Page 50 of Girl, Unmasked (Ella Dark #28)

Ella's apartment felt like a stranger's home after three days in Connecticut. The Angel Maker case was closed, and the Norwalk cops had enough evidence to nail him with three life sentences. The Ultra-Violent Crime Unit had solved its first crime, and Ella was happy to be its author.

It was the early hours of the morning, and no doubt Luca would be dead to the world by now.

She snuck into the kitchen and hit the coffee machine.

It would hiss, but Luca couldn’t hear a dump truck crash into a nitroglycerine plant when he was asleep.

She was midway through reaching for a cup when her cell rang.

The number wasn’t in her contacts.

‘Agent Dark.’

‘Agent Dark, this is Agent Dever with UVCU.

I'm working the Austin Creed investigation.’ The voice was deep and not familiar, even though Ella knew most active agents by face or voice.

Creed had been ring-fenced since Louisiana, though: need-to-know only, names stripped from briefs to keep her conflict clean.

If Dever was calling her directly, either the wall had come down or he was stepping over it.

‘Good to meet you, Agent Dever. What can I do for you?’

‘I’m sorry to bother you so late, but I saw you were moving on your tracker so I assumed you were still available. My SAC cleared this call, given your history with Creed.’

‘Yes, it’s fine. I’ve just returned from a case. Are there any developments with the Creed investigation?’

‘That's why I'm calling. We executed a warrant on Creed's cell today. Full search. Confiscated everything. Books, papers, anything he'd written or received.’

Ella took a seat. ‘Did you find anything?’

A pause. Papers rustling on the other end. ‘Agent Dark, how well do you know Austin Creed's correspondence habits?’

‘I don't. His lawyers had him on lockdown. No visitors except legal counsel, and the warden assured me that all of his mail, incoming and out, is monitored.’

‘Right. Well, I can assure you that’s not true. We've been going through his mail. All of it. Every letter he's received since his incarceration.’

Ella's skin prickled. ‘What did you find?’

‘That's the thing. We found... concerns. Multiple concerns.’

‘Detective, just tell me.’

‘Has Creed been in contact with anyone on the outside? Anyone you know of?’

Ella stood up, pacing now. ‘That's what I've been trying to figure out. Someone killed three people close to me. I thought Creed had an accomplice, but when I visited him, he denied everything.’

Another pause. Longer this time.

‘Agent Dark,’ Dever said slowly, ‘Austin Creed hasn't been talking to one person on the outside.’

The room seemed to tilt. ‘What do you mean?’

‘I mean he's been talking to lots of people. Dozens. And Agent Dark...’

‘What?’

‘Your name comes up in these letters. A lot. Your cases, your methods, your personal life. These people, they're not just fans of Creed. They're studying you.’

Ella's mouth went dry. She thought of the mysterious sympathy card at Ben's funeral. The photo of her and Ben together. The Manson quote: Death is the greatest form of love.

‘We're still counting. But Agent Dark, some of these letters... they're detailed. They know things about you. Where you work. Where you live. Who you care about.’

‘So… what are you saying?’

‘I’m saying there’s possibly a network. And they’ve all been given the same instructions.’

‘Which is?’

‘We need to talk about this in person. Can you get to the office as soon as possible?’

Austin Creed was on death row, but his influence was spreading like poison through a vein. ‘Yes I can,’ she said.

She thought about calling Ripley. Or waking Luca. Or even Vernon. But what would she say? That the nightmare she thought had ended was actually just getting started?