Read Online The Twice Lost by Sarah Porter - Free Book Online Page B

the
outside
of the door. That means you might want to think about introducing yourself before you go asking
me
anything.”
    In reply the man folded back his coat. His badge gleamed in the pallid day. “Ben Ellison. FBI.”
    “All right.” That didn’t make too much sense unless Peter had gone and turned criminal. But there it was. “And I’m Andrew.”
    Ben Ellison made a conspicuous effort to stay calm. “Do you have any identification?”
    “No.” Andrew stared for a second. “Peter can vouch for me, I guess, if you’ve got some reason you need to know. What’s your business here?”
    “My understanding is that Andrew Korchak was lost at sea. More than two years ago. But if that’s really who you are . . .”
    “That’s who I am. I didn’t stay lost, is all.” He felt tired, and even though he’d washed his hand the night before, he suddenly noticed lines of dried blood still clinging in the grooves of his knuckles. “What’s your business?”
    “Then I expect you would know who this is?”
    A photo. Zoomed in until it was very close and grainy so that it only showed her face glancing back over her shoulder. The background was bright and blurry, but it looked like shining water. Her cheek was marred, and Andrew’s breath caught as he noticed the notch torn from her ear. “Where did you
get
this?”
    “So you do recognize her?”
    Andrew couldn’t stand it. He pivoted on his heel and walked to the counter, leaning with his head hanging down, his shoulders heaving. He’d failed to protect Luce again. And for some reason this FBI bastard was asking questions about her, and that might mean . . .
    “Mr. Korchak?”
    That might mean he knew . . .
    “This photo was taken just a few days ago. I’d like to discuss the situation with you, Mr. Korchak, if that would be all right.” Ben Ellison stepped over the threshold and approached. The kettle was whistling out a piercing, horrible note.
    “What do you want with her? Look, whatever you’re thinking . . . Luce is still a little girl . . .” His arms were crossed on the counter, leaning heavily, but he was painfully aware that Ben Ellison must have noticed how he was shaking.
    “You know, you don’t seem at all surprised. To find out that Luce is still alive.”
    Oh. Right. He was supposed to think that Luce had killed herself. It was too late to pretend, though. “I knew she wasn’t dead, is why.”
    There was a pause. Andrew looked up to watch Ben Ellison’s face, to observe the thoughts churning just behind his eyes. The guy seemed pretty smart, actually. “And would knowing Luce is alive be somehow connected? To the fact that you didn’t stay lost?”
    It was a strange line of reasoning, unless this Ben Ellison knew a lot more than he ought to. “Knowing she’s alive? It’s connected to the fact that I saw her a few weeks back. She wasn’t banged up like that then, though.”
    “But I imagine there were
other
changes in her that you might have noticed,” Ben Ellison said. His tone was sardonic, but there was another suggestion in his voice at the same time, a definite hungry sharpness. Was it envy?
    “What do you
want
with her?” Andrew’s heart was racing and his knees wavered, but even so he was starting to feel some humor in the situation. Whether your kid got caught swilling vodka in a cemetery or shoplifting or turning into a mermaid, it was all the same. You
still
had to talk to the cops.
    Ben Ellison hesitated. “I’d like to help her. I’m afraid it might not be possible, but—”
    “Help her how?” Andrew found himself feeling defensive suddenly. “Far as I can see my girl is doing pretty good, considering.”
    “She’s wanted for murder.”
    “She’s
what?
”
    “Arguably it was self-defense.”
    “This is garbage. She’s only . . . she’s a kid. A
good
kid.”
    “Given her current situation, it’s unlikely that constitutional protections apply, and I doubt anyone will go out of their way to