Page 5 of Girl, Reformed

Ella sat back, taking it all in. It seemedLuca was much more than just a pretty face. He had the goods to back it up.

‘And the black socks?’

Luca glanced around the coffee shop.‘Probability versus possibility.’ He placed his foot on the chair and hiked uphis trouser leg. ‘I’ve never met a man that doesn’t wear black socks.’

Ella let out a low chuckle, shaking herhead. ‘You're like a regular Houdini, you know that? All smoke and mirrors. ButI gotta say, I'm impressed.’

Luca ducked his head, a humble grinplaying at his lips. ‘Hey, I'm just happy to be here. Never thought I'd make itto the big leagues.’

‘Well, consider this your official welcometo the freak show,’ Ella said, raising her coffee cup in a mock toast. ‘Hopeyou're ready for long nights, cold coffee, and a return ticket to hell.’

Luca's grin turned rueful. 'Sounds like aride. Hell, six months ago, I'd never even held a gun. Now I'm here.'

Ella cocked an eyebrow, sizing him up.‘I'll show you the ropes if you want. Shooting’s easy with the right teacher.’

‘Let’s hope. The director’s signing off myGlock 21 today. Meeting him in an hour for the fabled badge and gun handover.’

’Twenty-one? Nice piece.’

Luca bit his lip. ‘Been a while since Iheard that. But tell me about you. All I know about you is what I saw on thatTV show about the Executioner case.’

Apparently a few months ago there’d been alow-budget retelling of Ella and Ripley’s battle with a certain old nemesis onLifetime or Real TV or something. Ella hadn’t got round to watching it, and shehad no doubt that most of the details would be sensationalized.

‘Started out as a desk jockey down inVirginia, then I got lucky and landed a gig in Intelligence here at HQ. I didseven years, then Mia came along, fairy godmother that she is.’

'Ah, Ripley,' Luca said. 'Now, her I doknow. Apparently, she's on the way out, right?'

She took a sip of her coffee, letting thebitter liquid scald her tongue. It was a familiar pain, a welcome one.

‘Yup. Two months until she retires.’

‘Why’d she single you out?’ Luca asked.

‘She heard about my party trick. There wasa perp in Iowa, killing women in their own homes. Unsub was breaking in, nosigns of forced entry.’

‘Picked locks? Windows? Vents?’ Lucaasked.

'Other entry points would be the firstport of call, but I'd seen it before. There have been similar cases in Braziland Japan. I told the investigators to check the keyholes for traces of nylonand viola, there it was. The perp was using guitar strings to manipulate thetumblers and unlock the doors. Then he'd do the same on the way out.'

Understanding dawned on Luca’s face.‘Sheesh. Neat little trick. And that’s how they found him?’

'Bingo. Ripley was leading the case. Shechecked out a local music store, and that's where she found the guy workingbehind the counter.'

Ella leaned back in her chair, sizing Lucaup with a critical eye. He was good, no doubt about it. Had the chops to hangwith the big dogs. She could definitely see herself spending some more timewith this guy, but she couldn't let herself get too close. Not while Ben’sabsence was still fresh in her heart, and besides, she’d tried inter-officesromances before and it had ended up with a dead agent on her sofa.

She scrambled back to the present. Who wasshe to even consider such a thing, anyway? This was only the second time she’dmet Luca in the flesh, and she doubted a guy with a jaw this chiseled wouldlook at her twice. Chances are he was already spoken for, anyway.

No, she couldn't make that mistake again.Especially not with Martin still out there, lurking in the shadows like a badpenny.

But damn if Luca didn't make it tempting.With his easy smile and his razor-sharp mind, he was like a breath of fresh airin the stale, stuffy halls of the Bureau.

‘So, what do you make of this whole Carterthing?’ Luca asked. ‘Pretty wild, huh?’

Ella grimaced, bile rising in her throat.‘Awful stuff. Poor guy. He didn’t deserve it.’

'Apparently, they're still no closer tofinding out who did it. The guy that trained me – Byford – he's assigned to thecase.'

Ella wanted to scream, wanted to spilleverything to an unbiased ear. It was Martin Godfrey. I know it was. He'sbeen picking off our enemies one by one, like some kind of murderous angel.

---