The next day, it was as if nothing had happened.
They had eaten dinner that night in a shroud of silence. She had tried in vain to initiate and maintain conversation, but his short, unsubstantial responses offered no support. She had excused herself early to go to bed but struggled to fall asleep, marinating in a pool of her own sweat. When he retired at midnight, she was still awake to hear his bedroom door click closed behind him.
When had they become awkward strangers?
He was awake first the next morning. She woke to the sound of puttering in the kitchen – the chiming clang of pots and pans, the sizzle of bacon. She had lay stretched out in bed for what felt like forever listening to the birds sing in the trees before rising and heading for the shower. By the time she had dried off and dressed, he had breakfast on the table. His greeting was almost too cheerful, hollow and fake to her ears after the events of the previous evening.
When had she forgotten how to talk to him?
It had been his idea to return to the scene of the crime.
It was mid-morning by the time they took his ATV to the remote patch of forest where Teresa had been found, Elliot driving and Olivia perched on the back. She began the trip with her arms around his waist to hold herself in place but, after a while, the ripple of his strong stomach muscles proved to be too great of a distraction. Images of those muscles moving under her hands floated before her eyes and she felt an uncomfortable heat flash through her body.
It had been a while since she had had those daydreams . . .
If he noticed her move her hands from his waist to grip the equipment rack on the back of the machine, Elliot didn't comment.
The hard scrabble patch of forest real estate where Teresa's body had been found was vacant now, with only a few bright orange flags and some glaring yellow crime scene tape to highlight its significance. Dead leaves and pine needles clung to the black tires of the 4X4 as it jolted across the rocky, uneven terrain. On one particularly rough bounce, Olivia sucked in an anxious breath. He may have been used to the brutish movement of the machine but she wasn't, and her stomach heaved uncomfortably until the vehicle finally skidded to a stop.
Unsnapping the chin strap of his helmet, Elliot threw his leg over the side of the ATV and ambled toward the scene, slipping under the yellow tape while Olivia shakily stood, her knees trembling. By the time she had wobbled over, he was crouched down and dragging his fingers through the loose soil.
"How'd she die again?"
Olivia wiped nervous sweat off her forehead. "Beaten to death."
"She was definitely killed here then." Still crouching, Elliot brushed his fingers off on the knees of his jeans. "Bloodstains all over the place, and there's a ton of it."
Chipmunks chattered overhead as Elliot lifted his sunglasses and squinted, surveying the scene with a trained eye. After a moment, he paused and pointed to the imprint of a shoe in the soft soil several feet away. "Morbid curiosity, or our perp?"
Olivia shrugged. "It was here when we found the body, so we took a cast. Average size, common make. Men's size 11."
"So not much help in other words," Elliot summarized. As he stood up, his light eyes continued to scan the scene, committing the details to memory. "Tire tracks?"
Olivia shook her head. "None that we could see."
"So what's your theory?"
"Full of holes at the moment. She had been dead for 12 hours when the birdwatcher stumbled over her. Killed sometime in the dead of the night. Not someplace she would have been wandering on her own in the dark. Originally, we weren't sure if her disappearance was a kidnapping. It wouldn't have been the first time she ran away. I'm still not sure, but either way, she came up here with someone and that someone killed her."
"Any likely suspects back home?"
Another head shake. "Fin and Odessa questioned all of her friends and family. Most had strong alibis. We couldn't see a motive for those who didn't. She was one of those girls that everyone knew, but no one knew well enough to love her or hate her."
"Well she obviously came out here with someone who hated her. And you think it's someone who lives on the street."
Olivia shrugged again. "Doesn't have to be I guess. I just can't imagine them coming around here if the perp doesn't live here, or at least know someone who does. You're pretty isolated El." She motioned to the guardian forest that surrounded them.
Elliot's intelligent eyes flickered over the crime scene again. "Certainly not an area someone would typically stumble upon, I get that. Doesn't mean it was someone living here."
"No, I guess not," Olivia hedged, shifting her weight uncomfortably. A sudden breeze snuck between the tree trunks and set the hairs on the back of her neck on end. An uneasy sense of being watched scurried up her spine and she glanced over her shoulder quickly but saw nothing. Suddenly, out there in the menacing forest, her convictions from prior days seemed weaker.
Sensing her hesitation, Elliot turned his intense scrutiny to her face. "What's your gut telling you?"
Olivia wavered. "Well, like you said, it's hard to know for sure."
He frowned lightly. "Come on Liv. What do you feel?"
"I don't know Elliot. Gut instincts don't stand up in court."
"Christ, you sound like a lawyer." Elliot shook his head with barely veiled disgust. "When did that happen? You always used to listen to your gut. We both did."
"I'm a Captain now El. I've got to set the example."
"Goddamn waste of good instincts," Elliot grumbled, his hands clenching into a fist for a moment before relaxing.
Behind Olivia, a twig snapped loudly and she whirled around, hand immediately fumbling for the gun on her hip that wasn't there. They both stood in silence for a moment, ears straining for the sounds of someone or something approaching. There was nothing but the haunting cry of a loon.
"Probably just an animal." Turning on his heels, Elliot ducked back under the crime scene tape and strode toward the ATV. "Still, we'd better head back before someone sees us hanging around here."
Like a chastised puppy, Olivia followed after him meekly. Although she was the one with official authority in this case, she couldn't help but feel that he was in charge. A feeling that irritated the hell out of her.
When did they forget how to be partners?
By the time she made it back over to the ATV, Elliot was already seated, had his helmet on, and was looking at her expectantly. Olivia's stomach roiled at the sight of the unsteady vehicle. "Think we could give it a few more minutes?"
Then, like a light switch had been flicked, the old Elliot was back.
"You look a little green Liv." A cocky smile danced at the corner of his lips.
"That's because you drive that thing like a maniac," Olivia grumbled, resting one hand on her stomach as if to settle it.
Elliot nodded his head toward the ATV beneath him. "You want to drive?"
"I've never driven anything like that El. I'm a city girl, remember? I'll probably kill us both. "
"Live on the edge a little Captain." Smirking, Elliot slid back on the seat, making room for her to sit in front of him. He dangled the keys in the air teasingly and she quickly snagged them off his finger.
He wanted it to be like this, did he?
"Fine, but you've got to give me some direction here." Snapping on her helmet, Olivia tossed her leg over the front seat. The vehicle bounced slightly under their combined weight as Elliot slid up behind her. His broad chest pressed against her back and a pattern of sweat prickled on her neck.
"Okay, first step, put the key in the ignition. It works better when you've got it turned on."
His deep voice, though muffled by the helmet, resonated in her ear and rattled her insides. Olivia fought hard to suppress a shiver as she followed the instruction. The vehicle roared to life, humming beneath them, and Olivia leaned forward to grab the handles.
When his hands closed over hers, she nearly jumped right off the vehicle.
His hands were sweaty but not clammy, the calluses on his palms scraping the back of her hands pleasantly. Their arms ran parallel and his fingers knit neatly between hers.
"Here's your gas." His fingers gently folded hers over the throttle.
"And here's your brake." Deftly, he guided her fingers over to the protruding handle. "You now have total control over how fast we go."
He's talking about the ATV you fool. Has it really been that long for you? Get a grip Benson!
"Be gentle."
His voice was so soft she barely heard it. In a desperate attempt to cover her obvious discomfort, Olivia turned the throttle quickly. The ATV jerked forward, spewing dirt from under its wheels. If his reflexes had been any slower, Elliot likely would have fallen off the back of the ATV. As it was, he only managed to return his hands to her waist in the nick of time.
Elliot's deep chuckle echoed in her ear the entire way back to the cabin.