Page 21 of Girl, Undone
Ella's eyebrows rose slightly as she read the opening lines of the conversation between Julia and Ken Myers.His approach was casual, but there was an unmistakable undertone of flirtation.
Ripley, over Ella’s shoulder, said, ‘Looks like Ken here is trying his best.’
Julia's responses were polite, initially distant, but as the conversation progressed, Ella noted a change.
Ken M: Want to text instead?EduCase is a pain in the ass, right?’
Julia D: Absolutely.Shoot me your number across.
The final message saw Ken send his number, then the exchange came to an abrupt close.Ella clenched her fist, wishing there was a way to see what followed.
‘Our boy Ken seems to be more than a classmate,’ said Ripley.
The conversation was a departure from the rest of Julia's academic interactions.It was personal, and a potential insight into her private life and possibly her last days.
‘Yes indeed,’ Ella said.She was already typing on the police database, searching for every Ken Myers within a ten mile radius.Five names cropped up.Ella narrowed down by age, because she had to assume this Ken person would have likely been around Julia’s age, probably a fellow mature student.She zoned in on one entry in particular.
‘Here.Ken Myers, thirty-two years old.Lives on Harbor Way, which is-’ Ella did an online search.‘Four miles from our crime scene.’
‘Then we need to pay a little visit to this Ken guy.See if he knows anything about Julia’s last movements.’
Ella's heart thumped with the thrill of discovery.She clicked further into Ken Myers' profile, scanning his details.Then, a piece of information caught her eye, and her spine turned to ice.It concerned Ken’s place of employment.
‘Ripley, remember what you said in the car earlier?’
‘I say a lot of things.’
‘You said no one has piles of rats lying around, unless they live in a swamp.’
‘And I stand by it,’ Ripley said.
‘Well, there might be one other type of person who has rats lying around.’
Ripley leaned in.‘Huh?Who?’
Ella pointed to the bottom of the screen, at Ken’s employment history.‘Someone who works at a pet store,’ she said.
Ripley took a closer look.
Employment: PetPatrol, Route 7.Hired March 2023.Part-time.
In the quiet of her office, with the ghost of Julia Dawson whispering through lines of text, Ella felt the familiar pull of the chase.This was a connection they couldn’t ignore.
‘Oh Christ,’ Ripley said.‘Get your jacket.’
Ella felt the pieces lock together.Not all of them.There were still gaps.But enough to form a shape.Ken worked at a pet store.Had access to rats.Could buy them, transport them, and nobody would ask why.He lived minutes from where Julia died.He'd been messaging her, moved the conversation somewhere private.
They had questions now.Had Ken and Julia met up after that conversation?What happened when they did?And if Ken killed her, if he bought those rats and trapped Julia in that cabin and watched her heart give out, then why?Rejected pass?Obsession?
Ella didn't know.Not yet.
But she'd find out.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
A bell chimed upon Ella’s entry to PetPatrol, announcing her arrival into a world that seemed far removed from the reality of a homicide investigation.Ripley came in beside her, hands on hips, and joined Ella in scanning the store for Ken Myers.The store was a cacophony of animal sounds and smells, and a vibrant array of creatures and pet supplies.It was a small outfit, but every inch of it buzzed with life.Cages of chirping birds hung from the ceiling, while tanks of colorful fish lined the walkways.Ella knew better than anyone that normalcy was deceptive, and evil often hid behind the most mundane facades.
‘Any idea what this guy looks like?’Ripley asked as she ducked under a bird cage.
