Page 62 of The Sleeping Girls

“The ERT and Ranger McClain are outside,” she said.

Derrick gave a nod. “I’ll go talk to them.”

Ellie clenched her jaw. “Tell them I want this place searched inch by inch. Maybe the bastard left some forensics in here and we can nail him.”

SIXTY-SIX

Dr. Whitefeather stepped over to examine Kelsey and two crime techs began searching the house for evidence while Cord and Benji combed the property. Ellie snapped pics of the scene on her phone for studying later, then phoned Captain Hale and explained the situation. “Issue an APB for Darnell Woodruff. And get his picture on the news. But hold off mentioning the homicide until I have time to notify the Tillers.”

“Agreed.”

As she ended the call, she joined Laney by the body. “Do you have cause of death?”

Laney lifted Kelsey’s eyelid. “See the petechial hemorrhaging?”

Ellie nodded. “He strangled her?”

“There are fibers matching the pillow indicating he smothered her with it.”

The same MO Darnell had used when he’d killed Anna Marie Landrum.

Laney examined Kelsey’s fingernails. “I’ll scrape for DNA.”

“Any other injuries?” Ellie asked.

“Some bruising on her legs and torso where he probably put his weight on her to hold her down while he smothered her.”

“Any signs of sexual assault?”

Laney shook her head. “Thank God he spared her that.”

Yes, thank God.

“Time of death?”

“I can’t say for sure until I get her on the table.”

Ellie checked her watch. “Which means Kelsey was dead as she’d appeared to be in the picture her mother received.”

Although questions mounted in her head. If the unsub left Kelsey here because the place was significant and he was copying Anna Marie’s murder, why not leave Ruby at the same place he left Kelsey?

SIXTY-SEVEN

Heath braced himself for an interrogation as Ellie approached him.

“Did you reach the O’Connor woman?” she asked.

He shook his head. “She’s not answering but I left another message.”

Ellie folded her arms. “Have you talked to Darnell since he was released?”

“No.”

“Do you know why the O’Connor woman thought he was innocent?”

“She said the evidence was circumstantial and that there were inconsistencies in his confession. I was planning to look at the tapes of it myself.”

“I realize you were only a kid,” Ellie said. “But did you believe Darnell killed your sister?”

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