Page 52 of Only Girl Alive

When the media discovered the truth, it would be bigger news than if one of the plural wives had done it. Only in very rare cases had children committed crimes like this. Her team would have trouble seeing the truth, just as she did, but they would come to the same conclusion. The evidence didn’t lie.

Bina and Clyde arrived first, while Collin and Ray fetched platters of Mexican food from a restaurant twenty minutes away.

“I’d like to move to your room to eat if you don’t mind. I have the timeline laid out on the bed,” she said, and nodded toward the photos.

“Which means you didn’t take a nap,” Clyde accused.

“There you’re wrong, Mr. Detective Man. I actually did nap and I feel much better now.” She smiled and saw a slight tilt to his lips at her response.

They changed rooms and Bina texted the guys to let them know where they were.

They dug into the food after it arrived. Thankfully, she was starving and had no problem eating an entire entrée.

Eve’s thoughts centered on Hannah and the crime scene. She wanted to walk back through the house with her new assumptions and see if they had missed anything that would help the case. Once they talked it through, she knew her team would agree.

They also needed to know why Kathryn Wilson was not at home the night of the murders. Though it was a small possibility, maybe she had helped Hannah or given her the idea. They had to tie up all loose ends. Every step they made in this case would be closely analyzed by Eve’s superiors. The media was another story entirely and she knew the public would have a hard time understanding what could possibly bring a child to murder her family in such a gruesome way. Bart Tanner was dead and people wanted someone to punish. A law enforcement set up that placed the blame on a child was an easy out.

Eve hoped, for Hannah’s sake, that they could find an adult such as Kathryn to share the blame.

“We should have the first round of interviews wrapped up today,” Collin said, and caught Eve’s attention.

She nodded. “We’ll have a meeting this evening. Be prepared for a late night. I have something you need to see. Don’t worry,” she said after Clyde gave her a hard glare. “I have another nap planned and I’ll be rested.”

Clyde grunted. He was still indignant that Eve was working. Her aches and pains were better with the help of ibuprofen. After their meeting tonight, he would have something else to think about.

They cleaned up and left to finish the interviews.

Eve had something to do before she took a nap. Being in this town and the memories of her childhood always made her think of her mother.

Maggie worked at the front desk of a small dental office. She had never remarried. She lived in a one-bedroom apartment within walking distance of work. She called Eve periodically and checked in. Eve rarely called her because their conversations were so stilted and she dreaded them.

Her mother had always been standoffish and still Eve didn’t doubt her love. Maggie rescued her. She could have left Eve inside the cult, but she hadn’t. These thoughts had her pressing her mother’s number. She was tired of running from the past. Her mother had answers, but Eve understood Maggie had to have help before they could move forward in their relationship. Right now, Eve really needed to hear her voice.

“Hi, Mom,” she said when her mother answered her cell phone.

“Eve?”

“I know you’re at work but is there any chance you could talk for a few minutes?”

“Of course. Hold on.”

Eve heard her mother’s muffled voice and then the line crackled twice and a door closed.

“Are you okay?” her mother asked.

“I’m working a difficult case and needed to speak with you.”

Maggie hadn’t wanted Eve to take the oversight job. She’d given one objection and then never brought it up again. Maggie and confrontation did not go hand and hand. Her mother lived a quiet life and preferred it that way.

“I’m not sure how I could help with a case,” she said, doubt in her voice and also a touch of fear. Eve recognized the response after years of seeing her mother back down and hide away from things that bothered her.

“It was a long time ago, but I wanted to thank you again for Whiskers and the camera. I know we didn’t have much money. You had to pay a deposit so I could have a cat. You need to know how much these two gifts helped me.”

Today, with the realization of how bad the church was and the devastation it caused, Eve could clearly see what Maggie’s rescue had done for her. She’d saved her from years of terror at Aaron’s hands because Eve knew he would have married her. Her mother also saved her from becoming Hannah.

“Oh, honey.” Her mother started crying.

“You don’t like talking about your past, but I think you should. You made sure I saw a therapist and you need to do the same. I’m in Aaron’s jurisdiction right now and it’s brought up a lot of memories. Maybe someday we can talk honestly about our time here.”

---