Chapter 59
FIFTY-NINE
Mystic Church
Tilly made mental notes on each of the men in the group so she could relay the information to Derrick and Ellie, hoping it might lead to a suspect.
Poor little Iris had been missing for days now and every hour that passed, fear for the child intensified.
The group took a short break, and everyone grabbed more refreshments.
When they reconvened, a woman named Priscilla introduced herself.
She’d started drinking after her husband died and was struggling to pull herself from her grief-induced depression.
A young woman, possibly around eighteen, had come in late and looked so nervous that Tilly immediately wanted to fold her into a hug. She glanced at Tilly then the other women but seemed to avoid eye contact with the men.
The leader, Gil, addressed her. “Welcome back, Dana Jo. Glad you could join us tonight.”
Dana Jo tugged the sleeves of her sweater down over her hand and chewed on her bottom lip until it turned red. She didn’t speak, just simply nodded at Gil in acknowledgement of his greeting.
“Would you like to share?” Gil asked.
The girl wrapped her arms around herself then stared at her sneakers.
Tilly wondered about her story but knew individuals couldn’t be pushed, not when in recovery.
And judging from the pain in Dana Jo’s eyes, she was definitely having a difficult time. Was she afraid of something or someone? Or was she fending off the urge to use again?