Page 7 of Girl, Accused

‘Jesus Christ.’ Ella cupped her hands over her face. ‘Edis, killers don’t usetheir own hairto sew people’s mouths shut. Even the dumbest cop in the world would know this.’

‘That doesn’t matter. What matters is that they agreed to let me handle certain things here, which is what I’m doing.’

Ella began pacing. The door behind Edis looked enticing. One or two kicks and that thing would disintegrate and she could be out of here, back home, maybe move to New England and get a job on a farm. Put this whole law enforcement nonsense in the rearview and start a new life.

The idea was tempting, but no. She had to figure this out, for the two lives lost because they happened to be associated with her.

‘Handlingis one word to use. Where’s Luca? Does he know about this?’

‘Agent Hawkins is-‘

‘No, notAgent Hawkins.’ Ella was sick of higher-ups using linguistic barriers to maintain distance. ‘He’s Luca, and he’s not mypartner in the fieldor any shit like that. He’s my boyfriend and I want to talk to him.’

‘Not possible. There are three officers at your apartment right now. They’re looking for any connections to the deceased. Luca is under watch.’

Ella's vision tunneled to a single red point. The room spun, reality warped, and for a moment she thought she might plant a fist in the director’s jaw. ‘You sent the cops to my place? Without even telling me?’

‘I signed a warrant.’

She strode towards Edis, and muscle memory had her clenching her fists. If he was anyone else, she'd have broken his nose by now. This was levels of violation she wouldn't stand for. 'What the hell do you think this is? Have you lost your mind? You think I'm killing people – for what? Because the job has driven me crazy?'

Edis took a few steps back, out of her orbit. ‘Officers didn’t find anything at your apartment linking you to either victim. We also found no communication with them on your work cell going back four months. As for your personal cell…’

‘I don’t have one. I lost it.’

‘I’ll take your word on that.’

‘Oh, great, then I guess all is forgiven.’

‘Not quite,’ Edis said. He rarely picked up on sarcasm. ‘Preliminary autopsies on victims determined they were both killed in late November. On dates you were in D.C.’

‘Because I live here, genius.’

‘What I mean is we can’t rule out your involvement.’

Involvement.The same word she'd thrown at a hundred suspects over the years now reflected back at her. She couldn't take much more of this. 'Edis, I'm a detective. If you give me a chance, I'll find a way to prove this has nothing to do with me.'

‘I know you will, and that’s what Washington PD are concerned about.’

‘What, they think I’m some kind of mastermind?’

‘No, but it’s an option they need to explore.’

Ella slammed her palms on the table then collapsed into a chair. She threw her head back and screamed, but there was no catharsis in the eruption. Just a yawning chasm of betrayal and exhaustion. When her outburst tapered off, she caught Edis looking as uncomfortable as he’d ever looked in his life.

‘Fine,’ she said. ‘What next? Bug my car? Watch me in the bathroom?’

The director placed one hand on the doorknob. ‘Ella, it’s not me you need to convince. I know who you are.’

‘And yet you’re still treating me like some creature in a zoo.’ Ella got up and made her way to the door. ‘If you don’t mind, I’ll be leaving now. I’ve had about as much as I can take of this room. Maybe this job.’

‘Ella, please-‘

‘No. I’m done. If Washington PD want to take me in, they know where I live, apparently.’ Ella pushed past the director, knocked his hand off the doorknob. But then he put his weight against it.

‘Please, just wait.’ Edis said as he checked his watch. ‘A few more minutes.’

‘Why?’

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