Derrick gave her a stony look. “We’re arresting your husband as an accomplice in your daughter’s murder and the deaths of two other women, kidnapping another and abducting minors.”
“What?” Mrs. Benton cried.
“Call Will,” Benton shouted.
Ellie touched the woman’s arm. “No need. He’s the man who killed your daughter and is in custody. And Mrs. Benton, your husband knew and covered for him. If you were aware of this and helped cover it up, you’re at fault, too.”
“Oh, my God,” Mrs. Benton cried. “I gave up everything for you, Claude. Even gave you two beautiful girls and instead of protecting them, you did all this?”
“Oh, please. You got what you wanted,” he barked. “A nice house. Nice clothes.”
“No, I wanted a family,” she cried. “And you betrayed all of us.” Mrs. Benton crumbled into a kitchen chair, doubled over and buried her head into her hands. “Take him away. Please get him out of here. Please…”
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 JordanOrwell. 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.
ONE HUNDRED FIFTEEN
Ellie left Deputy Landrum to man the tip line then ducked back into her office, where Derrick was finishing analyzing Mabel Putnam’s files.
“I called Hazel and told her we found Minnie’s directive. She’s on her way.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I also explained Mabel’s part in all this.”
“I’m sure that upset her,” Ellie said.
Derrick nodded. “Yes, it did.”
Ellie agreed that Hazel should be the one to open the directive. “You got Benton settled?”
“Yes. Of course he’s already called an attorney. I pulled some strings and have requested he be denied bond.”
“I hope he never sees the light of day again,” Ellie said.
A knock at the door, then Ellie looked up to see Hazel. She was teary-eyed and looked shaken and clutched her purse to her hands.
“Come on in, Hazel,” Ellie said.
Hazel nodded, then lumbered in, rubbing her leg as she sat. “I heard the press conference. I can’t believe my own grandson did this. And Minnie’s daddy?” She made a tsking sound. “Nowonder she hated him and didn’t want her parents to have anything to do with Iris.”
“It is pretty horrible and ironic that Wally’s father went to prison to give his son a better life yet Benton threw his daughter to the wolves for his own personal gain,” Ellie said.
“It’s no wonder Minnie was so troubled. I wish she would have talked to me.” Hazel dabbed at her eyes. “I thought I was doing the right thing by connecting her and the other girls to Mabel.” Emotions weighted her voice. “But look what a foolish old lady I was. All this happening and I trusted her.”
