Page 102 of The Sleeping Girls

“He was upset at first, said he couldn’t have just discovered he had a daughter only to lose her. So… he planned to donate if he was a match.” She pulled a tissue from her apron pocket and dabbed at her eyes. “In fact, he was on his way to get tested whenhe had the accident that killed him.” She sniffed. “My son was in the car with him. He was devastated over his father’s death.”

Ellie went still, considering the possibilities. What if this woman hadn’t wanted the truth to be revealed? When she’d learned about Anna Marie, she could have confronted Mary Landrum and killed her to keep her from ruining her family.

And perhaps Anna Marie had been next.

ONE HUNDRED FOURTEEN

“You weren’t with your husband and son when he had the accident?” Ellie asked.

“No,” Mrs. Jones said. “I was home.”

“What caused the accident?”

“A deer ran out in front of the car and Jason swerved to the side of the road to avoid hitting it. He lost control, hit a tree and landed in a ravine.”

“But your son survived?”

She stood, picked up a photo of her and her husband and a little boy. “Yes. Artie managed to jump from the vehicle just before it crashed.” She pressed the picture to her heart. “Thank God, I couldn’t have stood it if I’d lost both of them.”

Ellie gave her a sympathetic smile. “And this happened before Anna Marie died?”

“Yes, a couple of weeks. I remember because it happened just before Homecoming.”

The timing raised suspicions. Was Homecoming a trigger for this killer?

Derrick had walked over to the fireplace mantle and was studying the family photographs. He indicated a photograph of the Jones family when the son was a teen.

“This is your son?” he asked.

“Yes,” Mrs. Jones said quietly.

The woman’s statement about the school echoed in Ellie’s head, ringing alarm bells. “Your son attended the same high school as Anna Marie?”

Mrs. Jones nodded.

“Did he know her?” Ellie asked.

“He knew who she was, but they didn’t hang out together.”

More questions ticked through Ellie’s mind. “Did he know Anna Marie was your husband’s daughter?”

Mrs. Jones pressed a fist to her mouth. “No, we never told Artie. And after Anna Marie’s brother killed her, I didn’t see the need.”

Ellie shifted as she remembered Cord’s description of the treehouse he’d found on the Landrum property where Mrs. Landrum was buried. The initials AML and AJ had been carved in the tree.

“Where’s your son now?” Ellie asked.

Mrs. Jones checked the clock. “Home, I imagine. He teaches computer science and technology at Red Clay Mountain High.”

ONE HUNDRED FIFTEEN

RED CLAY MOUNTAIN

He spat curse words as he dragged Ruby back into the building. “Damn you, Ruby, I didn’t want to kill you.” He felt for her the most. But he should have finished her before. For some reason, he’d stopped himself.

Now she would have to die like Kelsey. And so would Bianca. Her parents had gotten the picture he’d sent and were probably already accepting that she was dead.

“Please let me go!” Ruby screamed. “Please, I won’t tell.”

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