Page 35

Working at her desk at the Chronicle , Denise Diaz’s computer chimed with a message.

A response from Ben McGraw, one of the original lead detectives. He’d retired in Auckland, New Zealand.

I’m glad it’s over. For the sake of the families and everyone impacted by the case. That’s my only comment.

Wow, not much there , Denise thought, adding it to her notes. She’d already transcribed her interviews with the family and friends of Jenna Dupree. And the detectives in Tyler. The relatives and friends of Abby Hall and Erin Eddowes had also given Denise strong interviews, and they shared more photos of the girls, some taken right before their deaths. It would all stand in painful juxtaposition to the interview and photos she’d obtained from Hyde’s mother, Mary-Ellen.

Denise’s keyboard and mouse clicked steadily. The story was coming together, but it still lacked two key components: the case file and an interview with Carrie. The last time Denise had gone to Carrie’s house in Cedar Breeze, her SUV wasn’t there. No one appeared to be home.

Biting her bottom lip, she paused. Maybe she’d drive by again. If Carrie wasn’t home, she could park out front and wait, or even follow her. Denise needed Carrie’s cooperation to make this story work.

And she needed that case file.

She’d sensed that Lynn was growing concerned. Leaving her on the story was straining the resources of the Chronicle ’s small news staff.

A new message pinged.

Maybe it was Carrie, she hoped. Or even Vern, or Luke Conway, who’d so far declined to be interviewed.

No, it was Eve Trainor, the other county detective to first investigate the case.

Hi Denise: Sure, I can help with your story. How about a quick video call two hours from now? I should be clear then. Let me know if that works for you.

Denise answered, Thank you, Eve. It works.

Bolstered by Trainor’s warm response, Denise finished off her notes, collected her phone and laptop, then told Lynn she would continue working from home.

“I hope we’re going to see a good story from you soon,” Lynn said.

“It’s coming together—slowly, but it’s coming.”

Along the way home, waiting at McDonald’s to bring home some food, Denise begged the gods of desperate news reporters to smile on her.

***

At home, after eating and cleaning up, Denise made coffee and reviewed her notes.

Soon, Eve Trainor’s face appeared on her laptop’s screen. She had high cheeks with a few wrinkles at her eyes, putting her in her late forties, early fifties, Denise thought.

“Hi, Denise.”

“Hi, Eve. Thank you for making time to do this.”

“No problem.”

“I’ll get details later, but you’re in Cleveland, Ohio, now, with a private investigation agency?”

“That’s right,” Eve said. Then jumping right into the subject, “I have to say, I was a bit surprised with Hyde’s confession.”

“Why?”

“Ben McGraw and I were really looking hard at Carrie Hamilton, Vern’s daughter.”

“How did Vern take that?”

“He was torn up. He’d recently lost his wife; then Carrie nearly died fleeing the attack; then we suspected her of killing Abby and Erin.”

“That’s a lot to bear.”

“Still, Vern was largely hands-off. It was our investigation and he told us to follow the evidence wherever it led and make the case.”

“So why was Carrie a suspect?”

“She was the last one seen with the girls and they’d had a recent confrontation,” Eve said. “In homicides, the answer is usually the obvious one. The simplest one. The one that makes sense. And our team, especially Ben, couldn’t shake his belief that Carrie did it.”

“But she was never charged.”

“We needed solid evidence to back it up.”

“And it wasn’t there?”

“The DA said it was circumstantial. We knew Carrie had argued with Abby and Erin in the cafeteria. We knew they traveled in different social circles at the school. We knew that subsequent to the cafeteria run-in, there was a big Halloween party at the dance hall. Carrie, Erin and Abby attended, but we couldn’t establish if the girls talked to each other there. Then the day after the party, Abby, Erin and Carrie go into the woods. But only Carrie comes out alive.”

“What did the evidence tell you?”

“Well, a gun was used but none was ever found.”

“And you questioned Carrie?”

“Extensively. But she couldn’t give us answers, said she couldn’t remember. She was polygraphed, hypnotized—nothing worked. Ben accused her of not being truthful. He tried to get her to confess that things got out of hand when she tried to settle a score from the cafeteria. He told her he knew it was an accident.”

“And?”

“Nothing. We consulted the doctors. Carrie’s spotty memory was consistent with her head injuries. They were serious and genuine. She was not faking it; she couldn’t remember details of what happened.”

“You couldn’t present a case against Carrie that went beyond a reasonable doubt?”

“That’s right. Then we got a tip from detectives in Tyler after they’d charged Donnie Ray Hyde for the murder of Jenna Dupree.”

“And your case took a turn.”

“A big turn. Tyler people established that Hyde was in the area at the time of the murders. His pattern was the same and there were other pieces of evidence.”

“Such as?”

“He had guns in his possession, bought on the street after a gun shop burglary in Fort Worth.”

“Including the murder weapon?”

“We never found it. I understand he got rid of it. I believe it came down to a crime of opportunity for him and the girls being in the wrong place at the wrong time. We believed that he’d been drinking, doing drugs at his brother Brophy’s place in the mobile home park, wandered to Wild Pines, encountered the girls there, forced them deeper into the woods at gunpoint. Also—I’m not sure I should tell you…”

“Tell me what?”

“It’s never been revealed.”

“The case is over. Hyde’s been executed. Whatever it is will likely come out.”

A long moment passed before Eve decided.

“I’m sorry, Denise. All I can say is that this case is disturbing and heartbreaking for everyone. I know the families will never have closure, whatever that is. But maybe they’ll take comfort that after all this time, there are answers and it’s finally resolved.”

After ending the call, Denise sat back in her chair, processing the new pieces of information. She’d got more than she expected from Eve. But what is it that’s never been revealed?

She was sipping the last of her tepid coffee when her computer pinged with a message from Sheriff Ellerd.

The case file is ready for you to pick up.