Confusion clouded Beth Ann’s expression. “No.” She sighed. “We rarely see or talk to each other. Why? Did something happen to one of them?”
“No,” Ellie said. “But I saw them earlier and thought they might have phoned you.”
Beth Ann shook her head. “My parents and I aren’t very close.” She fidgeted. “Now you’re worrying me. Please tell me what’s going on.”
Ellie breathed out. “How about your sister? When did you last see or talk to Minnie?”
Beth Ann rubbed her finger over the marbling in the counter. “Not since she ran away from home.”
“Did she leave a note of explanation?” Ellie asked.
“She left me a voicemail saying she loved me, and that she was sorry but didn’t want to cause problems for me.” Her voicecracked. “I didn’t understand, but I called her back repeatedly and the phone always went to voicemail then eventually I got a message saying the number was out of service.”
Pain wrenched Beth Ann’s eyes. “After I graduated college and got my real estate license I looked for her. I even checked rental listings and homeless shelters, but no one had seen her.”
“It sounds like you care about her,” Ellie said.
“I do. Is she in trouble or something?”
Ellie softened her tone. “I’m so, so sorry, but there’s no easy way to say this. Your sister’s body was found.”
“What?” Beth Ann asked in a pained whisper. “H… her body?” Beth Ann shuddered. “W… where?”
“At Midnight Ridge,” Ellie said softly.
Beth Ann’s pallor turned a sickly yellow, and her body trembled. Ellie instantly got up, opened the cabinet, found a glass, filled it with cold water from the refrigerator then carried it to Beth Ann. She didn’t know if the young woman was going to pass out or be sick.
“Here sweetie, take a sip of water.”
Beth Ann did as Ellie instructed, her chest heaving up and down as she seemed to be fighting a panic attack. “I can’t believe Minnie’s dead,” she choked out.
“I’m so sorry,” Ellie said again. Obviously, Beth Ann was shocked and loved her sister. That was more love than her father had displayed.
Ellie grabbed tissues from a box on the kitchen counter and handed them to Beth Ann. “Is there anyone I can call for you?”
Beth Ann shook her head, dried her eyes and blew her nose. Her hand jerked as she gripped the glass of water and sipped it again. A long slow exhale indicated she was trying to pull herself together.
“Take your time, honey.” Meanwhile questions nagged at Ellie. If Minnie hadn’t left Iris with her sister, which it appearedshe hadn’t because there was no sign of a child here, where was the little girl?
EIGHTEEN
Beth Ann swallowed hard, her voice a raspy whisper. “What happened to my sister? How did she die?”
“As I said, she was found at Midnight Ridge.” Ellie kept a neutral expression, not sure Beth Ann should know the details at the moment. “Her body is at the medical examiner’s office now. I don’t have the autopsy report yet so can’t confirm the exact cause of death, but she sustained multiple external and internal injuries from falling over the ridge.”
“So it was an accident?” Beth Ann asked, wide-eyed.
Ellie licked her dry lips. “At first we thought that and suspected suicide because we did find a note. But we have our suspicions now that she didn’t take her own life. That’s why I’m here. We’re trying to figure out what happened.”
A baffled look crossed Beth Ann’s face. “My God. You think someone hurt her?”
“It’s possible. I’m interviewing everyone who knew her to understand her mindset, so anything you can share could be helpful.”
“I don’t understand why she would be on that ridge.” Beth Ann rubbed her forehead. “Minnie was never much of an outdoor girl or hiker.”
Ellie considered Beth Ann’s comment. “Okay. Tell me more.”
“Minnie was a bookworm. She used to talk about going to nursing school.” Beth Ann’s eyes grew distant as if she was remembering something. “Then… she kind of had a bad spell and Dad said she was drinking a lot. But I figured it was just teenage rebellion and that she’d get through it.”
