Page 48 of Little Child Gone (Nikki Hunt #10)
THREE WEEKS LATER
Nikki knocked on the door of Matt Kline’s Stillwater home. He’d moved into the old Hendrickson house with Luke to start the renovations. Matt suggested Christy and her kids take his old place while they looked for a new home in the area.
Elena opened the door wearing an apron covered with flowers. Penny squeezed between Elena and the doorframe.
“Hi, Agent Hunt. We’re making cookies for Mom.”
Elena ushered Nikki into the house. Christy was sitting in the living room, her feet propped up in the reclining chair.
“How are you feeling?” Nikki asked.
“Tired, but better,” she said. “The kids are at school. They’ll be sad they missed you.”
“I know,” Nikki said. “I’ve got to testify on another case this afternoon or I would have come later.” She glanced in the kitchen where Elena had retreated with Penny to finish her cookies. “How’s it going with her?”
“It’s the strangest thing,” Christy said. “I just feel like I’ve known her forever. I’m so lucky it worked out this way, selfish as it sounds.”
“It’s not selfish,” Nikki said. “You two have a bond most can’t imagine. You are seeing the therapist together, right? Obviously, you all need individual as well, but I think family therapy will help because there’s a lot to sort out.”
“Penny saw Caden push Jared in.” Christy’s whisper sent a shock wave through Nikki. “Or she thinks he might have, because he was running to the dock and then Jared fell. I told her that Agent Wilson saw it differently but…”
“He said Jared slipped in the official report.” Nikki hadn’t spoken with Liam about it since he filed the report.
She told Garcia her back had been turned, but Agent Wilson had his weapon aimed at Jared in case he tried to stop them from going into the woods.
If Garcia suspected anything, he wasn’t questioning it.
“It was dark and Penny was traumatized. Her eyes played tricks on her.”
She could tell Christy didn’t believe her. “Thank you, Agent Hunt. And thank Agent Wilson.”
“Just doing our jobs,” Nikki answered.
“Caden said he heard you talking to Jared, that you were willing to let him go and possibly get in trouble for doing so, in order to save Penny.”
If Caden had been watching, that meant he’d been waiting for the right moment. Nikki couldn’t believe how at peace she was with Jared’s demise. Years of seeing victimized women and children had robbed any empathy she had for someone like him.
Penny ran into the room with a chocolate chip cookie on a napkin. “It’s hot and gooey.” She giggled.
“Thank you.” Nikki devoured the cookie while Penny brought one to her mom. She and Elena joined them in the living room. Penny went to her dolls and started telling them about the cookies she’d just made.
“Elena, before I leave, I have something for you.” She reached into her bag. “I found Rebecca’s necklace. Since she’s been a Jane Doe, everything was still in evidence.”
“Found” wasn’t the right word. She’d waited for Spencer Bancroft to finish his shift at the fire station. He hadn’t seemed surprised to see her.
“I trust Matt brought you up to speed on everything.”
Spencer leaned against his truck and nodded. “I had no idea Ms. Smith was running from something like that. I shouldn’t have listened to Grandpa and my mom. I should have gone to the police when he realized they were gone. It just didn’t feel right.”
“Rebecca Lincoln was the victim of a hit-and-run while she was rushing for help to save her family.”
Spencer nodded, averting his eyes.
“What happened to that souped-up Nissan GT-R?” Nikki asked him. “The one you drove when you guys snuck out to the concert?”
“Why are you asking me about that car?” Spencer laughed. “I ran the hell out of it, that’s what. Junked it years ago.”
Nikki had already done her homework. It had taken some digging, but she’d discovered the car’s title had been changed to a salvage title six days after the hit-and-run that killed Rebecca—Jane Doe at the time. “Six days later, to be exact.”
Spencer stared at her, frozen. She didn’t want to hear his comeback story.
Nikki already knew he’d gone to a rehab center for alcohol and depression the next week and had come back a more reserved, less reckless version of Spencer.
He’d been a model citizen since then, including saving a woman and child from an apartment fire that could have taken his life.
“Agent Hunt,” Spencer started. “I wanted… my mom… I didn’t know about the others.”
Nikki held up her hand. “I’m going to stop you right there. I believe you. And the statute of limitations has passed.”
Tears welled in Spencer’s eyes. “It was an accident. The rain… I relive that night every day of my life.”
“Sometimes the best punishment is having to go on and walk away.” Nikki pointed to the chain on his neck. “But Elena would like her niece’s things back.”
“I can’t believe it was still in evidence.” Elena held the necklace and ring close to her chest. “This means more than I can say.”
“I’m glad I was able to return it.” Nikki checked her watch. “I’d better head out. This particular judge is brutal if you’re late.”
Elena walked her to the door. “I spoke to Doctor Blanchard about the remains. It’s too cold for a service now, but I know Bianca wanted to be buried in a Catholic cemetery. I’m planning on having a service in the spring. I’d love for you and Agent Wilson to attend.”
“We’d be honored,” Nikki answered. “I’ll stay in touch, stop in and check on you guys.”
“Thank you again for giving me my family back,” Elena said. “Part of me wishes we knew exactly what happened, but it doesn’t matter. I know where they are now, and that’s all I’ve wanted for years.”
Nikki said goodbye and headed out to her Jeep. What happened to Bianca and her kids had been awful, but she was grateful to be part of Christy and her children’s new beginnings.