The Girls in the Snow (Nikki Hunt #1) - Stacy Green Page 0,18
it can help. I’d like to take a look at Madison’s room.”
“Sergeant Miller already did.” Amy glared at her.
“Mrs. Banks, fresh eyes and a new perspective can make a big difference,” Miller replied.
Amy sighed. “Fine, but I’m going with you. I don’t want anything changed from the way she left it.”
It wasn’t the ideal situation, but Nikki could tell it was the only way the woman was going to cooperate. When her parents were murdered, Nikki hadn’t let anyone else go through her mother’s collection of Precious Moments figurines or set foot in their bedroom. “I’ll let you lead the way, then.”
The big staircase opened into a large common area with a flat-screen television and toys scattered around overstuffed chairs. Various artwork decorated the walls, ranging from finger-paint blobs to an impressive sketch of one of the big Victorian houses in the historic district. Madison’s name was scribbled on the bottom right.
“She was a talented artist.”
“Yes, she was. Maddie’s room is over here.” Amy turned left at the far end of the hall. Her fingers trembled as she reached for the doorknob. “Please don’t move things around.”
“I won’t.” Nikki opened the door, and a flicker of envy swept through her. Her own room in the big farmhouse had been painted in bright yellow, and she’d covered one wall with various posters. Her vanity and bedside table had been her parents’ castoffs, and they didn’t match her dresser. Nikki had delighted in making Lacey’s room pretty, but Madison’s room made it look drab in comparison.
A mural of a beach with white sand and a sparkling ocean covered the largest wall. Various quotes covered the adjacent wall, along with dozens of doodles. Nikki was sure Madison had decorated her own room.
“A dry-erase wall,” Nikki said. “That’s very cool.”
A large art table sat beneath the big window that overlooked the neighborhood. All the supplies were organized and labeled, stored in containers under the desk.
“She liked things neat. She was a very good organizer.” Sadness laced Amy’s tone.
“It’s a lovely room. May I look in the dresser drawers?”
Amy nodded, and Nikki worked her way through the dresser, searching for anything hidden. It was just as organized as the rest of the room, and she made sure to leave it that way. Madison’s nightstand had several books, and a large jewelry box sat on top.
Amy hovered over Nikki’s shoulder as she examined the walk-in closet. “What exactly are you looking for? If she did have any big secrets, they would have been hidden on her phone.”
“Most likely,” Nikki said. “Honestly, I’m not just looking for something tangible. I want to get a feel for the type of person Madison was. Now I see that she was very methodical, am I right?”
“Yes, and she was driven. She was in the top five percent of her class. She excelled at everything she tried.”
And probably knotted up with tension and anxiety. Feeling the need to be the best and have things exactly as a person wished was exhausting.
“Madison didn’t make snap decisions,” Nikki said.
“No, at least not until she met that girl. Kaylee was always telling her to loosen up and live a little. Look where that got her.” Amy rubbed her temples. “John says I have to get it together. Put on a good front for Bailey. I’ll be strong for our son, but John just wants to make sure we don’t embarrass ourselves with public outbursts and displays. We should grieve in private.”
John had been the same way when she dated him. Their relationship was volatile at times, and he’d always been more concerned with his image than her feelings. Still, Nikki saw her opening. “Is that why you’re so angry at him?”
“I never said I was angry—”
“You didn’t need to,” Nikki said.
“It’s not meant for him. I’m just angry at the world for what’s happened to my child.”
Nikki tried to steer the conversation back to the couple’s relationship. “That’s absolutely normal, but I can see how much it bothers you when John talks about Kaylee.”
Amy bristled. “He never should have allowed that girl into our home. I told him she was trouble. She just brought too much baggage into Madison’s life.” She folded her arms over her chest. “Are you finished?”
Nikki knew she wasn’t going to get anything more out of Amy, but she sensed that Amy was still holding something back. “I don’t want to cause problems between you two. But I know this about grief: it does what it wants, when it wants.