Page 25

A TV news van from Lufkin was the first to arrive in front of Carrie’s house.

Soon, media cars and trucks from East Texas, Houston and Dallas lined the street. Neighbors stared from windows, watched from doorsteps and driveways. Reaction to the Chronicle ’s breaking news of Donnie Ray Hyde’s confession to the murders of Abby Hall and Erin Eddowes had been swift.

Carrie peered through the crack between her living room curtains, holding Emily in her arms like an anchor in the tumult. She looked over at her father, who stood at the kitchen counter, talking on his phone. Not long before the story broke, he’d received a call from Bob Ellerd, who’d learned from the DA that Hyde had confessed. Things moved fast once the Chronicle got tipped to it and Vern had rushed over to the house, taking steps to shield Carrie from the upheaval emerging around them.

She had not asked for his protection, but everything snowballed after the flutter of calls he’d made to Ellerd, which brought Luke home, still in uniform, along with Deputy Smith. Clay had summoned his wife, Lacey, who came along with Carrie’s old high school friend from the party, Opal Wells. Everyone was reeling from the news, and Carrie was just trying to comprehend it all.

“We’re here for support,” Lacey said.

The doorbell rang.

Luke and Clay answered it, stepping outside and, raising their palms respectfully, getting the newspeople to move from the property back to the street.

Carrie joined the others in the kitchen, where Vern remained absorbed in a quiet, intense conversation on his phone. She tried reading his somber expression. Lacey and Opal were scrolling through their phones, constantly looking up toward the sheer curtains and the street.

“This is incredible,” Lacey said.

“Everyone always thought it was Donnie Ray,” Opal said. “After all these years, it’s over, the mystery’s been solved. How’re you doing, Carrie?”

“It’s all so unexpected.”

“Maybe you should have some tea? I could hold Emily for you?”

“Maybe later.”

Lacey went to the front window, checking on Luke and Clay, then returned.

“Those press people are relentless. We should get you and the baby into a hotel in Houston,” Lacey said. “Just until all of this settles down.”

“Thank you, Lacey. But no, we’ll stay.”

Luke came back into the house alone and took Carrie aside. Still holding Emily, she followed him into her office and closed the door behind them.

“How’re you holding up?” he asked.

“I don’t know. I can’t believe it’s happening.”

“Look, they want a statement.”

“A statement?”

“We can keep it short.”

Carrie adjusted Emily on her hip. “But I don’t know what to say.”

“I’ll help you. Just one or two sentences. I’ll go back out and read it to them. It should satisfy them and they’ll go away.”

Carrie looked at him.

“It’s a tornado right now,” Luke said, “but things will calm down and we’ll sort it all out.”

Struggling to make sense of it all, Carrie worked with Luke on a few sentences that he tapped out on his phone. Then he returned to the street and, under the glare of TV news camera lights, with phones and microphones extended or aimed at him, he read his wife’s statement:

“I pray this brings a measure of comfort for the families of Abby, Erin and Jenna, and everyone touched by the crimes. I also pray it marks the end of a long nightmare.”

Clay and Luke remained outside as the cluster of media people began breaking up.

Finishing his call, Vern went to Carrie and hugged her.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“I can’t believe this is happening. Why did all the press come here? It’s not about me, Dad.”

“It’s about everyone involved. I’ve been making a lot of calls. I spoke with Bob Ellerd and he said the same thing’s going on with media with Abby’s and Erin’s families and with Jenna’s in Tyler.”

“What I don’t understand is how? How did this all happen? Why did he confess? Why now?” Carrie asked.

Vern rubbed his temple. “I went to see him.”

“You went to see him on death row?” Carrie asked.

“I did.”

“Why?”

“He’d always been a suspect— the suspect. He’d exhausted every appeal. I spoke with his spiritual counselor, who set up the visit. I spent time with Donnie Ray, explaining this was his only chance to tell the truth and unburden himself, clear his conscience, cleanse his soul, you know. And he did. He gave the district attorney a confession with details only the killer would know.”

Carrie stared at her father in awe, her mind blazing back through time, back to her school cafeteria, to standing up to Abby and Erin, then running for her life through Wild Pines Forest and waking in the hospital.

“But I don’t remember anything about what happened,” she said.

“Carrie,” Vern said. “You can stop trying to remember now. He confessed.”

She looked at her father. “So, it’s over? Is this how it ends?”

Vern searched her face.

“No.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve been talking to the TDCJ about the execution, how victims and their family members will be permitted to watch.”

“Watch him die?”

Carrie covered her mouth with her free hand, her eyes widening as she shook her head.