Page 12 of For Rage

Lisa bit her lip, thinking. "Well, they had their problems like any couple, I guess. Jim could be a little controlling—he wanted things done his way, you know? And Grace was always so sweet, she just went along with it. But sometimes, I could see it got to her. Like when Jim would snap at her or get angry over little things. Jim loved Grace, I'm sure of it. But sometimes ... I don't know, it was like he didn't appreciate her enough. Like he took her for granted."

"That's helpful," Derik said. "Did Grace ever talk to you about any problems in their marriage?"

Lisa shook her head. "No, not really. She was always very private." Lisa bit her lip, looking hesitant. "I don't know if I should be saying this, but they did argue sometimes. And I did notice some bruises on Grace's arms one time when she picked up Milly. I didn't say anything, but I was worried. She just brushed it off and said she had fallen down the stairs."

Morgan's heart sank. It seemed like the bruises were a sign of domestic abuse after all.

"And how was their relationship with Milly?" Derik asked.

"They loved her," Lisa said, her eyes tearing up. "They were amazing parents. But I always got the feeling that something was off between Jim and Grace. Like they were just going through the motions."

Morgan nodded, taking in Lisa's words. It sounded like there was more going on than Jim had let on. She wondered if Grace had confided in anyone else about the abuse, or if she had kept it all to herself. Either way, they needed more evidence if they were going to build a case against Jim.

"Did you ever witness any of the arguments between them?" Morgan asked.

Lisa shook her head. "No, they never fought in front of me. But sometimes I could hear them arguing behind closed doors. It was always about little things, like money or chores, but sometimes it would escalate into yelling."

Morgan and Derik exchanged a glance.There was certainly more happening behind closed doors with Grace and Jim's marriage.

"Thank you for your help, Lisa," Morgan said, handing her a card with their contact information. "If you think of anything else, please don't hesitate to call us."

Lisa nodded, apprehension on her face. Morgan hesitated to leave. It seemed like they'd gotten all of the information they could from Lisa, but at the same time, they still didn't have enough. They needed something more solid to build a true case against Jim. Lisa never saw any of the abuse, so it still wasn't confirmed.

An idea suddenly struck Morgan.

Grace wasn't the only victim, after all. There were three others, all who shared a physical resemblance with Grace. It may have been a shot in the dark, but Morgan took out her phone and opened a picture of the victims, starting with the first: Nelly Swanson.

"Have you ever seen this woman before?" Morgan asked.

Lisa observed the photo, then shook her head.

Morgan swiped to the next, victim number two: Patty Harris. Another red head in her thirties.

Once more, Lisa shook her head.

It was probably going nowhere, but Morgan had to try. She swiped to a photo of the third victim, Mia Jones.

At that one, Lisa's face changed. She bit her lip and observed it more.

"I did see her," Lisa said, and Morgan's pulse jumped. "She was at Jim and Grace's house the last time I babysat for them. She stood out because I thought she looked a lot like Grace, but I didn't know who she was or why she was there. I assumed a family friend."

"And when was this?" Derik asked.

"We need to know the exact day," Morgan clarified, her voice serious.

Lisa nodded. "It was Wednesday."

Morgan's stomach sank as she shared a look with Derik. The expression on his face told her all she needed to know.

They were on the same page.

Because Wednesday was also the day Mia died.

***

The first thing Morgan did when they left Lisa's apartment was call AD Mueller.

His stern voice came through the phone as the elevator reached the bottom floor. Morgan and Derik ran outside into the dreary afternoon.

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