“No,” Ellie said. “If this is legit, the killer might move the body by morning.”
“You’re right,” Derrick said. “We can’t waste time.”
Ellie sped up and they rode the next few miles in silence. When she reached Ida’s trailer she veered into the driveway. A lamp burned in the living room indicating someone was home. They made their way to the front door and Derrick rang the bell.
Tension thickened and a stiff wind blew through bringing the scent of garbage. A cat screeched from the neighbor’s yard, and she realized it was tearing into someone’s trash. Derrick punched the bell a second time and finally Ellie saw Ida walking through the living room toward the door wearing a pair of flannel pajamas. Her hair was rumpled, and she yawned as she opened the door. Jesus, they’d woken her up.
“What are y’all doing here this time of night?” Ida grumbled.
“Sorry to bother you so late, but it’s important,” Ellie said. “We need to speak to your daughter.”
Ida’s brows shot up. “Kat? Why?”
“Is she here?” Derrick asked.
“Of course she is. She’s not allowed to go out at night with that killer on the loose.”
Ellie offered her an understanding smile. Obviously, Ida was unaware Kat had called the tip line. “I don’t blame you. But someone using her phone called us and we really have to talk to her. With you present, of course.”
Ida toyed with the top button of her pajamas. “Can’t this wait until tomorrow?”
“I’m afraid not,” Ellie said.
“We can either do it here or at the police station,” Derrick said.
Ida sputtered a nervous sound, then threw her shoulders back and walked down the hall. She called Kat’s name as she banged on the door then opened it.
“Get up, Kat, the police are here and need to talk to you.”
Ellie and Derrick waited in the living room until Kat appeared. She was wearing pajama pants and a sweatshirt and looked terrified.
“Kat,” Ellie said gently. “We received a tip call from your phone tonight about a body in the woods by the graveyard. It was you that called, wasn’t it?”
The girl’s pallor turned a ghostly white.
“That’s impossible,” Ida snapped. “Kat was here all night. I told you we don’t let her go out, especially in the woods.”
Kat’s lower lip trembled, and she tugged the ends of her sleeves to cover her fingers.
Ida fisted her hands on her hips. “Tell them, Kat. You were here all night.”
“We can check your phone,” Derrick cut in.
Tears filled Kat’s eyes. “I’m sorry, Mama.”
Ida gasped and sank into the club chair by the fireplace. “Lord have mercy, Kat. What did you do?”
Kat covered her face with her hands and dropped onto the sofa.
Ellie slid down beside her and rubbed her back. “Listen, Kat, you aren’t in trouble. But we need to know what happened tonight. Why you made that call.”
Ida looked stricken with shock. “Did you go to that graveyard?”
Kat gave a quick nod and wiped at her damp cheeks. “Some of the kids wanted to go so I met them there.”
“Then what happened?” Ellie asked gently.
Kat picked up the throw pillow on the couch and hugged it like a teddy bear. “We went into the woods and… one of the guys saw a hat and then some brush was piled up by the ravine and… it looked like a dog had been digging there.”
