The Girls in the Snow (Nikki Hunt #1) - Stacy Green Page 0,17

what you know about the girls’ last day.”

“We’ve told you everything already,” John said.

Nikki had memorized the file the night before. “Madison texted you at 12:07 p.m. that she and Kaylee were walking the lake trail to the Hansons’. It’s a ten-minute walk. She said she would text you when she arrived.”

“She didn’t.” John put his head in his hands. “But I totally forgot to check. It didn’t dawn on me until hours later that she’d never texted me.”

“Maybe if you didn’t spend all your time at the office, she might still be here.”

John’s knuckles turned white, but he said nothing.

“Listen,” Nikki said. “You’ve both experienced a terrible loss, and you want someone to blame. But that isn’t going to help you get through this. The only person who can comprehend your loss is sitting beside you.”

“She was my daughter. My flesh and blood—”

“I loved her like she was my own,” John exploded. “You know that.”

Amy’s jaw tightened, her lips thinned to an angry line, but she remained silent.

“Let’s get back to the questions so we can get out of your hair,” Miller said. “You both need rest.”

Nikki continued. “Miles Hanson and his father confirmed the girls never arrived, and that Madison didn’t answer the boy’s text. The weather was nice that Saturday, especially for November. A jogger saw the girls on the trail between here and the halfway point.”

“We know the details, for Christ’s sake,” Amy said. “Why aren’t you out there looking for this monster?”

“We are,” Nikki replied. “The neighbors were interviewed, but is there any chance they might have stopped at someone’s house prior to the Hansons’?”

“Every house near the trail has either retired people or young families,” Amy said. “Madison didn’t know any of them. I highly doubt Kaylee did, either.” Amy glared out the window, shaking her head. She clearly blamed Kaylee for her daughter’s death, but something else brewed beneath the surface. Nikki needed to get to the bottom of it sooner rather than later.

Nikki glanced at Miller, who nodded and said, “We found the pepper spray in her room. Probably figured she didn’t need it during the day.”

“Both girls were athletic, both were capable of fighting and it’s unlikely that someone was able to take them by force. My notes say that officers found no evidence of a struggle along the trail,” Nikki added. “We’re looking for someone the girls knew. Someone they may have left the trail with willingly.”

“Sergeant Miller said the same thing when they first went missing,” Amy said. “You aren’t telling us anything new.”

“Jesus, Amy,” John said. “Let her talk.”

Amy’s pallid face turned red. “Excuse me?”

Nikki cleared her throat. “I’ve gone through all of the witness statements, including Miles Hanson’s and Madison’s other friends. Miles said that the girls texted to say they were headed over—and phone records show that’s true. But when Sergeant Miller spoke to the rest of the friends, they seemed surprised that the girls would hang out with Miles outside of school.”

“They’re wrong,” John said flatly. “Maddie had gone to the Hansons’ more than once.”

Nikki nodded. “We’re headed to speak with Miles next. Maybe they did intend to go to his house and then changed their minds.”

“They were seen on the trail—” Amy began.

“Before the halfway point,” Nikki said. “They could have exited it at any time after that. There were other people on the trail, and no one reported seeing them or hearing any sort of a struggle. There’s little chance they went into someone’s house, especially since they were all canvassed, and most had security footage. I think we have to consider someone with a car was waiting for them, and the girls got into the car willingly.”

“So, what now?” John asked.

“Every kid keeps secrets from their parents. We need to know what Madison and Kaylee kept to themselves.”

John’s sad eyes met hers. He knew exactly what she meant. “You think there’s a boy involved?”

“We don’t know, which is why we need access.”

“What sort of access?” Amy said. “The police already went through Madison’s social media accounts and her computer when they first went missing. They didn’t find anything.”

“Teenagers are smarter than us when it comes to technology. They know how to hide things,” Miller suggested. “My people went through everything, but the FBI has better resources. I’m hoping they will find something we couldn’t.”

“In the meantime, we’ll talk to friends, the school, any known acquaintances. My hope is that someone in their social circle has information—and chances are, they don’t even realize