Walking down the alley, Hawk noticed there was no sign of a struggle.
“Nothing is knocked over, and there are no scrapes or bruises on her body,” he told Nikki. Nikki looked around. He was right. The only thing amiss was the garbage bag that Lidia had dropped when she saw Karissa’s body.
“She must have known her killer,” Hawk said. Nikki agreed. Hawk continued, “I put out an APB on Andrew. He had time to kill her after he left us in the park. Who else would she have known in Maple Hills?”
“Nobody that I know of,” said Nikki. “But, as much as I hate him, I don’t think Andrew is capable of killing someone.”
“I know you were close, but that was a while ago,” said Hawk. “People change. You don’t know what he has been through since he left you.”
“That’s true, but I still don’t think he would do this,” said Nikki.
“Okay. I see what you’re saying,” said Hawk. “I still need to question him. Would you mind trying to call him? I really need to know where he is. He didn’t answer when I called. Maybe if it’s a different number, he’ll pick up.”
Nikki agreed to call. She dialed the number, but there was no answer. She left a message.
“Andrew, when you get this, please call me. Something has happened, and I need to speak to you. Please call me; it’s urgent. It concerns Karissa.” She hung up her cell phone. She and Hawk continued looking around.
“What is that over there?” asked Nikki, pointing to the wall across from Karissa’s body.
“It looks like a handprint,” responded Hawk. “Good eye.” He took a picture, and just then the forensic team appeared. Hawk showed them the handprint and the body. Leah was there again, and she thanked Hawk for showing her team around. Hawk took Nikki’s arm and led her back to the shop. As they got to the door, they heard a siren. It was an ambulance arriving to take Karissa’s body to the morgue. Nikki walked into the shop. As she shut the door, she turned the closed sign to face the window.
“Hey, everyone,” she said, addressing Tori, Seth, and Lidia. They all looked at her. “We will be closed the rest of today and tomorrow. I hope to reopen after that. I will call you and let you know what’s going on.”
Seth approached her and gave her a hug. “I think I’ll take Tori home,” he said.
“That’s a good idea,” said Nikki.
“I called Lidia’s husband. He should be here any minute,” said Tori.
“Thank you,” said Nikki. She and the others closed down the shop. Someone was supposed to be there later that day to take care of the broken window.
“I’ll keep the uniform officer on the door,” Hawk offered. “He can help with the window.”
“Thank you,” said Nikki. Nikki thought for a moment and looked something up on her phone. She made a call.
“Yes, tomorrow would work. Thank you,” she said and hung up.
“Who was that?” asked Hawk.
“I called a cleaning crew specializing in crime scenes. Do you think your teams will be done with the scene by tomorrow afternoon?”
“Yes, they should be done by then. Are you having the cleaners stop by then?”
“Yes,” said Nikki.
“That sounds reasonable,” said Hawk.
“We should go to the morgue and see what they have to say about Karissa,” said Nikki. Hawk agreed and led her to his car. They drove to the station and walked into the morgue. They saw the chief with the medical examiner and walked in the room. Nikki checked her phone and saw that there were no missed calls. Andrew had not called her back.
7
In the morgue, the medical examiner and the chief were looking over Karissa’s body. The medical examiner told Nikki and Hawk that Karissa had been shot around noon.
“Why didn’t we hear the shot?” asked Nikki.
“The person who killed her probably had a silencer on his gun,” the chief explained.
“That would make sense,” said Hawk.
“Yeah, we heard Lidia scream, but we didn’t know why,” said Nikki.
“I noticed she was shot in the head,” said Hawk to the medical examiner.
“Yes, and she was kneeling when she was shot. There were some abrasions on her knees, and she was lying backwards in the alley with her legs bent. That’s how we know she was kneeling.”
“Why would someone tell a person to kneel before shooting them?”
“Maybe if the person was shorter than the victim. Having the victim kneel would give the shooter a feeling of dominance and control over the victim,” Hawk said. “That being said, was Karissa taller than Andrew in her heels?” he asked Nikki.
Nikki thought about it. “Yes, she would have been a little taller than him.”
“Has anyone seen Andrew yet?” Hawk asked the chief.
“No, there have been no reported sightings,” the chief answered.
Nikki looked at the body on the table. She thought about Andrew. “I really do not think he did this,” she told Hawk. “Yes, he’s a jerk, but that doesn’t make him a murderer. I know him better than anyone else in this room.” She could hear her voice getting higher and feel her body tense up.
“Well, right now he is the only one with a motive. If you find someone else, I’ll talk to them,” snapped Hawk. Nikki held her breath. Hawk apologized.
“It’s been a rough day for everyone,” said the chief. “Nikki, can I speak with you privately for a minute?”
“Sure, Chief,” Nikki replied. She followed him down the hall, relieved to be away from the friction in the morgue.
“Why don’t you sit down? Can I get you a drink? Would you like some water? Coffee?” the chief asked.
“I’d like some coffee please, thank you,” replied Nikki as she sat in a chair across from the chief’s desk. There was a box of tissues on his desk. Nikki took one and wiped her eyes. The chief poured her a cup of coffee and sat down at his desk. Nikki thanked him for the coffee and took a sip.
“Nikki, you have been a great asset to this police force ever since you came to Maple Hills. You have helped us solve quite a few cases and have been a blessing to my son. That being said, I have to wonder if you might be too close to this one. The victim was threatening you and our main suspect is your ex-husband. I would understand if you needed to back away from this one.”
Nikki was not too surprised. She did let her emotions get away from her a bit in the morgue. She had never blindly questioned Hawk’s suspicions about a suspect before. She thought for a moment.
“I understand why you may think I’m too close to this,” she said to the chief. “However, I can be objective. I’m glad you called me out of the morgue. I just had to step back for a moment. Yes, I will be able to work this case with Hawk. If I feel my objectivity sliding, I will excuse myself. I do believe I can work this case, though.”
“Okay, Nikki. I will keep you on the case for now. If I feel you’re not seeing things in an objective way, though, I will pull you off the case.”
“I understand. Thank you, Chief.”
“Okay, now let’s get back to the morgue and see what Hawk and the medical examiner have come up with.”
Nikki was glad to still be on the case. She walked down the hall with the chief. When they got to the morgue, she walked over to Hawk and squeezed his hand. He looked down and smiled at her. The medical examiner continued with his findings, and Nikki listened for any pertinent information. A few minutes later, Nikki’s phone rang. It was the number Andrew had given her.
“It’s Andrew,” she told Hawk. He and the chief perked up. They told her to answer it and put it on speaker phone.
“Hello?” Nikki said.
“Nikki,” Andrew whispered. “You have to come and help me. I’m surrounded. Why are there cops outside my motel room pointing guns at me? What happened with Karissa? Did she contact you? What’s going on? I am freaking out.”
“What do you mean, surrounded? Where are you? We’ve been trying to reach you all afternoon,” Nikki said.
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br /> “There are cops outside of my hotel room.”
Just then the chief’s cell rang. It was an officer informing him that they had located Andrew. The chief told them to stand down.
“Listen, Andrew, tell me where you are, and we will come and get you. No one wants to hurt you; we just want to talk to you. The chief has ordered the police to stand down,” Nikki said.
“Okay, Nikki. I am at the Overlook on the highway.”
“I know exactly where you are. What room are you in?”
“The one surrounded by the cops,” Andrew sneered.
“Now is not the time for sarcasm, Andrew,” Nikki scolded.
“Okay, just get here quick. I don’t want to get shot.”
“Fine, we will. Just stay in the room. And Andrew, did Karissa call you this morning?”
“No, I haven’t heard from her. What is going on?”
“I’ll let you know when we get there,” Nikki told him.
Andrew hung up and Nikki looked at Hawk. “Let’s go,” said Hawk.
“Just so you know, I do not think he did this. He sounded genuinely confused that the police were there.”
Hawk looked at her and said he understood.
The chief instructed his men to keep an eye on the room. “Do not let anyone in or out, but do not shoot. Hawk, bring him in.”
Nikki and Hawk ran to his truck and started for the motel. Even though the motel was on the highway, there were many windy back roads they had to take. The trees had new bright green leaves on their branches, and the sun was shining oblivious to the darkness Nikki was feeling. The Overlook was a small motel run by a local family. It was a single story of rooms that were a bit shabby. It was a motel where people stopped for a night or two. Fortunately, it was not peak tourist season, so there weren’t too many guests staying there. When they got to the Overlook, Nikki admitted Andrew had been right. It was obvious which room was his. Andrew’s room was surrounded by police from their county and two surrounding counties. There were other guests gathered by the motel office. The owners were there handing out coffee and reassurances, trying to keep their guests happy during the raid. Hawk parked his truck, and they walked toward the police.
“Hey, Jim,” Hawk said to the officer in charge.
“Hey, Hawk,” he replied.
“Has anyone tried to enter or leave?”
“No, not since we’ve been here,” said Jim.
“Okay, we are going to go in. The suspect is not considered armed or dangerous,” he said and looked at Nikki, and she nodded in agreement.
“Okay,” Jim said. He instructed the other officers to lower their weapons but be on alert. Hawk thanked him. He and Nikki approached the room. Nikki knocked on the door. She told Andrew it was her and asked him to open the door. There was no answer. Hawk asked her to step aside.
“Andrew!” Hawk yelled. “Open the door and come out with your hands up!” Hawk had not drawn his weapon, but he wanted Andrew intimidated into opening the door. Nikki tried to look in the window, but the curtains were closed. She looked at Hawk.
“We’ll have to break in,” said Hawk. Nikki agreed. She wondered why Andrew had not come to the door. Maybe she was wrong about him. He might have turned darker after he had left her. Maybe he had continued drinking himself to sleep. At least he had not smelled like beer this afternoon at the park. That was one good sign.
A loud noise drew Nikki’s thoughts back to the motel. Hawk had kicked in the door and entered the room. A quick search showed that Andrew was not inside. The room was a mess. There were food wrappers and clothing strewn around the floor. In addition, a couple of lamps had been knocked over, and the closet door stood open. Hawk was the first to notice the bullet holes in the wall.
“Look here,” he told Nikki. Nikki flinched and looked on the floor. There was no sign of blood. Nikki ran to the bathroom.
She saw the small window above the sink was open. It was small but large enough for someone to squeeze out. “Come here!” she yelled to Hawk. He ran in with his gun drawn and saw the window. The razor and toothbrush from the sink were on the floor by the opposite wall. It appeared someone had crawled out the window. There was a mirror by the side of the sink. It had been shattered. The glass fragments were all over the sink and on the floor. Hawk ran out of the motel room, and Nikki looked out the window. She heard an engine revving. She decided to follow whoever climbed out of the window. Nikki found a towel and wrapped her hand in it. She put her hand on the sink, mindful of the glass, and started to boost herself up. Nikki hopped on the sink and put her foot through the open window. She balanced there and then she stuck her head and shoulders out. She stretched and got her feet on the lower sill. Nikki jumped to the ground. She landed well and ran toward the back parking lot. A beat-up truck was weaving towards her. Nikki jumped out of the way just in time. Whoever was driving had tried to hit her. Nikki looked in the rearview window of the truck and saw two men. The driver was steering with one hand and beating up the passenger with his other hand. The passenger managed to turn around and look out the back window. He saw Nikki and put his hand on the glass. He had blood dripping from his hand, nose, and eye. It was Andrew. Nikki got the license plate number of the truck, and when Hawk appeared she gave it to him. She told him it looked like someone had kidnapped Andrew. This day is getting weirder and weirder, thought Nikki. Hawk had brought his truck around from the front of the motel. The other police were just getting around back. They had been searching around the motel for Andrew when Hawk told them he was no longer in the room. Hawk told the police what had happened. He said he would call the chief, and he was sure the chief would be sending them orders soon. Hawk and Nikki hopped into Hawk’s truck and drove out of the parking lot and down the road after the truck with Andrew in it. They drove down the road the truck had taken, but there was no sign of it or Andrew. Nikki and Hawk drove around the country roads for a while, but there was no sign of the other vehicle. Hawk phoned in the license number, and the chief put an APB out on the truck. Suddenly Nikki’s phone buzzed. It was a message from Andrew. She read it to Hawk.
“I am being held hostage in a cabin somewhere. Please help me.”
“Let me call the chief, and he can tell me any nearby abandoned cabins,” Hawk suggested. “I know some, but he should have a record of them at the station. That is probably where that other man has taken Andrew.” Nikki agreed. Hawk called the chief, and the chief gave Hawk a nearby address.
“I will also have men looking around at the other cabins,” said the chief. “I have a list of them on the map over my desk.”
“I thought you might. Thank you, Chief,” said Hawk. Hawk then warned Nikki to buckle up. “This is going to be a bumpy ride,” he said. Hawk drove another mile and turned into what appeared to be the side of the road. Hawk drove into the long grass, and after a few feet Nikki could discern a trail. The ride was bumpy, and Nikki almost hit her head a time or two. The trail was nothing but overgrown grass in some places and dried up dirt in others. Nikki would have never known there was a trail, let alone a cabin here. Hawk was right. It was a bumpy ride. Nikki held on tight as Hawk guided them toward the abandoned cabin. The road got bumpier, and outside, the light dimmed as they got deeper into the woods. Nikki shivered. She wondered how scared Andrew was. Nikki knew what it was like to feel helpless. She felt a bit sorry for Andrew, but then she figured he had somehow done this to himself. Was the man a friend of Karissa’s? Had he followed Andrew to Maple Hills? Had he seen Andrew shoot Karissa and followed him back to his hotel? Nikki’s head was spinning with questions only Andrew could answer. She put her hand on Hawk’s leg to steady herself. Hawk was busy maneuvering around the trail, but he shot her a reassuring smile. Nikki felt the truck lurch again and braced herself for the bump. She felt the truck slowing and realized they were stopping in the middle of the woods. There was nothing around but trees and some wildlife. There was no sign of a cabin. Nikki wondered where Hawk had taken her.
8
“The cabin is about a quarter of a mile away,” Hawk told Nikki. Hawk stopped the car. He and Nikki got out. They were in dense woods surrounded by trees. It was darker and cooler in the woods. At a better time, this would be a fun place to go with Hawk, Nikki thought. She imagined hiking along the small trail and making new trails with Hawk. She pulled her mind back to the current situation.
“How do we get to the cabin?” Nikki asked Hawk.
“See that small trail?” he answered, pointing out a worn spot about a foot across that stretched into the woods.
“Yes,” said Nikki.
“It’s along that trail,” replied Hawk. Nikki started walking, and Hawk followed closely behind.
They walked carefully, trying to avoid fallen logs and ruts in the ground. Nikki stopped and pointed. There was a deer a few yards ahead of them. While Nikki wanted to get to the cabin quickly, she did not want the deer spooked. Someone in the cabin might notice it running. She and Hawk stood there for a moment, and the deer wandered on after nibbling some young leaves. Hawk took the lead and moved through the woods, careful to be quiet. The woods were so still it seemed any noise would travel quite a distance. A cricket started chirping, and Nikki jumped. She kept up with Hawk along the trail. Suddenly, Hawk stopped. He motioned Nikki to his side.
“Look up ahead,” he murmured to her.
“Where am I supposed to be looking?” Nikki asked. Hawk pointed up and Nikki saw a roof peak in the distance between the trees. She would not have noticed it if Hawk had not pointed it out. It was the same color as the tree trunks. Nikki figured the cabin must have been about as old as some of the trees. It now blended in with the forest.
Maple Hills Mystery Box Set 3 Page 21