Page 43 of The Italian Reckoning
“Sarah.”
“Cormac.” Behind him lies a blue plastic sheet covering what is undoubtedly the body.
“Rocky.” Cormac does give Rocky a tight smile. “Good of you to come.”
“Hardly. You’re the ones helping me out,” Rocky replies. “Thanks for this.”
“Don’t thank us yet.” Cormac cups Evelyn’s head and presses a swift kiss to her forehead, then he steps away toward the plastic. Tears shine suddenly in Evelyn’s eyes and she clears her throat.
“When did you find her?” Rocky asks, motioning me forward.
“A few hours ago,” Cormac replies. “We don’t always come this far east, but we have a conflict with one of the local gangs. They’ve been testing their strength. You know how these kids are.”
Rocky replies with an agreeable noise.
“Anyway.” Cormac sighs deeply and removes the plastic. “One of them stumbled upon this and thought we dumped it here to frame them. I can assure you that’s not our style.”
The girl looks almost exactly like Belle, with the same deep bruising around her wrists and ankles and the picture-perfect makeup painted on to her face. She lies on her back with her arms spread out to the sides, a bit more posed than Belle was.
“How did she die?” Rocky asks the question lingering in my mind.
“Asphyxiation,” Cormac replies.
“How do you know?” Three pairs of eyes lock on to me. “I mean, without a coroner, how can you know that?”
Cormac snorts. “You think all coroners work for the cops?”
Dumb question. Got it.
“She’s one of ours,” Evelyn says suddenly, dabbing at her eyes and clearing her throat. “She’s one of my girls. Kara.”
“Part of your scheme?” My heart skips a beat. Not long after Cormac tidied up the conflict with his family, Evelyn bought up several motels and buildings with the intent of turning them into safe havens for lost and abused people. I turn a blind eye to any calls that come from people reporting those motels because I know she’s trying to help damaged people after everything she went through, and most of them are just kids.
Just like this new victim.
“Yes,” Evelyn replies. “She came to us not long ago. She’s only nineteen. She was running away, trying to escape her abusive father, but it looks like he finally caught up with her.”
“I’ve got people looking for him.” Cormac sends a comforting glance to Evelyn. “He won’t be hidden for long.”
Could the kid's father have done this? It’s possible, but the similarities eerily echo Belle’s death. I have to be sure. “Did you find anything near the body?”
“Like what?” Cormac locks eyes with me.
“Anything, really. But specifically, any Saran Wrap?”
A frown passes over Cormac and Evelyn’s faces, then they both shake their heads. “No. Is that important?”
“If it’s linked to the other death, then yes, it’s really important.”
We split off from one another and begin searching the building from top to bottom. It’s difficult for me to ignore my instincts to call the police and get a real team out here, but I have to hold up my end of the bargain for Rocky. After all, this could be the break I need. I search the surrounding rubble, over broken desks and discarded shelves, but come up with nothing until Rocky lets out a bark of surprise.
“I think I’ve found something!”
I reach him just in time to stop him from picking the plastic up from where it’s been carefully placed behind the old cash register. “Don’t! Don’t touch it.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s important, you have no idea.” Just like with Belle, a perfect replica of the girl's makeup is pressed onto the Saran Wrap and is very likely what killed her. And it’sexactlylike The Painter. An unexpected surge of hope rises inside my chest as I grip Rocky’s arm. This is it. They can’t deny my claims now.
