Chapter 114
ONE HUNDRED FOURTEEN
Crooked Creek Police Station
While Derrick handled Benton’s booking, Ellie met with Angelica Gomez. She’d hoped to find details about where Iris and Lou Lou were in Mabel’s files but hadn’t. And so far, the FBI hadn’t found the woman who’d taken in Wally Wheaton either. She just prayed the girls were safe with her.
Disappointed and frustrated, she decided to move forward with a press conference.
Angelica smiled as she met Ellie in the press room. Her cameraman, Tom, had already set up.
“You okay?” Angelica asked softly.
Ellie gave a slight shake of her head. She wouldn’t be all right until she found the little girls. “But let’s get started.”
Angelica smoothed down her thick dark brown hair, which she wore in a fashionable bun on the top of her head today, then introduced herself. “Once again, we’re here with Detective Ellie Reeves with an update on the Midnight Ridge case.” She angled the mic toward Ellie. “Detective?”
Ellie licked her dry lips then spoke. “We have now made arrests in the murders of Minnie Benton, Nina Gillis and Jordan Orwell. Attorney Will Whittaker, AKA Wally Wheaton, is in custody. He is also charged with the attempted murder of Dana Jo Glasser and the kidnappings of Iris Benton and Lou Lou Glasser.” Ellie paused.
“In a new development, police discovered that Claude Benton, Minnie Benton’s father, is complicit in the murders and charges are being filed against him.
” She let a second pass. “We now believe the children Iris Benton and Lou Lou Glasser were abducted and may be victims of an illegal adoption scheme. If you have any information about their whereabouts, please call the tip line you’ll see on our screen so we can reunite the little girls with their rightful mothers.
” Another beat. “If you inadvertently adopted or are fostering Iris or Lou Lou, no charges will be filed as long as you return them safely. We are also looking for the woman who raised Wally Wheaton after his father was incarcerated. If anyone has information about her, or if you are that person and you have the children, please contact us. Again, no charges. We simply want to reunite these little girls with their families.”
Exhausted, she ended the press conference, praying whoever had the children decided to do the right thing and come forward.