“I have enough people on this. Ethan has the profile, Callen and Gene are my partners, and then I have you, Alex, and the two detectives running backup. I’ve got this. Get some rest, and if you’re not able to do the job, I’d rather send you home than break you.”
The man just nodded, and that told Elizabeth everything she needed to know.
He.
Was.
Exhausted.
She understood about fighting for a long time to hold on. They all did.
From where he sat, Callen shared.
“He’s booked. You’re in a room down the hall. It’s under your name, but paid for.”
He was so grateful.
“Thank you. I’ll send a report to you about what we found later, that way you can make sure Alex got it all.”
That worked for her.
“Want me to do anything?” he asked. “I can research, and it will help me get this off of my mind.”
She could.
“You can help Callen. I have him working on the caretaker of the cemetery. We had a run-in with the caretaker,” she admitted. “He was asked to leave the location, or what we believe is the scene of the crime. Do a deep search on his personal life and let Callen know what you find. You can both confirm the results,” she said, giving him something just to do.
It was busy work, and Callen didn’t need help, but Corbin needed to not think about life, and research always helped.
“Bless you,” he said, hugging her.
She patted him on the back.
“We got you, Corbin. You and your mom are our family now, too. I’m sorry about Will, and I hope that one day, you get peace from this.”
He.
Did.
Too.
What wouldn’t he give to not feel like this day in and day out of his life?
It sucked.
“I appreciate that. I’ll be good. I just need to regroup,” he admitted. “Thank you for understanding about the partner thing.”
Well, she hoped everyone knew that she loved all the people who worked for her, and she’d advocate for them.
When he got up, Corbin grabbed his things.
“I really am so appreciative to all of you,” he said. “When I needed people the most, Ethan and Gene showed up. Now, I have more people who show up. That’s a blessing. I love you all.”
They felt the same.
Family wasn’t always blood, and their circle was the proof of that.
“We love you too, Crotch Goblin,” Gene said.
