Page 115 of The Graveyard Girls (Detective Ellie Reeves #11)

ONE HUNDRED FOURTEEN

Dammit, Cord knew his prints were on file from his juvie days.

And he’d known his day of reckoning was coming. But even though he’d been a kid himself fifteen years ago, he had no regrets about what he’d done.

Except for hurting Ellie. And that she’d be disappointed in him.

“Cord?” Ellie said in a pained whisper.

“It’s okay. I’ll go with him. Just keep working the case.”

“Tell me what’s going on,” Ellie said, her eyes filled with questions.

Before he could respond, Ellie’s phone dinged. She glanced at the number. “Dammit, it’s Captain Hale.”

“Answer it,” Cord said, needing to buy himself time. Ellie would beat herself up if she didn’t solve this crime.

She connected the call. “Yeah, I’m here.”

He and Fox waited silently, both on edge.

A second later, she hung up, her expression drawn. “Another girl is missing. Kat Jones’s best friend Carrie Ann Parker. We need to go.”

Derrick scowled at Cord. “I have to deal with this first.”

Anger flared in Ellie’s eyes. “Deal with what?”

“Go about the girl,” Cord said through clenched teeth.

“Captain said Deputy Eastwood answered the call and questioned the parents. Apparently, they didn’t realize she’d snuck out and didn’t come home until this morning.

She’s issued an APB for her car and Sheriff Wallace has his deputies searching abandoned properties.

Sheriff Waters is circulating her picture and information to all law enforcement agencies, and he’s already notified Angelica Gomez to air the story.

” Pain and fear wrenched Ellie’s eyes. “Carrie Ann’s parents have requested a camera interview and plan to offer a reward for information that might help find her. ”

“I followed up with the ME and lab this morning,” Derrick said. “Dr. Whitefeather must have worked through the night. She already IDed the body those kids found.”

Ellie’s breath caught. “Who was it?”

“Just as you speculated, Earl Bramble.”

Cord could barely look at Ellie because he knew Bramble was dead and had kept it from her. And his prints on that shovel were evidence against him, and soon she would know the truth.