Elle's coffee and then left them alone. Jin watched her friend pick up the coffee and bring it close enough to smell before her face turned green.

"Elle?"

She set the cup back down and grabbed her water. After taking a long sip, she looked at Jin, her eyes shimmering with tears.

"I think Graeme isn't happy with me."

"Did you do something? Did you have a fight? I will help you hide any evidence."

Elle chuckled, and then a small sob broke out.

"No, it's not that," she said as a tear rolled down her cheek. "It's just that I'm so old."

"You're in your forties. You act like you're in your eighties."

"It's just that we got into a massive argument this morning. He wants me to take some more time off after this baby, and I told him no."

That was so unlike her friend. Granted, she understood that she and Graeme argued a lot as a form of foreplay, but this was different.

"Elle, why don't you just tell him what's bothering you?"

"Oh, no." She chuckled as she pulled a tissue out of her purse, wiping away her tears. "I am pregnant."

Elle was trying to brush away any discussion, which was totally out of character for Jin's friend. "Then what is it?"

"We ended up married because I got pregnant the first time."

"No. Graeme used that to convince you to marry him."

Elle chuckled. It was a little watery, but at least it was a laugh.

"True. I just don't understand why he is being such a pain in the arse about this."

"He loves you. End of story. The main problem is he's worried about you. It is a lot to take. Two kids under the age of two."

She sighed, happiness filling the sound, and something in Jin relaxed. She didn't like the idea of her friend being upset over something that should bring joy. Jin had never been that good with kids, and until she played the kids from the TFH folks, she didn't think she would want any. Lately, however, she had been thinking that in a year or two, she might reconsider the idea, at least with the right man.

Elle stared at her coffee and tried a sip. "Ugh, I allow myself one cup of coffee a day, but half the time, it tastes disgusting."

"You could have tea."

"At home. You Americans do not know how to make tea."

Jin smiled. "True. Why don't you get some orange juice or something? Give yourself a little kick. You need a sugar boost if you're this tired in the morning."

Elle smiled. "That is an excellent idea."

They chatted about her work—what Elle was allowed to tell her—then about some upcoming episodes for her podcast. Elle was on the schedule for an upcoming episode to talk about the case that she and Graeme had solved together. Jin was happy to see her friend dig into her omelet as Jin ate her moco loco. The Hawaiian dish was filled with a lot of calories and fat, so Jin didn't eat it often. Rice, brown gravy, hamburger patties, a fried egg on top, and a serving of Hawaiian macaroni salad didn't sound like something that should taste so delicious, but it did.

As they were paying for their meals, both phones went off. They pulled them out, and Jin frowned.

Charity: Need everyone at TFH right now. Like NOW!

"Charity?" Elle asked. Jin looked up.

"Yeah. I think she just ordered me to TFH."

Elle chuckled. "Well, it's a good thing you were going to drop me off anyway."

"I'm assuming this has to do with the case."

Elle nodded. "Yeah, or she wouldn't have included you. Ready?"

Excitement danced through her blood as she rose. "Yes. Let's go."

* * *

Adam cussed as Graeme took him down with a roundhouse kick to his legs.

The giant Scotsman stepped closer and stared down at him, a stupid grin on his face, his hands on his hips.

"That's two and oh, for me."

"Fuck off."

His eyes danced. "You're so easy today. Maybe you're just not aging as well as I am."

They were actually three months apart in age, Adam being the older of the two of them.

"As I said, fuck off."

He held out a hand to Adam, and he took it.

"Wanna go again?"

He shook his head. His mind was on everything he had learned the last few days. It had to be the reason he couldn't keep himself centered.

"Got lady troubles?"

He blinked and looked at Graeme. "No."

Adam almost winced at the defensiveness he heard in his voice.

"Sure."

"It's the case. There's so much in it that I can barely keep it straight."

Graeme picked up a towel to wipe his face, then grabbed a couple of water bottles, tossing one to Adam.

"She really doesn't think Brewer did it then?"

Adam shook his head, then took a long drink of water. The cool liquid felt amazing as it slid down his throat.

"What are you thinking?"

"Hard to know."

Graeme rolled his eyes. "Dude, I'm not your reporter girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend."

"She was at one time. I see the two of you together. You definitely have a vibe."

They had at one time. Now…

"Well, we don't."

Graeme frowned. "It isn't because of what happened, is it?"

"In a way."

There was a beat of silence. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

He glanced up at his friend. "Excuse me?"

"You think because of what she went through, she can't have a normal relationship?" Anger and disappointment filled Graeme's voice.

"No. What I mean is that she doesn't want that anymore."

Graeme's irritation seemed to dissolve. "She said that?"

"It's the way she acts around me. She's fragile."

Graeme rolled his eyes. "Women are not fragile."

"Believe me. I live with four of them, and I know they are not the weaker sex."

"I assume you know what happened to Elle back in England?"

Adam nodded. He and Del had conferred on the new hires when TFH was first founded a few years ago, so he knew her background.

"Jin is different."

There was a beat of silence. "No. I think you're different."

"What do you mean?"

"You see her differently or…" his voice trailed off, and Adam fought the need to shift his weight from one foot to the other. The Scotsman could be broody, but he could see things that many people couldn't. Adam always chalked it up to his time in the military. Graeme had been a former Special Forces for the Royal Military.

"You feel guilty." He snapped his fingers. "That's it."

"No."

"Yep. You feel guilty because it was our case, and she was abducted under our watch."

Graeme was right about that last part. There was no doubt about that. They had been in charge of the case, and they were the first law enforcement agency to figure out that serial killers were hunting women across the world, mainly due to Emma, Del's now wife. She saw the patterns. Still, they hadn't been able to keep the bastards from taking Jin.

"It's not that."

"Partially." Then he cocked his head and studied Adam like he was a bug. "You're a little angry with her."

"As I said earlier, fuck you."

He spun away from Graeme, stalking off…away from that thought. He wasn't angry with her. Graeme didn't know what the hell he was talking about.

"Hey," Graeme said, grabbing Adam by the arm to stop him. "It's normal."

He heaved a sigh, anger still coursing through his blood like molten lava. "I would never blame a woman for something like that happening to her."

Graeme nodded. "I know. But you felt helpless. I remember the way you behaved that week and what you went through. I didn't know Elle when she had been attacked, but I know I would have been tearing the world apart to find her. You aren't blaming her for being taken, but she made you feel helpless, and men do not like the feeling."

"I have a feeling no one likes that feeling."

"Yeah, but society puts pressure on a man to be the protector. I'm not saying that's right, but it's understandable that you would feel that way."

He opened his mouth to respond when the door to the gym opened. Charity came rushing in. "There you two are. I've been texting both of you, but you weren't answering."

"It's on the schedule that we were down here," Adam said. It was required that they worked out in some way several times a week.

"I don't have time for that."

"It would have been faster than running all over the building looking for us," Graeme said with a laugh.

"Shut up. If you both weren't so pretty, I would hit you. Come on. We're all up in the common area."

"Can't you just tell us? I need a shower." Adam knew he could order her to tell them.

"No. Everyone is here. I even roped in Jin because this has to do with the Alana Kim case. Come on."

She hurried out the door. Graeme tossed Adam a smile. "Come on, boss."

"Please don't call me that."

They made their way out the door and then found the elevator door open. Charity was waiting, her finger holding the open door key. Annoyance stamped on her pretty face. Charity was a genius with everything forensic. She was a scientist and geek at heart, but she dressed however she was feeling that day. Today, she had her hair up in two space buns, and she wore a Thor T-shirt. He chuckled to himself. Her husband was actually named after the superhero, so he was sure she did it to tweak him.

Once they arrived on the main floor, they followed her off the lift and into the common area. Charity had been right. Everyone was there. Marcus and Tamilya were sitting the furthest away, their heads together, talking about something. Next to them was another couple—Cat and Drew. Then, Autumn, Elle, and finally Jin.

The moment his gaze landed on Jin, his entire body reacted. Jesus, she looked fantastic today. She was wearing a black t-shirt tucked into a pair of jeans. She'd let her hair grow a little, and he liked the way the curls bounced around her chin when she moved her head.

"There's my love," Graeme said. He strode over to his wife, snatched her out of the chair, then kissed her loudly. He set her back down in her chair, then took the one beside her. That left one chair.

Adam's gaze narrowed on the team. They were suspiciously not looking at him. Well, everyone but Autumn, who was grinning at him.

"Morning, boss."

"Stop that."

She laughed out loud, then turned her attention to Charity.

"Do you think you could sit down?" Charity said, her tone biting. She was vibrating with energy. He hesitated for a second or two before he made his way over to the empty chair.

* * *

Jin felt as if she were in a fishbowl. No one was looking at her, but it felt as if she were being observed. She didn't miss the way Adam had hesitated before he made his way to the chair beside her.

"Morning, Jin. Didn't know you were coming in today."

She looked at him. He was sweaty. His shirt clung to his chest. God, he was so damn well put together. So many muscles. She remembered gliding her hands over them, feeling the ridges of that eight-pack beneath her fingers.

"Jin?"

"Sorry. Yeah, I wasn't planning on it, but I was at breakfast with Elle when Charity messaged us."

He nodded. Turning his attention to Charity, giving her the perfect profile to study. The man was so noble looking, his Hawaiian ancestry stamped on his face. She knew he had a little Chinese in his DNA, but he favored the Hawaiian side of the family.

"So, I've spent the last few days working with Elle on those skeletal remains found up near Waimea Falls. She has already said that the cause of death was more than likely a gunshot to the brain."

"Yes. I would say ninety-nine-point-nine percent," Elle said.

Charity rolled her eyes. "I said probably."

Graeme made a grumpy sound, most likely because of Charity's tone. It wasn't common for her to be so short with everyone, so Jin assumed it had to do with whatever she wanted to tell them.

"Sorry, I kind of stink," Adam said.

She glanced at him. "You know I like a manly smell."

They shared a smile. "Yeah."

"Hey, Adam? Jin?"

They both turned their heads. Everyone was watching them with grins. Well, everyone except Charity who looked like she was ready to lose it. "Do you mind?"

"Careful, Charity," Adam said, the warning in his voice deadly. Charity looked unfazed. It took a lot to ruffle her feathers.

"I have news. Such big news."

"You got the DNA results?" Elle asked.

"Yes. And I want you to know that you were right, Jin."

"About what?"

"Dylan."

"What do you mean?"

"Because of that skeleton, we found? That's Dylan Brewer."

There was a beat of silence before the entire room exploded in chatter.

Jin's head seemed to spin at the change of subject. One minute, she was admiring Adam's manly smell and the next, she was thrown back into the deep end of her investigation.

There was a whistle from Charity.

"Calm your tits, everyone."

"Not appropriate," Adam said, but he was smiling.

Charity ignored him. "So, Jin, do you mind telling us about the murders and your theories. I know that you were going to brief us, but things have been a little crazy."

She glanced around and found everyone looking at her. There was a tickle at the back of her throat, and panic set in. Usually, she could prepare herself for something like this. But she reminded herself these were her friends. They have all been very supportive.

"Sure." She stood and made her way to the front of the group. "As I am sure Adam told you, I never thought Dylan would kill Alana and just disappear."

"Why did you say it like that?" Tamilya asked. She wasn't around when Jin had been taken, but Jin had gotten to know her since Marcus and she were dating.

"Well, Dylan had a temper, and more than one ex said he never hesitated to slap them around."

The grumbling that rose came mainly from the men. TFH guys really did not like it when men were abusive.

"So, in my mind, it was never that he wouldn't have killed her. It was that he wouldn't do it and then disappear. He would have fought the system, and unfortunately, with his good looks and money, he could have easily beaten the charge. That's what he would have done, in my opinion. Instead, he disappeared."

"Adam told us about the traffic cam footage. Was it just the two of them?" Cat asked.

"Yes, and it was his rental car, which was found somewhere, but I haven't been able to find out where."

"Not too far from Waimea," Adam supplied. She knew he had finally tracked down Iona and talked to him, but he hadn't gotten much more than she had when she spoke to the retired detective.

"Did they get any prints off it?" she asked.

He shook his head. "It had been wiped clean."

"That is annoying," Autumn said. "Anything else?"

She glanced at Adam, who nodded. "Yes, we have a pic of him on the Joyous Wave compound."

Autumn nodded. "I told Adam I had hazy memories of that. All the usual idiots came around for that. They called them The Circle. They were like the board members of the cult."

"Why hazy?" Jin asked.

"Things kind of went crazy around that time. I always figured that my mother knew things were going south, and that's why she called an old friend to get me out of there. She wouldn't risk getting caught if something wasn't off. I mean, more off than a bunch of wackadoo cult members."

"We need to nail down the timeline better," Adam said.

"Agreed," she said. There was a long moment where they stared at each other. Charity broke the spell.

"I think you need to sit down with Autumn. See if she can remember anything around that time. Anything at all might help."

Jin nodded. "My PA is working on anyone else they might have been seen with, but we haven't found anyone else other than his usual asshole friends."

"And we need to do a notification to Dylan's father. He lives in LA, right?" Adam said.

"No, he lives here. He moved here a couple of months after Alana was found. I think he maintains a house on the mainland, but he's here a lot."

"He is?"

"Yes. He's spent a fortune trying to locate his son."

"Okay, well, we'll need to make sure none of this gets out before we tell him. Still, I would like some kind of cause of death."

"The hole in his head tells us he was killed by a gunshot wound to the head," Graeme remarked.

"Not definite, but enough. I'll handle the notification. If this leaks out, he'll find out, so I want to tell him first. Once we tell the Governor, it'll become news."

A few of the team nodded, and there were whispered curses. "Jin, do you have time to go over things with Autumn this morning?"

She nodded. "Just let me reschedule a meeting I had with Sam."

His smile dissolved. "You do that. Graeme, wanna ride along with me?"

With a sigh, she turned to Charity, who was smiling at her. "So, is there anything else you can tell me?"

"Naw. Small caliber gun did the murdering, that's about it."

Everyone else started to move on, so she turned to Autumn. "Ready?"

"Yeah, give me a second. I need my mid-morning snack."

She headed off to where the snack machines were, and Jin sighed.

"That woman eats enough to stuff a sumo wrestler but never gains an ounce," Charity said, shaking her head. "Life isn't fair."

"No," Jin mumbled as she watched Adam head off to probably go shower before heading out. Life definitely wasn't fair.