Page 41 of The Graveyard Girls (Detective Ellie Reeves #11)

FORTY

Derrick shifted, averting his eyes from Ellie. She drove him crazy with her stubbornness and tenacity. That was also what he liked most about her. Whether he helped or not, she would handle this case with professionalism and compassion. And she’d put herself on the line if necessary.

He hoped it didn’t come to that.

The innate sense to protect her and work as her partner again had overcome him the moment he’d seen her in her office crouched over the files, gnawing on her lower lip.

He wanted to erase that worry and kiss those damn lips.

That was not an option though. She was with McClain. Like his partner said, he needed to move on.

Stick with the facts. Focus on the investigation. If this was a serial offender, no telling how many girls the unsub might have murdered.

Derrick pointed to each photo of the victims who’d been found as he shared their background history. “I have spoken with the lead detectives on each of these cases. All four girls were from North Georgia.

One, fourteen-year-old Ansley Pollock from Augusta.

Three years ago, she attended a youth camp where the group took a day trip to Tallulah Gorge.

Counselors stopped for food afterward at a fast-food place, but Ansley never made it back to the bus.

Her friend stated she left Ansley in the restroom and planned to meet her outside, but Ansley never showed.

No one in the restaurant noticed her or anything suspicious, but the owner said it was jam-packed that day and more than one youth group stopped in, so I guess Ansley didn’t stand out.

The restrooms were in the back of the restaurant with an exit door close by, which someone had left standing open that day.

Whoever abducted her probably left that way and had a vehicle waiting. ”

Derrick hesitated. “Although one person in the restaurant claimed they thought they saw a man fitting Earl Bramble’s description outside earlier that day.”

“Where was she found?” Ellie asked.

“In a wooded area not far from the gorge.”

She was trying to connect the girls. “Was she in foster care?”

Derrick shook his head. “No, she was being raised by a single mom. Father died in Afghanistan.”

He placed another photo on the board. “Victim two: Nineteen months ago, Kelsey Palmer, fifteen, from Helen. Parents deceased, so she lived with her grandmother. She disappeared on an outing during Oktoberfest.”

“Again, a crowded place,” Ellie said. “Which made it easy for the killer to hide in plain sight.”

Deputy Eastwood waved a finger. “Were there security cameras in town?”

“Yes, local police reviewed footage but didn’t find anything. I analyzed the police reports, and they were thorough in their investigation. Police finally decided she was abducted by someone traveling through town. She was found thirty miles away in a deserted area of the woods in North Georgia.”

“So he snatches them, then strangles them and dumps them in deserted places,” Ellie said.

Derrick nodded and added another photo. “Victim three, sixteen-year-old Tracy Cook from Dawsonville. Thirteen months ago. Lived with a single father. She was last seen at the convenience store where she worked as a cashier. Father was questioned and was cleared as he was at the hospital where he worked as a radiology tech. Manager of the store said Tracy clocked out and was going home. She left in her car, but her car was found two miles away in a ditch. Girl was later discovered on farmland outside of Dawsonville.”

“Who found her?” Ellie asked.

“Owner of the farm. Seventy-five-year-old Gunther Stevens when he went out to feed the chickens. Wife claimed they were at church the night before and then came home to bed. They were ruled out. No cameras on the property.”

“And last, victim four, fifteen-year-old Helena Mires from Ballground. Raised by a single mother. Rode her bike home from school every day but six months ago she didn’t make it home.

Her bike was found on the side of the road leading to her house.

Three days later, her body was discovered six miles away in the mountains. ”

“All those victims were strangled?” Ellie asked.

Derrick nodded. “With red scarves. And they were all missing one of their shoes.” He added photos of the scarves and shoes and wrote a question mark beside the word “Red.”

Ellie couldn’t deny the similarities.

“We don’t know the significance of leaving one shoe and taking the other, but it’s possible the color red triggers a past trauma,” said Derrick.

“It’s the color of blood,” Ellie said simply.

Exactly what he was thinking. “Unfortunately, we have no suspects. But we believe the same person, the killer, was in all these places at one time. And that north North Georgia is his hunting ground.”