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Derrick’s temper slowly subsided as he stepped outside for some fresh air. He knew McClain was only trying to help in the case. He wasn’t a bad guy, he had just grown up rough. He also had been an asset in other investigations.

But Derrick sensed the ranger had a dark side, a side that if unleashed, could be dangerous.

Besides, he wasn’t a cop. And Derrick didn’t want Ellie jeopardizing her career for the man just because they’d been friends for years.

Pushing his emotions aside, he turned his mind back to the case. He phoned the judge to request warrants and explained about Delilah Short’s murder and her possible connection to the death of the twins and the disappearance of Barbara Thacker.

“Agent Fox, we’ve been through this before. Obtaining a subpoena for private medical records is a long process.” He knew that and had pulled strings with a contact to find out about the stillborn birth.

“But it’s possible one of Delilah Short’s patients killed her.”

“Bring me reasonable cause and a specific name and we’ll see what we can do.”

Derrick ground his teeth as he hung up. Dammit, it was one roadblock after another. He and Ellie had to talk to Delilah’s coworkers. If Delilah had problems with one of her clients, someone at her office might know.

To cover all the bases, he ran a background check on Delilah’s ex-husband but the man seemed to be stable, no financial problems and no history of any domestic problems with the couple. Next, he did a deep dive to find a number for Rosalyn Birmingham, but her driver’s license had expired. He tried the phone number listed on her last license, but it was no longer in service. He found no current bank account then looked at her social security deductions and learned her last job was at a place on Coal Mountain called the Biscuit Barn.

Pulling up the number, he phoned the manager. A woman answered, then called the manager to the phone.

“This is Special Agent Fox with the FBI. I’m inquiring about a woman who worked for you, Rosalyn Birmingham.”

The man stuttered a curse word. “What is she saying? ’Cause I had to let her go. Customers were complaining about her coughing all over the place, and she smelled like smoke all the time. A real turn-off.”

Derrick frowned. “Actually, she’s not saying anything,” Derrick answered. “I need to talk with her.”

“Well, hell, I don’t know where she and that kid went.”

Derrick remembered the little auburn-haired girl with freckles from the photographs on Barbara’s thumb drive. “Her child was with her?”

“Yeah, she’s about seven or eight. Name’s Mazie. A real quiet kid although I caught her sneaking bread to take back to their room in the back at night.”

“Did Rosalyn leave anything behind when she left?”

He shook his head. “No, but she didn’t have much to begin with. Just took her last check and walked away.”

“Walked? She didn’t have a car?”

“No, think she sold that before she came to work for me.” A tense second passed. “Why’d you say you were looking for her? Is she in trouble or something?”

“I just need to talk to her about a case I’m working on. If you hear from her, please call me.”

The man agreed, then Derrick hung up. He had a bad feeling. Even if Rosalyn had nothing to do with his case, it sounded like she was in trouble.

Hoping to find her, he called the homeless shelters in the Coal Mountain area, but Rosalyn and her daughter weren’t there either.

The hair on the back of his neck stood on end as he looked back at the photos. Two kids were dead. So was a counselor the women knew. Barbara was missing.

And Rosalyn and her daughter might be in trouble. What the hell was going on?