Page 22 of Girl, Unmasked
‘Sophie have any trouble here at work?’Ella asked.‘Conflicts with co-workers, authors, anything like that?’
‘God, no.Sophie was great.She was sweet and impossible not to love.I mean, sure, she could be tough when she had to be, but that was just the job.’
‘What about outside the office?Any enemies you know of?’Ella hated having to use that word.Only superheroes and TV detectives had enemies.
‘None that I know of.She never mentioned anything.Barely mentioned her personal life at all.’
A dead end.Ella was beginning to feel like a rat trapped in a maze with no exit.She glanced over at Ripley and caught the look of frustration written on her jaw.The look that said they were getting nowhere fast.
‘What did she tell you about her personal life?Any boyfriends, partners?’
‘No.I doubt Sophie had time for relationships.’Sienna let go of a watery chuckle, more sob than laugh.‘It sounds stupid, but I always thought we’d be old ladies together.Rocking the Early Bird Special.’
A new ache took up residence in Ella’s heart.She knew that feeling all too well.The certainty that your nearest and dearest would always be there, cracking wise and kicking right alongside you until the road ran out, until they suddenly weren’t.
‘Nothing else?’Ripley asked.
‘No,’ Sienna swiped at her eyes again.‘God, some friend I am, right?Barely know a thing about a woman I thought I knew better than myself.Tell me this gets easier.’
Ella nodded, not trusting herself to speak immediately.What she wouldn’t have given to be able to say yes, to offer some threadbare comfort that this would someday scab over.
‘No.It doesn’t get any easier.You just learn to carry it better.’
Something like absolution flickered over Sienna’s face, there and gone between one blink and the next.She reached out and covered Ella's hand with her own.Her fingers were cold and clammy but her grip was strong.
‘Thank you.I know this is just another body to you, but…’
‘It’s not.’Ella surprised herself with her own vehemence.‘It’s never just another body.It’s always a real person, and we never stop until we get them justice.’
Sienna held her gaze, searching for something Ella couldn't name.Whatever it was, she must have found it because she squeezed Ella's hand once before letting go, taking the warmth with her.
Ella wanted to say more, but Ripley cleared her throat in that way that meant wrap it up, we're burning daylight.
Her partner was right, loathe as she was to admit it.They had a killer to catch, and no amount of hand-holding would bring them any closer to that goal.
So she did one last sweep of the office, and there her gaze caught on a framed photo of two smiling women with their arms slung around each other's shoulders like they were holding up the world.Sophie and Sienna, faces flushed and eyes bright, caught in a moment of unsullied joy.
A lump rose in Ella's throat but she swallowed it down, along with a hundred useless platitudes.
Such mementos had been absent in Sophie’s own home.Not unsurprising, considering the woman lived in the office.
Then an idea came.
‘Sienna, could we take a look at Sophie’s work station?’
The woman grabbed another tissue from her drawer.‘Of course.She has her own office.’
‘Anyone been in there today?’
‘I don’t think so.Janitor might have been in last night but no colleagues.’
‘Can you show us where it is?’
Sienna got up from her chair and led Ella and Ripley down the hallway.Time to go digging for skeletons.And Ella had a feeling Sophie Draper's closet held more than a few.
CHAPTER TEN
Ella slipped into Sophie’s office with Ripley at her tail.She nodded her thanks at Sienna and let the grieving woman go back to her work.Now it was time to really dig into Sophie Draper’s character.
