Page 25 of Three for a Girl

“Pretty conclusive.”

“Except the account has been deactivated. Email, phone number, IP address all lead to nowhere. They’re a ghost. They’ve vanished.”

Romeo hummed. “Much easier to wear a mask on the internet, hide who you really are, and your real intentions. Do you know anything about sweetcheeks?”

“They might be a Scottsdale’s supporter.”

“The football team?”

“Yeah, the killer had put a Scottsdale hat on Ellen, covering her face to her mouth.”

Romeo’s gaze drifted to the window. “It’s summertime, why would you have a woolly hat with you?”

“The killer tied Ellen up, and cut into her while she was awake.”

Romeo’s attention snapped back to Chad. “Marc Wilson.”

Chad’s heart missed a beat.

He lifted his gaze to Romeo’s burning eyes. “Is dead.”

“Yes, he is.” Romeo sunk back into his chair. “Number one.”

Chad waited for Romeo to stop flaring his nostrils before continuing.

“We don’t know whether the killer sent the kidneys with the deluded hope they could be salvaged, or whether we’ve got a sadistic killer intent on extending a family’s grief.”

“What about Ellen’s family?”

“She didn’t have any, other than her husband, another social media influencer.”

“Murdered for her kidneys.”

“Ally’s already called them the Kidney Killer.”

“Ally?”

“The woman I’ve been partnered up with. She’s…” Chad’s mind wandered, Ally didn’t flitter around him, but spoke without a filter. Josh and Faye both shot him cautious looks, but Ally hadn’t once. “She’s what I need in a partner.”

“She’ll look out for you?”

Chad snorted. “I think it’s more likely me that’ll need to look out for her.”

Romeo lowered his gaze to his empty plate. “And how does it feel, being back at work?”

“It’s different.”

“Good? Bad?”

“It feels right.” He nodded, for his benefit not Romeo’s.

It did feel right. He’d worked his way up to homicide detective, it was the job he loved, but there was something, some detachment he hadn’t felt before, and he wasn’t sure what it was or why it tormented him.

“I’ve got to get used to it again, that’s all.”

“I’m happy for you. I know how important the detective is to you.”

“The detective?”

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