Chapter 111
ONE HUNDRED ELEVEN
Crooked Creek Police Station
Ellie entered the interrogation room, side by side with Derrick, and seated herself across the table from Whittaker. In spite of the fact he was handcuffed to the table, she half expected him to pounce.
Instead, he simply stared at her with cold blank eyes. The eyes of a sociopath who had no remorse for his brutal violence.
She pulled crime photos from a folder and spread them on the table.
“We have you dead to rights, Wally Wheaton. Your DNA is a match for the blood in Mabel Putnam’s house, so we have you on murder charges for her.
And attempted murder and sexual assault against Dana Jo Glasser.
She remembered what happened to her when she was abducted and is willing to testify against you.
” Ellie took a beat, then continued. “We’re also running paternity tests to see if you fathered Iris Benton, Lou Lou Glasser and the children of Nina Gillis and Jordan Orwell.
” She crossed her arms. “Your father took the fall for your mother’s death and confessed to murder to give you a chance at life, but look what you did with it. ”
Wheaton glanced at the photographs of his victims with a smile. “I had fun,” he said. “That’s what Daddy let me do.”
Ellie bit back a reaction. Derrick’s boots clicked on the floor as he strode over to the table. He planted his hands on top of it and stared down at Wheaton. “We all know you’re going to prison for life.”
Wheaton shrugged nonchalantly.
“Were there other girls and children?” Derrick asked.
The bastard shrugged again. “That’s for you to find out.”
“But we’re asking you,” Ellie asked.
“Do your job, lady.”
“It’s Detective,” Ellie said with emphasis. “Now tell us where Iris and Lou Lou are.”
Wheaton sneered at them. “I told you they’re in a better place.”
Ellie grimaced at the term. Some people referred to heaven as a “better” place.
“Did you kill them?” Derrick asked bluntly.
Wheaton’s eyes brightened. “I’ll never tell,” he said in an almost singsong voice.
Derrick pounded the table, his voice icy. “Cooperate and we’ll take the death penalty off the table.”
Wheaton threw his head back and laughed. “You’ll never get that anyway,” he said. “You seem to forget that I’m an attorney and I know the judges around here.”
“Nice try,” Derrick said. “But we will find one who isn’t your friend.”
“All we want are the children back,” Ellie said. “They’re innocent and need to be with their mothers.”
“You’re fucking insane. I didn’t save them only for you to put them back with those little tramps.”
Ellie clenched her hands. She’d never wanted to punch a man as badly as she did now.
Derrick’s phone buzzed. He glanced at it, then said, “I need to take this. Let’s go, Detective. He can rot for all I care.”
Ellie glared at the bastard then followed Derrick into the hall, angry as all get-out. She tapped her foot and cursed beneath her breath as he muttered “good” into the phone. Then he hung up and cleared his throat.
“The warrants for Mabel Putnam’s patient files came through. Maybe we’ll find some answers in there.”
“I hope so,” Ellie said. “That man is a monster.”