Page 17 of Girl, Unmasked
‘Well, maybe we should.It might still be up for sale, because the south isn’t exactly hurting for farmland.’
‘I checked.It isn’t for sale, and there’s no owner listed.I guess Creed had no next of kin, so it’s just been abandoned by the looks of it.’
‘Then check with the local council.They might have just abandoned it because Creed’s name is attached.Sometimes the hassle of selling a murder house isn’t worth it.’
A voice overheard said they’d be landing in Connecticut in twenty minutes.The pilot must have stomped on the gas because Ella only felt like she’d stepped on board a minute ago.
The farm.Why had Creed brought up the farm?Two years since his arrest, and he picked their one prison meeting to mention a property she'd never visited.
We’re everywhere, and there’ll be more of us tomorrow.
It was like a splinter working its way under her skin.It was like he was inviting her to discover something specific, maybe something the police had missed when they searched it.
Or maybe she was reading too much into the words of a condemned man.
She pushed thoughts of Creed aside.Sophie Draper deserved her full attention now, and once she landed, she was going to meet this angel in the flesh.
CHAPTER SIX
Someone's daughter was dead in this apartment building, and it seemed that some people wanted the footage.The parking lot of the Libra apartment complex was awash with police cruisers – six of them at least – plus a forensic van with its doors open to the February breeze.Yellow tape encircled the perimeter, but it did nothing to keep the gawping public at bay.
Ella walked to the uniformed cop at the gate and showed her badge.He grabbed his radio without looking at her credentials.
‘Detective Blythe, the feds are here.’
Static answered back: ‘Copy that.On my way.’
The cop nodded them through, and Ella and Ripley waited outside the building.The door had been propped open with a ceramic lighthouse, and through the glass, Ella could see cracked tile, metal mailboxes, and a plastic plant.'Cold, isn't it?'she said.
‘What are you, ninety?This would be a heatwave in the north.’
‘We’re not in the north.This is prime east coast.’Ella looked up at the apartment complex.‘Not exactly isolated, is it?’
‘Nope.Which means our guy targeted this place for a reason.’
‘Targeted Sophie Draper for a reason.’
A gentleman emerged from the building, mid-forties with the face of someone who'd been awake since yesterday.He had an ex-linebacker's frame.Used to be big.Still was, but gravity had renegotiated the terms. 'Agents?'he asked.
‘That’s us.’
‘Shawn Blythe, lead detective.’He stuck out his hand.‘Norwalk PD.’
‘Agent Dark.’His palm felt cold and wet against hers.‘This is Agent Ripley.’
Ripley shook hands with her usual efficiency.'Sorry, we have to meet under such circumstances.'
‘Likewise.I called you in because, well… you’ve seen the photos.This isn’t something for city cops, you know?We’re up to our necks in gang violence these days, but we can keep those crimes under wraps.Something like this?It’s going to be national news, and that’s when it really hits the fan.Sorry, I’m babbling.’
‘We understand.Can you talk us through what happened?’
Blythe looked back at the building.The wind picked up and sent garbage dancing between the police cars.Ella watched a plastic bag wrap itself around a cruiser's antenna while she waited for him to continue.
‘We got the call around seven-thirty this morning.Welfare check.The victim's mother couldn't reach her daughter all night.Said it wasn't like Sophie to ignore her calls.’
‘Mother has a key?’Ripley asked.
‘No.Lives about an hour west of here.She just had a feeling something was wrong.’Blythe pulled out a notebook that looked like it had been through a paper shredder.‘We got here around eight.Knocked.No answer.The building supervisor let us in with the master.’
