The Girls in the Snow (Nikki Hunt #1) - Stacy Green Page 0,109
above the sink shattered. Bobby’s arm buckled from the impact of the bullet, and the gun fell to the floor.
Fifty
“The paramedics said you should go to the doctor.” Liam stretched his long legs in front of him and glared at Nikki. They’d spent the last hour at the sheriff’s station getting each other up to speed. After realizing Nikki had gone MIA, Liam and Miller had launched a frantic search for her, eventually retracing her steps to Amy Banks. She’d been in a fog of painkillers, but eventually remembered Nikki had mentioned going to the Vance home. By the time Miller arrived, the jeep had already been hidden in the Vances’ garage. Mindy told him Nikki had stopped by earlier but hadn’t stayed long. Liam had used his connections at the DOT to get access to the traffic cameras and discovered Nikki’s jeep had never left the Vances’ neighborhood.
Bobby had been taken to the hospital for stitches and would be in a cell by morning. Mindy had regained consciousness in the ambulance and tried to convince the paramedics that Nikki attacked them and was trying to frame her son.
Nikki understood the woman’s desperation to protect her child, but Nikki couldn’t fathom covering up such a horrendous thing for Lacey. Then again, thinking about Lacey spending the rest of her life in prison made it easier to understand Mindy’s desperation. News stories covered the details about the victims and the perpetrator, but rarely touched on the lifelong destruction it caused in both families.
Nikki wasn’t sure it would make a difference, but she intended to speak to the district attorney about everything the Vances had endured from the ripple effect of John Banks’ crimes. She was relieved at least that someone alive knew what happened the night her parents died. Perhaps she could get Bobby to admit what his father told him when they finally found John.
“I will, tomorrow.” Nikki finished her third cup of water. She hadn’t realized how thirsty she’d been until she’d walked out of the Vances’ house. “Is Courtney still at the Vances’?”
Liam nodded. “They’re processing his bedroom first, because it’s probably where he killed Kaylee.”
“Any sign of her phone?” Nikki’s lip stung every time she spoke.
“Not yet,” Liam said. “He probably tossed it in some lake.”
Nikki had refused to leave the house until Courtney arrived and could see for herself that Nikki was going to be fine. “What about the furniture? The house is half-empty.”
“Some of it has been sold,” Liam said. “Probably the pieces we need. But Mindy rented an apartment in town, so we’ve got a team going through stuff. I think we’ve got more than enough to charge both of them.”
“I don’t think Bobby had anything to do with Janelle’s murder other than moving the body—and I’m not sure he helped with that. Mindy’s tall and stout. She could have handled Janelle on her own. Hopefully we only match Mindy’s prints to the motel room.” Nikki and Miller had gone through the garage, looking for anything that could have caused the blunt force trauma to Janelle’s head, but Mindy had likely tossed it after she dumped her at the park. Nikki’s statement would go a long way to convicting Mindy, but she wanted her case to be rock solid. “Where’s my jeep?”
“One of Miller’s guys drove it here.” Liam raised an eyebrow. “You’re not driving it tonight. I can take you home.”
She flushed and looked down at her phone. Rory had sent her multiple messages that evening before finally calling Miller and telling him that something was wrong. By then, Miller and Liam were on the way to the Vance house. They’d promised to keep him updated.
Nikki had texted him that she was okay and would explain later, and he immediately asked her to come stay with him tonight. She still hadn’t replied.
“Lacey excited to come home?”
“Yes. She’s already making plans.” Fortunately, Tyler had managed to keep Lacey occupied, and she didn’t even know Nikki had been missing, but he’d woken her up so that Nikki could tell her she could come home tomorrow. Tyler offered to come to Stillwater and get her, but Nikki assured him she’d be fine and to get Lacey back to bed.
The judge signed off on the warrant for Roan’s additional security footage, and Liam had scoured the hours of tape while Miller searched. John hadn’t left the office the Saturday the girls disappeared, but the day before, Mindy Vance had walked around the side of the building and