Chapter 112
ONE HUNDRED TWELVE
Ellie needed to give a press conference but debated on whether to wait until they found the children. She’d hoped whoever had them would have come forward by now but no one had yet.
She and Derrick hurried to review Mabel Putnam’s files.
As required by their checks and balances system in the counseling practice, Mabel kept detailed notes on her sessions with her patients.
The notes were also useful in lawsuits to understand the psyche of patients in the event of a suicide, to confirm treatments were appropriate for the individual patients, and to pass on to future therapists, doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists and hospitals for ongoing treatment.
She ordered sandwiches and coffee to be delivered to her office for her and Derrick’s lunch, while he and Deputy Landrum retrieved the documents.
By the time the food had arrived, Derrick and Landrum returned with a box containing notes on Minnie, Dana Jo, Nina Gillis and Jordan Orwell.
They also pulled Clara’s, although Clara and her baby were now safe with Hazel.
“Let’s focus on Minnie’s and Dana Jo’s files first,” Ellie said.
“We have to,” Derrick said. “Although Bennett is reviewing homicides involving child abductions and missing children that could be related across the States.”
Ellie sighed in relief. “Good to know.”
The first thing she found in the box was a journal written by Mabel.
She quickly opened it, hoping she kept a log of dates and times of the abductions along with custodial/adoption placements for Iris and Lou Lou.
For a few minutes, she read in silence. Her heart pounded as she began to read Mabel’s statement aloud.
“Derrick, Mabel wrote in her notes that she desperately wanted a child. Listen to this: ‘After my DUI, and my license was temporarily suspended, Wally promised to help me get reinstated so I could counsel other women who were in my position. Then I met Hazel, and she asked me to work with the pregnant teens at Sanctuary House. I must admit that at first I resented them. I was a grown woman and wanted children more than anything but kept failing. They had issues with addiction and were only kids and were having babies. I remember talking to Wally about it one day and he understood. Said he’d help me find a child.’” Ellie turned to another page.
“‘I didn’t know he was going to kill the girls. I… really didn’t.
I thought he was going to just represent their legal problems and encourage them to get clean.
My job was to persuade them to choose the adoption route.
But… the situation spiraled out of control. ’”
“I’d say so,” Derrick agreed.
Ellie turned another page. “‘By the time I realized he’d killed the first girl, I was in too deep. He said I was complicit and legally I guess was. I… tried to get out, but he threatened me and threatened to kill Hazel.
“‘I kept thinking once I got my baby, I’d run and get as far away from him as I could get.’”
Derrick muttered a sound of disgust. “And now she’s dead.”
Ellie nodded, her chest aching. Yet she couldn’t deny that Mabel had been involved in the crimes. If she’d come forward after the first victim’s death, she could have saved the others.
“Here are notes on Minnie Benton’s sessions,” Derrick said as he opened a folder. “And here is the directive she wrote at Hazel’s insistence. It’s still unopened.”
“I’m glad we found that. Now we just need to find Iris.” Ellie exhaled. “What do Mabel’s notes say about Minnie’s sessions?”
Derrick sipped his coffee, then began. “These are quotes from Minnie.” He swallowed hard.
“‘I messed up by drinking. I know that. And I thought Daddy was helping me when he asked the senior partner at his firm to take my case. I knew that was a lot for Daddy because he was older and wanted to make partner, and he’d been wanting that for the last two years. It was all he talked about.’” Derrick paused as he seemed to be skimming ahead.
“What, Derrick?”
“Minnie goes on to say, ‘But Daddy’s partner drugged my soda after our meeting, and I passed out. When I came to, he was on top of me and I screamed. I couldn’t believe what was happening.’”
Ellie leaned her head into her hands, nauseated as she listened.
“‘When it was over, he threatened me. Said he’d kill me if I told. But I told Daddy anyway, and Daddy said I had to keep my mouth shut. Pretend like it never happened. That his partner got me out of trouble with the law and I was young and I’d get over it.’”
Ellie massaged the back of her neck, her anger mounting.
“‘But I couldn’t forget about it. I’ll never forget. Then when I learned I was pregnant, Daddy threw me out of the house. Said I was an embarrassment to the family. Especially to him. That I’d been a drunk and I deserved what I got and that nobody would believe my story.’”
“Oh, God,” Ellie said. “I’ll be right back.
” Pressing her hand to her mouth she ran from her office, sweating and dizzy and rushed into the ladies’ room.
She fell to her knees and released the venom inside her, spewing the contents of her breakfast into the toilet.
She grabbed paper towels to wipe her mouth and screamed into them.
Minnie’s father had to pay.