Page 89 of Girl, Fractured

‘No, you didn’t.And because of you, I’ve had to live with being part of a story.One without an ending.And when the story is the only thing people see, eventually you start to see yourself that way too.Nathan Taylor: The Boy On The Beach.’

Ripley studied Nathan Taylor’s face in the moonlight.The sharp angles and the asymmetric twitch at the corner of his mouth.All the classic physiological tells of someone whose internal narrative had detached from objective reality.She’d seen this particular flavor of delusion before, usually in interview rooms, usually with someone in restraints.Never beside her own grave.

‘Believe me, Nathan, that whole thing haunts me as much as it does you.You think I don’t remember it?Hell, I knew I recognized you when I saw you at Thomas Webb’s house.As soon as I saw you under that rock, I remembered you vividly.Doesn’t that prove it?’

‘It proves nothing.’He looked out and admired the tide.‘You found my dad in a hole, and that’s what’s going to happen to you.Understand?’

Keep him talking.Buy as much time as you can.

‘You don’t remember me, Nathan.’

‘What?I remember you.Istudiedyou.I’d have killed you already if you didn’t live in D.C.’

‘No.You’ve mythologized me.’

The tide licked the edges of the pit now.Black water glistened like spilled oil in the moonlight.

‘What the hell does that mean?’

‘It means I’m a symbol to you, not a person.I’m not Agent Ripley to you.I’m The Woman Who Lied.I’m The System That Failed.’

‘Don’t try to psychoanalyze me,’ Nathan spat as he grabbed the shovel again.‘You’re not that good at it.If you were, you’d have caught the Sandman before he buried my father.’

‘Therewasno Sandman, you idiot.’

Nathan froze.The shovel slipped an inch through his fingers as his face contorted with confusion.‘What are you talking about?’

‘Your father wasn’t murdered by a serial killer.Neither were the other three men found on this beach.’

‘Bullshit.They found four bodies!’

Ripley noted the widening of his pupils, the rapid pulse hammering at his throat.Classic sympathetic nervous system response.His fight-or-flight was kicking into overdrive.She’d pushed him to the edge, and now she needed to guide him through what came next without getting buried alive in the process.

‘Yeah, we did.But nobody put them in those holes.They put themselves in there.’

Sarah shifted her position, the gun in her hand momentarily wavering as confusion flickered across her face.This clearly wasn’t part of whatever script she’d anticipated for the night.‘She’s lying!She’s trying to trick you!’

‘Bitch, I was part of the task force.You just read about it from books.Those holes in the sand?They’re called methane depressions.This beach is full of them.’

‘What the hell are you talking about?’

‘When organic material decomposes beneath the sand, it releases methane gas.These gas pockets can create depressions in the beach, which are rectangular holes.’

‘That’s not true.’

‘Google it when you get to prison.’

‘No.No, that’s not what happened.’Nathan moved the shovel between them like a shield.‘This is the hole I dug.For you.Just like someone dug one for my father.’

Ripley took a few steps back.Maybe with enough distance, she could run and disappear around the other side of the rock before Sarah managed to discharge a bullet.‘No one dug any holes, genius.Now I know what you’re wondering – how did your dad end up in that hole?’

‘It doesn’t matter!’Nathan screamed.Sarah also put some distance between herself and her boyfriend.Under other circumstances, Ripley might have laughed.It was as if Nathan had been a rock star – being the son of a serial killer victim and all – but had now been fired from the band and lost his aura.

‘It does matter.Details matter.All of the victims had a history of depression.Three of them were in debt, including your dad.We found alcohol and Benzodiazepines in his system.So, how’d he get in the hole?’Ripley pointed to the roof of the rock.‘At its peak, this thing is about a hundred feet above the water.’

‘So?’

‘Ever heard the termsuicide hotspot?’Ripley watched the tide slither closer to the hole.If her time was running out, she might as well spend it detonating this man’s entire worldview.‘Your dad jumped into the water, and then the tide carried him to that hole.’

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