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SEVENTY-SEVEN

THE PINK PIG

Ellie and Derrick left Cord’s team searching for Claire on the Woodston property while her husband’s body was transported to the morgue. They stopped for a bite to eat at a hole in the wall barbeque restaurant the inn keeper had told her about when she’d first come to Emerald Falls.

The waitress appeared and they ordered pull pork sandwiches and Brunswick stew along with sweet-iced tea for Derrick and coffee for her.

Derrick opened his laptop on the table while they waited on the food. “I’ll look for birth certificates for the twins under the name Woodston.”

Ellie’s phone buzzed. The director of Serene Living where Delilah Short had worked. She stirred sweetener into her mug as she answered the call, “Detective Reeves.”

“Detective, this is Minerva. I had a chance to look over Delilah’s notes and an archived account of some of her group sessions dating back ten years. Although I can’t share personal details of her clients, I can confirm that the woman you were inquiring about, Barbara Thacker, belonged to a support group Delilah supervised.”

Remembering Barbara had a stillborn, Ellie asked, “Was it a grief support group?”

“No. A group for women with fertility issues”

Ellie made a note on her notepad. “Who else was in the group?”

“I can’t divulge names,” Minerva said.

Ellie chewed her lip in frustration. “I know this is pushing it, but can you at least tell me if a woman named Claire Woodston was part of the group?”

“Why are you asking about her?” Minerva asked with a hint of wariness to her tone.

“Both she and Barbara may be connected to the murders of the two children we found at Emerald Falls and may be in danger. I’ve tried to locate both women but haven’t been able to.”

A long hesitant pause, then Minerva made a small sound in her throat. “Then yes, her name is in here.”

Ellie sighed in relief. “What about a woman named Rosalyn Birmingham and another, Loretta Stuart? Were they part of the same group?”

“Detective…”

“Please, Minerva, it’s important. These women might be in danger, so it’s urgent I find them.”

“Yes, they were also part of the same group. But that’s all I can tell you.”

“I understand. Thank you. If you think of anything else that might help, please call me.”

Minerva murmured she would and hung up.

Ellie jotted the words infertility support group on her notepad and scribbled each woman’ s name then drew connecting lines between them. She understood the women’s strong connection. A deep connection only women who suffered through the same disappointments, dreams and problems could share.

Each of them had faced fertility challenges and had bonded in that support group. They’d probably shared tears and hugs and all the little moments of ups and downs of their infertility, childbearing journey.

What she didn’t understand was why none of the women were trying to get justice for the twins.