Page 85 of The Sleeping Girls
Bianca rolled her eyes.Geesh. Get on with the announcements already. And don’t you dare say Homecoming is canceled.
“This morning, we’re holding an assembly to discuss the death of one of our students and the disappearance of another. Deputy Shondra Eastwood of the Crooked Creek Police Department will address our student body. Teachers, as soon as you check the students in, send them to the gym.”
A strained silence fell over the room and Bianca slid lower in her seat as she felt dozens of eyes burning holes through her.
What happened to Kelsey and Ruby was not her fault. It was not!
NINETY-FIVE
CROOKED CREEK POLICE DEPARTMENT
Captain Hale poked his head into Ellie’s office. “This came for you from Attorney Joleen Hunt.” He set a file box on the table in front of Ellie.
“It’s her notes from Caitlin O’Connor,” Ellie said as she opened it. “And there are copies of the podcasts. It’ll take time to wade through them.” She explained about Deputy Landrum’s connection to their suspect and Laney’s report. “Captain, let’s put a guard on Caitlin O’Connor’s hospital room. If someone wanted to kill her over the information she uncovered, they might try again.”
Deputy Landrum strode in, looking rough around the edges as if he hadn’t slept.
Captain Hale indicated the deputy. “You want Landrum to go?”
“No, ask the sheriff to send one of his deputies. I need to talk to Landrum.”
The captain nodded. “I talked to forensics this morning and they couldn’t salvage anything in her studio or home. So far no prints, but accelerant confirms arson in both instances.” He narrowed his eyes at Ellie. “That bruise on your face looks bad. You need the day off, Detective?”
“Hell, no,” Ellie said. “Someone didn’t want us to see what she’d discovered about Darnell Woodruff’s case. That means there’s a clue in there that might lead us to Ruby.”
She filled Landrum in on Laney’s report. “There was a partial fingerprint on the bedframe where Kelsey was found, but it didn’t match Digger’s.”
Landrum ran his fingers over his beard stubble and shifted uncomfortably. “Digger showed up at my house last night before I went to the O’Connor woman’s studio.”
“What?” Ellie said, her voice on edge. “Why didn’t you bring him in?”
“Because when you called, he ran off. That’s why I went to the O’Connor woman’s studio. He told me he didn’t kill Kelsey or take Ruby, that he was being framed. When he left, I thought he might have gone there.”
Ellie shrugged. “Framed? Did he say by whom?”
“He gave me a couple of inmates’ names. But I looked into them and they aren’t behind this.”
“Still, we need to bring him in for questioning.”
Landrum gave a nod. “Maybe I’ll find his number in Ms. O’Connor’s phone records.”
“I have copies of her files to review. Agent Fox is going to look at the tapes of Darnell’s confession if you want to join.”
“I saw the interview but haven’t read the police notes yet,” Landrum said, then he claimed a seat beside Derrick on the loveseat where he was perched in front of his laptop.
Ellie settled at her desk with the files from the box Joleen Hunt had sent over. The podcast series hadn’t yet aired but she’d already taped several interviews. Ellie put in her earbuds and connected to the first episode in the series.
November 10, 2022
Caitlin: This is Caitlin O’Connor, Southern Lights Studios, true crime podcast: Guilty or Not Guilty. In conjunction with the team at the Innocence Project, this series explores the case of Darnell Woodruff, who was convicted of murdering his younger half sister Anna Marie Landrum on October 31, 2008.
Interview one with Dr. Anthony Curtis.
Dr. Curtis, you evaluated Darnell Woodruff after his arrest. What can you tell us about his condition?
Dr. Curtis: Darnel Woodruff, age sixteen, approximately five-eleven, one hundred and sixty-five pounds.
Upon examination, Darnell appeared to be in shock and was dazed and confused, mumbling incoherently, having sweats and shivering.