Page 18 of Girl, Unseen

‘Yes.’

‘Even with your injuries? The medical board-’

‘The medical board can kiss my badge.’ Ella softened her tone. ‘I'm good, sir. Better than sitting at home watching my legs heal.’

‘And what about Hawkins?’ Edis asked.

She looked at her partner behind the glass, who was now clearly flirting with an elderly waitress. ‘He’s consistent.’ The comment came out sharper than she meant it. Luca seemed happy to use that charm when he needed it, but he hadn’t turned it on her in weeks.

‘And if I order you home?’

‘Then I'll burn some vacation days.’

Another sigh, but this one carried a hint of surrender. ‘Fine. But we need to do this properly. Get the local PD to sign off, then send me everything you've got. Photos, preliminary reports, witness statements. I'll need something concrete to justify assigning federal resources.’

Ella clenched her fist in triumph. In her seven years at the Bureau, few people had ever talked the director into submission. Even Ripley had struggled with such a feat.

‘Already working on it. Detective Ross wants to meet about exactly that.’

'You're still on medical leave, technically. And Hawkins, too. So don't run into any burning buildings again, got it?'

‘Understood, sir.’

The line went dead. Ella pocketed her phone and looked up at the slate-colored sky. Maybe she was reaching. Maybe this was just a tragic accident that her pattern-seeking mind had twisted into something sinister.

Before she could think any further, movement caught her eye. Detective Ross approached from across the street, hands jammed in the pockets of a coat that had seen better decades. His face carried the kind of hesitation that usually preceded bad news.

‘Agent Dark.’

‘Detective.’

He glanced through the coffee shop window at Luca, then back to her. ‘We need to talk inside.’

Something in his voice set off alarm bells. ‘What's wrong?’

‘Not here.’ Ross opened the door. ‘You're going to want to sit down for this.’

CHAPTER NINE

Luca set three coffees on the table. He'd worked his magic again - the foam on Ella's latte spelled out a perfect heart. Any other time she might have teased him about it, but not now. They'd grabbed a booth in the back corner, far from the window where curious eyes might notice three people trying very hard not to look like cops.

Three coffee cups, three people about to have a conversation nobody wanted. Ella had done this dance before – the quiet meeting, the careful choosing of words. It never ended well.

‘Press vans at the quarry,’ Ross said without preamble. ‘News travels fast.’

‘Wow. They don’t wait around,’ said Ella.

‘Welcome to New York City.’ Ross loosened his tie like it was choking him. ‘Every major outlet's got eyes and ears in this town. Police scanners, inside sources, social media monitoring. Some of them probably knew about the body before I did.’

Luca said, ‘Which is why we're meeting here instead of the precinct?’

Ross didn't answer right away. He scanned the cafe like he was memorizing faces, marking exits. Old cop habits died hard. ‘Among other reasons. Professor found dead in abandoned quarry? That's front page for the Times.’

Ross glanced around the shop. Apart from them, only a couple of regulars occupied the place. Something in his tone made Ella's neck prickle. She'd heard that tone before, right before cases went sideways. ‘What aren't you telling us?’

Ross reached down and pulled a manila folder from his briefcase. The edges were worn, like he'd opened and closed it a hundred times. ‘Those symbols at the crime scene. They're not new.’

Ella sat up straighter. ‘Not new?’

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