Page 54 of Girl, Fractured

‘You mentioned your boyfriend earlier,’ Ella said.‘He works for your publisher?’

‘Runs it.His name’s Robert Lawrence.You might have heard of him.’

‘Can’t say I have.’

‘It’s just him and a couple of staff members now.Like I said, he’s struggling.We both are.’

4:45PM.Michael Brooks Time was bleeding away.Their digital ghost was late.Or maybe he was testing them.Or maybe he’d evaporated back into the ones and zeros from whence he came.The library’s usual afternoon patrons drifted about: a shuffling retiree looking lost among the biographies, a harried mother trying to keep a sticky-fingered toddler from reorganizing the picture books, a few students absorbing knowledge via osmosis.

‘Maybe you should sell your next book to a bigger publisher.Are you working on anything at the minute?’

Sarah suddenly became fascinated by her monitor.‘Wow, snakes are responsible for ten thousand deaths a year.’

‘No kidding.’Ella glanced over at Ripley, who had given up browsing titles and was now staring idly out of the window.She remembered Ripley saying something about snakes on the way to Frank Sullivan’s house.Ella hated how Ripley sometimes missed the big picture, but was usually right about the small things.

‘Should I put bait out?’Sarah asked.

‘How do you mean?’

‘Like an email or text to the White Whalers.Something minor.’

‘Has anyone messaged since Frank died?’

‘Nope.’

‘Then yeah,’ Ella said.‘Put a feeler out there.’

Sarah pulled out her cell and hammered out an email.‘Done.I’ve just asked if anyone has anything new to report.’

‘Great.I hope you didn’t have plans tonight.Stakeouts are hours of nothing, followed by a few seconds that might be something, but are usually nothing too.’

Sarah placed her cell beside her keyboard and grinned.‘I was supposed to go to my dad’s for dinner at seven.’

‘Ah.You said your dad was a cop?’

‘Homicide for Tarpon Springs PD.He had connections to other districts before he retired, so he got me police reports, crime scene photos, all that stuff.Without him, I wouldn’t be doing this.’

‘Sounds great.Me and Ripley can stay here all night if need be.You should go.It’s important to see your parents.’

‘Not entirely altruistic.He’s a good cook.’Sarah smiled.‘Food and crime stories.The twin pillars of our relationship.’

Ella was happy for Sarah, and if she was being honest, a little jealous.She looked around the library again and saw the same faces for the hundredth time.The time on her screen read 4:51 PM.

As if summoned by Ella’s eroding confidence, Ripley peeled herself away from the literary embraces and marched over.She bypassed Sarah as if she were invisible and aimed her words directly at Ella.

‘I can’t stand no more, Dark.I’m going mad.’

Their collective gazes flicked to the entrance as someone arrived.A mom with two kids.Not their target.

‘Well, we should probably stay until about six, just in case.’

‘Stay as long as you like.I’m going to walk around outside.Maybe Brooks is watching from the parking lot.’

‘Alright.Stay alert.’

‘Alert?I’ve been doing this since before you were alive.Buzz me if anything happens.’

Ella noted the friction, the almost childish territoriality radiating from Ripley.Since they’d arrived in Florida, dealing with her partner’s mood had been as challenging as dealing with the perp.

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