Page 59 of Cold Threat

River took a deep breath. “What if Edward Wilson was an abusive husband and father? His wife commits suicide to get away from him. He dumps his kids into the system, creating two extremely resentful siblings.” She frowned at Ray. “How old were they when they went into foster care?”

“Michael was twelve, and Stacy was nine.”

River nodded. “Okay, so they’re angry. Their mother is dead,and their abusive father has abandoned them. What if they get separated?” She shot a look at Ray, who nodded. “When Michael turns eighteen, he goes looking for Stacy. But he can’t find her. She’s disappeared.”

“So, he turns his anger on his father, kills him, then...” Tony stopped. “It’s a good theory, but then he kills Sheila Jackson, who has no connection whatsoever to his sister?”

“But we don’t know that,” River said. “What if she does?”

“But why would he kill her? Because she doesn’t know where Stacy is?” Ray asked. “I mean, with the foster care system such a mess, it doesn’t mean it was Sheila’s fault.”

“Unless...” Tony didn’t really want to say what he was thinking, but when playingwhat if, they took leaps. Even if it was unpleasant. Unfortunately, more than once their worst fears were confirmed later. “Unless Sheila killed her. Maybe Michael found out, and that’s why he executed Sheila—because she killed his sister?”

“No, that doesn’t work,” Ray said. “If she’d died, we would know about it.”

“Would you, Dad?” Tony said. “You told me yourself that more people get away with murder than anyone suspects.”

“And that’s true. So-calledaccidentsthat aren’t investigated. People found dead who have no physical signs of trauma aren’t autopsied. It happens every day all around the country.”

“So how would someone in foster care get away with that?” River asked. “Sheila Jackson was licensed, right?”

“Yes, but there are several ways a child could go missing. Maybe the social worker in charge of Sheila just didn’t follow up. Not only could it occur, it has happened more than once. In some areas, the foster care system is a real mess.”

“That’s sad,” River said. “Children should be our number one concern.”

Ray nodded. “I agree, but sadly, it isn’t true. To be honest, youcan’t blame the wonderful foster care workers or families out there. Most of them are incredible. They work hard to protect at-risk children. But when things get out of control and there’s not time to check out every family, mistakes happen.”

“Do you think Michael Wilson could be the Snowman?” Tony asked River.

“I have no idea. I mean, the childhood trauma fits. Maybe Stacy died in the winter? Perhaps the ornament was something she had when she went missing? It could be true, but we have no way to prove it. And what about the murders here? And Sandra? What possible connection do they have to a child that went missing so long ago?”

Tony let out a deep sigh. His brain was beginning to lock up. “Look, let’s call it a day. Besides, we’re veering away from writing a profile. Once again, we’re trying to do Dad’s job.”

“You’re right,” River said. “But I think Michael Wilson fits our profile beautifully ... if he really is the Snowman. But that’s your job to decide, Ray.”

Ray stood up. “Look, you’ve given me a lot to think about. I’m going to follow up on this. Maybe you’ve hit on something. Maybe you haven’t. But at least this gives me some hope.”

“Did you find any pictures of Michael Wilson or his sister?” River asked.

Ray shook his head. “Not so far, but we’re trying. Checking schools and the state to see what they have. I’m confident we’ll find something. Not sure pictures that are almost thirty years old will help us, but we still need to look at them. As soon as we find something, I’ll let you know. I doubt they will help your profile, though.”

“You’d be surprised,” River said. “Even in a headshot, there are clues to personality. Is the subject smiling? Frowning? Are there signs of anger or fear? Photos could actually give us information we can use.”

Ray nodded. “Okay, whatever you need. We have to stop this guy. I have a bad feeling....”

Tony and River looked at each other. Ray clearly felt the same thing they did. Three people with experience studying criminals. All of them with the same gut instinct. Tony took it as an omen. One they had to take very seriously.

CHAPTER

THIRTY-FOUR

After Ray headed to bed and Tony called Aimee to see if she could meet him for breakfast instead of lunch, River went upstairs and took a shower. Then she went back to Aimee’s room. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she didn’t belong there. River had reminded herself more than once that the room really belonged to Beth and Ray. They were so kind and welcoming, and if they wanted her here, it was okay. River wished she could meet with Beth and Aimee to talk. Beth had dealt with negative feelings after Tony was shot, and she was okay with River now. Maybe Aimee could come around too. She wondered if Tony planned to talk to Aimee about the conversation they’d had the day they met. She hoped not, but it was in Tony’s hands now. She had to let it go.

River was trying not to let guilt attach itself to her again. Her talks with Tony had made her determined to walk in freedom. But talking about it and doing it appeared to be two different things. She couldn’t stop wondering if she should have heard something in Jacki’s voice that horrible night. Something that alerted her. The guilt from her stupidity weighed on her every day. Pastor Mason and Tony had both talked about how carryingguilt was wrong because of what Jesus had done to set her free. It made sense in her head, so why was she struggling with it so much? And why did she still feel so guilty about turning her back on God after He heard her prayer and delivered her that night in the river? She’d apologized to God over and over, but it still felt like a weight in her heart. She knew God was a loving God, but wasn’t He also holy? What was the unforgivable sin? Had she committed it?

“Stop it,” she whispered to herself. “Just stop it. You’re going to drive yourself crazy.” She got into bed and closed her eyes. “I’m so sorry,” she said quietly. “I don’t know what else to say. It seems wrong to just walk away like I didn’t lie to You. Like I didn’t reject You after You miraculously saved me.”

She turned over on her side and felt a tear run down her cheek. She forced the remorseful feelings out of her mind, but it took great effort. She made herself concentrate on the profile they were working on. Several times she’d thought their profile was done ... or near completion. But things kept changing. Were they trying too hard because this was for Ray? Being close to him made this situation seem so personal. And so threatening. If someone else died, how would she and Tony feel? The last thing she needed was more guilt. As it was, sometimes she felt as if it were crushing her, making it hard to breathe. Wasn’t the truth linked to her relationship with her parents? She wasn’t able to trust their love, and now she was having trouble believing in God’s love for her. She and Tony were supposed to be experts in human behavior. River knew what was happening, so why couldn’t she change her thinking? It felt as if she was under a major attack from the enemy.

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