Page 116 of The Graveyard Girls (Detective Ellie Reeves #11)

ONE HUNDRED FIFTEEN

Ellie’s head spun. “Earl Bramble… dead?”

“Yes,” Derrick said. “The ME is a hundred percent. Said she double-checked DNA, medical and dental records.”

“But if he’s been dead for years, even if he killed Ruth, he’s not our unsub.”

“No,” Derrick said. “That’s the reason I need to talk to McClain.” He tilted his head toward Cord. “About those prints on the shovel, McClain. Care to explain how they got there?”

A muscle ticked in Cord’s jaw. “I can’t.”

“Why not?” Ellie rasped.

“It’s not what you think,” he said gruffly.

Derrick crossed his arms. “Then what is it?”

A tense beat followed but Cord simply shook his head.

“Cord,” Ellie said shrilly. “There has to be a logical explanation. Tell us what happened.”

“It’s not my story to tell,” he said.

Derrick pulled handcuffs from his pocket. “Maybe sitting in a cell for a while will loosen your tongue.”

Horror washed over Ellie as Derrick jerked Cord’s arms behind him and snapped the cuffs in place. Then he pushed Cord toward her front door. Cord gave her a forlorn look and mouthed, “I’m sorry,” then dropped his shoulders as Derrick escorted him to his car.

For a moment, Ellie was too stunned to move or speak.

She knew Cord had secrets. A checkered past that included abuse. She suspected he’d fought his foster father. But in self-defense.

The past few days working this case he’d been brooding. She’d sensed something was wrong.

If he’d known Earl Bramble was dead, why hadn’t he said something?

Hurt and anger bled through her. They’d suspected Bramble of all these murders and been searching for him, and Cord allowed her to believe that, let them chase their tails blindly. Let them waste time.

And now another girl was in danger and might die because of his silence.