Page 5 of Little Child Gone (Nikki Hunt #10)

THREE

“It could be something else that leaked.” Nikki looked at Courtney. They’d both had the same thought about the leaking fluid. “I mean, doesn’t have to be decomposition, right?”

Courtney rolled her eyes. “The decomposed body in the opposite corner would suggest this is likely another body. You know that.”

“Do you have any kind of rapid field test that detects decomposition?” Matt asked from the doorway.

“Nothing that quick,” Courtney said. “There should be lipids throughout the carpet. We may be able to narrow down time of death.”

Lipids were one of the main byproducts of decomposition and could be detected in soil and textiles. “We can’t see them with the naked eye, so we need to get a sample.” Courtney pushed against the floorboard in front of the trunk. “This is half rotten, probably from decomposition.”

Courtney slipped on latex gloves and reached for the padlock.

“This is an old steamer trunk. The lock isn’t nearly as old.

We should remove the entire thing as one piece.

” She looked at Matt. “I hate to say this, but I’d like to remove these rotted floorboards.

That’s likely our best source for any biological material that isn’t in the trunk. ”

Nikki looked at her. “Do you have a tarp in that bag?”

Courtney shook her head. “I didn’t think to grab it.”

“What do you need a tarp for?” Matt asked.

“To secure the trunk and anything inside of it,” Courtney said.

“I might have one in the house,” Matt said. “I know I have plastic sheeting.”

“No, we can’t risk contaminating the evidence.” Courtney reached into her bag and dug around, retrieving her flashlight. She dropped to her elbows and shined her flashlight into the quarter-sized hole in the chest. “Pretty sure I see plastic.”

Wrapping the body in plastic would help prevent air circulation and retain moisture, slowing decay, but insects would make their way through. And plastic alone wasn’t enough to hide the smell. Nikki looked at Matt. “Did Spencer mention when this apartment was last used?”

“Years ago, is all he said. His grandpa had it boarded up. They were still there when I bought the place.”

“Did he say why he boarded it up?” Nikki asked.

Matt shook his head. “He just said his grandpa went downhill after that.”

Courtney shined her flashlight on the back of the closet wall. “See that white staining? I’ll have to test to be sure, but that looks like lime.”

“Does that really work?” Matt asked.

“It slows decomp and covers the smell, yes.” Nikki looked at Courtney. “We need to call the medical examiner’s office and get them out here. They’ll be able to secure the trunk before they move it. We’ll have to bring in a forensic anthropologist, too.”

“Except it’s a holiday weekend and they’re short-staffed,” Courtney reminded her. “You’d be better off calling Doctor Blanchard directly.”

“I’ll call her and Miller in a minute,” Nikki said. “Where’s the luminol? We don’t know if this room is the crime scene or just where the victims were left. I’d like to have some idea before I talk to Sheriff Miller.”

Courtney pulled a spray bottle out of her bag. “This stuff is supposed to be the holy grail.”

“Lumiscene?” Nikki didn’t recognize the name.

“It’s the upgraded version of Luminol,” Courtney answered. “Has less peroxide chemistry, which mean more protection from DNA degrading.”

Courtney stood up and stepped away from the closet and told Nikki to do the same. She soaked the adjacent wall and the corner of the wall next to the closet.

A single spot of blood spatter stained the closet door, right where someone would have grabbed to open it. Courtney sprayed the rest of the floor and walls, but the chemical didn’t react.

“So, they weren’t killed here,” Nikki said.

“I wouldn’t think so,” Courtney agreed. “They were left to decompose.”

“Start taking photos while I make the calls.”

“Wait,” Matt said. “Could you please make sure Chisago County isn’t involved? If this goes out on the radio, they’ll show up.”

Nikki understood his fear, but she couldn’t bend the rules that far. “That’s why I will call Miller and Blanchard directly. But I can’t guarantee Chisago won’t find out. That’s the best I can do.”

“Thank you,” Matt said. “I just… I’m going to wait in the breezeway.”

“I’ll update you on Miller and Blanchard in a few minutes.” Nikki rarely called the medical examiner at home. Luckily she picked up.

“Agent Hunt, I assume you’re calling me at home because something terrible has happened.” Blanchard rarely answered with “hello.”

“You’re nearly right.” Nikki quickly told the medical examiner about their discovery. “We need to get this chest out of here without compromising evidence.”

“How big is it?” Blanchard asked.

“Maybe 3x3 or a little bigger,” Nikki said. “It’s an old steamer trunk. We’ve got to be really careful with it to keep the bottom from falling out.”

“I can handle that,” Blanchard said. “I’ve got heavy-duty tarp and a furniture dolly. My Suburban is big enough to bring the chest in. We’re going to need the forensic anthropologist, too. I’d like to see things for myself before I call her. Give me forty-five minutes or so.”

After the call ended, Nikki turned to Courtney. “Blanchard has the equipment and transportation to collect the trunk. You still want to pull up the wood?”

Courtney held up the small crowbar from her bag. “I want the floorboards in front of the closet and all the gunk underneath them.”

“I’ll let Matt know.”

She found him sitting on a folding chair in the breezeway. “Doctor Blanchard is coming with her personal vehicle. I’ve got to call the sheriff, too. Do you know anything else about the family?”

“Only what Spencer told me, which is what I already told you,” Matt said. “My attorney worked with them on the sale.”

“Can I have a copy of the sale sheet?” Nikki said. “As well as your attorney’s phone number and Spencer’s? Have you told him yet?”

“No,” he said. “I waited for you. You want me to call him?”

“Not just yet. I’m going to call Miller now, but can we look at the rest of the property when I’m finished?”

Matt stood. “Sure, let me get an actual coat.” He turned to go into the main house and then looked over his shoulder at Nikki. “You can come in here and look around. I ripped up all the carpet right after I closed, so watch out for nails.”

She did as he asked, admiring the craftsmanship of the old place, despite its dilapidation. Swedish carpenters were among the best. While she waited for Matt, she called the sheriff.

“Miller.”

“Hi, it’s Nikki. Do you have a few minutes?”

“A few,” he said.

“We have quite a find at the old Hendrickson place.” Nikki quickly explained the situation.

“Blanchard is coming to collect remains, and we have everything we need to collect evidence. But obviously we need to go through the rest of the house and property. I feel like you should be here for that, since it’s your jurisdiction. ”

“Christ.” Miller sighed. “The room has been closed up? So these have to be cold cases?”

“I don’t see how they’re not. No one had been in that room until Matt opened the door.

We confirmed no signs of a break-in. Between that and the foot of dust, I think this is a cold case.

I can’t help but think of Eli Robertson, but if this place has been as secure as Matt’s been told, the dots don’t connect.

At least not until we identify the remains. ”

“Right,” Miller said. “You think that Blanchard and Courtney can handle things this afternoon, and then you and I can come back in the morning with additional technicians and hopefully a K9 to search for more remains?”

Nikki glanced at the ever-thickening snow falling. “We can do that. I’ve got to go to the office first tomorrow, so most likely mid-morning.”

“Call me if you find anything else,” Miller said. “I’ll meet you tomorrow.”

By the time she finished the call Matt had returned wearing a dark winter coat.

“Is Miller coming today? The roads are going to get nasty.”

“In the morning,” Nikki said. “He’s going to try to bring a K9 to search. I assume that’s okay?”

“Sure. Are you ready for the tour?”

Nikki put on her gloves and followed him outside. “I assume you guys haven’t had time to explore the property much?”

“Not really,” Matt answered. “I know that Karl’s grandfather planted the maples. The white building next to the house is where the machinery business started, and that old barn over there is ready to fall.” He pointed to the once grand Swedish barn south of the house.

“Did Spencer say why it had taken so long to settle the estate?”

Nikki pulled her hood up, buttoning it snugly beneath her chin as she and Matt walked across the driveway to the dilapidated machinery building. The snow continued to fall, the flakes getting heavier.

“He just said issues with the will because of the addendum. He said he thought his mom was going to have a stroke during the whole saga,” Matt said. “His mom is a criminal defense attorney, used to snapping her fingers and getting her way, I guess.”

“What’s Spencer like?” Nikki asked.

Matt shrugged. “He’s nice. He started at the fire department a couple of years before Karl died. He was in the nursing home then. But I know there were major issues between Spencer’s mom, Stephanie, and Karl. I guess they never really got along.”

“And Karl had a son, Spencer’s uncle, right?”

“Patrick lives in Texas,” Matt said. “He’s a retired army major, I think. He was stationed at Fort Hood. I met him at the memorial service. Seemed a lot more down to earth than Spencer’s mom.” He glanced at Nikki.

“You really don’t like her, do you?” Nikki said, smiling.

“My attorney said she’s one of the worst people he’s dealt with, and this was my parents’ attorney. So, he’s been around. Spencer even calls her a pain in the ass,” Matt answered. “By the way, I have a shift tonight and I’ll see Spencer. You want me to have him call you?”