CHAPTER FIVE

Ella felt like a damn zombie. Shambling through the FBI halls, head a jumbled mess of static and white noise. The fight with Mia played on repeat, like a greatest hits of accusations and denials that made her want to put her fist through a wall.

They never fought. Not like this. They”d waded through hell together, seen the worst humanity had to offer and come out the other side joined at the hip. But apparently all it took was one charming silver fox with a closet full of skeletons to rip them to shreds. She wished she could stay in D.C. and help Ripley uncurl this mess of a situation, but Mia was the most stubborn person she knew and then some. If Ella offered a helping hand, Mia would swat it away just like she’d considering swatting her face an hour ago.

Ella”s feet carried her on autopilot, weaving through the sea of suits until she reached Edis” door. She half-expected to see Mia there, leaning against the wall with two steaming cups of coffee and a smirk that said let’s do this.

But the space was empty. Nothing but a black hole where her partner should be.

Flying solo. The notion sucker punched Ella right in the chest. She couldn”t remember the last time she”d walked into the boss”s office without Mia by her side. She knocked on the door and a muffled come in filtered through the wood and frosted glass. She pushed inside before her nerves could get the best of her.

The boss man was parked behind his desk, blue suit straining against his linebacker frame. The fluorescent lights did him no favors, lumping every new wrinkle and gray hair front and center. Poor guy aged a decade a day, no doubt from playing nice with the stuffed shirts and blowhards higher up the food chain.

‘Sir.’ Ella tried for professional, burying the urge to word-vomit her drama all over his carpet. ‘You wanted to see me?’

Edis waved her into a seat. ‘Change in routine today, Miss Dark.’

Ella”s molars ground together hard enough to crack. The empty seat beside her where Ripley always parked her backside screamed louder than a banshee with a megaphone. No doubt Mia had given Edis an earful about their little spat and her wild theories. Probably threw in a few colorful suggestions about where Ella could shove her opinions too.

‘I believe so.’

Edis folded his hands on the desk, looking every inch the disappointed dad about to drop a hammer. ‘Agent Ripley has a personal issue to attend to.’

”Yes, she does,” Ella said.

‘Do you have any idea what it is?’ Edis asked. He switched from professional to curious citizen without blinking. ‘I hate to pry, but she sounded at her wits end on the phone.’

This wasn’t Ella’s place to elaborate, she decided. ‘Issues with her partner, I believe.’ That was enough.

‘She requested the police reports of her ex-husband’s death. And I believe she requested something from our tech team this morning. Other than that, I’m not clued up.’

‘The police reports? Can we even provide them?’

‘Local PD have jurisdiction, but we can pull rank if necessary. I did so.’

A surge of hope bubbled in Ella’s gut, but it was short-lived. Maybe Ripley was seeing sense. She might be investigating Trevor’s death as a rogue agent, trying to see if Martin could have been involved. But Ella knew Ripley’s stubbornness better than anyone, so there was equal chance she was investigating it just to disprove Martin’s involvement. And the end result would no doubt be shoved in Ella’s face.

‘Please keep checking on her,’ Ella said.

‘I will.’ Edis grunted, appeased for now. ‘But like it or not, there”s work to be done. A real nasty one just came across my desk and I need my A-team on it.’

Ella”s stomach sank to her shoes. A case. She knew it was coming, but now it was a reality. As if the universe hadn”t crapped on her enough recently, now she had to dive headfirst into another nightmare without Mia watching her six.

But what choice did she have? Throwing a tantrum wouldn”t change the facts. Mia was missing in action, off chasing ghosts and licking her wounds. And Ella still had a job to do, broken heart be damned.

‘What’re the details, sir?’ Ella hoped she sounded more confident than she felt. She’d flown solo a few times before, and it was always like walking a tightrope over a shark tank. One wrong move meant fish food.

A knock at the door made them both jump. Edis cleared his throat, smoothing a hand over what was left of his hair. ‘About that. You won”t be going in alone.’

Ella”s head whipped around just as the door swung open, revealing a face she knew all too well. Luca Hawkins. Same brown jacket, same hair that seemed a little too slick to be real. Still the walking cologne model she’d seen in the coffee shop a few hours ago.

Ella”s heart did a backflip at the sight of him. The guy was a walking, talking reminder of all the things she couldn”t have. A normal life, a stable relationship, a partner who didn”t accuse her boyfriend of murder over coffee.

Edis stood up, waving Luca inside like he was showing off a shiny new toy. ‘I believe you’ve met Agent Hawkins. He’s one of our agents in training, but his file speaks for itself.’

Ella wanted to laugh. Or cry. Or maybe just say screw it all and become a hermit in the woods. She reached out and took Luca’s hand again. Luca flashed her a grin that could power a small city, clearly recognizing Ella’s effort of showmanship. He returned the gesture regardless.

‘Thank you, sir,’ Luca said to the director. ‘I’m looking forward to seeing Agent Dark in action.’

Ella”s cheeks heated even as her stomach churned. Fantastic. Not only was she diving into a new case without Mia, but now she had to do it with a walking distraction by her side. A distraction with eyes that could make a nun consider breaking her vows.

‘Careful what you wish for, Agent Hawkins.’ She glanced at Luca, taking in the eager glint in his eye, the coiled energy in his frame. Poor guy had no idea what he was signing up for. Those good looks would be nothing but baggy eyelids and wrinkles before the year was out.

Edis cleared his throat like a backfiring engine. A not-so-subtle signal for them to put a pin in the pleasantries. He slid two folders across the desk like they were radioactive.

‘Dover, Delaware,’ he announced. ‘Two bodies in two days.’

Ella grabbed her folder, ignored the police reports and zeroed in on the crime scene shots. They always told a better story than any half-assed write-up. The first picture stopped her dead in her tracks.

‘Good God,’ she said.

Beside her, Luca’s file lay open on the same picture, face twisted into an easily-readable expression. ‘What the hell is going on here?’

‘You get used to it,’ Ella said.

Luca was back on the photos, skimming through them one by one. Ella did the same. The first victim was a young man, around mid-twenties, locked in a wooden contraption that bound his head and wrists. Ella couldn’t help but think of medieval torture devices.

Edis jumped in, ‘As you can see, our unsub’s got a thing for restraints.’

Ella studied a close-up shot of the Vic”s face. Strong jaw, Roman nose. Probably a looker before death froze him in a rictus of terror. Her heart sank to her stomach. Just a kid. She closed her eyes, muttered a silent prayer to a God she was sure had given up on her by now.

‘Pillory stocks,’ Luca said. ‘Like from the Middle Ages.’

‘Theatrical. Unnecessary. The unsub is trying to humiliate these people.’ Ella turned to the next set of photographs. This time, the victim was a woman, around the same age as the first.

‘Man and woman. Inconsistent victimology. This second set of stocks looks a little different from the first.’

Ella checked a photo showing a close-up of the apparatus. ‘First one is made of metal, second is wood.’

‘Amateur contraptions,’ Luca said.

Ella nodded, gears grinding away. ‘Our guy could be making these himself. And the victim disparity suggests it”s not about a physical type. Could be personal. Vics might represent someone specific to him.’

‘Surrogates. Guess these folks were in the wrong place at the wrong time.’

Ella thumbed to the close-ups of number two. Tilted her head, considering. No ligature marks around the wrists, despite their positioning. No bruising on the neck. Just the mottled, waxy pallor of the recently deceased.

‘Lack of restraint marks. Means they were dead before taking their places in the stocks.’

Luca hummed. ‘So the stocks are symbolic. Some kinda post-mortem ritual.’

‘And public. Gotta figure the perp wanted these poor guys found. Center stage in his own little theater of cruelty.’

Edis grunted. Meaty hand rubbing his forehead like he could smooth out the worry lines. ‘Newspapers are going to have a field day with this one, so keep the details on the down low. We’ve already got plenty of eyes on us after the mess with Carter, so the last thing we need is any more bad press. I need this case stamped out quickly.’

‘Yes sir,’ Ella said.

‘I’ll do my best, sir,’ echoed Luca.

‘Hawkins, I know I’m throwing you in at the deep end here, but Agent Dark will take good care of you.’

Luca shifted. His foot began tapping out a rapid-fire beat. Ella could practically smell the nerves wafting off him. She remembered the day Ripley had barreled into her life like a redheaded wrecking ball and took her through the swamps of Louisiana. Back then, Ella was probably wearing the same expression Luca was now. He was wearing it well, but Ella could see right through it.

‘I trust her to do so,’ Luca said. ‘Thank you for the opportunity, sir. I won’t let you down. Either of you.’

‘See that you don’t. Car for Dover will be in the lot in twenty. No point in flying when it’s only ninety minutes away.’

‘Roger that,’ Ella said. Any excuse to avoid the airport was fine by her. ‘I’ll keep you updated.’

Edis grunted. Dismissal and warning all in one. Ella turned on her heel and strode out with Luca behind her.

Now, the fun could begin.