Page 78 of Girl, Sought

‘Yes. Our killer is targeting what he deems to bepurecollectors, which are people whodon’tdonate collectibles for financial gain. Winters has access to all of your clients’ information, doesn’t he?’

Vanessa nodded.

'We know that he also filed tax returns for all of our victims, as well as the returns for your companyandlots of other collectors in the area.’

‘Yes,’ Vanessa spat. ‘I use Larry… for everything.’

‘Why didn’t you mention him to us? When we asked you?’

She began to sob, then scrubbed her eyes with her sleeve. ‘I… didn’t think.’

Footsteps sounded ahead. Ella glanced up and saw Luca making his return journey. He knelt down next to Ella and Vanessa and said, ‘Woods are crazy. There’s no way to know which way he went, so I’ve called in backup to canvas the place. He must have stashed his car somewhere around here too.’

‘Inside,’ Vanessa uttered. ‘Table. Kitchen. Phone.’

Ella obliged. She went through the French doors into Vanessa’s sunroom then to the kitchen. Under other circumstances, Ella would have taken a minute to admire the décor. She found Vanessa’s cell on the table beside some kind of ugly egg-shaped vase.

Back outside, she handed the cell to Vanessa. Luca was holding her by the shoulder.

‘Address… here.’ Vanessa massaged her throat, then began hammering away at her screen. Her breathing had evened out now, but the bruise around her neck was swelling to a monstrous size. By Ella’s quick math, they’d gotten here about ten seconds before permanent brain damage had settled in.

Vanessa handed her cell to Ella. There, as a screenshot, was Lawrence Winters’ address.

2951 Harbor View Boulevard.

Apartment 3C.

‘Got you, you bastard,’ Ella said.

‘Ell, a guy like this? He wouldn’t go home, not after nearly being busted.’

‘He needs to be somewhere safe, and where’s safer than home?’

‘What if he thinks that Vanessa recognized him? He’d be hightailing it out of state,’ Luca said.

‘Not before grabbing his things. I need to check his house, Hawkins. We’d be stupid not to.’

‘Alright, I’ll-‘

‘Actually,’ Ella interrupted. A sudden thought came to her. If this was the end of the road, it wasn’t her right to slap the cuffs on this guy. It was Luca’s. ‘Why don’t you go?’

‘Me? Why?’

Ella managed a smile – the first real one in days. ‘Because this is your case, partner. You got us here, you finish it.’

Luca rose to his feet. ‘Are you sure?’

'You fought a man about to blow up a storage unit yesterday. An accountant is nothing you can't handle. I'll call Reeves and make sure every unit is behind you, so you're not alone. What do you think?'

‘You’ll stay with Vanessa until medics arrive?’

‘Yes. I’ll look after her.’

Luca dug out his car keys, nodded his goodbye to Vanessa. He went to say something else, but Ella cut him off by pressing her lips to his. She was saying with her body what she struggled to with words, but when she pulled back, she tried anyway.

‘And I’m sorry,’ she said.

‘Me too.’

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