Page 58 of Little Child Gone

“I don’t know,” Stephanie admitted. “She looked Mexican, so that’s what I called her.”

“How much interaction did you have with her?” Nikki could see how much Stephanie wanted to badmouth the woman. She would keep talking with the right push. “I assume you or someone in the family kept an eye out after this strange woman arrived.”

“I could hardly be in the same room with her,” Stephanie said. “She was just so phony, it was obvious. But Dad, Patrick, Spencer and my own husband were mesmerized by her beauty. She was exotic, but how pathetic can you be?”

“Well, you know how men can be when it comes to a gorgeous woman. They get stupid. You’ve experienced that before, I’m sure.”

Stephanie fluffed her hair like a vain teenager. “Yeah, over me.”

“Did your father ever give you any idea why he trusted this woman so much?”

“No,” Stephanie said. “But my father and I always had a bit of a contentious relationship. We’re a lot alike. When I found out he’d hired help, and that she had children with her, I told him they were going to screw him over and steal from us. He hung up on me.” Her eyes darkened. “We’ve argued my entire life, but that was the first time he hung up on me, over that woman and her scrubby kids.”

“When was the last time you saw her?”

“I only saw her once, not long after they arrived. It was obvious to me that she was buttering up my father. I told him I expected them to be ‘in love by the end of the summer,’ or she would have robbed him blind. We didn’t speak much after that.”

“When you found out they disappeared, you didn’t think that was weird?”

“I didn’t think about it at all,” Stephanie said. “I said good riddance when Spencer told me they’d left. I thought Dad would get over it eventually, but he just didn’t care about anything after she abandoned him.”

“How often did you see him?”

“When I could,” she snapped back. “What does that have to do with anything?”

The sheer disgust on her face made Nikki want to shake the woman. She’d had her father until aged ninety. Couldn’t she see how precious that was, especially given her mother had died early of cancer? “I just wondered if you two reconnected.”

“He was too stubborn and proud for that.”

“Do you remember that weekend?” Nikki asked. “I know your father was out of town. Did anyone check on the house?”

“I’m sure I didn’t,” she said. “I didn’t speak to Dad after he hung up on me. Spencer checked up on things, so whatever he told you is accurate.”

“Any idea what you did that weekend?”

Stephanie narrowed her eyes. “Why?”

Nikki couldn’t hide her quizzical look—Stephanie wasn’t stupid; she knew Nikki suspected her.

“That was years ago. I have no idea what the hell I did that weekend.” Stephanie’s dark eyes flashed. “Agent Hunt, I know you’re well respected among your peers. But I assure you that I’m not intimidated by FBI posturing. You of all people should know that.”

“Oh, I do.” Nikki leaned forward, going in for the kill. “What about Rodney Atwood? Do you know where he was that weekend?”

Stephanie stilled in her effort not to react, but she couldn’t hide the shock and fear in her eyes. “I guess you spoke to Daniel first and believed his lies.”

“I’m just following up on information,” Nikki said. “You do know Atwood is the number one suspect in the murder of his stepson?”

“Oh, I do.” Stephanie folded her hands on her desk. “He came to me for legal advice. I told him that if he wasn’t guilty, you wouldn’t find any evidence to convict. I guess that turned out to be right, since he’s still walking free.”

“For now,” Nikki said. “It’s good to know you’ve stayed in touch with Atwood, though. You parted friends, then?”

Stephanie’s jaw clenched. “Tread lightly, Agent. I will not stand for false accusations.”

“I haven’t made any accusations,” Nikki said. “I’ve simply asked questions. Have you ever met a Taylor Hall?”

For a second, she thought Stephanie was going to jump across the desk and throttle her. “No. If you don’t have any more questions for me, Agent, I’m very busy.”

“That’s all for now.” Nikki needed to search for Taylor. She didn’t have any more time to waste on Stephanie. “I have a missing child to find.”

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