Page 19 of In the Bones
“Is there anything missing?” asked Mac, remembering the task Tim had given Mikko. “Trophies for a stalker, maybe?”
“Not as far as Helle can tell, and I doubt Jenny Smith’s intent was to burglarize the house. This break-in isn’t consistent with the others. Helle claims he’s never had a stalker, and Jenny certainly doesn’t seem like a fan.”
“Has he posted to social media?” asked Shana. “I’m always amazed by how much personal information people share online.”
“I asked about that,” said Tim. “He claims he’s discreet, but I’ll confirm it. I’ll get access to the real estate records too, see how public the property sale was. He gave me the name of his contractor, who I’m guessing can connect us with everyone who worked on the house. It sat empty for months before Helle bought it, by the way. He says the previous owner died—nothing suspicious, or so he claims. Between that death, the purchase, and the start of the renovation, the house was uninhabited for well over a year.”
That explained a lot about why the victim hadn’t been found sooner. The smell of decomposition would be hard to mask, even with the body hidden in a crawlspace under the basement floor, but if the house was empty for months, no one would be the wiser.
“Always start with the low-hanging fruit,” Mac said. “In this case, the people who spent time right here in the house.”
“At least we can eliminate one person,” Shana said. “The girlfriend, Eva Ki, isn’t a suspect. She and Helle have only been dating a few months, and this was her first trip to the area. They met down in D.C.” That interview had been brief, Shana explained, Eva’s answers definitive. No, she had no idea about the bones. No, she hadn’t been in the basement. Where the phrogger was concerned, Eva’s experience had been similar to Nicole’s: she’d heard strange noises and had a general sense that she was being watched. Shana added, “Eva was in the house several times when the couple came to swim, but she only slept here once. Last night, same as Helle.”
“He asked when we’d be clearing out, by the way,” said Tim. “He seemed eager to get back in here.”
“Not Eva. She was desperate to leave,” said Shana. “Couldn’t wait to get back to the hotel in Clayton.”
“OK, so for the time being that leaves the realtor, the contractor, and his crew. You’re plugged in with practically everyone, Mac,” said Tim. “Do the names Terry Martino and Stacy Peel mean anything to you?”
It was true that Mac knew more people than most, simply by virtue of her job. She’d been all over Jefferson County, meeting countless locals along the way, but her knowledge hadits limits. “Never heard of Terry Martino,” she said. “But Stacy Peel’s a friend of Nicole’s. They met the year before last. Blair babysat for her kid, and Stacy and Nicole got to be friendly.”
“She’s the one who brokered the sale,” said Tim.
Based on what Nicole had told her about Stacy, the woman had only been working in real estate for a few years. She was killing it, though, and Mac told Tim as much. “She’s a sweetheart too,” Mac added. “She’ll give you whatever you need.”
“Honestly,” said Tim, “I’ll just be happy if she can hold off on bragging about her imported Italian tile.”
Mac laughed. “No danger of that.”
“And don’t worry about Nicole.” Tim patted Mac’s arm. “The interview should be nice and easy.”
She nodded. Told Tim she appreciated that. Her sister had nothing to hide.
At least nothing to do with a murder.
EIGHTEEN
Nicole
In all the years that her sister Maureen had worked with the state police, Nicole had never set foot in the Route 12 station. She never imagined she’d be interviewed in connection to a crime.
That was before she came eye to eye with Jenny Smith.
They’d told her the woman’s name at the house, though Tim had made sure to point out she could be lying. She’d been caught trespassing, after all, and when people felt exposed, they twisted the truth. Honestly, Nicole didn’t care what her name was, as long as she could figure out what all of this meant for her plan to protect her family. While recovering in Tim’s car outside, he’d told her several other homeowners had reported invasions, but the fact that Jenny Smith had chosen Mikko’s house made Nicole feel panicky and wired.
It made Nicole wonder if Mikko Helle had wronged Jenny Smith, too.
When the door to the interview room finally opened, it framed Tim and a short, dark-haired woman whose shirt collar looked as sharp as a blade. Maureen had told Nicole about Valerie Ott, the newest investigator on the team. She had a daughter just a few years younger than Alana.
“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Tim said, introducing Valerie and taking a seat. The room was small, the table too, and Nicole’s knees were dangerously close to brushing against the detectives. She made an effort to keep very still.
“You didn’t want any coffee?” Valerie asked. “Fair warning, it tastes like a cross between baking chocolate and burnt toast.”
“I’m good.” It was late in the day, and Nicole expected she’d have trouble sleeping that night as it was.
“Smart choice. It’s good to finally meet you,” Valerie said. “Mac talks about you a lot.”
“Mac.” Nicole smiled. “I forget you guys call her that. She’s Maureen to me.” Nicole wondered if the nickname was strategic, a way for her sister to separate work from her home life. Keep her two very different personas apart.
