Page 103 of Three for a Girl

“But when your best’s not enough, it’s the worst feeling in the world,” he finished.

Chad looked away, and Ally stepped up to Carter. “That’s defeatist talk. You get in there, and you save that girl.”

“I’ll do my best.”

He walked down the corridor he’d appeared from with Val close behind.

“Pray for Marcy.” Ally whispered.

****

“Andrew’s van’s been recovered.” The DI said as Ally and Chad stepped inside the incident room. “We’ve got the location of the killing, the rope they were bound with and the kitchen knife used to slice them open.”

“Lovely.” Ally said. She sat down at her desk, and Chad perched on top of it. He slumped, eyeing the floor.

“You feeling okay?” The DI asked.

No. He wasn’t. The detached feeling lingered, but he couldn’t understand why.

“Chad?”

The DI pointed to Chad’s throat, and he clutched it. The swelling throbbed when he swallowed, and had turned a plum purple, but when he touched, he didn’t recoil with the memory, but imagined Romeo waiting at home for him, the one person who could possibly pull him from the empty chasm.

“Ally told me about yesterday, at the hospital.”

“I’m sorry—”

“You collapsed, you don’t need to be sorry, can’t be helped. As long as you’re feeling better now.”

“Much better,” he said.

“Good.”

Faye spun around on her chair. “Still think you should complain to the company.”

“It was my fault. I should’ve read the label.” Chad said.

He pointed at Josh lounging in his chair. “What have I missed?”

“We’re going through all the disused accounts linked to Ellen’s hoping to find more of their alleged victims.”

“One case closes, and another opens,” the DI said. “Where are these missing people now? What happened to them?”

“Andrew said his daughter was dead. Ellen told him so.”

“Ellen and Kerion were killing them? They don’t seem the type.” Josh said.

“Type?” Chad asked.

“The type to get their hands dirty. Gary wasn’t exactly a small, feeble guy, he would’ve put up a good fight.”

“Accept he was injected with Xylazine. Trust me when I say no matter how badly you want to fight, and move and run, you can’t do a thing but take it.”

Josh’s mouth bobbed open and closed. A squeak left Faye, but Chad didn’t turn towards her. He could feel her pity across the room—it made him itch.

Ally tapped his thigh. “You took it, and you’re still here.”

“Crazy, but still here.”

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