"I couldn't agree more." Ken dragged Derek to his feet, although his arm was still bleeding. He retched in pain. Ken threw Derek onto the couch, which was half-covered in garbage. Clearly, it'd been a long time since a woman had been in here. Based on Sarah's file, Ken didn't believe she would've lived like this, and he felt a pang of sadness for this missing girl and the messy life shed left behind.

Nicky took out her phone and began recording. "This is Agent Nicky Lyons of the FBI, here with my partner, Agent Ken Walker, also of the FBI. We're here with one Derek Mills, age twenty-four."

Ken nodded at Nicky, then refocused on Derek. "Okay, Derek, tell us. What did you do to your wife, Sarah?"

"I didn't do anything," Derek said. "That bitch left me. I'm better off without her."

"But she was your wife, right? You two were married?" Ken said.

"Yeah, but she didn't deserve me. She didn't appreciate me."

"So you killed her?" Ken said.

Derek was shaking. "No! I didn't kill Sarah."

"Then where is she?" Nicky said. "Why can't we find her?"

"I don't know, okay? Maybe she's run off with someone else. Maybe she's dead. Maybe she's alive. What do I care? It's not like she ever loved me."

"That cant be true, Ken reasoned. She married you, Derek. She mustve loved you once. But maybe living out here took a toll on her. Did you kill her because she said she was gonna leave?

Derek was quiet for several long moments. The trailer creaked around them as wind gusted outside, sending a warm breeze through the open windows that carried the scent of the woods. "I... I..." Derek broke down, running his hands over his eyes and through his hair. "Okay. Fine. I didn't mean to do it, okay? I didn't mean to kill her."

Kens stomach dropped. Damn. Hed been hoping for a better outcome. But unfortunately, when a girl was missing for that long… this was almost always the true cause. Ken had seen too many violent husbands in his life, too many whod gone too far, and it made him sick.

Nicky leaned in close. "What did you do, Derek?" she said. "Tell me what happened."

"Sarah... she was... she was so fucking perfect. I couldn't stand it. Such a know it all. Always saying how she could do better than living out here with me. Well then whyd she even marry me, huh?

"What did you do to her?" Nicky said, her expression hard. Ken wasnt in the mood for Dereks sob story eitherhe just wanted answers.

Derek broke down, sobbing. I… I didnt mean to… but shes gone…

Ken shook his head. He was disgusted by Derek. Sarah hadn't deserved that. Sarah was a good person who just wanted a better lifeshe didnt deserve to have that ripped away.