Nick pulled into a big parking lot and gestured toward a large rectangular building in the center of it.
“Hicks told us to meet him here as soon as we got to town,” Dwight said. “I’m guessing he’s already inside.”
“Then let’s get to it,” Nick said. “We finally have some information coming our way, although I have no idea what it means.”
“That makes two of us,” Dwight said.
“Three,” Maddie murmured, reaching for the door handle. She still believed they would find Sage alive. For some reason, a ball of dread filled the pit of her stomach when she tried to fixate on the other girl. She had no idea why, but she wasn’t nearly as upbeat about the possibility of her survival. “Let’s do this.”
“THANKS for getting here so early.”
Lt. Hicks looked exhausted – almost as if he was dead on his feet and hadn’t slept in one week instead of one night – as he led Nick, Maddie, and Dwight into a conference room and shut the door.
“That’s no problem,” Dwight said. “We’re anxious to hear anything you’ve got to tell us.”
“Unfortunately, I don’t have much by way of good news,” Hicks said. “For background, I wasn’t planning on coming in yesterday. One of the younger uniforms called to ask a question about a missing person’s case, though, and I was confused because it was the first I heard about it. I asked him to read me the file.
“He said her name was Heather Ketchum and for some reason that name stuck out in my head,” he continued. “I couldn’t let it go so I ran back here and went through all of the paperwork on my desk. I had the report from the party there, and that’s when I saw you’d identified a Heather Ketchum as one of the girls your daughter lived with.”
Dwight nodded. “She was one of the girls who took off running into the night after we thought we saw someone slipping something into her drink.”
“Yes, I know,” Hicks said, his voice hoarse. “I have something to tell you before you hear it on the news. Quite frankly, I think the only reason you don’t know is because it’s so early and you’ve been driving instead of monitoring the television. As soon as the local news station runs their story it’s going to be everywhere.”
“What’s going on?” Nick asked, shifting forward in his chair. “What’s happening?”
“We found a body at about two this morning on the west side of campus,” Hicks said, wetting his lips as he locked gazes with Dwight.
“Sage?” Dwight’s face drained of color as he pressed the palms of his hands to the table.
“It’s not Sage,” Maddie automatically answered, not realizing she was speaking out loud until it was already too late. “It’s Heather Ketchum.”
Hicks widened his eyes as he shifted his attention to Maddie. “How did you know that?”
Maddie shrugged as she tamped down her embarrassment. “Just a feeling, I guess. If Sage was the one you found you would’ve told Dwight in private. You wouldn’t have done it in front of us.”
“You’re a smart girl,” Hicks said, shaking his head and turning back to Dwight. “Heather Ketchum was stabbed in the throat and she bled to death on a sidewalk behind campus. Her body went undiscovered for a little more than twenty-four hours – mostly because the campus was empty because of the holiday – and she was found by campus security when they were investigating a breakin at one of the classroom buildings.”
“A breakin?” Nick asked. “Does that have anything to do with Heather Ketchum?”
“It’s doubtful,” Hicks replied. “We’re still waiting for a final report from the medical examiner – including whether Heather engaged in sexual activity before her death – but Heather Ketchum has been dead since about ten o’clock on Wednesday night.”
Maddie furrowed her brow. “That’s like an hour after the party broke up.”
“Yes.” Hicks bobbed his head up and down. “There’s more. Heather Ketchum’s parents identified her body at about five this morning. They hadn’t slept and insisted on driving over immediately when I called because they didn’t believe it was her.
“They’re not taking things well, but the mother was momentarily relieved when she saw the girl because she said that Heather didn’t own a pink sweater,” he continued. “When she looked at the face she realized it was her daughter and she couldn’t pretend otherwise. The third roommate – I believe her name is Allison Wheeler – said the sweater was familiar to her because it belonged to your daughter, Detective Kincaid.”
“Is that important?” Maddie asked, her mind swirling. Sage wore a pink sweater in her dream.
“It’s … another information set,” Hicks replied. “We have no idea why Heather was wearing the sweater or if what happened to her has anything to do with Sage.”
“It seems awfully coincidental if they’re not tied together,” Nick argued.
“It does indeed,” Hicks said. “I’m not saying your daughter is dead, sir, but you should know we’re bringing Aidan Kelly in for questioning. He’ll be here in about an hour. We plan on questioning him regarding Sage as well.”
“I understand,” Dwight said, rubbing his hands together. “You have to do what you have to do.”
“I don’t understand what that means,” Maddie said, her gaze bouncing between faces. “What do you have to do?”
“He has to bluff, Mad,” Nick said, resting his hand on top of Maddie’s to comfort her. “He’s going to tell Aidan that he knows Sage is dead and ask him for the location of her body. He doesn’t want that line of questioning to throw Dwight when it happens.”
“Oh.” Maddie’s voice was tiny. “Do you really think she’s dead?”
Hicks flashed a sad smile in Maddie’s direction. “I certainly hope not,” he said. “This is the only course of action I can think to embrace right now. I just didn’t want it to come as a surprise to Detective Kincaid when it happened.”
“I understand what has to be done,” Dwight said, his face blank. “I hope you get him to talk and I promise not to make a scene or react in any way.”
“You’re not going to be in the interrogation room with me,” Hicks cautioned. “I can’t allow that for procedure’s sake. You can go into the viewing room, though. If you think of any important questions – or if he trips up talking to me and you know something different – there will be an officer inside to bring me a message. Don’t hesitate to speak up if that happens.”
“Consider it done.”
MADDIE’S nerves were shot by the time they were led into the small viewing room and Nick finally had to wrestle the bag of apple slices from her and throw them away. He sat her in a chair between Dwight and himself and then linked his fingers with hers, pulling her hand to his lap so he could trace small circles on her soft skin as she shifted in her chair.
Aidan sat alone on the other side of the glass, his eyes wide as he scanned the room. He stared at the two-way mirror for a few moments and Maddie could almost sense his thought process. He was convinced people were in another room watching him, but he didn’t want to make a scene in case he was wrong. He was convinced he was the smartest guy in the room – even though he was alone – and he didn’t want anyone to see him sweat.
“Thank you for coming,” Hicks said, breezing into the room with a thick stack of files in his hand. He dropped the files on his side of the table and sat, seemingly annoyed at having to be questioning the frat boy at all. “I know it’s early … .”
“Try brutal and inhumane,” Aidan corrected.
“And somehow I think you’ll survive,” Hicks said. “I need to know your whereabouts for Wednesday night.”
“You know where I was Wednesday night,” Aidan argued. “You broke up my party and cost me a bunch of money because I couldn’t recoup my losses on the keg.”
“I need to know where you went and what you did after the party,” Hicks clarified. “I specifically need to know your locations between nine and eleven that night.”
Aidan narrowed his eyes. “Why?”
<
br /> “Where were you?”
“Maybe I don’t want to answer,” Aidan suggested, crossing his arms over his chest. “Have you ever considered that?”
“That’s certainly your prerogative,” Hicks said. “We can go straight to the booking if you prefer.”
“That’s a calculated risk,” Nick explained, keeping his voice low. “Hicks wants to scare Aidan.”
“He’s frightened,” Maddie said. “I’m surprised he hasn’t crapped his pants.”
Nick widened his eyes but remained silent as he studied Hicks and his prey.
“Booking?” Aidan’s eyebrows flew up his forehead. “What charges can you possibly book me on?”
“Well, right now we’re leaning toward felony administration of a drug and operating a drug house,” Hicks replied. “We had the contents of the red cup tested and it was laced with Rohypnol. That’s a felony and we should be able to get the fraternity’s charter yanked because of it, too.”
Aidan was flabbergasted. “I didn’t drug her,” he sputtered. “I didn’t put anything in her drink either. If she’s saying I’m the one who did it … er, wait. It’s those two cops and the hot blonde who are saying I did it, isn’t it?”
“I’m not talking about sources with you,” Hicks replied. “You have a limited window to make a statement.”
“Well, I have nothing to say,” Aidan said. “I didn’t drug anyone. I didn’t even know anyone had drugs like that at the party. I don’t need to use drugs to get a woman. They like me for my looks.”
“They certainly don’t like him for his personality,” Maddie muttered.
“The drug charges are only a first step to getting you off the street,” Hicks said. “More serious charges will follow in a few days.”
“More serious charges?” Aidan screeched. “Like what?”
“Well, we’re leaning toward murder.”
All of the color drained from Aidan’s face and he looked ready to pass out when he realized what Hicks was suggesting. “Who died?”
“That would be one of the girls who was almost drugged at your party,” Hicks said. “Coincidentally, she also happens to be Sage Kincaid’s roommate. I’m sure you remember that Sage – a girl you were dating and had a public altercation with – is also missing. We’re going to talk about the location of her body in a few minutes. I want to talk about Heather Ketchum first, though.”
Aidan licked his lips and cast a furtive glance at the mirror before locking gazes with Hicks again. “I want a lawyer.”
“Okay.”
Aidan tapped the table for emphasis. “I want a lawyer right now. I won’t let you railroad me for something I didn’t do.”
“I guess we’re at an impasse then,” Hicks said. “I’ll arrange it so you can use the phone to call a lawyer. Good luck. I think you’re going to need it.”
14
Fourteen
“I can’t believe this is happening.”
Maddie watched Aidan Kelly’s high-priced lawyer walk him out the front door of the police station shortly after noon. She was dumbfounded that Hicks couldn’t hold him, and even though Nick and Dwight tried to calm her, she was having none of it.
“How could you just let him walk out of here?” Maddie was furious when she swiveled to face Hicks. “He’s obviously a terrible person.”
“Ms. Graves, if I could lock up every terrible person in the area, there’d be very few people left on the streets,” Hicks replied, his patience in place even though he was obviously wary of Maddie’s temper. “I can’t hold him. We don’t have any evidence.”
“What about the drugs?” Maddie pressed.
“I have two police officers stating that they saw a boy who wasn’t Aidan – one who took off into the night – put that drug in the drink,” Hicks replied. “We have nothing to hold him on.”
“He’s right, Mad,” Nick said. “You can’t hold this against the lieutenant. He’s just doing his job.”
Maddie wasn’t convinced that was true and stubbornly crossed her arms over her chest. “He’s still a butthead.”
“He’s definitely a butthead,” Hicks said, smirking. “You’re fiery. I like you.”
“Hey!” Nick wagged a finger.
“Chill out,” Hicks said. “I’m tired, not stupid. It’s obvious you two are together.”
“I’m sorry,” Nick said. “I’m just used to people fawning all over her.”
Maddie snorted. “I think you have that backward.”
“No, I don’t,” Nick argued. “You’re just too blind to see it.”
“I’m too full, too,” Maddie said, rubbing her stomach as she sat on one of the chairs in the police station’s front lobby. “Why did you let me eat all of those apples? Now my stomach is upset.”
“I knew it,” Nick muttered darkly.
Dwight rubbed his cheek as he studied Hicks. “What can you tell us about Heather’s body? Did you get the final autopsy results?”
“We did,” Hicks confirmed. “It came in while I was dealing with Aidan. Heather was drugged and stabbed once in the throat. It was a million-dollar wound, though. She bled out quickly and even if an emergency team had been standing right next to her, the odds of her surviving were slim.
“She lost a ton of blood volume,” he continued. “She wouldn’t have been conscious for more than a few seconds. The cold didn’t help matters.”
“Was she … sexually assaulted?” Dwight asked, squaring his shoulders as he readied himself for the answer.
“We can’t be sure,” Hicks replied. “It looks as if she engaged in some form of sexual activity that night – traces of a spermicide were found – but there was no DNA inside of her and we don’t expect to collect enough for a profile. We have no idea if that sexual activity was consensual or forced either.”
Maddie was mortified by the question and answer and she lowered her eyes as Nick rubbed the back of her neck. “I don’t understand why someone would kill her out in the open like that,” she said. “Why not take her into the woods?”
“I can’t answer that until we have a suspect and motive,” Hicks said. “Right now all we have is a dead girl wearing the sweater of her missing roommate.”
“You keep going back to that,” Nick said. “Why? What is it about the sweater that bothers you?”
“A lot of things about that sweater bother me,” Hicks replied. “The biggest one is the fact that no one described her wearing it at the party.”
“That’s true,” Nick mused. “She was wearing a black coat. That’s how she so easily blended into the background and slipped away. If she had on a pink sweater we could’ve followed her.”
“Exactly,” Hicks said. “The roommates told you they had no idea Sage was missing, right?”
Dwight nodded. “They claimed they thought she was hooking up with someone and didn’t think to report her missing. I didn’t get the impression they were lying to me, but I did think they were holding something back. The problem is, when you’re dealing with kids in that age group, they always hold something back when dealing with law enforcement. It’s like an unwritten rule or something.”
“I know that feeling,” Hicks said. “Try working on a campus when no one trusts you.”
“I never thought about that,” Dwight said. “I’d much rather hit the gritty streets of Detroit than deal with college kids day in and day out.”
“Well, I still prefer the college kids, but that’s neither here nor there,” Hicks said. “We’re kind of stuck. We’re increasing patrols around the fraternity house and we have a couple of academy students we’re trying to put into play undercover in that group. Our biggest problem is time.
“Sage is missing and we’re working on the assumption that she’s alive,” he continued. “Heather is dead. Either way, both of those girls appear to have been taken or attacked within a week of each other. Now, sure, we could be dealing with two isolated incidents. I don’t believe that, though.”
“You’re worried abou
t escalation,” Maddie said sagely. “A week isn’t much of a cooling off period.”
Nick raised his eyebrows. “How do you know that?”
“I watch a lot of television with Granny when you have night shifts.”
Nick snickered as he gripped her hand. “I don’t want to encourage you, but that’s exactly right,” he said. “If Aidan is the guilty party, he’s going to be on his best behavior because he knows we’ll be watching. If Aidan isn’t the guilty party but someone wants us to believe he is, they’re going to be active.”
“It’s a big cluster of crap,” Hicks said. “I don’t know where to start, but I do know how I want it to end. There’s a lot of ground to cover in between.”
“You need to start with some rest,” Dwight said. “You’re not going to help my daughter if you’re exhausted.”
“I’m heading home for a few hours of down time right now,” Hicks said. “What are you going to do?”
“Check into a hotel and then hit the campus,” Nick replied. “It can’t hurt to talk to the students.”
“That’s a good idea,” Hicks said. “Can I make a suggestion?”
Nick nodded.
“Have her do it.” Hicks jerked a thumb in Maddie’s direction. “She’s young, pretty, and doesn’t scream ‘cop.’ The boys especially are likely to relate to her.”
Maddie pursed her lips, secretly pleased with Hicks’ statement. Nick’s frown told her things weren’t going to be that easy.
“You want me to use my girlfriend as bait?” Nick was agitated. “Why would I want to do that?”
“Because she’s your best route to answers,” Hicks replied. “She’s not going to stand out on the campus because of her age. She looks young. She’ll stand out because of … well … the obvious. Boys will not be able to say no to her. It’s not as if she won’t have you around to watch her back. Just let her question the kids alone.”
Nick sighed, resigned. “I know you’re right. It’s just … if one of those kids touches her … .”
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