AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘Agent Dark speaking,’ she said.
‘Ella, what’s going on?’ boomed Carter. ‘I wanted constant updates and all I hear are crickets. I’ve got mayors and governors chewing me out.’
Ella shot a worried glance in Ripley's direction. Ripley mimed, turning the call to loudspeaker. Ella did and laid her phone down on the table.
‘Director, we're following every lead. We think the killer might be someone from the victims' high school days. We’ve already spoken to two suspects. We're close to…’
‘Close to nothing!’ Randall cut her off. ‘You haven’t said a word to me since you got out there. What suspects? How did you find them? What evidence do you have on them and why aren’t they in holding cells?’
Ella tried to interject, ‘But Director, we…’
‘Sorry, Miss Dark. You promised me you’d do things my way, not the old free-for-all way.’
‘Just give us another twenty-four hours,’ Ella asked. We’ll have the details over to you shortly. Every move we’ve made so far.’
‘No, Ella. I've made my decision. You and Ripley are off the case. I've informed Stamford PD to cease any assistance to you. I'm assigning this to another team.’
Ella’s heart sank, lodging itself in the pit of her stomach. She’d never been taken off a case before, never been told her hard work wasn’t good enough.
‘But sir, that’s not fair. We’ve been working our…’
‘Sorry, I need someone capable.’
Ella went to plead her case some more, but Ripley jumped in and grabbed the phone off the desk.
‘Carter, what the hell is wrong with you? We’re the best shot you have at solving this case. You can’t just yank us out.’
'Ripley, if I wanted advice from you, it would be about drinking on the job. You're off the case. Get back to D.C. and see me first thing in the morning.'
Mia’s face flushed red, and if Carter was in the room, Ella had no doubt he’d lose his other eye too.
Ripley's grip tightened on the phone, her knuckles whitening. She opened her mouth, a torrent of abuse lingering on her lips, but Ella reached out and grabbed her arm, silently urging her to hold back.
‘Is that clear?’ Carter continued.
‘This is ridiculous,’ Ripley spat.
‘But necessary. Leave your findings with the Stamford chief for the handover.’
Ella cleared her throat, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside. ‘Okay, director.’
Ripley added, ‘Fine, whatever you say.’
Carter's voice had a finality to it. ‘Good. And Ella, I expect a full report on my desk first thing tomorrow morning. Carter out.’
The line went dead.
Ripley placed the phone back on the table then began pacing back and forth. Ella pushed her fingers against her eyelids, resisting the injustice.
‘Unbelievable,’ she said.
Across the office, Ripley dug her knuckles into the wall. ‘This is absurd. All because he wants to micromanage us.’
‘What are we supposed to do?’ Ella said. Despite the setback, a part of Ella couldn't let go. The mystery of the puzzle kid, the lives still in danger, the unresolved threads of her investigation. For every day this killer went uncaptured, the ghost inside her would swell. She knew better than anyone the tribulations of unsolved mysteries.
‘You find Matilda’s details?’ Ripley said.
Ella went back to the screen, the details from a few minutes ago now feeling like a distant memory. 'Yeah. Matilda Harrison. Thirty-six lives about a mile outside of the city. There are some pictures on the group of her with Miles Rampell.'
