Page 121 of The Graveyard Girls

“We also have collected numerous pieces of evidence with your DNA and prints which puts you at the murder sites and chronicled your delivery schedule to locations where other victims were abducted.”

“Joe,” Ellie interjected. “We also have the scarves you used to strangle your victims and the shoes you collected.”

Derrick spread photographs of the items across the table.

“In addition, your fingerprints and DNA were all over the closet where your mother locked you as a child.” Derrick leaned forward. “That would have been when you were forced to watch her entertain her johns, wasn’t it?”

He added photos of the closet and the lab results in front of Joe, then a photo of Joe’s mother. Joe squirmed and averted his eyes but a myriad of emotions streaked his face.

“We also found your mother’s body and Ruth Higgins’ remains on your property.”

Joe groaned as his gaze moved from his mother’s picture to Ruth’s. “I loved Ruth,” he admitted. “But she wouldn’t have anything to do with me.”

His gaze traveled to the shoes they believed belonged to his mother.

And Ellie knew they had him.

The son of a bitch’s face twisted into a smile. “They all got what they deserved just like she did.”

“Then you admit to killing your mother and Ruth and the other girls we recovered,” Derrick said between gritted teeth.

Joe traced his finger over the photograph of his mother’s red stilettos. “That bitch was a monster.”

And she’d raised another one, Ellie thought.

“What we need is for you to tell us who these other shoes belonged to,” Derrick said as he tapped the photos of the shoes they’d yet to identify.

Joe clenched his beefy hands on the table, the handcuffs rattling. “What’s in it for me?”

Derrick and Ellie exchanged a conspiratorial look, then Derrick responded. “We’ll see if we can take the death penalty off the table.”

Joe stared at the blunt ends of his dirty fingernails, then smiled when he looked up as if he was in control. “All right.”

Derrick shoved a pen and pad in front of him. “We also want names, locations or drawings of where their bodies are buried, and for you to match each one with one of these shoes from your collection.”

Joe bared his teeth in another evil smile then picked up the pen and got to work.

ONE HUNDRED THIRTY

Brambletown General Hospital

Kat and Ida received a hostile welcome from Carrie Ann’s mother.

“Did you know your husband was a killer?” Mrs. Parker asked.

Ida shook her head. “Of course not. If I had, I would have stopped him. And I sure as hell would have gotten my own daughter away from him. Besides, Kat loves your daughter and I wouldn’t let him hurt her either.”

“I do love her,” Kat said, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“But you left her alone in those woods,” Mrs. Parker snapped.

Kat bit her lower lip. “I know and I’m sorry. I’m so… sorry. I thought she went home.” Kat scrubbed her face with her hands to dry the tears. “I can’t believe my daddy did this.”

For a brief second Carrie Ann’s mother softened.

“Please, can I see her?” Kat said. “I have to tell her I didn’t know. I never would have left her or let my daddy hurt her. I swear.”

Ida spoke up.“Please, Phyllis, you can hate me if you want, but Kat is a kid and she and Carrie Ann have been friends since kindergarten. She’s hurting, too.”