Page 115 of Last Girls Alive

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m telling you everything I know.”

“One more question.”

Candace waited.

“Were you in contact with your sister?”

“We were in contact about a week before she died, and before that it had been a year.”

“Were you in contact with Tanis?”

“No.”

“Then how did you know how to contact her?”

“I was following her on social media and I knew that there would be a safe time to reconnect.” She fought back the tears. “I guess I was wrong.”

“C’mon,” Katie said. She pulled out two towels and gave them to Candace. “You need to take a shower and I’ll get you some clothes, okay?”

She nodded and went into the bathroom, followed by Cisco. “Does he always do this?”

“Pretty much,” she said and laughed.

While Candace took a shower, Katie rummaged to find some clothes for her: a T-shirt, jeans, a hoodie, clean socks, and a pair of old running shoes. She also took the time to make a phone call to someone she had worked with in the past, Madeline Day, who worked to find housing for battered women—she would be over to pick up Candace within the half hour so that she would be safe for the time being, or until the Elm Hill killer was found.

Candace came out of the shower with her wet hair and scrubbed face.

“Here you go. I think they’ll fit,” Katie said.

“Thank you.” Candace went back inside the bathroom to change.

It wasn’t long before there was another knock at the front door. Cisco barked once and then made himself comfortable on the couch.

Katie opened the door, “Hi, Madeline.”

“Katie, it’s nice to see you,” said the striking dark-haired woman.

“Candace,” she called.

When the young woman came into the living room she was dressed in Katie’s clothes and they seemed to fit.

“Candace,” said Katie. “I want you to meet Madeline. She’s going to take you to a safe place to stay for a while, okay?”

She hesitated but then nodded. “Please, Detective, please find Tanis.”

“You have my card and my personal number. Call me if you need anything, okay?”

“Okay. Thank you, Detective.”

“Call me Katie.”

She nodded and then followed Madeline out to her car.

Katie watched them leave and wondered what was going to happen next for Candace. She would have a social worker stop by and talk to her to see if they could get her into a program where she could get a job and find her own place to live.

“Well, Cisco, it’s back to bed.”