ONE HUNDRED NINE
Ellie took advantage of the distraction to slip through the front door. Just as she’d hoped, Whittaker had run to the back to check but must have heard her because he’d returned before she could sneak Hazel from the house.
The older woman sat on the couch, looking terrified with her hands clenched in a white-knuckled grip. Whittaker ran back to the living room, but Ellie quickly jumped in front of Hazel.
“You fucking bitch cop!” Whittaker shouted.
“Let Hazel go,” Ellie said softly, one hand raised to warn him not to shoot. Her gun was pointed toward him, but he didn’t seem fazed. “She has nothing to do with this.”
Whittaker’s hand shook, his gun wavering. “She has everything to do with this!”
Ellie glanced at Hazel, who looked at her in confusion. Ellie planted her body in front of Hazel to guard her. “How is that, Wally? That is your real name, isn’t it? Wally Wheaton.”
He had the nerve to smirk. “So you figured out who I am. Proud of yourself, aren’t you?”
Ellie shook her head, refusing to take his bait. “I just want to end this peacefully with no one else getting hurt. Hazel’s anolder woman. She’s not a teenage girl much less pregnant, which seems to be the type you target.”
Whittaker’s sardonic laugh sounded maniacal as it filled the room. “She was one of them.”
Behind her, Hazel gasped. “How would you know about that?”
Ellie raised a brow. She had no idea what they were talking about, but she had to divert his attention from Hazel. “Yes, Wally, explain what you mean.”
The man screeched another profanity, and Ellie saw Cord creeping down the hall toward them.
Ellie lifted her chin. “Talk to me, Wally. Hazel deserves to know the reason you’re holding her at gunpoint. She never did anything to you.”
He bellowed like a wild animal then fired a shot into the ceiling. Plaster rained down. Cord started to run but Ellie shook her head no. She moved to pounce, but Whittaker’s gun swung down swiftly in her direction. Dammit, she was losing control of the situation.
“Please tell me,” Hazel said, her voice raw with pain. “I want to understand. I really do.”
Whittaker’s cheeks turned blood red with rage, and he inched closer, obviously prepared to shoot Ellie to hurt Hazel. “You act like you’re such a hero to these stupid teenagers,” he screeched at Hazel. “But you gave away your own daughter like she was trash.”
Pain wrenched Hazel’s expression. “I was young and lost and didn’t know what to do.” Hazel glanced at Ellie, tears flooding her eyes. “I really wanted to keep her, but my mother was dying and couldn’t help me. And my father… he forced me to give up my baby. I begged him to help, but he said it was the best thing for my little girl.” Hazel’s voice shattered. “I was only fourteen and didn’t know anything about children or how to raise one orget a job. And my daddy used to beat me, so I knew he’d beat her, too. And I couldn’t let that happen.”
Wally’s hand trembled, the gun bobbing up and down. “That’s what I mean. You didn’t deserve to have a child just like the girls I took didn’t.”
“What does Hazel have to do with you?” Ellie asked, desperate to avert Whittaker’s attention from Hazel.
“Her daughter was my mother,” Whittaker bellowed.
Hazel made a strangled sound. “Oh, my word. You’re my…”
“Grandson,” he yelled as he aimed the gun straight at Ellie’s chest.
Hazel began to sob. “I’m so sorry. What happened to you? And your mother?”
“She died,” he screamed. “She had to. She was bad and that came from you.”
Ellie’s breath caught. She’d heard Larry Wheaton’s story. The truth, that even as a kid, Wally had issues.
“Hazel, don’t listen to him. We found his father and he told us the truth.” She aimed her comment at Wally. “You killed your mother but your father took the fall.” She angled her head toward the man. “You were cruel. You killed animals when you were young just for fun.”
A gasp of horror escaped Hazel. “Oh, my God. You killed Minnie to get back at me?”
“They all had to die just like she did,” Wally shouted.
“Please put down the gun, Wally,” Ellie said calmly. “You don’t want to kill your grandmother.”
