The Girls in the Snow (Nikki Hunt #1) - Stacy Green Page 0,5
FBI, a serial killer who’d taken the lives of at least four pre-teen boys had looked Nikki dead in the eye and explained the kill as “the most satisfying thing” he’d ever done. The seasoned agent next to Nikki had blanched, but she’d remained stone-faced, unimpressed. The man went on to describe his crimes in grisly detail, clearly enjoying the reaction of Nikki’s colleague and simultaneously getting more and more agitated at Nikki’s lack of emotion. He’d continued to talk in an effort to impress her, to get a reaction out of her. That’s when he broke and admitted to the murder she wanted to nail him for: the kidnapping and killing of a twelve-year-old boy nearly a decade before. Her peers had been in awe and more than a little unnerved by Nikki’s ability to stay so remote and focused. She’d never been able to explain to anyone that her resolve came from years of blocking out the memories of her parents’ murders.
“After we speak with the families, I’ll issue a statement for the press,” she told Miller.
“I can deal with the press,” Miller said. “You’re going to be bombarded with personal questions. Easier if I just make the statement.”
“Don’t rule out Frost,” Nikki said. “Tell the press the FBI was called in because of similarities to prior Frost killings, and we’re currently investigating all possibilities. If the killer intended for us to believe Frost did this, blasting all over the media that we didn’t buy it will make him hypervigilant. We want him to feel safe enough to make a mistake.”
“I’ll make sure the statement is on the news tonight.” Miller closed his eyes as Madison’s body was secured in the bag. He seemed to be willing his emotions to stay in check. “And when the media asks if you’re personally working the case, I’ll only verify the FBI is assisting.”
Nikki was grateful for Miller’s discretion, but she wasn’t naive enough to believe she could go unnoticed. Her reputation as an FBI agent paled in comparison to her history in Stillwater. But she wasn’t here to open old wounds. She’d returned to Stillwater to find the monster who’d killed these two girls, and she would see it through either way, because finding monsters was her specialty. Everybody knew that.
Two
Taking Highway 96 into town added several minutes to Nikki’s drive, but the road was in far better shape. Nikki marveled at how far west Stillwater had bloated over the past eighteen years. She’d grown up as a rural farm kid, but businesses and homes populated the old fields and marshes she and her friends had once played in.
She took the long route into downtown, driving through the historic district. Nikki had spent the last two years of high school stuck with her great-aunt in one of the grand old Victorian houses. Her childhood self would have passed the days searching for hidden passageways and spirits, but Nikki had lived in a state of numbness back then. Raising her grades in order to get into a good school and get the hell out of Stillwater. Bit by bit, the memories of her life in Stillwater had faded. The call about Madison and Kaylee brought them back in blazing technicolor.
Four blocks from the sheriff’s office and the shiny, new government center, a group carrying picket signs had gathered around the intersection.
Get the DNA tested.
Justice for Mark Todd.
Mark was framed. Get him out now!
Nikki slammed her foot on the brake for the yellow light and glared at the protesters. Most looked around college age and she doubted they were from Stillwater. She dug her fingertips into the steering wheel to keep from rolling down the windows and screaming.
The light turned green, and Nikki hit the gas. She couldn’t think about Mark Todd right now. She had another killer to deal with.
Nikki was aware of the eyes on her as she walked through the sheriff’s station. A gray-haired deputy peered over his cubicle, and a heavily pregnant clerk around Nikki’s age slid her chair back to get a better view.
Nikki followed Miller down the hall, surprised at how anxious she was about seeing Harvey Hardin. The sheriff had been a deputy the night her life imploded. He’d been first on the scene after Nikki had escaped to call 9-1-1, and he’d guided her through various parts of the trial process. He hadn’t known how to comfort her then, and Nikki had probably been a nightmare to deal with.