Page 97 of The Ice Sisters

Ellie’s pulse jumped. “We need concrete evidence. Otherwise, his attorney will argue it’s his word against a dead woman’s.”

“Forensics found pictures of his daughter locked in a cage in the wall with the woman. Odds are his prints are all over them.”

“Great,” Ellie said. “I think he was moving her off his property in case we searched his house. Good work, following him.”

“I just had a hunch.”

From growing up in abusive foster home. But he didn’t say that and she didn’t push it. One day maybe he’d confide more about his past.

“Her body has been transported to the morgue,” Cord said.

“I’m calling Dr. Whitefeather next,” Ellie said. “Did forensics find anything else? Maybe pictures of the twins or Mazie and Ivy.”

“Not yet. They’re still processing the house.”

Ellie thanked him, then hung up, turned to Derrick and relayed the team’s findings. “I’ll phone the ME. Hopefully the lab has analyzed some of the prints and samples collected and she has news.”

Ellie made the call. “Putting you on speaker, Laney. Agent Fox is here. Tell me you have evidence against Modelle.”

“I haven’t gotten far with the body at his place, but the woman’s prints match Modelle’s wife’s. I also collected his DNA from underneath her nails and her clothing.”

“Got him,” Ellie murmured. “What else?”

“The necklace McClain found at Modelle’s definitely had Modelle’s fingerprints. DNA on the trinket box also matched Modelle’s.” Laney hesitated, her voice filled with urgency.

“Hot damn,” Ellie said shifting on the balls of her feet.

“Were his prints or DNA on the twins’ bodies? Or Claire Woodston’s?”

“Afraid not,” Laney said. “They also didn’t match the ones found at the counselor Delilah Short’s house either.”

Ellie pinched the bridge of her nose. “He must have worn gloves.”

A tense heartbeat passed. “That’s possible. Although I compared the prints and DNA at Delilah’s office and they match the ones recovered at the Woodston house.”

“I don’t understand,” Ellie said.

“I don’t either but I ran them twice,” Laney said.

“That means someone else was at both places.”

“It appears that way.”

“Have you identified who they belong to?” she asked.

Another tense pause. “Yes, a man named Nathan Jeb Huller. He’s thirty years old and lives in an area known as Gnat’s Landing.”

Nathan Jeb Huller. Why did that name sound familiar to her?

“Text me his address.”

“Will do.”

“If you learn anything else, call me,” Ellie said.

“Of course.”

They ended the call, the name Nathan Jeb Huller rolling over and over in Ellie’s mind. She definitely recognized it. But from where?

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