Page 22 of Stolen Angels

Unease flickered across the woman’s face. “I guess I don’t have a choice.”

Ellie and Derrick didn’t respond. Instead, they followed the lady through the small entryway into an outdated living room with furnishings from the eighties. A green floral sofa and plaid chair occupied the room, which was attached to a small galley kitchen with avocado-colored appliances.

She scanned the living room for signs of Nolan but didn’t see him. Knitting needles and yarn filled a basket by the sofa and a tabby cat lay curled on the braided rug.

“Is your son here?” Ellie asked.

Ms.Grueler pursed her lips. “We got into it a little while ago, and he tore out of here upset.”

“What do you mean you got into it?” Ellie asked.

The woman heaved a wary breath. “You must know about my son or you wouldn’t be here, right?”

Derrick’s dark eyes were intense. “You mean that he’s a convicted sex offender?”

She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment as if those words pained her, then opened them, her expression sad. “I don’t know what happened to make him that way,” she said in a raw whisper. “I don’t. He seemed normal when he was little, although he liked to play with dolls.”

“A lot of boys play with dolls,” Ellie said gently.

The woman bit her lip. “I know that. It was… just the way he played with them.” She lowered her voice. “You know he’d take off their clothes and… do things.”

Ellie and Derrick both remained quiet, the silence thick with the implications.

The older woman sank into the chair, and twisted her gnarled hands together. Ellie and Derrick lowered themselves onto the couch.

“But he paid his debt, and he’s been taking the medication like the doctor said and I thought he was doing okay, or I wouldn’t have let him stay here.” She cut her eyes sideways. As much as she defended her son, doubt crept into her voice. “He knew not to go near the school or park.”

“You said you two got into it?” Ellie said, sensing the woman was engaged in a silent debate over how much to say. “Was it about Ava?”

Ms.Grueler rubbed a finger over a patch of age-spotted skin on her hand then gave a little nod. “After I saw Fanny Mae, I watched the news and went into Nolan’s room, and he was watching it in there and…”

“And what?” Ellie prodded softly.

“He’d paused it on the picture they were showing of Ava, and I could see that look on his face… I confronted him, asked him if he’d been watching her, if he did something.”

Ellie held her breath. “What did he say?”

“He started crying and screaming, saying he couldn’t help himself, that he was trying but he knew when he saw the news that the police would come here, that they’d arrest him,” her voice broke. “He said he couldn’t go back to prison.” Anguish tinged her voice when she spoke again, “They did terrible things to him in there. Terrible.”

Ellie could imagine. Pedophiles were considered the lowest of the low in other inmate’s eyes.

“What kind of car does he drive?” Derrick asked.

Ms.Grueler grabbed a tissue from the end table and dabbed at her eyes and nose. “A black Mustang. Belonged to his daddy but he left a long time ago. He said he couldn’t stand to be around Nolan.” No doubt the same car that had torn out when they arrived.

Derrick pulled his phone from his belt. “I’ll issue a bulletin for him and his car.”

“Ms.Grueler,” said Ellie, as she stood. “Do you think he kidnapped Ava this morning?”

Fear darted in the woman’s eyes. “I… I honestly don’t know.”

“Would you cover for him if he did?” Ellie asked bluntly.

The color drained from the lady’s face, and she shook her head. “I saw that little girl Ava running around in the backyard. She is a sweetheart. Her mama is, too.”

“You said you watched her in the yard.” Ellie glanced at the windows along the back wall. “You could see her from here?”

“Here and in the kitchen.”

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