Ripped by Shelly Dickson Carr Read Free Book Online Page A

archway to the Ripper finale. But such was the trick of echoes in the surrounding hallway that the noises seemed to bounce off the walls and echo softly in her ears from a spot just behind her.
    â€œI do know what you’re going through,” Toby said evenly. “I lost m’dad last year, right about this time. He fell off a frickin’ scaffolding, painting a house. Still have me mum, though. She makes lace for a fancy dressmaker. So you’re right, I don’t know what it’s like to lose both—”
    Katie’s eyes flew open. “Have you ever snorkeled?”
    He raised a dark eyebrow. “You mean with fins and a mask?” He shook his head.
    She stared past him and said, “My sister and I used to snorkel on Cape Cod, and there was this one time we dove under the water and stayed down too long . . . and I felt . . . a weird . . . sort of . . . panic . . . that I wouldn’t . . . make it to the surface. That ’ s what it feels like! As if I’m swimming upward toward the blue sky and fresh air, but I’m not going to make it.”
    â€œYou’ll make it.”
    â€œWhat if I don’t?”
    â€œRubbish,” he answered heavily, with a faint inflection that even to think such a thing was daft. “After my old man died, I thought I wouldn’t mind being brown bread, too. Took stupid risks . . .” His gaze slid to the floor. “Still do. It’s not easy, Katie. You can’t bring ’em back.” He snuffed out the imaginary cigarette on the seat between them.
    â€œI never told this to anyone, but when m’dad died I came here . . .” A strange smile twisted his lips. “Well, not here, but the Victoria and Albert, where the London Stone was on display at the time. I thought—”
    Katie gasped and drew back. An odd chill surged up her spine. It was as if Toby could read her thoughts. He met her startled gaze and shot up off the bench.
    â€œCor, Katie! Not you, too!” He blinked down at her and began to pace. “You’re not here for the Ripper exhibit: You’re here because of the bleedin’ London Stone! Ah, Katie.” He shook his head, his voice compassionate but disapproving. “And I thought I was the only one with a bleedin’ screw loose.” Then more kindly, “You can’t bring ’em back, Katie, no matter what the legend of the Stone says.”
    â€œI’m not trying to bring them back! I just want to make it better. Easier. That’s all I’m asking. I just want things to be semi-normal again.” What Katie didn’t say was that she didn’t want to be split down the middle, with most of her life in London with Grandma Cleaves and only summer vacation with her sister in LA. “I know I can’t undo the past, but I want the future to be different. I want my sister and my grandmother to get along. I want us to be a family again.”
    But if Katie were being honest with herself, she would have admitted that Toby was right. She did want to undo the past. Rewrite history. I never got to say good-bye to my parents!
    Katie pushed herself up off the bench and a little away from Toby.
    A moment later Collin stuck his head out of the arched door across the way. Flickering light from the fake candles in the candelabras on either side of the entrance made Collin’s red hair look sickly orange, like tomato soup gone bad, and brought his freckles, straining against the pale skin across his animated face, into high relief.
    Collin’s eyes fixed on Katie from under their red brows, then turned to Toby with a sort of eager pounce as he loped across the tiled floor toward them.
    â€œYou’re missing everything ! ” he crowed excitedly, grabbing Katie’s arm. “This last bit of the exhibit is fantastic! The best. Come on! You’ve got to see this! I think I’ve figured out who Jack