Chapter 62
SIXTY-TWO
Ollie’s Farm
“Why would someone kill my daughter?” Yolette asked in a pained whisper.
“At this point, we don’t exactly know the reason,” Ellie answered. “But Nina was around the same age as the girl who recently died at Midnight Ridge. That was where your daughter was found, correct?”
Yolette nodded. “Yes, she got involved in the wrong crowd for a while and started drinking and smoking pot. Later, we managed to get her into counseling. Then we discovered she was pregnant and she dove into an even deeper depression.”
“Do you know who fathered her child?” Ellie asked softly.
Yolette shook her head. “She refused to talk about him.”
The pain in the woman’s voice tore at Ellie. Ellie was beginning to suspect the father of each teen’s child might have been one and the same. If he’d assaulted the girls and they threatened to tell, it provided motive to kill them.
Shondra patted Yolette’s shoulder. “Is there anyone we can call for you, ma’am?”
Yolette dabbed at her tears with a tissue Shondra handed her. “I’ll call my neighbor,” Yolette said.
“Give me her number and I’ll phone her,” Shondra offered.
Hands trembling, Yolette scrolled her contacts, then handed Shondra her phone. While Shondra stepped outside to make the call, Ellie continued.
“Do you think the baby’s father was someone she knew?” Ellie asked.
Yolette shrugged. “I wish I knew. I asked if she’d told him about the baby and she said she didn’t want him to know.”
Ellie worded her next question carefully. “Did she seem afraid of him?”
The woman’s face paled to a blotchy white, then her eyes widened. “Why are you asking? You think he killed my Nina?”
“I’m just gathering information,” Ellie said. “But at one time, each of the girls who died at Midnight Ridge suffered from some kind of addiction. And each girl had a baby or was pregnant at the time.” She let that sink in and saw horror in Yolette’s eyes.
“Do you have any idea who this guy is?” Yolette asked.
“I’m sorry, but not yet. But I intend to find him.” She offered the woman a tender smile. “Do you keep any of Nina’s things?” Ellie asked.
Yolette’s lip quivered as more tears filled her eyes. “Yes. Her room is just as she left it.”
“Do you mind if I take a look?” Ellie asked. “Maybe there’s something in there that could lead us to the father’s name.”
Yolette stood. “Of course. I’ll show you. If you find something that will help, it’s yours.” She straightened her spine and lifted her chin. “I want you to find this bastard and make him pay.”
Ellie squeezed her hand, her heart aching as she stepped into the teenager’s room. “I promise we won’t stop until we put him away.”