Page 92 of The Girls in the Snow

“Come on, Nik. Why would I do that?” John’s bitter laugh sent a fresh wave of anger through Nikki. She thought of Mark Todd in his prison uniform, somehow able to seek justice without lashing out at her like she deserved. The man had spent half his life in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, and it had all started because Nikki had trusted the man sitting in front of her.

“Maybe I was a trial run to see if the liquid ecstasy mixed with alcohol was as bad as people were beginning to say it was.”

“I never did liquid x.”

“Doesn’t mean you didn’t have it,” Nikki said. “It was legal then.”

“This is too much.” Amy’s shrill voice shook. “You’re supposed to find my daughter’s killer, not get all caught up in Mark Todd’s appeal. I knew this would happen.”

Nikki glared at her. “John tried to pick up Kaylee at a bar this summer. He wanted to take her picture.”

“I already know about that,” Amy said flatly. “We worked through it.”

“Your husband tried to pick up a teenage girl, and you worked through that?” Nikki had hoped to rattle Amy’s faith in John with the information about Kaylee. How could she have known and said nothing to the police?

“He didn’t realize she was underage,” Amy snapped. “He didn’t even know her name until Madison brought her to the house after volleyball practice.”

“That’s why you went to Kaylee’s,” Nikki said. “To buy her silence.”

Amy’s small frame vibrated with anger. “Yes, I did try to pay the girl to keep quiet. When Maddie brought her over, John freaked out. I finally got it out of him that he’d been drinking with some work people in Hudson and made a pass at her. He was terrified she was going to say something.”

“She didn’t take the money?”

Amy shook her head. “She said she’d stay quiet for Maddie’s sake. She didn’t want the money. I told John if he ever did something like that again I’d leave him and take everything.”

“And what about Janelle Gomez?” Miller asked.

“John admitted to me that he’d been going to the strip club,” Amy said. “He also says he didn’t have any interaction with that woman. He was here the night she was murdered.”

“Forgive me if I don’t trust your word right now,” Nikki said.

“I don’t care what you trust,” Amy snapped. “I’m telling you the truth.”

“When did Bailey find the pictures?”

“What pictures?” Amy glanced at John. He looked pointedly away from her.

“The ones of naked girls,” Nikki replied. “Madison told one of her friends about the big fight after Bailey found them.”

“The girl’s either lying or misunderstood Maddie. Bailey didn’t find any pictures.” Amy had regained control, her tone cool and far too calm. Was she going to hold this over John’s head and punish him her own way, or was she afraid of being charged for not reporting the pictures?

“I’m tired of being questioned.” John took another drink. “I have an alibi, for Christ’s sake. You’re so screwed up about your parents that you aren’t capable of thinking about anything else.”

John’s expression was carefully neutral, but Nikki recognized the desperation in his voice. She was getting to him.

“Here’s where we stand,” Nikki said. “By morning we’ll have warrants for your financial records, plus this house, your office and any other property you own. We’ll be up your ass until it bleeds.”

John hurled the heavy stein towards her. It hit the floor with a thud and cracked into several pieces. “Kaylee’s got the secret boyfriend. That’s what you told me the other day. Did you ask Bobby Vance about her? I know she had a crush on him.”

“He’s been cleared,” Nikki said. “And you’re pathetic for trying to pass blame onto him.”

“Then it’s some other older guy. Kaylee screwed up and got our daughter killed.”

“Kaylee died first, likely days before Madison. Your daughter was beaten and left to die in the freezer. She suffered tremendously.” Nikki hated to be so callous in front of Amy, but the woman needed to get her head out of her ass. Protecting John was very likely protecting her killer.

Amy’s cries almost pierced Nikki’s resolve.

Rage flashed through John’s eyes as he stood up and towered over her. “I hope you’re happy, Nicole. You could never be subtle about anything. Fucking theatrics. Now Amy’s a wreck again.” He stomped into the kitchen.

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