“No, it’s not that. I’ve been clean for months.” Clara pushed her hair from her face. “I’m just nervous. I was friends with Minnie Benton, the girl who was murdered, and with her little girl, Iris.”
“Of course you’re upset about Minnie,” Gil said sympathetically. “We all are. She was doing so well, too.”
Others chimed in with understanding nods and murmurs of concern.
Clara twisted her hands together as the room quieted. “And now another girl is missing and so is her child. I’m terrified I might be next and that someone might try to take my baby.” Her voice broke off with emotions and Tilly reached out and squeezed her hand.
Unfortunately Clara had reason to be afraid.
EIGHTY-NINE
Bright Horizons
Ellie stepped into the counseling center and greeted the receptionist although the woman looked slightly harried.
“Detective Reeves again, here to see Mabel Putnam.”
The receptionist glanced up with a distracted shrug. “I’m sorry but she’s not here.”
“When will she be back?” Ellie asked.
The young woman sighed. “I honestly don’t know. After you left, she received a phone call that seemed to upset her. She rushed out with her briefcase and purse and told me to transfer all her clients to her associate, that she didn’t know when she’d be back.”
Ellie tensed and scanned the lobby and the rooms within sight. “Did she explain why she was upset?”
“Just that she had an emergency and had to go away. I asked if I could help, but she said no, that no one could. Then she ran outside, jumped in her car and drove off.”
Ellie gritted her teeth. The fact that Mabel knew Ellie was going to the adoption agency, and had subsequentlydisappeared, meant that Ellie might be on the right track about the illegal adoption agency. And that Mabel might be involved.
She had to find the woman and make her talk.
NINETY
Mystic Church
He laughed to himself as he watched the woman who called herself Lily talking to Clara as they left the meeting. They were hunched in the cold with snow dotting their hair and Lily was comforting Clara.
He snapped photographs with his camera, careful to stay ducked low in his car. Lily hadn’t mentioned having a baby but she was a newbie and they often didn’t open up in the beginning.
After the last meeting, he’d meant to research her but hadn’t had time.
Meanwhile, he had to keep a close eye on Clara. He’d wanted her before he’d taken Dana Jo, but Dana Jo had admitted in the meeting that the face of the man who’d attacked her was beginning to flash back.
So he needed to sort out Dana Jo before dealing with Clara. Besides, he intended to wait until Clara delivered. Killing her would be rewarding. Taking her newborn would be icing on the cake.
Meanwhile, Dana Jo was his to do with as he pleased. Her face reminded him so much of his mother.
The crazy rotten bitch who’d ruined his life. Who’d tried to turn his daddy and the whole damn town against him.
She’d been the insane one.
And all because of her own mama.
Too bad men couldn’t have babies. Then women wouldn’t be needed anymore.
He cranked his engine and slowly drove from the corner where he’d parked to give himself a better view of the exit door of the church. Afterward, he needed to check on Dana Jo.
Even in this storm, the crazy old biddies would be out tonight with their flock and gathering way too close to his secret getaway. They were oblivious to the fact that Dana Jo was inside. They thought they were safe because they were Believers.
