Page 18 of The Sleeping Girls

Ellie gave her a moment. “I know, Kelsey’s parents are really worried. Do you have any idea where she is?”

Ruby shook her head and wiped at a tear.

“Do you think Kelsey would run away?” Ellie asked. “Because if she did, you can tell me. She’s not in trouble and you won’t be either.”

“She wouldn’t run away,” Ruby said.

“Okay. One of Kelsey’s neighbors saw a boy sneaking over to Kelsey’s,” Ellie said, watching the girl carefully. “Did she have a boyfriend?”

Ruby chewed her thumbnail. “Her daddy wouldn’t let her date,” Ruby said, sidestepping the question.

Ellie arched a brow. “But there was a boy she liked?”

Ruby’s chin quivered as she gave a tiny nod.

“I need you to tell me his name, honey,” Ellie said gently.

An indecisive sigh escaped the girl.

“Fuck, girl,” her mother snapped. “If you know it, tell her so I can go back to bed.”

Ruby’s cheeks flamed as red as her hair.

Ellie gritted her teeth. She wanted to hug the girl. “You’re not in any trouble, Ruby. I just need to talk to him, to know if he saw her last night.”

She wiped at her eyes, which had filled with tears when her mother yelled at her.

“Ruby, please, I know you care about Kelsey,” Ellie said. “This boy might know something that will help us find your friend. You want to do that, don’t you?”

Another pale-faced nod. “His name is Mitch,” she said, her voice strained. “Mitch Drummond.”

SEVENTEEN

DEER CROSSING

Derrick’s gut tightened. He hated missing children cases. They always roused memories of when his own sister disappeared. The years of not knowing, the sleepless nights, the torture over the what-ifs that could have happened to her.

Finally, he and his mother had closure. Only it wasn’t the outcome they’d prayed for. She was dead. Her body found in these mountains.

He hoped Kelsey’s case turned out differently.

Derrick entered the small neighborhood of Deer Crossing where Coach Ward lived, an area named so for the abundance of deer roaming the woods and venturing into yards.

He slowed as he approached the modest ranch home, a doe and her fawn grazing at the edge of the property. It was a beautiful sight, peaceful compared to the hectic streets of Atlanta. As he parked, he noted a man he assumed was the coach tossing a football to a teenage boy. The man had dark brown hair and looked like a gym rat while the boy was gangly and hadn’t yet grown into his body. Still, their faces looked so much alike that Derrick knew they were father and son.

The image of the two of them together sent a twinge of longing for Derrick’s godchildren and made him hope that thecoach wasn’t involved in Kelsey Tiller’s disappearance. He hated breaking up a family.

Worse though, he hated that someone would hurt or abduct a young girl, so he cut the engine and slid from the car. The man turned and spotted him as Derrick walked up the drive. He told the boy he’d be back, then joined Derrick in the driveway.

“Coach Buck Ward?” Derrick said.

“Yes,” the man answered.

“Special Agent Derrick Fox with the FBI.” Derrick flashed his credentials. “I need to talk to you about Kelsey Tiller.”

The coach scrubbed a hand over his beard stubble. “I heard she’s missing. That’s awful.”

His son yelled his name, and the coach looked over at him. “Go inside and take a break while I talk to this agent. We’ll pick practice up later.”

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