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ONE HUNDRED EIGHT

Ellie called her boss and requested the ME and an ERT dispatched to Claire’s house to recover her body.

She’d assured the Stuarts that Barbara would remain in custody until the case was solved and warned Barbara if she lied or withheld information she would be arrested as an accomplice.

If this killer’s motive was to hurt Barbara, he might come back for her. She arranged for a guard to watch Barbara’s room and left Barbara with a pad and paper, imploring her to think of anyone who might have a personal motive to hurt her.

Derrick had stepped outside the room and returned a few minutes later. “I issued the BOLO for the van and my partner at the Bureau is going to search traffic cams and get a chopper in the air. They’ll search for farms in the area.”

Ellie’s pulse jumped. “Thanks. We have to look back at Modelle. He hated Barb for reporting him to DFACS and was arrested because of it.”

A second later, Loretta and Michael knocked on the room and entered. Tensions ran high as they exchanged looks then Loretta hurried to Barbara’s bedside.

Michael’s jaw was clenched, arms folded, posture rigid.

“How could you help him, Barb?” Loretta cried.

“I wasn’t helping him,” Barb argued. “I was trying to save Ivy and Mazie. I wanted to warn you and thought the police might catch him in town.”

“But he got away with her,” Loretta choked out.

“I know,” Barbara cried, “I’m so sorry…”

Tears streamed down both women’s faces.

Michael cleared his throat, pain and rage hardening his tone. “If you’d come forward sooner and I’d known, I could have protected Ivy and she’d still be with us.”

Guilt and anguish lined Loretta’s face as she crumpled into the chair, and Barbara spoke through a sob. “We just wanted to protect our families.”

Instead, their silence might have gotten them killed.