Page 66 of The Girls in the Snow

Nikki mouthed a “thank you” to Bobby and then glanced at the frazzled owner. “Sir, do you mind if I use the back door to exit? I won’t be setting the alarm off?”

“No, you come through the kitchen,” he replied, holding the door open for her.

Nikki followed him, head down, hands clenched. She hated walking away and leaving the mess for Miller and Liam, but she wasn’t sure how much longer she could control her temper. Why did these people think that berating her would help Mark Todd? Didn’t they care about justice for Maddie and Kaylee, too? At least Bobby had the guts to stand up for the girls. Newport should have stepped in from the beginning instead of waiting for Nikki to say something worth pouncing on.

Why had she engaged? Nothing had changed except Caitlin had fodder for her documentary.

She thanked the owner and stepped out into the alley. Cold wind sliced through her sweater. Nikki inhaled the freezing air, trying to clear her head and focus on the present. There were still so many threads that didn’t make sense to Nikki and she was getting impatient. She should have the results from Janelle’s autopsy within the next few hours, but it wasn’t quick enough for her. She needed to ask Brianna more questions and find out if Madison and Kaylee had other friends with vehicles, as well as locate Kaylee’s phone. The killer’s efforts at distracting her hadn’t completely failed. Her workload had doubled, and so had her frustration.

She hadn’t had an opportunity yet to ask Miller if he’d found anything out from his interviews at the strip club. She was getting more and more irritated that Mark’s retrial was getting in her way and every moment considering that he wasn’t her parents’ killer was a moment not spent investigating her case. Her ability to compartmentalize was a skill she’d long prided herself on.

Her devotion to her job was one of the many things that had come between Nikki and Tyler. She had a tendency to become hyper focused and forget everything—and everyone else—in her life until Lacey came along. Finding out she was pregnant had sent her life into a brief tailspin. Nikki had been terrified that if she couldn’t balance her job and a husband, she’d fare even worse with a child. She’d never been so grateful to be wrong. Lacey had brought a sense of clarity to her life and a purpose beyond chasing bad guys. Nikki had become even more compartmentalized, determined not to let the darkness of her job interfere with being a mother.

This case had changed everything. What if she couldn’t keep her focus together enough to find the killer?

Nikki wrapped her arms around her chest, shivering with cold. “Damn it.” She’d left her coat inside. Nikki tried the door, but it must have automatically locked from inside. She found her phone and texted Courtney. The last thing Nikki wanted to do was walk around front. Caitlin and the protesters were no doubt lingering, waiting to pounce again. Nikki would freeze first.

Tires crunched through the snow. Nikki’s stomach lurched into her throat as a familiar pickup half-slid around the corner.

Rory Todd rolled down his window. “Need a ride to the sheriff’s office?”

“Are you following me?”

“I eat here every day.”

She tightened her sweater against the icy wind. “I’m just waiting for Courtney to bring me my coat.”

“You have a knack for leaving it behind. At least get into the truck and wait so you don’t freeze,” he said. “Your lips are already turning blue. I won’t bring up my brother’s case. Scout’s honor.”

Nikki’s fingers ached with cold. It could be several more minutes before someone came with her coat. She sent Courtney a second text, telling her she had a ride and asked her to bring her coat to the station.

Her heart fluttering with nerves. Nikki grabbed the door and climbed into the big truck. “I need to get to work, so we can head to the station now, if you don’t mind.”

Rory smiled at her. “I don’t mind at all.”

Twenty-Three

Rory’s truck was surprisingly clean for a contractor, save for the floor mats. Trying to keep them clean during a Minnesota winter was futile.

Rory drove in silence, staring straight ahead. His wool hat lay on the seat between them, his dark curls held back by sunglasses.

“What?” His green eyes caught hers as he stopped for a yellow light.

Nikki flushed. “Nothing. I was just thinking…”

“About what?”

She wasn’t about to tell him she’d been admiring his hair. “Just about how awkward this is.”

He laughed and then cleared his throat. “I saw your jeep and then noticed Newport’s truck. I planned on laying into her, but when I saw Miller exit the diner with someone in handcuffs, I knew something was going down.”

“How’d you know I was out back?”

“Didn’t see you inside or in the car. Figured you made a quick escape.”

“Thanks for the ride,” Nikki said. “One of the protestors had a few things to say to me and it got out of hand.”

Rory glanced at her. “That kid from the other night?”

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