Alexander let go of my hand. “Everything will work itself out.”
“I hope you’re right.”
We left the car, crossed the street, and went up the stairs.
Mrs. Mable was heading out, right as Alexander was going to knock on the door. “Look at you two. I thought you might not come.”
I smiled. “I had to come for your biscuits.”
“That’s why I was walking out now.” Mrs. Mable put her view on Alexander. “Vernon done disappear with his young arms. Now I need these big ones over here to get the biscuits out of the car.”
Alexander grinned. “My big arms are at your service.”
“Oh yeah? Well then, maybe I’ll take you over to my house so you can work on painting my walls and fix that creaky pipe in the basement.”
“Mrs. Mabel, don’t steal my partner from me.” I shook my head and walked inside.
Alexander and Mrs. Mabel went off in the other direction.
Mrs. Mable asked, “Do you have a wife or girlfriend, Agent King?”
“No, ma’am.”
“Oh, you need somebody.”
The door shut behind me before I could ease drop anymore. But it didn’t matter. His response wasn’t as important as today’s mission.
Mrs. Mabel said that Vernon was still gone. Would he return? He must’ve known that we would be at the house. Surely, the Pastor and his wife discussed it the night before. It must’ve made Vernon nervous to think that we would be there.
At least, I can sneak in his room while he’s gone.
The house was welcoming from the open door to the wide hallway. The floor was an old-fashioned wooden one with a blend of deep browns.
Photographs of the Millers hung on the blue walls. The first framed image was black and white. Dressed in their Sunday best, two kids sat in front of their parents. I stared at the kids’ faces.
Wait. That’s Pastor Miller. Who’s the girl next to him?
Ponytails hung on the side of her head.
Pastor Miller had a sister? I don’t remember hearing anything about her.
I made note of it and walked on.
The next frame was a family picture of Pastor Miller, his wife, and three daughters—Barbara, Eartha, and Julia. The girls had been very young. All three wore pink dresses and had huge smiles.
I stopped and stared at the next image. It was another family picture from the past, but this one was different. The girls were now teens. While Barbara and Eartha smiled next to their parents in white blouses and blue pants, Julia stood a few inches away and was dressed in black. They smiled. Julia frowned.
Did your uncle touch you? Is that what changed your whole life? What sets you apart?
I wished I’d known all of this when I was younger. Mom had told me to keep away from Julia as if she was a bad influence. Granted, she was, but she also had been lost and in desperate need of help and understanding. With all my psych degrees, I knew that the whole time Julia was in an unimaginable pain that she could not comprehend with words. Therefore, all she could do was act out.
Poor Julia.
I walked further down the hallway.
The next photos displayed an adult Barbara with her own family. I remembered Pastor Miller said she was a principal at Fullbrooke elementary. She’d married David Jefferson. They’d been dating the whole time in high school and then in college. From all looks of things, it was a perfect marriage. Two cute kids stood in front of them with huge grins and neat clothing.
I walked over to the picture of Eartha and her family. She was the doctor, now pregnant with twins. This was on her second marriage. Seven kids sat around her husband and her. I had no idea how many kids she or he had brought into the family, and which they had birthed together.
I moved to the last photo near the living room opening. It was a large picture of Vernon and his little sister.
Leaning closer, I studied the image. Wearing a gray suit, he looked to be around eight or seven. His sister was a little toddler. She had a red and white lace dress on. Red and white ribbons decorated her two ponytails.
Oh my god.
My body stilled.
The little girl held a red pillow in her lap. Someone had sewed gold angel wings on the front.
A voice sounded behind me. “Kela never did anything without that pillow.”
I jumped and turned around.
“Sorry to frighten you, Haven.” Mrs. Miller held a sad smile. “I noticed you were looking at the picture. And it made me think of Kela and that pillow.”
“She liked it a lot?”
“Carried it everywhere she went. The counselor said she used it as a form of comfort. I never understood it, but we made sure she had her pillow with her no matter what.” She blinked as her eyes watered. “And when we buried Kela, we put the pillow right next to her in the casket.”
So full of emotion, I hugged her. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Miller.”
“Oh, Haven. It’s been a long time.” She still took the hug from me.
“I know, but. . .”
“It’s okay, Haven.”
I stepped back. “I didn’t even know about this. Mom happened to tell me today when I was asking about. . .your daughters. It’s been a while since I’ve caught up with them.”
“It’s so hard to catch them all anyway. They’re always busy. Don’t you worry about that. You have this case to focus on.”
I looked back at the picture. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”
“It’s been five years. We celebrated her birthday seven months ago.”
The Angel Maker had begun taking girls seven months ago. Could his baby sister’s birthday celebration had been the trigger to start grabbing and suffocating girls?
I swallowed. “Seven months ago?”
“Yes.” She let out a long breath. “We always do a cake and candles for her.”
“I think that’s good. Do you do this every year?”
“Yes.” She guided me to the living room. “It’s usually just us three. Vernon, Bill, and me.”
Bill was Pastor Miller.
Several men sat in the living room. A football game played on the screen. I recognized most of them as deacons from the church. Feminine chatter sounded from the dining area and kitchen. Everyone would be heating up the food and preparing the table.
I got to Mrs. Miller’s side. “What was different about this year?”
Heading to the dining area, Mrs. Miller looked over her shoulder and widened her eyes. “Oh. Did I say something was different?”
“No. I was just wondering. It was more your tone.”
“Well, Julia showed up to this birthday. And. . .she wasn’t her best.”
“No?” I hoped to get more out of Mrs. Miller before we arrived with the other women. “What was different?”
I could tell she didn’t want to say too much.
Thankfully, she shook her head. “Julia came here with some man in a suit. She said she was cleaned up. I don’t know if your mother has told you, but Julia has been dancing with the devil.”
“Yes, ma’am. I heard a little.”
“This man had a fancy suit and she said they were married and was coming for Vernon.”
“Oh my.”
“Yes. We’ve been fighting him and Julia ever since. Got a lawyer and everything.”