Page 83 of The Ice Sisters

“Lola, it’s Ellie.”

“What do you want?” Lola asked tersely.

She must be busy. “Sorry, didn’t mean to bother you, but is Cord there?”

Lola’s sigh echoed back. “No. Why would you think he was here?”

Frustration mounted inside Ellie. “Because he’s there a lot,” she said.

“Not anymore.” Lola heaved a breath. “I have to go.”

The phone cut off, and Ellie frowned. What was going on with her? And what did she meannot anymore? She’d assumed they were planning their wedding…

The ambulance veered into the hospital parking lot with the Stuarts and Derrick following. Doors flew open and the medics rolled Barb into the hospital ER. Derrick escorted the Stuarts to a private waiting room so they could talk while Ellie trailed the nurse with Barbara.

“Miss, let us treat her and then you can see her.”

Ellie inhaled. “She was involved in the abduction of a little girl earlier, and at the moment is in police custody. I’ll arrange for security to guard her. I also need to speak with her the minute she regains consciousness.”

“Understood.”

The nurse rolled an unconscious Barbara into an ER room and requested a security guard for Barbara. When he was in place, she hurried back to find Derrick and the Stuarts. Derrick met her at the door.

“Where’s Loretta?” Ellie asked.

“Restroom,” Derrick replied. “Medics said she’s physically okay, just in shock and her blood pressure is high. They gave her something to stabilize her.”

Ellie took a deep breath then she and Derrick entered the room. Michael sat ramrod straight, his jaw clenched.

He looked up, wild-eyed. “Did you find her?”

Ellie’s heart tugged. More than anything she wanted to tell him yes, that their daughter was safe and sound. But she couldn’t lie.

“I’m sorry but not yet. I promise though that we’ll do everything possible to find her and bring her home safely.”

“Like you found the monster who killed those other little girls,” Michael snapped.

Ellie swallowed hard, her guilt compounded by the fact that he was right.

ONE HUNDRED THREE

Loretta’s stomach lurched. She’d run to the restroom to catch her breath. But as she looked into the mirror, she barely recognized the pale face staring back.

You were supposed to protect your daughter. But you failed.

She doubled over, clutching her stomach then ran into the stall and threw up. Grabbing toilet paper, she swiped at her mouth then stepped from the stall to the sink and splashed cold water on her face. Still, tortured thoughts bombarded her as she returned to the waiting room where Michael was pacing. Detective Reeves had joined the federal agent and her husband. One look at the terror in Michael’s eyes and her legs wobbled beneath her.

Taylor and Heidi were dead, and now Mazie and Ivy were with the monster who’d murdered them.

What was he doing to her? Where had he taken her? And why?

Would she ever see her precious daughter again?

Dear God, she had to tell Michael the truth. She should have done it when the twins were found. What if her silence cost her her child?

A sharp pain wrenched her chest and she stumbled over and sank down beside Michael. She could not lose her sweet Ivy.

Michael gently touched her shoulder, making her heart ache even more. God, how she loved him. “Loretta, it’s okay. We’ll find her.”

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