The Forgotten Girls by Alexa Steele

Author:Alexa Steele [Steele, Alexa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Mystery, Thriller
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Published: 2014-08-04T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 20

Greenvale’s historic cobblestone sidewalks glistened under the radiant Saturday afternoon sun as Bella pulled into town and slid her old, dented black Porsche 914 into a spot in front of a place called Spa and Spin. Directly across the street sat the tiny organic café where Erika said they would be. Bella felt like an intruder in a Norman Rockwell painting as she crossed the street and walked toward the bright pink awning where the name Pip’s Cakery was elegantly scrawled next to a black and white drawing of Eloise at the Plaza. This was their Friday morning routine, Bella noted, and they had chosen not to break it.

The row of black Range Rovers lined up neatly, three in a row. Sure enough, just as Erika had predicted, the fab three sat at a small table by the window sipping smoothies, leaning in toward one another as though sharing some steamy, enthralling secret. Through the window she could see Jenna laughing.

Bella had spent the early morning hours looking through the dead girls’ files and the forensic report on Joslyn, which had come in overnight. The charred clothes recovered in the Dumpster yielded little except for a swath of fabric identified as black cashmere. According to everyone with whom Bella had spoken so far, Joslyn wore ivory silk, with no sweater or jacket. The black cashmere must have been worn by the killer, Bella guessed. It must have been covered in blood.

Bella dressed the part for what she imagined would be appropriate for a June weekday in Greenvale: white jeans, white ribbed tank, a faded jean jacket, and open-toe metallic heeled sandals. She wore a long turquoise necklace she found at the bottom of her jewelry box, which wasn’t so much a jewelry box as it was a shoebox filled with old, unworn, and forgotten items. A thin black rope choker around her neck, mascara, and light pink blush finished the look.

The one outlandishly expensive item she owned—a hunter green Proenza Schouler bag, a thirty-fifth birthday present from Ryan—hung over her shoulders. He had given it to her as they sailed around the Hudson on a spectacular clear, warm summer evening, a surprise he had taken painstaking steps to keep secret. Gliding over the Hudson with him, the lights of New York City sparkling around them, had been magical enough—the bag had meant little to her in comparison.

Yet Ryan had wanted her to have the kind of gift he knew she would never buy for herself; and, though she normally didn’t do flash, today flash was just what she needed. She hid her badge and gun inside, next to her cell, and looked more like a pretty Greenvale resident than a sex crimes detective from the Bronx. Exactly the look she had aimed for.

A bell chimed when she walked through the door and three curious heads lifted at once, and stared. Jenna was the first to crack a forced smile, but the other two did not seem to recognize her.

“Good morning,” Bella exclaimed cheerily as she walked over to their table.

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