Page 68 of Girl, Fractured

‘Which means that Thomas Webb was still alive 1 hour and 26 minutes ago, and we’ve had Josiah Nicholls in custody for longer than that.’Ella glanced up at her partner.The implication spoke for itself.

‘So, Nicholls is innocent.He didn’t do this.He didn’t kill Diana, either.The jury’s still out on Frank.’

‘Unless Nicholls has a partner.’

‘You think?’Ripley asked.

Ella stood up and took a few steps back.‘It’s possible, but there’s no motive there.Did you confirm that Nicholls was telling the truth about who he was?’

‘Yeah, it tracks.Frank really did work the Black Candle Murders, and one of the victims was named Cassie Nicholls.Records show she had one son.Where’s Webb, by the way?’

‘Outside with the Sheriff.Inconsolable.Her boyfriend’s on his way.’

‘How’d she react?’

‘As you’d expect.’Ella gestured to the door.‘I wish she hadn’t grabbed that door handle though.It was dripping with blood, and the killer must have touched it.Now it’s contaminated.’

Ripley ran a gloved hand down the side of the door.‘She touched it?Willingly?’

‘Yeah.I mean, she was in a frenzy though.Obviously she wasn’t thinking straight.’

‘Hmm…’

‘What?’Ella asked.

‘Bit strange, don’t you think?’

‘What’s strange?’

Ripley shrugged.‘That this woman, an apparent true crime know-it-all, would knowingly grab the only foreign object in the room we know our killer would touch.’

‘Mia, you’re not serious?The woman walked into her dad’s house and found a pool of blood.She wouldn’t exactly be in Sherlock Holmes mode, would she?’

‘I’m just saying.How many times have we walked into rooms where we know there’s a body waiting, but we haven’t freaked out?’

‘Because we spent 18 months training for that.Crime writers don’t.’

‘Another reason why I hate them,’ said Ripley.It’s also pretty weird that she brought you here.’

‘She brought me here,’ Ella echoed quietly, testing the shape of the thought.She mentally catalogued the sequence: Sarah’s request that Ella bring her here.Sarah’s insistence on Ella meeting her father.Sarah’s deliberate delay in the car while checking her reflection.Sarah’s reluctance to let Ella stay behind.Sarah freaking out at bloodstains in the hallway, as though she already suspected what she might find.

Profilers lived in the space between coincidence and pattern.Three points made a line; four points made intent.She wasn’t there yet, but only one point remained before Ella had to re-examine this whole thing.

‘Let’s stick to what we know,’ Ella said.‘There’s another problem too.’

‘There’s always another problem.’

‘Thomas Webb isn’t a member of the White Whale Group.Our killer has deviated.’

‘No, his victimology is consistent.He’s targeting older, retired, ex-cops.Thomas Webb fits that category.All our unsub’s done is select from a different victim pool.’

‘But it means the White Whalers aren’t our connection.’

Ripley scratched her forehead, considering.‘Well, maybe not the White Whalers, but I still see one connection between all three vics.’

Ella did the mental arithmetic.There was indeed one connection, as much as Ella didn’t want to admit it.‘Sarah Webb.’

‘Yeah.Our killer’s got something against your new bestie.Or…’