Page 33 of The Girls in the Snow

“Nicole.” The filmmaker’s voice lost some of its sharp edge. “Please go over the files. Or have a colleague who isn’t emotionally involved do it.”

Nikki heaved the glass door open and stomped into the lobby.

The front attendant looked up from her computer. “Agent Hunt?”

Nikki’s chest heaved as though she’d just sprinted from the jeep. Her body flashed from cold to burning hot. She removed her hat and tried to tame her hair. The roots were damp with sweat, so the effort was futile. “Where are we set up?” she asked.

“Second floor, room 212. Take a right off the elevator.”

Nikki glanced at the door to make sure Caitlin wasn’t going to follow her in. “Thank you. If that woman comes inside and tries to find me, call room 212 right away.”

“Sure thing.”

Nikki peeled off her gloves and coat in the elevator. She found a brush in her bag and ran it through her hair before clipping it into a bun. Who the hell did Newport think she was, asking Nikki to cooperate, like she had done something wrong? At least she’d made a firm statement to the media, even though she hated giving it to her.

Room 212 was just a couple of doors down from the elevator. Nikki slowed her pace and took a deep breath to refocus, running through a mental list of what she needed to go over with her team.

Liam and Courtney had set up computers and makeshift workstations, along with a smart board. Half-empty boxes of bagels and donuts sat on a corner table, along with a coffee machine and bottles of water.

“Sorry I’m late.” Nikki grabbed a donut with a mound of gooey icing. “Caitlin Newport ambushed me.”

Miller looked up from his computer. “Are you serious? I ran her off this morning already.”

“She’s tenacious. And all excited about that newspaper article since she’s doing a documentary about Mark Todd’s innocence.”

“I knew she was up to something.” Courtney’s expression made it clear she’d read the article, but she’d never bring it up in a professional setting.

Liam focused on the notes scattered in front of him.

Miller glanced at Courtney, who shook her head. Her team knew better than to push her, and Miller had good survival instincts.

Nikki tossed her half-eaten donut in the trash and sat down. “Liam, did you have any luck figuring out who was in the Polaroid from Kaylee’s room?” Nikki had taken the photo for evidence, hoping to identify the person who’d taken the picture.

“I scanned it to see if we could get a better look at the man reflected in the shop window,” Liam said. “The tech geeks are running it through their advanced photo software, but I don’t think we’re going to find much.”

“I didn’t expect to.” Nikki shifted her focus. Courtney had already updated Nikki this morning. It would be at least seventy-two hours before they’d be able to begin examining the bodies, so her staff wouldn’t even consider trying to remove the girls’ clothes yet. The medical examiner expected to start the autopsies in five days, but she’d cautioned Courtney that she wasn’t going to rush things and risk losing evidence, no matter how hard they pushed. “I know we’re still in a holding pattern with the evidence from the bodies, but we have leads to follow now. You’ll all have read Miller’s notes from the missing persons investigation. Is there someone else who knew Madison or Kaylee who hasn’t been interviewed? And are there any holes in those stories? I think there are things we don’t know about Kaylee’s mom’s boyfriend, Ricky. Courtney, Sergeant Miller has a warrant to search his truck, so I’d like you to follow us out there.”

Courtney nodded. “I’m good to go. I’ve been going through Madison’s social media accounts, trying to come up with something. But so far, she’s the typical teenager.”

“Look for pictures of Kaylee in Madison’s social media, too. And let’s interview their friends again. Liam, I think Kaylee had a phone. She didn’t have a lot of pocket money, so likely a pre-paid phone. Madison’s phone has been off, but is there any way the cell companies could pinpoint a connection from a pre-paid phone during the time the girls were supposed to be walking to the Hansons’ house?”

“I’m not sure without the number. We don’t even know what carrier she might have had. And if it’s pre-paid, the text messages are long gone. Most carriers don’t keep records for pre-paid calls.”

“I know it’s a long shot,” Nikki said, “but I need you to visit the Stillwater carriers who provide pre-paid services. You’ll be able to work up a list easily enough. Take Kaylee’s picture around, see if someone happens to remember her. We’ll need a warrant to contact the carriers about pings, and if you can find an employee who remembers her—or a manager who’s willing to go through old security footage—we might be able to get records.”

“I’ll do my best. That’s probably going to be several locations, so it might take a couple of days to get the right contact at all of them.”

“That’s fine. I know you’ll be as efficient as possible. And let’s begin searching for places with industrial freezers—what sort of places could have held Madison and Kaylee’s bodies, and who had access to those places?” Nikki looked at Miller. “Did you find out where Ricky’s working this morning?”

“New construction by the lake,” Miller said. “I can drive, if you’d like.”

“That works for me.” Nikki preferred her own vehicle, but Miller’s cruiser offered an extra layer of protection against Newport.

Nikki sighed with relief as Miller exited the parking lot. There was no sign of the protesters or Newport. “Thanks for the ride,” she said.

“Just made sense,” Miller replied.

“It does, but I appreciate the buffer if that woman shows up.”

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