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“Winters?” I asked and looked at Matt. “That was the woman who called Rachel in the middle of the night.”
“She was her sister,” he added. “She shared twenty-five percent of her DNA with Rachel. That's how I knew they were related—they're half-sisters. I called Mrs. Johnson, and she came down late last night to see her and confirm her identity. She said her daughter, Elyse, had recently moved to Jacksonville, and that's where she thought she was. I'm sure you'll want to talk to her yourself."
My mind raced as I processed the information. This case had just become more complicated than I anticipated. Had John Baker murdered two of Madeline Johnson's daughters? And why Rachel’s half-sister?
I turned to Dr. Hernandez, "Thank you, Doctor. We'll need the full autopsy report as soon as possible."
He nodded and handed me a file. "Of course, Agent Thomas. Let me know if you need anything else."
Matt and I left the morgue, both lost in thought. As I started the car, I couldn't help but wonder what other secrets this case held.
When we arrived back at the station, Chief Annie was waiting for us in her office. She looked up as we walked in, her eyes flickering with concern. "Is everything okay?" she asked.
I sighed and took a seat, placing the file on her desk. "We need to talk. We have a new victim… Elyse Winters, another of Madeline's daughters—Rachel Baker's half-sister."
Chief Annie's eyes widened in shock as she took in the information. "Another one? Did John Baker kill them both?"
I nodded, "I don’t know. She's been dead for two days. I’m a little wary of how Baker could have done it after I shot him. I thought he was hiding in that abandoned house?"
"So, she was killed later than Rachel? Was it the same MO?"
"Dr. Hernandez just finished the autopsy, and it's clear that she was beaten and then stabbed. Rachel was just stabbed, but other than that, yes, it's the same cause of death, a single stab wound to the chest."
"I wonder how this all pieces together," Chief Annie said. Then, her face lit up. "I guess you can ask Baker that himself. They just called from the hospital while you were out and said he was waking up."
Chapter44
THEN:
Emma's heart pounded in her chest as the store manager locked her and her sister, Lily, in the small room at the back of the store. The room was barely big enough for the two of them, with nothing but a few boxes stacked in one corner and a small window high up on one wall.
Lily was crying softly, her face buried in Emma's shoulder as Emma tried to soothe her with gentle whispers. Emma knew they had made a mistake by stealing the bread, but they had been so hungry and desperate. They never meant to get caught.
Emma's mind raced with fear and uncertainty as they sat in the darkness. What would happen to them now? Would they be arrested and sent to jail? Would they be separated from each other forever?
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps approached the door, and Emma's heart leaped into her throat. The lock clicked, and the door creaked open, revealing the angry face of the store manager.
"You two are coming with me," he snarled, grabbing Emma's arm and roughly pulling her to her feet.
But as he turned to grab Lily, Emma acted on instinct. She lunged forward and pushed the manager, causing him to stumble back and lose his balance.
It was a split-second decision, but Emma knew it was their only chance at escape. Shegrasped Lily's hand, and they bolted out of the room and into the store, running as fast as they could toward the front door.
The manager was hot on their heels, shouting and cursing at them, but they were too fast for him. Emma's heart raced as they burst through the door and onto the street, the warm night air hitting their faces.
Heart pounding, Emma looked around frantically for a place to hide. She spotted an alleyway nearby and grabbed Lily's hand, pulling her toward it. They darted into the shadows and crouched behind a pile of trash cans. That's when they saw the police car darting by and stopping by the store. Emma stared at the police officers getting out, gasping. It had been so close—too close.
Lily looked up at Emma with grateful tears in her eyes. "Thank you," she whispered.
Emma nodded, still catching her breath. "We have to keep moving," she said. "We can't stay here."
Together, they got up and began walking down the alley, trying to blend in. They had no idea where they were going or what they were going to do next, but they knew they couldn't go back to their old life.
They didn't stop walking until they were several blocks away, their legs aching. Finally, they slowed down and caught their breath, looking at each other with a mix of relief and fear.
"What do we do now?" Lily asked, her voice trembling.
Emma took a deep breath and looked around at the dark, empty streets. They were alone and had nowhere to go, but she couldn't let Lily see her fear.
