Page 77 of The Graveyard Girls
“Did you chase her when she left? Was she running from you?” Derrick continued.
Cameron shifted, his body going rigid. “No, I didn’t go after her,” he mumbled.
“Not even to make sure she was safe?” Ellie asked.
His cheeks reddened. “No. I… was tired and went back to sleep.”
Ellie leaned forward, arms on the table. “Asleep or passed out, Cameron?”
“All right, all right. I took some pills and they knocked me out. I… ain’t left the apartment since then.” He cut his eyes toward the officer who was standing at the door, arms folded across his brawny chest, his big body poised as a barrier to the boy’s escape if he tried to run.
“Cameron,” Ellie said softly, regaining his attention. “Jacey was found dead in a town called Brambletown.”
Cameron’s face paled and he coughed and made a gagging sound. The detective grabbed the trash can and shoved it to him just in time to save the floor.
EIGHTY-TWO
The Green Thumb
Hetty clutched her phone in a white-knuckled grip, trembling at the fear in Ida’s voice.
“I tell you, I’m scared to death,” Ida said. “That detective and FBI agent were here earlier asking questions about Daddy. Remember his old pick-up truck?”
Like it was yesterday.
A dizzy spell assaulted Hetty as time rewound in her mind. How could she forget? Some of her worst nightmares had happened in that damn truck. “Of course I do. What about it?”
“They think a man driving it picked up that girl Jacey Ward at some convenience store in Athens then murdered her.”
Hetty shook her head in denial, wiping perspiration from her neck with a rag. “There have to be other black pick-ups out there.”
“Yeah. But they’re pushing to find out if we know where Daddy is.”
“Lord have mercy,” Hetty whispered.
“They’re combing the graveyard and that land now for other bodies,” Ida said brokenly. “Joe is upset, too. I think he’sworried about Kat. She’s the same age as those girls who were murdered.”
“That is scary,” Hetty agreed.
Panic lingered in the air between them. “What should we do?” Ida asked. “Maybe we should talk.”
“No, I don’t want to go to jail,” Hetty cried.
“Me neither,” Ida choked out. “What would poor Kat do if I was locked up?”
“Just keep your mouth shut,” Hetty said, her tone full of horror. “We’ll do whatever we have to do in order to keep our secrets buried.”
“There’s more,” Ida said with a groan. “Tilly came to see me.”
“Damn that girl,” Hetty said. “I knew she was trouble when she rolled back into Brambletown.”
“Like a dog with a bone. She wanted to know if we’re hiding where Daddy is, too.” Ida burst into tears. “I can’t believe this is happening after all this time.”
Hetty dropped her head into her hands, her head throbbing. “Don’t worry, Ida. I’ll handle Tilly.”
“And Cord McClain?”
“Him, too.” In fact, maybe she could convince him to help them. If the truth came out, he had almost as much to lose as they did.
