Page 30 of The Ice Sisters

Ellie’s stomach roiled as an image flashed through her mind. The little girls running, a man in chase, grabbing their arms.

“The toes of the girls’ shoes also indicated that at some point they were being dragged.”

Derrick cleared his throat. “Did they fall or were they pushed or thrown over?”

Laney shrugged. “That’s more difficult to say but if you look at the bruises on the first girl’s upper shoulders, I’d say she may have slipped and fallen while running. Girl two came at their attacker, clawed at him, hence getting the particulates under her nails, and he shoved her. She sustained bruises on her chest which appear to be from hands.”

“Signs of sexual assault?” Derrick asked.

Laney shook her head. “Thankfully he spared them that.”

Yes, thankfully, Ellie thought.

“The girls’ ages?”

Sadness tinged Laney’s voice. “Approximately eight years old.”

“Prints?” Derrick asked.

“No,” Laney said. “He must have worn gloves.”

“Not surprising,” Ellie said.

“What about the DNA sample from the woman in the hospital?” Derrick asked.

“I ran it several times and confirmed it’s a match to the girls.”

Ellie straightened. The DNA match supported her theory about Barbara being the twins’ mother. Although the woman in the hospital claimed she didn’t have children.

Questions assaulted Ellie. Why would she lie about that?

Where was she now? Did she know her daughters had been in danger or were dead? Had she been with them when their killer had taken them?

If so, why hadn’t she told Derrick?

Because she was involved?

THIRTY-FIVE

EMERALD FALLS

Seven-year-old Mazie Birmingham hated cold weather. Shivering, she hunched inside the old jacket her mama got her from Goodwill and traipsed after her through the town of Emerald Falls. Other kids squealed and laughed as they built snowmen and raced onto the ice-skating rink. Her stomach growled as they passed the hot dog stand and pizza food truck. The smell of hot chocolate made her lick her dry, chapped lips.

She wanted to beg her mama to get them a slice of pepperoni, but she knew better than to ask. They had no money. Mama had stolen before, but she got arrested once and Mazie had to go to a foster home where the man was mean, smelled nasty, guzzled moonshine and chewed tobacco. She could still see his stained teeth as he spit the nasty brown juice onto the ground when he yelled at her.

She never wanted to go back there.

“Come on, Mazie,” Mama hissed. We need to get out of this weather before we freeze to death.”

Mazie nodded. Her frozen toes felt like toothpicks about to break in two.

They had to find someplace to sleep out of the cold. The ground at the park where they’d stayed last week was wet andicy, and the thin blanket she carried in her trash bag was so holey you could feel the wind blowing through it like a door to a house that had been left open.

Mama broke into a coughing fit. She’d been coughing like crazy for weeks now.

Mazie begged her to go to the doctor, but Mama said they didn’t have money for that either. Especially now she’d lost her job.

Three weeks ago, the manager at the Biscuit Barn fired her for coughing all over the customers and their food.

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