‘I didn’t see her date of birth!That was Dever’s job.’
‘In that case, I can’t say I’m surprised.So let me get this straight: both of these women are dangerous, and only one is in custody?’
Ella didn’t know the extent of Tracy’s involvement, but given that she covered for her sister by lying about her whereabouts, Ella had to assume Tracy was involved somehow.‘Yes.’
‘And we don’t have any idea where Twin Number Two is?Or what she might be planning?’
‘No.I told Luca to hide out at a hotel for the next few weeks in case she tries to finish what her sister started.He said he’d sleep there, but wouldn’t stay there all day.’
‘Stubborn, but I get it.’
Luca had survived one Doyle sister.He seemed to think that made him invincible.
‘So why are we bringing Creed into this?’Ripley asked.‘If we can’t tell which sister is which, what’s the point?’
‘He spent a year with Lindsey, or at least we hope he did.He knows her better than anyone.’
‘And you think he’s going to help us out of the goodness of his heart?’
‘No.We’re offering him a deal.Life imprisonment instead of the death penalty.’
‘And you’re okay with that?’
Ella looked out the window.The plane was taxiing now.The runway stretched out ahead.‘What choice do I have?’
Ripley drained her whiskey and set the glass down.‘You know, this is stupid but it might just work.Creed will love it too.He gets to play detective, he gets to see the outside world one more timeandhe gets to live.Win, win, win.’
That part annoyed Ella more than she cared to admit.Creed was getting exactly what he wanted, but what could she do?Vernon had already made the deal.
The plane’s engines roared and the acceleration pushed Ella back into her seat.She watched the terminal fall away beneath them and tried to shake the feeling that had been sitting in her stomach since she left Dever’s office.
Something about this didn’t add up.
Twin sisters, mismatched DNA and a woman who refused to speak.
It was incredibly convenient, and Ella had learned a long time ago that when things looked convenient, they usually weren’t.
CHAPTER FIVE
Sergeant Larry Fields was a brick wall of a human being, and Ella’s hand looked miniscule in his when she shook it.They were in the lobby of the Field Operations Bureau, the division of the New Orleans Police Department responsible for patrol operations and inter-agency assignments.They were the ones who had been tasked with the hands-on work of the Creed transfer.
‘Good to meet you both,’ Fields said to Ella and Ripley.He had a well-trimmed grey mane on top of his boulder of a head, but he had a teddy bear smile that seemed at odds with his mountainous build.Ella took an instant liking to him.
‘You too,’ Ella said.‘You’re in charge of the Creed situation?’
‘For my sins.I was also the unlucky one who got to raid Lindsey Doyle’s house a few weeks back.Creedwasthe responsibility of Investigation and Support, but since the FBI thinks it’s all connected, they lumped the Creed and Doyle business together.With this luck, I’m not expecting a Powerball win any time soon.You two are both connected to the case?’
‘More than I’d like to admit,’ Ella said.‘Has our director been in touch?’
‘Yup, been talking to him this morning.The same goes for Terrance Dever.Once they give me the all-clear, we’ll be in Louisiana State within a few hours.It’ll probably be late at night too, so be ready for that.’
Unlike civilian arrests, prison extractions were best done at night when energy levels were low and inmates were already tired from the day.Most prison stabbings happened in the early morning when tensions were high and people were alert enough to act out.
‘Does Creed know we’re coming?’Ripley asked.
‘His lawyers have told him the deal, but hedoesn’tknow he’s being transferred.Dever doesn’t want to risk that.’
Ella nodded.If Creed let slip to another inmate that he was being transferred, word would spread.Someone might decide they wanted to be the one who shivved him before he left.Killing Austin Creed would make for a hell of a milestone on a prison resume.
