The Girls in the Snow (Nikki Hunt #1) - Stacy Green Page 0,92

took his phone and looked at the pictures he’d already cued up. The emergency stairwell was clearly visible through the building’s enormous glass windows. The stairwell opened onto the side of the big dock. Anyone who used the exit just had to walk down a short set of concrete stairs to reach the grounds. “Did you request the security videos?”

Liam nodded. “The security firm Roan employs said I needed a warrant. I’m waiting for it, but I talked to a couple of the warehouse guys who’d come out for a smoke. John’s been known to use the stairwell in the middle of the day when the weather isn’t terrible. He’s friendly to the workers and always returns in about thirty to forty-five minutes. A couple of other people confirmed he walks around the campus.”

“Madison and Kaylee disappeared on Saturday,” Nikki said. “She texted Miles Hanson at 12:45 p.m. that they were heading to his house. A jogger spotted them roughly five minutes later, not far from the Bankses’ home. The receipt for John’s lunch meeting is marked as 1:15 p.m. There’s no way he’s the person who picked the girls up.”

“No, there isn’t,” Liam said. “But it doesn’t mean he didn’t kill them.”

“Kill them?” Miller said, astonished. “We have reports that he had affairs, but we don’t have anything that suggests he’s capable of murder.”

Nikki sank into a chair. “No, but I think he might have murdered my parents.”

“What?” Miller asked. “Why would you think—”

“I’ve spoken with Mark Todd.” Nikki looked at Liam.

“What?” Liam asked.

“I’ve been through the evidence that they’re using to retry Mark, and his story suggests that John is lying, that he came to my house that night. It also suggests that not all of the women in his photos were there willingly.”

“Jesus,” Liam said, looking at Nikki. Nikki knew she didn’t need to say that she was one of those girls. “If Madison and Kaylee were going to confront him about those pictures, he would have panicked—”

“And if anybody else got a closer look at them, John may have been connected to my parents’ case. Especially with the retrial happening,” Nikki replied.

“The news talked about it as early as October,” Miller said. “Mark’s parents told a local reporter they were speaking with the Innocence Project. They believed they’d found evidence to reopen the case. I remember because Hardin was livid.”

“So, John’s already nervous and then the girls confront him about the pictures,” Liam said. “Kaylee’s murder is quick, but he takes his anger out on Madison.”

“And the initials Madison tried to scratch into her arm?” Liam asked.

“I have no idea,” Nikki said.

“Where does Janelle fit into this?”

“She worked at the club he frequented. He could have easily found out she was new and down on her luck. He uses her to mislead us, but he has some fun along the way.” Disgust rolled through her.

“We need to get his fingerprints,” Liam said.

“And his DNA,” Miller said. “But without a court order—”

“That will take too long,” Nikki said. “But I have an idea.”

Thirty-Nine

Nikki sent a text to Courtney and told her to expect to have John’s fingerprints by the end of the day. She fidgeted in the passenger seat and wished she’d taken the jeep. Miller drove too slowly. She needed to get control of her emotions. John would sense her weakness and exploit it. Nikki had to approach him just as she would any other suspect. They had enough circumstantial evidence to scare John into talking, and she intended to push him into letting his guard down and making a mistake.

“How do you want to play this?” Miller asked as they approached the Bankses’ front door.

“You lead with Liam’s information. I’ll follow up about the pictures.” Nikki jammed her hands in her coat pockets. She couldn’t allow John to see her anger.

He finally opened the door after Miller rang the bell three times. The reek of vodka threatened Nikki’s gag reflex.

John looked at them in confusion. “You have news.”

“Developments,” Miller said.

“Is Bailey in bed?” Nikki asked.

“He’s upstairs watching TV.”

“Where’s Amy?”

“She’s resting in the living room.”

“Good. She should hear this too.” Nikki held her breath as she walked past him into the living room.

Amy looked up from the couch, her eyes glazed. “Agent Hunt?”

“Did you take more painkillers?”

“No, just my sleeping pills.” Amy slowly sat up. Her hair was matted, and she hadn’t showered in a couple of days.

Miller caught Nikki’s eye and then looked at the kitchen. Empty takeout boxes covered the counter, empty liquor bottles