Page 68 of The Lost Girls of Willowbrook

“Turn around, folks,” he said. “You don’t want to see this.”

Detective Nolan took out his wallet and showed him his badge. “Stand down, Officer. That’s why we’re here.”

“Sorry, Detective,” the cop said, and stepped back to let them pass.

Nolan and Baldwin hurried into the clearing, but Sage slowed, her heart pounding. She had no desire to see another dead body, but she had no choice. She needed to see if Evie’s throat was slit. Needed to see if her hair had been chopped off, if her lips had been stretched into a clown smile.

Nolan and Baldwin went under the police tape and trudged over to the crime scene, where another cop and two men who looked like part of a search team stood talking. When they reached the crime scene, Dr. Baldwin immediately turned away like he was about to be sick. Nolan looked back at Sage and gestured for her to follow. Marla nudged her impatiently from behind.

“Move it along so we can get this done and I can get out of this damn cold,” she said, her teeth chattering.

Swallowing her fear, Sage went under the police tape and edged closer to Detective Nolan.

Evie lay in a shallow grave between a fallen tree and an outcropping of jagged rock, her shoulders jammed forward as if she had been crammed into the tight space by sheer force, her arms straight in front of her, her sliced, bloody wrists touching. Blood pooled dark and gelatinous between her broken collarbones at the base of her neck, which had been slit from ear to ear. A few jagged inches of platinum hair remained on her head, and random blotches of icy dirt muddied her face and eyes. Clumps of wet leaves covered her legs up to her waist, and a long section of bark from a hollowed-out tree rested over her feet and ankles like a recently removed coffin lid.

Sage backed away, unable to pull her eyes from Evie’s twisted lips and the circus-red lipstick smeared like clown makeup toward her ears. Finally, she went back to the police tape, slipped under it, and stood near Marla, the icy air suddenly finding its way through her wool coat.

“Was it Miss Evie?” Marla said.

Sage nodded.

“Damn,” Marla said. She crossed herself and muttered a quick prayer, shaking her head.

Detective Nolan and Dr. Baldwin returned to where she and Marla stood.

“Well,” Detective Nolan said, watching Sage closely, “is Mrs. Carter’s body in the same condition as the body you saw?”

She nodded. “Yes, the hair, the lipstick, everything. Exactly the same.”

Dr. Baldwin scoffed. “What did you expect her to say?” He yanked a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his mouth. “She’ll agree to anything if it backs up her story.”

“Do you have any other explanation for her knowledge about the condition of Mrs. Carter’s body before today?”

“There’s only one explanation I can think of.”

“What’s that?”

“You know perfectly well what it is,” Dr. Baldwin snapped. “I told you before that Miss Winters has violent tendencies.”

Nolan’s brows shot up. “What are you saying? That you thinkshekilled Evie Carter?”

“It’s the only explanation that makes sense,” Dr. Baldwin said. “And for the safety of the other residents, I am going to have her sent to the state security hospital until there can be a full investigation.”

Sage went rigid, fear and anger shooting through her blood like lightning, bright and white-hot. She glared at Dr. Baldwin. “Are you really going to stoop that low? I didn’t touch Evie and you know it. You’re just making up lies to cover your own ass!”

“I guess we’ll find out who’s lying, won’t we?”

“Miss Winters isn’t going anywhere right now, Doctor,” Nolan said. “Not until we get to the bottom of this.”

Breathing hard, Sage tried to calm down. Screaming at Dr. Baldwin wouldn’t get her anywhere. “Do you believe me now, Detective? About my sister?”

“I’m not going to say one way or another, but your story has certainly gained more credibility.”

Nolan turned to Dr. Baldwin. “Do the residents at Willowbrook have access to the newspaper?”

Looking confused by the question, Dr. Baldwin shook his head. “Most can’t read. And even if they could, making the newspaper available would only cause more problems. Why do you ask?”

“What about television?” Nolan said. “Are they able to watch the news?”

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