The Girls in the Snow: A completely unputdownable crime thriller (Nikki Hunt Book 1)

by Stacy Green

  “I was panicked, and Madison came in from the living room and started knocking on the door and she started freaking out, threatening to call John if I didn’t open up.” Bobby laughed bitterly. “I told her it was an accident, but she started calling me a murderer. Her dad ruined my family, and she’s calling me a murderer.” He drew in a shuddering breath. “I hit her, hard. And after that, I couldn’t stop. I was so angry.”

  John Banks had started a domino effect. His cowardice had taken his friend’s life, along with Madison and Kaylee.

  “Was Madison still alive when your mom came home?” Nikki asked.

  “Don’t talk about my mom.” She’d hit a nerve.

  “I understand that she’s trying to protect you,” Nikki went on. “But your mother could have saved Madison’s life. That means she can be charged with her murder, not just as an accessory.”

  “She was too late,” Bobby said. “She came home, and I told her, and then she went into my room. I’d tied Madison up in the hall. Kaylee was in my bed. Mom freaked out. She tried to save Maddie, but she was dead.”

  Nikki’s heart raced. “That’s not true, Bobby. Madison was alive when she went into the freezer.”

  “You’re lying.”

  “The medical examiner’s certain. She had frostbite and likely died of hypothermia before her head injury killed her. She had a chance, and your mom knew it, right? Did you check Madison’s pulse or try to see if she was breathing after your mom came home?”

  He kicked the doors. “Shut up.”

  Nikki flattened herself against the back of the closet, holding the bar tightly. She could get out of the closet if she pushed Bobby far enough. “A good prosecutor’s going to paint your mother as the mastermind behind this. I just can’t figure out where Janelle comes in.”

  “I said shut the fuck up.” Bobby used both feet this time, and the door buckled, its cheaply made hinges snapping off the wall.

  Nikki jammed the wood rod between the hinge and door, forcing it away from the frame.

  Bobby’s frightened blue eyes appeared in the gap she’d created.

  Nikki shoved the rod into his face as hard as she could, and then reared back and nailed him a second time.

  He screamed and stumbled back. Nikki used the rod like a crowbar, snapping the top hinge. She kicked the door far enough away from the frame for her to squeeze out.

  Blood poured from Bobby’s nose.

  Nikki dug her knee into his chest and pressed the bar across his throat. “Give me your phone.”

  “It’s in my back pocket.”

  “Get it out and dial 9-1-1.”

  “You’ll have to kill me first.”

  Nikki pressed down on the bar with all her strength. “You terrified my daughter.”

  “Not me.” He gagged.

  “Another charge for your mom, then.”

  Bobby wriggled the phone from his back pocket.

  “9-1-1, now.”

  Tears welled in his eyes. “I’m not going to jail.”

  “Cooperate, and the prosecution will work with you. But kidnapping an FBI agent won’t help your case. Make the call, and I’ll talk to the DA on your behalf.”

  Bobby closed his eyes. “My mom’s gonna kill me.”

  “No, honey. I’m going to kill her.” Mindy stood in the open doorway with a pistol pointed straight at Nikki. “Leave my little boy alone.”

  Nikki stood, holding the wooden bar like a baseball bat. Bobby rolled onto his knees, sobbing. “Your little boy’s a murderer. So are you.”

  Mindy stomped into the room until the gun was just a few inches from Nikki’s face. “This isn’t an air gun. And I’m pretty sure I won’t miss at this range.”

  How quick were Mindy’s reflexes? Would she be able to react and pull the trigger before Nikki slammed the bar against her head?

  “Think about your little girl,” Mindy said. “Do you want her to grow up without a mother? You know how that feels, don’t you?”

  Nikki dropped the bar, shaking with anger.

  “Good,” Mindy said. “Bobby, stop crying and use the bungee cord to tie her hands.”

  Bobby obeyed, blood congealing at the end of his nose. He looped the nylon cord around Nikki’s wrists until her circulation was nearly cut off and then tied it.

  “I’ve got zip ties in the kitchen.” Mindy looked at her. “Start walking.”

  Forty-Nine

  Nikki’s legs ached as she stumbled down the stairs sandwiched between Mindy and Bobby. Mindy seemed to vibrate with rage. Bobby was still her best shot at getting out of this alive. A part of him knew what he’d done was wrong. Mindy had already passed that point. She only cared about her family’s survival. Her son was all she had left, and Nikki knew she would do anything for him. Just like she would do anything to protect Lacey.

  Lacey wasn’t going to grow up without a mother. Nikki would find a way to get out of this, no matter the cost.

  Bobby zip-tied her wrists behind her back and then used the bungee cord to pin her to one of the kitchen chairs. “What are we going to do with her?”

  “Take her with us. Get rid of her somewhere she won’t be found.”

  Bobby held an ice pack to his nose and stared at his mother. “You’re going to kill an FBI agent?” he whispered.

  “I’m going to do whatever it takes to keep you safe,” Mindy snapped. “That’s what I’ve been doing the entire time. I won’t let our lives be destroyed like the Todd family. Do you know what it’s been like for those poor people? They were pariahs for years, and John Banks had everything.”

  “Mark Todd is innocent,” Bobby said. “I’m not.”

  “That girl seduced you,” Mindy replied, more to herself than her son. “Madison pushed you too far. She apparently didn’t care that her father ruined so many lives.”

  “But won’t I be just like him?” Bobby said. “If I run off and let someone take the fall—even if it’s John Banks—aren’t I doing the exact same thing?”

  “Yes,” Nikki interrupted. “No one has more reason to hate John Banks than me. But I can bring him to justice. Bobby, I can get you a reduced sentence if you help me. The truth comes out and everyone is free. But not like this.”

  Mindy rolled her eyes. “Surely you aren’t that naive? Without my husband’s side of the story, how are we to prove how John’s actions affected our family?”

  “All of the evidence is there. If the defense lays it out just right, it will be obvious to everyone in the room that Bobby never had a chance.”

  “Bobby killed two teenaged girls,” Mindy snapped. “No one’s going to give him a pass for having a shitty life.”

  “One,” Nikki corrected. “You knew Madison was still breathing when you put her into the freezer, didn’t you?”

  Mindy looked at her son. “She wasn’t.”

  “She had frostbite,” Nikki said. “She died in that freezer, which makes you an accessory at the least. But the prosecutor will charge you with second-degree murder. I’ve seen Kaylee’s body and her autopsy. There’s no sign she was raped or beaten. She was strangled, but a good defense attorney can make the case for your son—”

  “We can’t afford a defense attorney,” Mindy spat. “Just be quiet and let me think.”

  “Mom, if we kill her, we’ll never be safe. We’ll be on the most wanted list by tomorrow.”

  Nikki glanced at the microwave clock. Almost eight p.m. Time to tell Lacey good night. She swallowed the rising knot in her throat. Liam had to know something was wrong. And Rory expected her at his house tonight. Her jeep had specialized plates and she’d parked right in front of the Vances’ house.

  Bobby seemed to read her mind. “I put her car in the garage. We leave her tied up and run, right now. By the time she’s found, we’ll be long gone.”

  “And still be wanted by the FBI. That’s a done deal no matter what we do with her.”

  “At least we won’t be wanted for killing her. Canada’s only a few hours away.”

/>   Mindy was at least four inches shorter than him, but she seemed to tower over her son. She smacked him across the face, the ice pack flying out of his hand. In the few days since Nikki had first met her, the stress had pushed Mindy to her breaking point. She seemed like she was capable of anything. “She knows what you did. I’m trying to cover up for your idiocy.”

  Unshed tears shined in Bobby’s eyes. “No one would have thought of us if you’d just stayed away from the Bankses.”

  “Don’t you dare blame this on me,” Mindy shouted. “You brought this on us.”

  “I’ll speak for you at trial,” Nikki said. “I can make a case for both of your mental states. God knows I understand a mother trying to protect her child.”

  Reality seemed to be sinking in on Mindy. She leaned against the counter, her hands shaking. “That’s all I was trying to do. He made his mistakes, but he’s learned from them. Haven’t you, honey?”

  Trying not to squirm and draw attention to herself, Nikki found the metal hooks of the bungee cord and carefully separated them.

  Bobby seemed unfazed by her words. “You killed that dancer. How was that protecting me, Mom?”

  “Amy told me the police didn’t think Frost killed the girls,” Mindy said. “I had to do something to lead them away from you, especially since you’d started getting friendly with this woman.”

  “You didn’t even know Janelle?” Nikki asked.

  “I knew she’d lead you to John,” Mindy said. “He goes to that filthy club. His favorite girls have little ones at home, and I’m not a monster. But I found out Janelle had no one.”

  “She had a family in Wisconsin,” Nikki snapped. “She was someone’s child, too.”

  Bobby’s nose had started to bleed again. “Maybe I should just turn myself in. I’ll take the fall for Janelle. I deserve to be in prison.”

  “Are you fucking kidding me?” Mindy screamed. “After everything I’ve done to protect you? I lost my husband and my home. Now you want me to give you up, too?”

  “I want you to be free, Mom.”

  She laughed and pointed the gun at him. “I will never be free. And you’re not leaving me.”

  The ear-splitting sound of the gun discharging drowned out Mindy’s scream. She stared at her son, her hand trembling. “I swear I didn’t mean to. My finger just twitched.”

  Bobby seemed frozen in shock for a moment, and then turned around to look at the bullet embedded in the wall. She’d missed his head by an inch.

  Mindy started to cry, the gun falling to her side. Nikki lunged, dropping her shoulder into the woman’s chest. Mindy fell backwards, her head connecting with the granite countertop. She sank to the floor, streaking blood down the white cabinets.

  Nikki twisted, trying to grab the gun, but her hands were too tightly tied behind her back.

  Bobby snatched the weapon up. “She’s dead.”

  “She’s still breathing,” Nikki said. “You need to think long and hard about the next few seconds.”

  He glared at her, the rage in his eyes terrifying. “I tried to stand up for you, and you killed her. Get on your knees.”

  Nikki backed against the wall. “You can still run and leave me here, tied up.”

  “You killed my mom. Now I’m going to kill you. Get down on your knees. You can die like your father did.”

  Nikki’s entire body chilled. “How do you know he was kneeling?”

  “John told my dad everything that night. He made my dad help him cover it up.” Nikki sank to her knees. Robert Vance hadn’t just suspected and lied about John not leaving the party. He’d known the entire time and let an innocent man spend his life in prison. Bobby stepped over his mother, his face white with rage. “My dad was a victim. He didn’t have a choice.”

  “Everyone has a choice,” Nikki said. “You don’t think I’m angry as hell? My parents are the ones he killed. I testified against an innocent man because of John’s friends backing up his story. I understand grief, and I understand you.”

  “You don’t know me.”

  “I know you well enough to realize that you would have come forward if your mom hadn’t tried to protect you. I know you’re drowning in guilt.”

  The gun shook in Bobby’s trembling hands as Nikki spoke. His wild eyes made it clear he wasn’t going to listen to her. “General rule of holding someone at gunpoint,” Nikki said. “Check the window before you step in front of it.” She ducked her head as the window above the sink shattered. Bobby’s arm buckled from the impact of the bullet, and the gun fell to the floor.

  Fifty

  “The paramedics said you should go to the doctor.” Liam stretched his long legs in front of him and glared at Nikki. They’d spent the last hour at the sheriff’s station getting each other up to speed. After realizing Nikki had gone MIA, Liam and Miller had launched a frantic search for her, eventually retracing her steps to Amy Banks. She’d been in a fog of painkillers, but eventually remembered Nikki had mentioned going to the Vance home. By the time Miller arrived, the jeep had already been hidden in the Vances’ garage. Mindy told him Nikki had stopped by earlier but hadn’t stayed long. Liam had used his connections at the DOT to get access to the traffic cameras and discovered Nikki’s jeep had never left the Vances’ neighborhood.

  Bobby had been taken to the hospital for stitches and would be in a cell by morning. Mindy had regained consciousness in the ambulance and tried to convince the paramedics that Nikki attacked them and was trying to frame her son.

  Nikki understood the woman’s desperation to protect her child, but Nikki couldn’t fathom covering up such a horrendous thing for Lacey. Then again, thinking about Lacey spending the rest of her life in prison made it easier to understand Mindy’s desperation. News stories covered the details about the victims and the perpetrator, but rarely touched on the lifelong destruction it caused in both families.

  Nikki wasn’t sure it would make a difference, but she intended to speak to the district attorney about everything the Vances had endured from the ripple effect of John Banks’ crimes. She was relieved at least that someone alive knew what happened the night her parents died. Perhaps she could get Bobby to admit what his father told him when they finally found John.

  “I will, tomorrow.” Nikki finished her third cup of water. She hadn’t realized how thirsty she’d been until she’d walked out of the Vances’ house. “Is Courtney still at the Vances’?”

  Liam nodded. “They’re processing his bedroom first, because it’s probably where he killed Kaylee.”

  “Any sign of her phone?” Nikki’s lip stung every time she spoke.

  “Not yet,” Liam said. “He probably tossed it in some lake.”

  Nikki had refused to leave the house until Courtney arrived and could see for herself that Nikki was going to be fine. “What about the furniture? The house is half-empty.”

  “Some of it has been sold,” Liam said. “Probably the pieces we need. But Mindy rented an apartment in town, so we’ve got a team going through stuff. I think we’ve got more than enough to charge both of them.”

  “I don’t think Bobby had anything to do with Janelle’s murder other than moving the body—and I’m not sure he helped with that. Mindy’s tall and stout. She could have handled Janelle on her own. Hopefully we only match Mindy’s prints to the motel room.” Nikki and Miller had gone through the garage, looking for anything that could have caused the blunt force trauma to Janelle’s head, but Mindy had likely tossed it after she dumped her at the park. Nikki’s statement would go a long way to convicting Mindy, but she wanted her case to be rock solid. “Where’s my jeep?”

  “One of Miller’s guys drove it here.” Liam raised an eyebrow. “You’re not driving it tonight. I can take you home.”

  She flushed and looked down at her phone. Rory had sent her multiple messages that evening before finally calling Miller and telling him that something was wrong. By then, Miller and Liam were on the way to the Vance house. They’d promised to keep him updat
ed.

  Nikki had texted him that she was okay and would explain later, and he immediately asked her to come stay with him tonight. She still hadn’t replied.

  “Lacey excited to come home?”

  “Yes. She’s already making plans.” Fortunately, Tyler had managed to keep Lacey occupied, and she didn’t even know Nikki had been missing, but he’d woken her up so that Nikki could tell her she could come home tomorrow. Tyler offered to come to Stillwater and get her, but Nikki assured him she’d be fine and to get Lacey back to bed.

  The judge signed off on the warrant for Roan’s additional security footage, and Liam had scoured the hours of tape while Miller searched. John hadn’t left the office the Saturday the girls disappeared, but the day before, Mindy Vance had walked around the side of the building and waited on the sidewalk. She had her phone to her ear and looked angry. After a couple minutes, John exited the back door in clear fury. The two argued for several minutes, and the argument ended with Mindy pointing her finger at John’s face. Whatever she’d said rendered him speechless.

  “Mindy knew what he’d done to my parents because her husband told her. She probably demanded money for silence. I don’t know if Maddie confronted him about the pictures, but he must have known Amy went through them. Between Mindy’s information and the pictures of me, he was nervous. Did you get his financials?”

  “He withdrew five thousand dollars from his personal savings account that day,” Liam said. “Then two thousand the following month, same day.”

  “Mindy’s house was still foreclosed on. Her husband must have left her with a lot of debt.”

  “Several coworkers at Roan said Bob Vance liked expensive things and tried to keep up with John’s tastes. He probably has credit card debt, and the collectors came after Mindy.”

  “Where’s Hardin?”

  “On leave,” Liam said. “And probably well on his way to retirement.”

  Nikki was still pissed that Hardin hadn’t been at the station. He’d have to face her eventually, especially when the DNA results finally came back.