Page 50 of Cold Threat

“You were right to hide,” Tony said. “If you’d tried to call the police, you might have died too.”

River wasn’t so certain. The Snowman’s anger seemed to be directed at adults, most of them elderly. Usually, serial killers stuck to specific victim types, especially if their rage was ignited as a child. If they were hurt as children, they might not feel right about taking the life of a child.

“So, tell us what you saw,” River said.

“He ... he was dressed in black. Black pants, shoes ... a black hoodie.”

“So you didn’t see his face at all?” Tony said, disappointment in his voice.

“I didn’t say that,” Angie said. She took a deep breath. “At one point, he looked toward the closet. My grandparents kept a nightlight on in their bedroom. When he turned toward me, I saw his face clearly. The image is burned into my memory. I can tell you exactly what he looked like.”

CHAPTER

TWENTY-NINE

I’m not sure we can count on the description Angie gave us,” River said as they drove back to the house. “I mean, it’s been twenty-four years since she lost her grandparents. We both know what happens to memories over even a year’s time. And she was just six years old.”

“I know,” Tony said. “I feel the same way. But if she was right about the large spot on his face...”

“Maybe. Could have been a shadow.”

“Or a tattoo.”

“Perhaps,” River said. “We have no choice but to share her information with your dad. I think we need to warn him that he may have to take it with a grain of salt. You remember the case we had where one of the victims who survived that terrible attack on the girls in a college dorm in Florida was convinced the killer had dyed his hair a shocking orange color?”

“And it turned out that the victim was remembering the killer’s cap? The intruder’s hair was actually brown?”

River nodded. “This could be the same thing. Of course, if the spot was a tattoo, that could really help.”

“It would certainly help to narrow it down.”

River frowned. “There was something else Angie said that surprised me.”

“What was that?”

“We looked over your dad’s files several times because we didn’t want to miss anything.”

“Yeah, so?”

“Do you remember anything about Angie’s grandfather not being related to her biologically?”

Tony hesitated a moment before saying, “No. The police are supposed to investigate anyone connected to the murders. Friends and family. That’s an odd omission. Even if he didn’t have any living relatives, it should have been mentioned in the report.”

“Well, Angie said he had no contact with any family. Maybe he didn’t have anyone. But you’re right. Detectives should have noted it. I think we need to ask your dad about that. I mean, it may not mean anything, but omissions concern me.”

Tony laughed. “Yes, I know. You’re a stickler for details.”

River wasn’t offended. Tony was right. However, in the past, that attention to detail had been a blessing. She’d picked up on things that others had missed. For example, there was the serial killer in Nevada who only killed women who wore red lipstick and had a mole on their cheek. Since most women wore red lipstick when they went out to clubs, his hunting ground, no one else on the team thought of it. But thankfully, River had caught it. And because she had, the FBI was able to catch the killer. In his mind, he was murdering his mother, who wore red lipstick and had the same kind of mole.

“I hope we haven’t ruined your mother’s supper,” River said. “That took longer than I thought it would.”

“My mom’s lived with my dad long enough to know how to keep food warm without getting upset.”

“I’m not sure I could do what she does.”

“What do you mean?” Tony asked.

“Live my life dictated by my husband’s job. It must be difficult.”

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