Page 106 of The Sleeping Girls

“Darnell had taken Ambien and was confused and his father misread the situation,” Ellie said.

His face crumpled. “I… guess so. They didn’t get along and later, I heard Mr. Landrum told the police Digger did it.”

And Artie hadn’t bothered to come forward with the truth. “So you killed Kelsey and Ruby and Bianca to frame Digger and send him back to prison to safeguard your secrets.”

He nodded, his eyes wild and glassy.

“But why take Ruby and Bianca? Wasn’t one dead girl enough to set up Digger?”

“I had to make it look like he’d do it again and again,” Artie said, as if his logic made perfect sense.

Ellie reached out her hand. “It’s over now, Artie. Put down the gun and tell me where Ruby and Bianca are.”

“Yes, son, it has to stop,” his mother pleaded. “Please give her the gun so no one else gets hurt.”

He paced the floor, waving the gun erratically. “You want me to go to jail?”

“Enough people have already died because of this,” his mother said in a raw whisper.

The floor creaked as Derrick took a step forward. Jones whipped his head toward Derrick and saw Derrick’s raised gun. “Put it down, Jones,” Derrick ordered.

Jones grabbed his mother around the throat, yanked her in front of him and pressed the gun to her temple. “Come any closer and I’ll shoot her.”

Derrick lifted his gun hand in surrender. “You don’t want to do that, man.”

“Artie, please,” his mother cried as he yanked her toward the front door.

“You don’t want to hurt your mother,” Ellie said softly. “She loves you.”

“Tell them where the girls are,” his mother pleaded. “Please, Artie, their families need to know.”

“Cooperate and the DA will go easier on you,” Ellie said softly.

Bellowing in rage, he shoved his mother to the floor. Ellie darted forward to help her while Derrick gave chase. A gunshot rang out just as Ellie herded the woman up against the wall for safety.

“Stay here,” she hissed.

Mrs. Jones grabbed Ellie’s hand. “Please don’t kill him.”

Ellie couldn’t make promises she couldn’t keep. She squeezed the woman’s hand but said nothing, then pulled her weapon and crept to the front door.

Another shot rang out, and Derrick ducked behind a tree for cover, then fired at Jones, who was running for his truck.

Ellie eased onto the porch, crept down the steps and slipped to the opposite side, taking cover behind the rocks. Jones fired at Derrick again, and Ellie raised her gun and inched toward him until she was only a foot away. Then she ducked to the side of the man’s car.

“It’s over, Jones,” she shouted. “Lower the gun and put your hands in the air!”

Instead, he fired at her but his bullet hit the ground. She had no choice. She fired back. A second later, he grunted and his body collapsed onto the muddy ground.

Ellie ran forward, gun still aimed. Blood was already pooling behind his head, his eyes staring wide in shock.

“Don’t you die on me,” she yelled as she started CPR. “Don’t you dare die. Tell me where the girls are.”

But his body convulsed, he coughed up blood and then he went limp.

ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEEN

A scream pierced the air and Ellie swung her head around to see Mrs. Jones running toward them. Derrick caught her before she could reach the body.

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