Page 27 of Girl, Reformed

But it also meant he probably let hisguard down, trusted too easily. An open book, all his soft spots right therefor any passing psycho to see.

‘What about outside of work?’ She asked.‘What did Archie like to do for fun?’

‘He was always tinkering with something,’Mr. Newman said. ‘Bikes, mostly. He had this old Harley he was fixing up, spenthours in the garage just fiddling with the damn thing.’

Luca stepped in. ‘Did Archie have agirlfriend? Or boyfriend? No judgments here.’

A shadow passed over Mr. Newman's face,there and gone again. ‘No,’ he said shortly. ‘Archie, he was so focused onworking, making money for a house deposit. Said he didn't have time for anydistractions.’

Ella's spidey senses tingled. Noromantic partner. It wasn't unheard of, especially for a young,good-looking guy on the rise. But in her experience, even the most ambitiousman had an itch to scratch. The fact that Archie had no one sharing his bedstood out like a red flag on a golf course.

She made a mental note to do a deep diveinto Archie's love life, or lack thereof. It could be nothing, just a quirk ofpersonality or circumstance. Or it could be a sign of something else.

‘What about friends?’ Ella pressed. ‘DidArchie have a tight crew, people he hung out with regularly?’

Mrs. Newman hesitated, her fingersworrying at the damp tissue. ‘He had a few close friends, sure. Went out withthem a few times a month, maybe.’

‘Where to?’

‘Usual places, I guess. Bars, comedyclubs, theater sometimes.’

Ella benched the info and leaned forward,elbows on the scarred table. Time to poke the hornet's nest, see what stung.

‘In my experience, Mrs. Newman, sometimeseven good people have enemies. Someone who might be nursing a grudge, orfeeling slighted.’ She kept her tone gentle but insistent. ‘Can you think ofanyone who might've had a problem with Archie? Maybe something from his past,something he mentioned in passing?’

Mr. Newman shifted, his jaw working likehe was chewing on a tough piece of gristle. ‘The boy could be... opinionated,at times. Had a mouth on him… admittedly.’

Ella's ears pricked. Now she wasgetting somewhere. ‘Opinionated how?’

The father huffed, something between asigh and a growl. ‘Archie, he didn't suffer fools. If someone was being an ass,he'd call 'em on it. Didn't matter who they were.’

Mrs. Newman's hands fluttered like woundedbirds, plucking at her tissue, her sleeve, her husband's arm. ‘He got himselfinto a few scrapes over it. Nothing serious, but... words were exchanged. Youknow how young guys can be.’

Ella knew it well. She'd seen it athousand times, young bucks butting heads, measuring dicks. Most of the time itwas nothing, just posturing and bravado. But sometimes, when you mixed in a fewdrinks and a few bruised egos, things got physical.

‘These scrapes,’ Ella probed, ‘they evergo beyond words? Any pushing and shoving, maybe some thrown punches?’

‘No, no, nothing like that, as far as Iknow.’ Mrs. Newman looked almost offended at the suggestion. ‘Archie wasn't aviolent man. He just... he was just so passionate, you know?’

Ella had to concede that passionatewas sometimes a synonym for being an asshole.

‘And there's nothing wrong with that,’Luca chimed in. ‘Archie sounds like he was a man of principle.’

Ella shot her partner a sidelong glance. Easythere, Oprah. The last thing they needed was the Newmans clamming upbecause they thought their precious boy was being painted as some kind ofhooligan.

But to her surprise, Mrs. Newman actuallycracked a smile. A tiny, wobbly thing, but a smile nonetheless. ‘Thank you. Hewas. Admirable, I mean. The best son a mother could ask for.’

And then, just like that, the waterworksstarted up again. Mrs. Newman crumpled like a house of cards, great shudderingsobs wracking her narrow frame. Mr. Newman gathered her into his arms, makingsoothing noises that didn't quite cover his own hitching breaths.

Ella sat back, giving them a moment. She'dseen this scene play out more times than she could count - the raw, raggededges of grief, the yawning chasm of loss. It never got easier, watchingsomeone try to wrap their head around the unimaginable.

She exchanged a glance with Luca. Timeto wrap this up, that look said. They'd gotten what they needed, pried allthey could out of the Newmans without crossing the line into cruelty.

Ella cleared her throat softly. ‘Thank youfor your time, Mr. and Mrs. Newman. I know this isn't easy, but everythingyou've told us - it'll help. I promise you that.’

‘You'll find them, won't you?’ Mrs. Newmanasked as she raised her head from her husband’s shoulder. ‘The monster who didthis to our Archie?’

Ella opened her mouth, the stock-standard we'redoing everything we can poised on the tip of her tongue. But before shecould get the words out, Luca leaned forward.

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