The Girls in the Snow (Nikki Hunt #1) - Stacy Green Page 0,11
on the bodies?”
“I used the UV light in the truck. No stains, and no visible trace of anything.”
Nikki had expected as much. “The sheriff’s department doesn’t have much physical evidence, either. They found nothing usable on the trail or surrounding areas. They disappeared in mid-October. The weather had been good, so no footprints. No sign of fibers or any sort of struggle, which makes me think the girls might not have been forced off the trail.”
Liam appeared in the doorway, still wearing his floppy hat. “Why didn’t I take that job in the Florida office?”
“Because you wanted to work with the best.” Courtney tossed her discarded snow pants at him. “You’re lucky to have us.”
“Some days I wonder,” he replied, looking her up and down. “Why are you sweating?”
“Long story.”
When she’d learned about the DNA testing, Nikki had told her team but had made it clear she intended to let the district attorney handle things. “I’m sure you both saw the protestors. I wasn’t aware Mark Todd had a following, but it sounds like they aren’t going away any time soon. Anyway, I just want you both to know they aren’t going to affect this case. As far as I’m concerned, that case is closed. I intend to ignore them. They aren’t going to affect my ability to work this case.”
“I’m not worried about that,” Liam said. “I just don’t want them slowing us down.”
“I’ve been told they’re keeping a respectful distance. As long as they continue to do so, they’re of no concern.” Nikki dreaded telling them the next part. Being around John wasn’t the issue. But she didn’t want Madison and Kaylee’s murders sensationalized because of her past connection. “Before you hear it from someone else, Madison’s stepfather is an ex-boyfriend. I was dating him when my parents were killed. It’s not going to be a problem for me, but I’m sure the media is going to be all over it.”
Liam nodded, wide-eyed.
Courtney shot her a quizzical look, but Nikki shook her head. As much as she wanted to tell Courtney everything, now wasn’t the time or the place.
A month into their new jobs in the criminal profiling unit, Courtney encountered her first domestic violence victim. She’d spent hours collecting evidence from the woman’s clothes and body, along with the crime scene, without batting a mascaraed eyelash. The second they clocked out, she’d turned to Nikki and announced they were going to the bar down the street. Half a bottle of tequila later, Courtney became one of the privileged few who knew the grim details about Nikki’s past. Keeping the truth from her superiors hadn’t been an option, but a decade plus since she’d become the girl whose parents were murdered, Nikki had willingly told only one person: her ex-husband. Aside from him, Courtney was still the only person at the FBI office familiar with the darkest details of that night.
Nikki looked at Liam. “I emailed you a list of all the persons of interest the sergeant compiled during the girls’ disappearance. All close family and friends have alibis that other officers have already checked out. I want you to run background information on everyone.”
The FBI had deeper resources than the sheriff’s office, and Nikki was hoping for a lucky break.
“I think Kaylee had a secret phone, so I want you to see what you can find out about it from her cousin. Apparently they were close. Then run detailed background checks on all the sex offenders within a fifty-mile radius, especially those released around the time the girls were taken. We don’t know yet if they were assaulted, but that list is a good place to start. Court, since you’re in a holding pattern, can you go through the girls’ social media and see if anything stands out? Maybe you’ll spot something that Miller’s team didn’t.”
A yawn nearly dislodged Nikki’s jaw. “I’ll go and interview the parents with Miller again in the morning. We currently have no evidence to process and it’s too late to interview any witnesses. I’ll go through the original investigation notes, you guys get home and let’s start fresh tomorrow. It might be our last chance to get any sleep for a while.”
Liam glanced at Courtney, who shook her head.
“What?” Nikki asked.
“I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but now we know this isn’t Frost, we don’t have to work the case. You have every authority to pack it up and let the locals handle it. I’ve seen the protesters outside, and I wouldn’t