Chapter 57

FIFTY-SEVEN

While Ellie stayed with the ME, Derrick walked outside to question Delilah's ex-husband. The ERT was busy combing the property and the exterior of the house for forensics.

Delilah's children sat inside his SUV, crying and clinging to each other. Derrick rapped on the window and the man looked up with a dazed look of denial, then lowered the window.

"Can we talk, Mr. Short?"

He turned to the kids and patted each of their hands, then murmured he'd be back. Dragging a shaky hand over his face as if to regain his composure, he slid from the vehicle and he and Derrick crossed the yard to the porch. The wind whipped through the trees, sending residual moisture from the earlier sleet and melting snow down so they stepped onto the porch for cover.

"I know this is a difficult time, Mr. Short," Derrick said. "But I need to ask you a few questions."

"Call me Jonas," the man said, his voice gruff. "Why would someone kill Delilah?"

"I don't know yet, but Detective Reeves and I are going to do everything possible to find the person responsible."

Jonas sniffed and gave a nod.

"Tell me about your ex-wife," Derrick said.

"She was a loving, kind mother," he replied, his voice tender. "She liked to help people."

"Do you mind telling me what happened in your marriage?"

He jerked his head up, eyes narrowed. "We just grew apart after the kids were born so we split when they were toddlers," Jonas answered. "We decided we were better friends than husband and wife."

"So you co-parented?"

"That's right. The kids were upset at first, but a mediator helped us decide how to work together and put the kids first."

"I understand your wife was a counselor," Derrick said.

"She was," Jonas answered. "She was a real caretaker." Uneasiness sparked in his eyes. "You don't think one of her clients did this, do you?"

"I don't know, but we'll look into that," Derrick said. "Did she ever mention someone she was worried about? Someone who was upset with her or she felt posed a danger?"

He shook his head. "Delilah took patient-confidentiality seriously. She would never betray a patient's privacy."

"Did she seem nervous lately?"

"No." He hesitated. "Although our daughter mentioned that Delilah was upset when she saw the news about those little girls' murders."

Derrick drew a breath. "Did Delilah know the twins?"

"Not that I know of," Jonas said.

"How about the woman named Barbara Thacker who we've been looking for?"

"If she did, she never mentioned it to me. Then again, we mostly just exchanged info about the kids when we made drop-offs."

"Would you mind if I spoke to your daughter a minute? In your presence, of course." Derrick shifted onto the balls of his feet. "I promise I'll try not to upset her any more than she already is."

Jonas looked hesitant but relented and led Derrick back to the car. "Honey, Agent Fox needs to talk to you for a minute."

Wariness flickered across the teen's face. "Am I in trouble or something?"

"No, honey. He's just trying to figure out what happened to Mom."

The girl fidgeted but stepped from the car and crossed her arms, her face a mask of anguish.

"I'm so sorry for your loss," Derrick said gently. "I promise you I'll find out who did this terrible thing to your mother."

She swiped at her damp red cheeks. "Everybody loved Mom," she said, her voice breaking.

"I'm sure they did." Derrick offered her a sympathetic smile. "Your dad said she was upset over the news story about those little girls who were found at Emerald Falls. Did she talk to you about that?"

The girl shrugged her thin shoulders. "She was upset, but she was so tenderhearted she cried over coffee commercials."

Derrick smiled again. "Did she mention knowing the girls?"

The daughter shook her head.

"How about a woman named Barbara Thacker?"

"Who?"

Derrick showed her the picture of Barbara he'd downloaded onto his phone. "This woman, Barbara Thacker."

The teen tilted her head to the side and studied the picture. "I don't remember seeing her. But I did hear Mom talking to someone named Barbara a couple of days ago."

"Why are you asking about that woman?" the husband interjected.

Not prepared to divulge that Barbara could be the twins' biological mother, Derrick chose his words carefully. "Because she's missing and I think she knew your wife."

He saw the wheels turning in Jonas's mind.

"You think she was one of Delilah's clients and that she killed my wife?"

Derrick maintained a neutral expression. "It's too early to speculate, but we'll explore every angle." Although that would be reason for Barbara to disappear. But what motive would Barbara have to hurt her counselor or the children?

And what about Claire?