Page 49 of Girl, Unseen

‘Why not?’

‘Because it's stupid?’ He stopped pacing long enough to give her his bestare-you-insanelook. ‘Why don't we just raid the place? Bring them all in for questioning?’

Ella picked up the mask and tested its weight. Not much to it - just molded plastic and elastic straps. Hard to believe something so simple could be a ticket into a world of elemental obsession and murder.

‘Three reasons. One, we can't hold eight people on circumstantial evidence. Two, what if not everyone shows up and our killer's the one who stays home? And three, what if some of them bolt during the raid?’

‘Since when are you the voice of caution?’

‘Since we started dealing with a potential cult.’ She set the mask down. ‘We need intel before we move on these people. Real intel, not just what Felix is telling us.’

‘Speaking of our resident occultist...’ Luca dropped into his chair. The burns on his arm must have been hurting - she caught him favoring his left side. ‘What's your read on all that?’

Ella pinched the bridge of her nose. The last hour had given her time to process Felix's confession, but that didn't make it any easier to swallow. ‘Kid joins a weird brotherhood because he's looking for meaning. Makes sense - young, isolated, living on a farm with his dad. Perfect recruit material.’

‘Until he disappointed their messiah.’

‘Exactly. Fails to get into NYU's archives, gets scared, ghosts them. Now he's getting threatening letters left on his desk.’ She spread crime scene photos across her desk. ‘The graffiti, the dead animals - those were initiation rites. But according to Felix, they never touched those graves.’

‘And the symbols at our crime scenes?’

‘He swears they're not the Order's.’ Ella tapped the photo of the quarry wall. ‘Says their symbols were simpler. Basic alchemy stuff.’

Luca picked up the hoodie, examining the number like it might hold answers. ‘What are the chances he's playing us? This whole cult story could be garbage. Maybe he's our killer trying to create reasonable doubt.’

‘Does Felix strike you as someone capable of luring a geology professor to his death?’ Ella gestured at the stack of evidence building up on her desk. ‘Planning an elaborate murder like that? The guy’s 21 for God’s sake.’

‘He went to NYU.’

‘Until he got kicked out for trying to break into their basement.’

‘Fair point,’ Luca said. ‘He doesn’t have an alibi, either.’

‘That’s another problem. I’ve never known a serial killer murder someone without actually being there. That’s exactly what our unsub did to Marcus, so unless any suspect was locked in an empty room at the time that email delivered, there’s no such thing as an alibi here.’

‘What about Sarah Chen?’

‘We still need to retrace her final steps. Figure out how she ended up at that reservoir.’ She flipped through the book again, scanning passages about elemental transmutation and spiritual awakening. The words blurred together into mystical word salad.

Her mind drifted back to Felix's interrogation. The way he'd reacted to the cult book, like it was radioactive. The genuine confusion when they'd shown him the grave photos. Either the kid deserved an Oscar, or he was telling the truth about the Hermetic Order.

‘You know what bugs me?’ She picked up the photo of Marcus Thornton's body again. ‘The complexity. These murders are well-planned, methodical. Everything has meaning - the elements, the symbols, the locations. Does that sound like the same guy who ran from us this morning?’

‘Maybe he's a better actor than we think.’

‘Maybe.’ Ella wasn't convinced. ‘But there's something else. The letters Felix mentioned. Someone breaking into his house to leave threats on his desk. That's not just intimidation - that's showing power. Proving they can get to him whenever they want.’

‘What about this Ezra guy?’

‘Ezra Crowley.’ The name still sounded fake to her ears. ‘Leader of a secret society obsessed with elements and transformation. What are the odds he's not involved?’

‘Could be coincidence.’

‘When's the last time coincidence solved a case?’

Luca sighed. ‘Alright, so what's the plan here? Send Felix back into the cult wearing a wire? Maybe get some cameras, listen to their conversations?’

‘No. Felix isn't leaving this precinct.’ Ella tapped the mask. ‘We're going in ourselves.’

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