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Ava pictured her real mommy in the kitchen making the cupcakes for her school party. A party she’d missed. Mommy had been tired and had a headache and was too busy to go with her to the bus stop.
Her chest hurt so bad she could barely breathe. She couldn’t believe her mommy didn’t want her anymore. All mommies got tired, didn’t they?
“We have a big house and you’ll have a nice playroom with lots of toys and an art easel and I can buy you pretty clothes and bows for your hair.”
“I don’t wanna wear bows except the ones Mommy makes. And you’re a liar. Mommy wants me.” Ava bit her lip. “We make sugar cookies and give popcorn bags to the neighbors.”
The woman lifted Ava’s chin and looked into her eyes. “We can string popcorn and make popcorn bags, too,” the woman said. “And your daddy will be here soon.”
Ava bunched her hands in the awful crinkly dress and tried not to blubber. Her daddy was coming for her? “Where’s Daddy? He’ll take me home. I know he will.”
The woman’s mouth tightened. “This is your home now. We’re going to be a family and you’re going to love it here. You even have a sister now. Do you want to meet her?”
Ava pouted. “I wanna go home with my real mama and sleep in my room with Bunny.”
The woman took her by the arms and gripped her so hard her fingers pinched Ava’s skin. “Youarehome, Ava. And the sooner you stop fussing, the better everything’s going to be.”
“Where’s my backpack and Bunny?” she whimpered.
“I’m afraid they’re gone. You’ll have new toys and stuffed animals here to love,” the woman said.
“But I love Bunny mostest, and he’s gonna become real like the velveteen rabbit.”
“Shh, we’re not going to talk about Bunny anymore.” The woman pulled her closer and wrapped her arms around her. Ava tried to push back, but the woman held her so tight she couldn’t move. Her sweater was scratchy and her perfume stunk and made Ava feel sick to her tummy.
“I have all the candies to make the gingerbread houses,” the woman whispered. “And I want you to help add more decorations for the tree, and we’ll write Santa a letter. You can tell him everything you want for Christmas.”
Ava bit her tongue to keep from screaming. All she wanted was to go home.
But it was like the lady had cotton in her ears and didn’t hear her.
She closed her eyes and more tears came. But knowing her daddy would be here soon made her feel better. He would take her back to Mommy!
Then she remembered her mommy and daddy arguing about how much money it cost to take care of her, and how the debt people were calling, and how they might have to sell the house, and her mommy yelling at her daddy because he liked another woman, and her stomach jumped.
What if this lady was Daddy’s girlfriend? And what if she was telling the truth and Mommy didn’t want her anymore?
Fifty-Nine
Crooked Creek
Night had fallen by the time Ellie, Derrick and Cord’s team finished searching the construction site and property. Clouds rippled like turbulent ocean waves in the gray skies as the search teams dispersed. So far they had no proof that Autumn had done anything to Ava and were going to have to release her. Heath had phoned that Autumn’s fingerprints had not been on any of the vans belonging to Cato Construction.
Hopefully Derrick would find something on her computer.
Ellie swung by the Burger Barn, picked up burgers and fries and drove toward her house. In spite of the dreary weather, the prayer vigil was still underway in town, with candles in the windows of homes and people gathering in the square in front of the Angel Tree.
By the time she reached her bungalow, the storm clouds obliterated any evidence of the stars and moon and lightning zigzagged across the sky. The clouds opened up and unleased their fury and she raced into her bungalow, getting drenched along the way. Derrick parked behind her and followed her in. She ducked in her bedroom to change and tossed Derrick a towel to dry off.
By the time she threw on a clean sweatshirt and sweatpants and returned to the kitchen, she had a voice message from Bryce.
“The town is in an uproar over Grueler,” Bryce bellowed. “My office has been flooded with complaints. This is the last thing we need right now, Detective.”
Ellie deleted the message, nerves climbing her neck. Let Bryce rant all he wanted. She was not a cold-blooded killer. And they needed Grueler alive to describe that woman.
“What’s wrong?” Derrick asked.
“Bryce venting about the town being upset about Grueler.”
