Page 92 of The Ice Sisters

“You’re not going to beat the charges this time,” she said coldly. “We caught you in the act of burying a body. And there will be evidence inside your wall that should help fry your ass, at least for this murder.”

Then he’d be locked up until he died and the world would be a safer place.

“Someone set me up,” he said as she glared down at him.

“Right.” Sarcasm dripped from Ellie’s tone. “And that person told you about the body inside the wall of your own house. You arrogant prick.” She smiled. “Face it, you’re going to prison. Your only chance now is to tell us where the abducted girls are.”

His beady eyes narrowed to menacing slits, and the timbre of his voice turned ice cold. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Ellie wanted to slap him but refrained. “Where are they?” She gestured toward the house then the woods. “Are they in one of the walls or somewhere on your land?”

“I didn’t kill those brats.”

“Their names are Taylor and Heidi. And now Mazie and Ivy are gone. You wanted revenge against Barbara for reporting you to DFACS so you went after her children.”

A strange look darkened his eyes. Almost as if he was confused. Then the evil returned. “I told you, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Ellie breathed out fire. “Stop lying. If Mazie and Ivy are still alive and you want any chance of avoiding the death penalty, you’d damn well better tell me where they are.”

His lips pressed into a straight hard line. “Lawyer.”

It took every ounce of restraint Ellie possessed not to shove her gun in his mouth and blow his brains out.

ONE HUNDRED TWELVE

CROOKED CREEK POLICE STATION

As the day bled into late afternoon, Ellie was so anxious she was about to pull her hair out. Modelle still wasn’t talking.

She’d followed the sheriff to the police department where he’d locked Modelle into a cell. Cord stayed back on the farm to supervise the search, but so far, they hadn’t found any other bodies.

Were Mazie and Ivy still alive?

God, she hoped so. If not, she’d failed again and she might just hang up her badge.

She paced her office, knowing Modelle’s attorney was on the way, probably already planning his strategy to get the bastard off scott-free again.

Not happening though. They’d followed protocol, colored between the lines. The damn charges had to stick.

Her phone buzzed. The ME. She connected the call, anxious to hear what Laney had to say. “It’s Ellie. Tell me you have something. Please.” She hated the desperation in her voice.

“I’ll work on the autopsy on Claire Woodston tomorrow but I’ve already collected particulates beneath her nails so she put up a fight. Hopefully she got this maniac’s DNA. The ERT also found prints in the house. They’re running them now.”

Ellie breathed out. She just hoped that was soon although DNA analysis took time.

“What about the body at Modelle’s?” she asked.

A heartbeat passed. “Hard to be specific but the body is a female, approximately thirty-four when she died. She’s been dead for years.”

Ellie rubbed her temple as a lightning bulb went off in her head. “Modelle’s wife left town after she testified against Modelle. What if he tracked her down after he was released?”

“Makes sense,” Lacey said. “This is pure speculation, but from my preliminary exam, I’d say she died from blunt force trauma to the back of the head.”

Ellie pressed a hand over her temple where a headache was beginning to throb. Had Modelle killed his wife because she’d testified against him?

ONE HUNDRED THIRTEEN

OPOSSUM TRAIL FARM

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