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‘Yes,’ he said simply. ‘We'll find them.Whoever did this, wherever they're hiding... we won't stop until they'rebrought to justice. You have my word on that.’
He might have been so green he waspractically photosynthesizing, but his heart was in the right place. Even ifhis mouth was writing checks, his ass couldn't cash. Ella couldn't get tooannoyed because she used to do the same when Ripley was by her side. Ripleysprouted facts, Ella gave them hope. Both had their place in the life-and-deathworld of law enforcement.
Ella said, ‘We’ll be in touch. If youthink of anything else, anything at all... you call me. Day or night.’
She pressed her card into Mrs. Newman'slimp hand, holding the other woman's gaze for a long moment. Then she turnedand strode out of the room, Luca scrambling to follow in her wake. She didn'tlook back. She couldn't. If she did, she might just crack herself, might justlet the jagged shards of her own battered heart slice right through her pokerface.
And she couldn't afford that. Not now. Notwhen there was work to be done and a killer to catch.
In the hallway, Luca fell into step besideher. He was practically vibrating with nervous energy, his mouth already opento speak. Ella cut him off at the pass.
‘Don’t,’ she said.
Luca’s jaw rose back to normal. ‘Don’twhat?’
‘Don’t apologize. It’s fine. I used to doit too.’
Luca's face was a study in contrition,like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. ‘I know, I know,’ he said,holding up his hands in surrender. ‘I shouldn't have told them about thestocks. Or made promises we might not be able to keep.’
Ella sighed then pinched the bridge of hernose. The kid was a walking, talking heart-on-his-sleeve. In this line of work,that was both a blessing and a curse.
‘Hope can keep you going when everythingelse has gone down the can. But it can also cut you to the bone when it'sripped away.’
She'd seen it too many times. Familiesclinging to every scrap of false comfort, every empty platitude, only to havetheir world shattered all over again when the truth came out. When the killerwalked, or the case went cold.
‘I just wanted to give them something.Anything. I know how it feels. I know how easy it is to blame the cops.’
Ella's heart clenched. Goddamn bleedingheart. But she couldn't fault him for it, not really. Not when she'd been inhis shoes, spouting the same rose-tinted naivety.
‘I get it. It’s just the more you givethem, the more they lose. Plus, Edis told us to keep everything on the downlow. We’re the ones that gotta explain to him how the press know the details.’
‘Sheesh,’ Luca said. ‘So what now? Back tothe drawing board?’
‘Not quite. I want to know more aboutGeorgia Bolton, see if anything overlaps with Archie.’
'She's got a sister, according to herrecords. Lives a couple of miles away.'
‘Then that’s where we’re headed.’
‘Wait. I don’t know if she knows hersister is dead.’
Georgia Bolton's family. Another set oflives to shatter, another hole to rip in the fabric of someone’s world. AndElla was the one who had to look them in the eye and tell them their loved onewas never coming home.
‘Then get ready for lesson number two,’Ella said.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Ella squinted against the glare of the sunas she pulled up to Georgia Bolton's digs. The place was a postage stamp, moreshed than house, with peeling paint and a sagging porch that looked one strongbreeze away from collapse. But being so close to the city, the place probablydemanded seven figures regardless.
She killed the engine and glanced over atLuca, who was fidgeting like a virgin at a strip club.
‘You ready for this?’
‘Barely,’ Luca said.
Ella grunted. ‘First time's always theworst. Just remember, there's no right way to tell someone their loved one'snot coming home. No magic words that'll make it hurt less.’
‘A mercy killing.’
