Page 80 of Girl, Fractured

And Sarah had been the one who insisted Ella come into her father’s house with her.

Why?

Because Sarah already knew her father was dead, and she wanted Ella to see it – because doing so would make Sarah appear innocent.

The only question Ella couldn’t answer involved a chicken dinner.

By all metrics, Thomas Webb had been killed when Sarah and Ella were together.How was that possible?

Ella didn’t know.There could have been an illusion at play, but Ella was going to find out.

Back in the car, she called Ripley one more time but it rang out again.God dammit, where was that woman and what was so important she couldn’t answer her cell?

She dialed Bauer instead.The trusty Sheriff picked up on the second ring.

‘Ella, where are you?’

‘Still at Thomas Webb’s house.Do you know where Ripley is?’

‘Pandemonium over here.Webb went outside, Ripley followed her and now I can’t find either of them.Receptionist said that two cars sped out of the parking lot, one of which was a cruiser.’

Webb fled, and Ripley is chasing her,Ella thought.

‘Do your cruisers have trackers?’

‘Yeah.I’ve got two guys following the trail.’

‘Can you send me the details?’Ella asked.‘I need to make sure Ripley’s safe.’

‘No can do.You need the software.It’s not something you can just download.’

Shit.What the hell was she supposed to do now?Drive the streets and hope she came across a high-speed chase?Ripley was supposed to just be a consultant here, and here she was, putting her life on the line even though she had no obligation to.If anything happened to her, Ella would tear down the entire country until she found the person responsible.

‘You still there, Ella?’

‘Yeah, just…’

The obvious question arose: where would Webb go?

Home?No.Much too obvious.

Her workplace?No.She didn’t have one.

A hiding place?Maybe.But where?

Ella glanced back at Thomas Webb’s house, and thought of his manuscript, the one that would never be turned into a real book now.She thought of what Malcolm had told her.

Scarecrow Press.

The publishing house run by Robert Lawrence, Sarah’s boyfriend.

‘Bauer, you in your office?’

‘Barely.’

‘Could you check something for me?Search for Scarecrow House.It’s a publisher.Find the name of the person who runs it.’

Ella heard shuffling down the line, then the sound of a keyboard being brutalized.