The Girls in the Snow (Nikki Hunt #1) - Stacy Green Page 0,58
he cleared his throat. “Why did you come over this morning? Is there news on Maddie’s case?”
Telling him about Amy’s conversation with Kaylee might drive a further wedge between the two, but John deserved to know. And hearing it from Nikki might soften the blow, as well as any potential fallout with Amy.
“Kaylee’s neighbor has a camera that captures part of her front walk. We found out Amy went to Kaylee’s house a few weeks before the girls were taken. She wasn’t there long,” Nikki explained. “But she said she warned Kaylee to stay away from Madison and Kaylee refused.”
“You think Amy had something to do with this?” John shook his head. “No way. She would never hurt anyone.”
Would she pay someone else to hurt Kaylee? Nikki might be able to use the security footage to get a warrant for Amy’s financial records to see if had made any large withdrawals since the girls’ disappearance, but she still couldn’t see her being involved with Madison’s murder. Her grief was too raw. “I don’t think she would, but I still had to ask. She didn’t even tell us she went there.”
“Why would she keep that a secret?” John shook his head. “I just don’t understand.”
“Pride,” Nikki said. “Listen, don’t let this come between you two. Not telling us was wrong, but it ultimately didn’t affect the outcome.”
“I don’t have the energy to fight with her,” John said. “Especially after today. If she did something foolish and—” He looked down at the ground and rubbed his eyes. “I don’t know what I’ll do.”
Nikki awkwardly patted his arm. “Try to be there for her. Make sure she knows how much you love her. And let her be there for you.”
John squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry you had to come back to Stillwater, but I’m glad you’re here.”
The wind gusted, and Nikki caught the sweet scent of his cologne. She pulled her hand away and took a step back. “I do have a couple of questions.”
Disappointment flickered through John’s eyes. “Sure.”
Nikki told him about her conversation with Bobby Vance—minus the part about John’s ego. His bragging and embellishing his role that night hadn’t surprised her. “Bobby remembers there being tension between you and his dad.”
“I don’t remember that day, but I’m sure there was. Bob suffered from severe depression. He couldn’t find a medication that helped.” John’s eyes misted. “Maddie was always curious about crime stories. When the Innocence Project announced they were reviewing the case, Maddie got really into following it. She was thinking about law school.” John’s teeth dug into his lower lip. “So much ahead of her.”
“I’m sorry.” The Innocence Project hadn’t filed any formal motions until after Madison and Kaylee disappeared, but the news media had run at least two articles in the fall about the possibility. “Did the two of you talk about the case after that?”
“Probably,” John said. “But I was mired in a project for work. I wasn’t as present as I should have been.”
The regret in his voice reminded Nikki of her own. She didn’t have the heart to tell him the feeling never completely went away.
“Why did you talk to Bobby?” John asked.
“He was friends with Madison and we have reason to believe that Kaylee might have had a crush on him.” Nikki told him about the picture. “But he was pretty insistent that he didn’t return her feelings.”
“He’s a good kid. Maddie always looked up to him.” John glanced at the house. “If there’s nothing else—”
“Unfortunately, there is. A woman was found dead in Heritage Park this morning. We think she may be related to Madison and Kaylee’s murders. I’d rather be the one to tell you—I’m sure it will be on the news in a matter of hours.”
John stared blankly at her. “Why do you think it’s the same killer?”
“I can’t go into specifics,” Nikki said. “But we haven’t identified the victim yet. Would you mind looking at a picture of just her face?”
John paled but nodded.
Nikki handed him her phone with the image already cued up.
“Sorry, but I don’t recognize her,” he said, immediately.
Nikki slipped her phone into her pocket. She really wanted to ask him about that night; so much of what Rory said had made her feel uncomfortable. But standing here in front of John, she still felt like she could trust him. Their relationship had been tumultuous at times, but he’d always been honest, even if he knew it would cause a fight.