Pledging to Die (An FBI/Romance Thriller Book 11) by Morgan Kelley Page B
Authors: Morgan Kelley
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them.
That was good, because Elizabeth wasn’t in the mood to sit around and wait. She wanted to get back to the apartment they were renting and relax.
It had already been a long day, and they needed to settle in and get the whiteboard set up for tomorrow after the autopsy.
When a man entered the room, he wasn’t smiling. Since he was about fifty, they assumed that he was Gabe’s friend.
“Elizabeth and Ethan, I presume?” he asked, holding out his hand in greeting.
“You’d be right,” she stated, following him back into his inner sanctum. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Doctor Hallowell. I’m glad we could help you out.”
He sat, tugging off his tie. “You have no idea how happy I am to see you both.”
Ethan pointed at the door. “Do you want that closed?” he offered.
The man shook his head. “No. Pricilla is very trustworthy. She’s well aware of the situation.”
Good to know.
“Gabe said you two were the best, and that’s what the board of trustees wants. I, personally, would bury this for the world to never see.”
“Why’s that, Doctor?” she asked.
“We’ve recently had a little episode, and we don’t need any more bad publicity. Already, enrollments dropped three percent. We need every student’s tuition to run this university.”
“Don’t BS us, Doctor. You need the donations to come in. We’re both familiar with college and know how it’s done.”
He went stiff. “Gabe said you were a ball buster.”
“Yeah, well, he didn't lie.”
“Why don’t you tell us what the scandal was?” Ethan prompted. “Then we can decide how much we have to tiptoe around this mess.”
“We had a teacher trading grades for sexual favors. One of the other students found out and took it to the school paper. Next thing we know, there’s a whole mess on our hands.”
They listened.
“Then we have someone taking women. The board of trustees is ready to fire everyone, including me.”
Elizabeth got it. “So, you called your buddy Gabe in the FBI, and he’s helping you out.”
“Gabe and I go way back, and we’re not so much friends as acquaintances. We went to school together.”
That didn't make sense to either of them. If this man was getting the Dragon Slayer’s help, they had to be friends or…
Ethan gave his wife a look. He could tell that she was thinking the same thing that he was.
None of this added up.
Gabe Rothschild, the head of the FBI, and man who golfed with the President of the United States, didn't hand out favors for acquaintances.
It didn't happen.
“He promised that you’d do this with as little media as possible. I don’t need this blowing up and becoming a big issue.”
She had news for him. “Doctor, you have a serial killer. That’s not a big issue, that’s a HUGE one. We can’t promise to keep this hush-hush. If the media gets wind that we’re here, you could have even more attention. We’re two of their favorite topics.”
“Yes, I know, and that’s why you’re only here as a guest lecturer. We even have you on our website promoting it. Trust me…the media won’t care that you’re teaching a class.”
He was probably right.
“At first, I wanted Gabe to handle this.”
Elizabeth stared at him. “Yeah, he doesn’t leave his wife and kids for that long. His days in the field are pretty much over. I can’t recall the last time he did a job.”
“Oh, is he married? Isn’t that quaint?”
Okay, this was setting off the bells in her head. Something was definitely not right. Gabe, while private, had never mentioned this jackwagon to her, and now the man didn't even know he had kids?
Something was fishy.
It reeked.
“I can’t afford a scandal here. I want to keep the name of this school pristine. Gabe owed me a favor, and I claimed it.”
That proved it.
The man she worked under didn't handout favors easily, and the one he owed her was a huge one. Elizabeth couldn’t imagine what this guy had over him.
It had to be
That was good, because Elizabeth wasn’t in the mood to sit around and wait. She wanted to get back to the apartment they were renting and relax.
It had already been a long day, and they needed to settle in and get the whiteboard set up for tomorrow after the autopsy.
When a man entered the room, he wasn’t smiling. Since he was about fifty, they assumed that he was Gabe’s friend.
“Elizabeth and Ethan, I presume?” he asked, holding out his hand in greeting.
“You’d be right,” she stated, following him back into his inner sanctum. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Doctor Hallowell. I’m glad we could help you out.”
He sat, tugging off his tie. “You have no idea how happy I am to see you both.”
Ethan pointed at the door. “Do you want that closed?” he offered.
The man shook his head. “No. Pricilla is very trustworthy. She’s well aware of the situation.”
Good to know.
“Gabe said you two were the best, and that’s what the board of trustees wants. I, personally, would bury this for the world to never see.”
“Why’s that, Doctor?” she asked.
“We’ve recently had a little episode, and we don’t need any more bad publicity. Already, enrollments dropped three percent. We need every student’s tuition to run this university.”
“Don’t BS us, Doctor. You need the donations to come in. We’re both familiar with college and know how it’s done.”
He went stiff. “Gabe said you were a ball buster.”
“Yeah, well, he didn't lie.”
“Why don’t you tell us what the scandal was?” Ethan prompted. “Then we can decide how much we have to tiptoe around this mess.”
“We had a teacher trading grades for sexual favors. One of the other students found out and took it to the school paper. Next thing we know, there’s a whole mess on our hands.”
They listened.
“Then we have someone taking women. The board of trustees is ready to fire everyone, including me.”
Elizabeth got it. “So, you called your buddy Gabe in the FBI, and he’s helping you out.”
“Gabe and I go way back, and we’re not so much friends as acquaintances. We went to school together.”
That didn't make sense to either of them. If this man was getting the Dragon Slayer’s help, they had to be friends or…
Ethan gave his wife a look. He could tell that she was thinking the same thing that he was.
None of this added up.
Gabe Rothschild, the head of the FBI, and man who golfed with the President of the United States, didn't hand out favors for acquaintances.
It didn't happen.
“He promised that you’d do this with as little media as possible. I don’t need this blowing up and becoming a big issue.”
She had news for him. “Doctor, you have a serial killer. That’s not a big issue, that’s a HUGE one. We can’t promise to keep this hush-hush. If the media gets wind that we’re here, you could have even more attention. We’re two of their favorite topics.”
“Yes, I know, and that’s why you’re only here as a guest lecturer. We even have you on our website promoting it. Trust me…the media won’t care that you’re teaching a class.”
He was probably right.
“At first, I wanted Gabe to handle this.”
Elizabeth stared at him. “Yeah, he doesn’t leave his wife and kids for that long. His days in the field are pretty much over. I can’t recall the last time he did a job.”
“Oh, is he married? Isn’t that quaint?”
Okay, this was setting off the bells in her head. Something was definitely not right. Gabe, while private, had never mentioned this jackwagon to her, and now the man didn't even know he had kids?
Something was fishy.
It reeked.
“I can’t afford a scandal here. I want to keep the name of this school pristine. Gabe owed me a favor, and I claimed it.”
That proved it.
The man she worked under didn't handout favors easily, and the one he owed her was a huge one. Elizabeth couldn’t imagine what this guy had over him.
It had to be
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