Page 95 of Girl, Fractured

‘For a change.You’re the one that’s been right all week.’

‘I am?’

‘Yeah.’Ella listed the points on her fingertips.‘You called it from the beginning.Don’t trust Sarah Webb.You hated that woman on sight.’

‘Ahem.I was actually right before that.’

‘How so?’Ella asked.

‘I said watch out for snakes.They’ll get you.’

Ella smacked herself on the forehead with her palm.‘Of course.You really meant what you said to Webb?About writing a book?’

‘Hell yeah.’

Ella’s head spasmed.‘Mia, you’re talking about writing a book and sayinghell yeah.Did this case drive you mad?’

‘I just think I’d be good at it.’

‘You hate true crime books.’

‘I hateshittytrue crime books,’ Ripley corrected.

‘And you think you could do better?’

‘Definitely.’

Ella asked, ‘What would you call it?’

‘Go To Hell, Sarah Webb, And Other True Crime Stories.’

‘Catchy.’

‘Either that or I’ll write those children’s books I’ve always wanted to.’

‘Like Goosebumps?’Ella asked.

‘Could be.Maybe I’m the next R.L.Stine in the making.’

Ella was suddenly reminded of her own youth.She’d devoured all of those books as a kid.She was sure she still had some in her lockup, and she had a sudden urge to dig them out.

‘What about the job?’she asked.

‘What job?’Ripley sipped her coffee again, then pushed it away.‘I can’t drink that.’

‘This job.That’s two cases we’ve bagged since you’ve been back.Has the itch come back?’

Ripley scratched her shoulder, perhaps subconsciously encouraged by Ella’s phrasing.She blew out a breath and said, ‘The itch never went away, honestly, but Max was more important.’

‘Yes he is,’ Ella said.Did she want Ripley back full time?The selfish side of her did, but the moral side didn’t.One day, Ripley wouldn’t escape by the skin of her teeth, and Ella wouldn’t be able to live with that.

‘But Max is starting kindergarten in the new year.That’s five days a week I won’t be needed.’

‘Evenings?Weekends?’

‘Evenings he’ll be with his mom and dad.Weekends?Sure.He’ll be mine then.I guess I retired because I thought that’s what people did at my age.Normal people.’

‘Are you not normal?’