Page 8 of Girl, Unmasked
‘Yes he did.It’s pretty normal to have to wear smart clothes around HQ.I don’t know where you got the idea from that it isn’t.’
It had been two weeks since Ella had visited Austin Creed in prison.Two weeks since he'd looked her in the eye and said, 'We're everywhere, and there'll be more of us tomorrow.'
Ella had recognized the quote right there and then.They were Ted Bundy’s words; one of the last sentences he’d ever spoke.The full line was;We serial killers are your sons, we are your husbands, we are everywhere.And there’ll be more of your children dead tomorrow.
Creed had paraphrased it, but the meaning was there.The words had burrowed into her brain and kept her up at night.Who waswe?Was Creed just being dramatic, or was he hinting at something bigger?
There’d been no new developments in the case since then, and thankfully, no one else had wound up dead.The investigation was now in the hands of other agents in the Bureau, and Ella had no choice but to live with that.She’d had her one shot at killing him and she hadn’t taken it.Whether she regretted that fact or not was a thought she didn’t want to acknowledge.
‘Well, he’s gone now, and today’s the day we meet the new guy.Hooray.’
Two weeks was a long time in politics, and in that time, the old head of the FBI had been severed and a new one had sprouted in its place.Director William Edis had officially retired after ten years in service, and now there was going to be a new name on the plaque.Who exactly that was, Ella didn’t know.
‘Could be anyone.It could be some guy we’ve never heard of, like someone from the MOD.’
Luca finished dressing himself.Ella’s aunt had once told her to never trust a man who put his shirt on before his pants, but by the time Ella had noticed this particular quirk about Luca, she was already in too deep.
‘We already know who it is.It’s Richard Vernon,’ Luca said.
Ella’s stomach dropped.She knew that name, but she hadn’t heard it mentioned in any hallway gossip.The rumor mill at HQ usually churned out a dozen theories before settling on the truth.‘Slick Rick?Are you kidding me?’
‘No I’m not.He’s going to be the man in charge, so you better hope he likes you.’
From what Ella knew, Richard Vernon had been a prosecuting attorney in D.C.for most of his life, but as with anything in the Bureau hierarchy, it was about who you knew.‘I’ve never met him.I just heard he was a sleaze.How’d he get in the running for Director?’
Luca ambled over and sat on the bed.He filled out that charcoal grey suit well, but he hadn’t styled his hair yet and that made him look more like the Luca she knew rather than the FBI agent he was supposed to be.‘Same way anyone gets the job.He does favors for the President.I wouldn’t be surprised if he went full Monica Lewinsky.’
‘Listen to you.Talking like you’ve been in the Bureau all your life.’
‘It feels like it.Are you going to get ready?’
‘Do I have to?’
Luca slapped her thigh.‘Yup, unless you want to ride in separate cars, because I’m leaving in ten minutes.New recruits are meeting the mysterious new director at midday.’
‘We’re meeting him at nine.How do you know it’s Rick Vernon, anyway?’
‘The rookies have got our finger on the pulse.’Luca shot up aimed for his deodorant cabinet.‘You grizzled vets don’t pay as much attention as you used to.Did you realize that?’
Ella rolled out of bed.Jesus, it was freezing out here.‘Yeah, I have heard that.Why isn’t the heating on?’
‘Quit complaining and get ready, because you vets should be setting the example.Don’t want the rookies overtaking you, do you?’
***
Ella rounded the corner of the FBI headquarters building and found Mia Ripley leaning against the brick wall like she was trying to disappear into it.Ripley always chose this spot over the main entrance, over the coffee cart on Fifth Street, over any of the dozen other places normal people gathered before work.
‘You know, in all these years, I've never understood why you hang out back here,’ Ella said.
‘Better view of the parking lot.You’re early.’
‘I’m on time.’
‘Which is early.I thought you might skip this dog and pony show,’ Ripley said.
‘I’d love to.You didn’t want to miss the fun, either?’
‘Can’t.I retired eight months ago, came back two months ago.If the new guy’s looking to cut, I’d be first on the chopping block.’
