If I Live by Molly Black

Author:Molly Black [Black, Molly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Molly Black
Published: 2023-02-17T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Ruby awoke to the flight attendant’s voice welcoming them to Charlottesville. She had a horrible crick in her neck from how she slept. Gabe didn’t look much better than she felt. Ruby had hoped the three hours would give her a second wind, but instead it just made her more tired.

“I am going to need some coffee as soon as we get to the gate.”

“Agreed. I am also going to need some food. Nuts and Belvita breakfast biscuits just don’t cut it.”

“How are you always hungry?”

“How are you not?”

Ruby sighed and gathered her things. She didn’t like to dilly-dally.

Once they deplaned, Ruby detoured to the women’s restroom. She needed to change clothes and freshen up before she was stuck in a small space with another human, much less Gabe, all day. Thankfully, she always had an extra change of clothes in her bag along with baby wipes and dry shampoo.

Once a Girl Scout, always a Girl Scout.

Ruby heard the words in her mind as clearly in that moment as she had the day Asher Carnes said them to her. They had been watching Vallejo, hoping to confirm he was the Lucky 13 Killer. He’d matched the profile, but he’d been careful.

Unfortunately, meal breaks weren’t factored into surveillance, and Asher was a three-squares-a-day kind of man. When he didn’t eat, he got what Ruby liked to call hangry.

They were waiting to see if Vallejo left his house on a particular night that they were certain the killer was going to strike based on an anonymous note the killer had sent to the local newspaper. Asher started to get grumpy, so Ruby pulled out a small jar of peanut butter and a pack of saltines from her bag. Then, to his utter delight, she presented him with a three-piece cutlery travel set. That’s when he declared, “Once a Girl Scout, always a Girl Scout.”

Her memories of Asher were strongest when she was overtired. It was like they were weighted down in her subconscious until she hadn’t had enough sleep. Then it was like someone had cut the rope and all the moments they’d shared came rushing back.

Ruby didn’t just miss Asher. She missed the life she knew she could have had with him. Everything felt so safe with him, so easy. She never imagined she had lived in a world where he didn’t exist and yet here she was.

She always missed Asher the most just after she woke up. For just a moment, she’d forget he was gone. Then she’d open her eyes and find herself alone. Waking up on a plane wasn’t any different than waking up in her own bed. She felt his absence everywhere.

Ruby met Gabe at the car rental counter. He handed her a cup of coffee while he finished signing the paperwork for the car. They had decided it was better to have their own vehicle than wait around on local police. Plus, they weren’t dealing with a victim. They were dealing with a potential suspect.

Gabe left to go get the car from the lot while Ruby called Bellisario to check-in.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.