One Perfect Grave

by Stacy Green

Genres: Police Procedurals; Female Sleuths; Crime Fiction

Synopsis

She didn’t see the patch of black ice until it was too late. The car started to spin, and as it veered off into the deep ditch and the mounds of snow beside the road, she saw him. The little boy frozen in the ice. When the remains of two bodies are found in an open grave along a desolate highway in Stillwater, Minnesota, Special Agent Nikki Hunt knows exactly who they are. The bright blue jacket lying on the frozen earth belongs to Kellan Rhodes, the missing boy she’s desperately been trying to find for the last two days. The other body is his mother Dana, who had been Nikki’s lead suspect. Although the wounds on Dana’s body suggest she murdered her son and took her own life, Nikki finds evidence that suggests she was a victim too. Dana was desperately trying to regain custody of Kellan, and Nikki finds boot prints at the scene that belong to someone else. When another child is reported missing, local journalist Caitlin Newport claims the cases are linked: Zach Reeves was taken away from his own mother in a custody battle, just like Kellan was. Caitlin once helped Nikki find out the truth about her own parents’ murders, but her desire for a story nearly cost Nikki her life. Now, Nikki must decide if she can trust Caitlin again, before time runs out to find the killer and bring Zach home alive… An unputdownable thriller that will make your heart pound until its final, shocking conclusion. Perfect for fans of Robert Dugoni, Karin Slaughter, Lisa Gardner and readers who want to binge read into the night. What readers are saying about One Perfect Grave : “ WOW! WOW! WOW!... one of the most action packed books I have read… makes you turn the pages as fast as possible. Edge-of-your-seat story. And the end: unbelievable!!! A must read! ” Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars “Nikki Hunt is a ROCK STAR investigator!… this one will keep you up way after bedtime!… Easily one of the best books of 2021… will stay on your mind and heart throughout the year. I cannot wait to see where Ms. Green takes Nikki next!” NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars “ Wow!!!!!… I read this book in one go! I must say, the author somehow knows how to capture the reader into the thrill ride… unpredictable.” Tropical Girl Reads Books, 5 stars “ Fantastic!!… This was one I couldn't put down. It's a fast-paced, emotional and engrossing story that sucks you in from the very beginning and will have you on the edge of your seat! I cannot wait for book 3!!” Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars “ One hell of a ride.” Books Aloud, 5 stars “ Astonishing read!… I hope this series goes on forever. ” Tove Reads, 5 stars “One-sitting read… takes you up and slams you down, takes you down a dark and twisty road… surprises along the way, especially the ending, I so did not guess that… I am already chomping for the next one. ” Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars “Wow… Absolutely brilliant… this is a gripping, edge-of-your-seat page-turner.” Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars “I was captivated… will keep readers enthralled until the very last page. I can’t wait to see which case drops onto Agent Nikki Hunt's desk next.” Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars “An action-packed, addictive read that will keep you page turning from the beginning to the very end… Loved it.” Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

Release date: February 25, 2021

Publisher: Bookouture

Print pages: 350

Sample

Ice pelted Michelle’s windshield. Despite the defrost blasting, the wipers struggled to keep the glass clear. She drove slowly along the two-lane road, hoping the headlights warned her of any dangerous patches. She was less than five miles from home, but the most dangerous part of the drive loomed ahead.

Bridges freeze first. Michelle’s truck-driver father had practically beaten those words into her brain when she first started driving. With no ground below them, bridges couldn’t trap heat the same way a road could. Michelle had to cross the Valley Creek Bridge in order to get home.

Why had she insisted on seeing her boyfriend tonight? The weather reporter had said the storm wouldn’t hit until after midnight, but since when were their predictions accurate?

Her cell phone flashed with a text from her nervous mother.

Have you left yet?

Michelle wasn’t about to take her hands off the wheel to answer. She should have texted when she left town, but convinced herself that knowing she was on the road would just worry her parents more.

She could swear the ice was coming down faster. The wipers definitely weren’t clearing as much space.

Michelle’s stomach knotted. Creek Bridge was just ahead. Her heart banged inside her chest, and she slowed to a snail’s pace. As long as she drove slowly and didn’t slam the brakes, she would be just fine.

She was halfway across now, her foot barely pressing the accelerator as she drove on. Her father had put fresh tires on her car last fall. They had plenty of tread to grip the road.

Michelle wished she hadn’t left her coat on. The inside of the car felt like a sauna. Her eyes stung from sweat. She’d almost crossed the bridge. The worst had to be over.

Michelle took one hand off the wheel and rubbed the moisture from her eyes. The car shimmied with her movement, but Michelle held steady and finished crossing the old bridge. She leaned back in her seat and breathed a sigh of relief, her body turning to liquid.

Two miles from home now. She pressed the accelerator, increasing her speed by just a few miles per hour.

She didn’t see the patch of black ice until it was too late. The car started to spin, and she pumped the brakes just as she’d been taught, but she hadn’t reacted fast enough. Her arms locked, hands clenched on the steering wheel, as the car careened off the road and into a deep gully.

Time seemed to stand still. Michelle jerked the wheel to the right, hoping not to slam into the ground nose-first. The front of the car nosedived into the drifts and then stopped. Michelle’s neck whiplashed to the right.

She gasped for breath and peeled her hands off the wheel. Where had her phone ended up? She unlocked her seatbelt and searched for the phone, finding it wedged between the seat and the passenger door, thankfully unharmed.

Her vision momentarily blurred. She shook her head and realized her windshield had been shattered. Phone in hand, she wrenched the door open and collapsed into the snow. She crawled away from the car, following the beam of the headlights. Resting on her knees, she tried to get her bearings, but her head throbbed, and she couldn’t quite think straight. Her phone didn’t have any bars. She couldn’t remember if the emergency call worked with no signal, so she forced her legs to move and stood, holding her phone and praying it picked something up.

She halted, her blood turning cold. Her hands shook, her gaze fixated on the unimaginable thing in front of her. She hit the emergency button.

“9-1-1, what’s your emergency?”

“I slid off the road,” she choked out. “Down into a ditch.”

“Are you injured?”

“No. At least, I don’t think so. But there’s… there’s something here.”

“What’s your location?”

Michelle shimmied forward, praying her mind was playing tricks on her.

She stared, uncomprehending for a moment.

“Miss, are you there? Where’s your location?”

“Just past the Valley Creek Bridge on old Stagecoach Road. I’m down in the gully. I need the police.”

“A sheriff’s deputy is on his way,” the dispatcher said. “Along with paramedics.”

A wave of dizziness threatened to overwhelm her. “I think you need more than paramedics. There’s a lot of blood and…”

Michelle passed out before she could tell the dispatcher what she saw. Two dead bodies sitting in a lake of blood at the bottom of the old bridge. One a young boy, partially frozen in the ice…

Led Zeppelin’s “Misty Mountain Hop” invaded Nikki’s sleep. She peeled her eyes open and rolled over, trying to remember where she’d left her phone. Her searching hands knocked it off the wireless charger. She swore under her breath and got out of bed, her eyes still bleary with sleep. She found the phone on the other side of the nightstand, but it stopped ringing before she could answer the call.

“Damnit.” The caller ID read unknown number. Nikki climbed back into bed and waited to see if the caller left a message. Her heavy eyelids closed, and she was starting to drift off again when the phone dinged. She sat back up with a sigh and played the message.

“Agent Hunt, this is Deputy Ron Reynolds with the Washington County Sheriff’s office. The boss is on the scene of a real bad accident, and I know you’ve been helping on the Kellan Rhodes case. I’ve got two dead bodies here. One looks like a kid, but they’re hard to get to and we’re waiting on the medical examiner. I was hoping you’d come out to the scene.”

The deputy left his cell number, and Nikki quickly called him back.

“Reynolds.”

Nikki closed her eyes against the wave of emotion. Nine-year-old Kellan had disappeared after school two days ago. Nikki had found out on the news like everyone else, but as she’d been in town, she’d offered to help search for Kellan. She knew the cops would be overwhelmed—there was so much to be done in the first few moments of a case like this if they had any hope of finding the boy alive. She’d stopped herself from taking over the case entirely—it wasn’t her place—but she was already beginning to regret that. “This is Agent Hunt. What do you mean the bodies are hard to get to? Can you see his face?”

“No, ma’am,” Reynolds said. “They’re down deep in the gully. EMS said they’re definitely deceased. Appears to be an adult female and a child, but I’m waiting on the medical examiner before I head down. I’m waiting to hear back from the sheriff, but if the body is Kellan’s—”

“What’s the location?” Nikki asked. If the other body was a female, then the child was more likely to be Kellan. The past two days had been a blur of long hours spent searching for any sign of Kellan or his mother, Dana. Had Reynolds just found the both of them?

“Valley Creek, the old stone bridge. It’s off—”

“Stagecoach Road.” Nikki had only recently returned to her hometown of Stillwater, Minnesota, but the old bridge had been a favorite party spot in high school.

“Go south on Stagecoach,” Reynolds said. “You won’t miss the emergency vehicles. It’s still icy out, but I’ve got a county sand truck en route. You should have some grip.”

Nikki thanked the deputy and promised to get to the scene as soon as possible. She debated calling Miller but decided against it in case he was on the road already.

“Maybe it’s not them,” Nikki whispered out loud. She knew that was a futile hope. What were the odds of another adult female and child being found dead?

Warm fingers trailed down her spine. “What’s going on?” Rory’s husky voice was thick with sleep. After working nearly two days straight, she’d gone to Rory’s place hoping to get a few hours of rest. At least she’d managed to sleep for a couple of hours. That would have to be enough.

“I have to go,” Nikki said. “Two bodies have been found, and they might be Kellan and his mother.”

Rory sat up, his arm slipping around her waist. “Seriously?”

Her throat tightened, moisture in her eyes. “I don’t know, but I’ve got to get out there.”

Nikki flung the covers off and got up, searching for her clothes. She kept a few things at Rory’s house, so she grabbed a clean pair of jeans and heavy wool sweater.

“Why don’t you let me drive you?” Rory said.

She dragged a brush through her tangled waves. “I can’t do that.”

Rory pointed to the darkened window. “You hear the sleet hitting the glass? The roads are going to be terrible.”

“I can handle it. County’s putting sand down.”

Nikki flicked on the bathroom light and quickly brushed her teeth. The two hours she’d slept had somehow made her look more exhausted. Her skin was paler, and the circles around her eyes darker.

Rory leaned against the doorframe, his curly hair tousled. “I know you can. I’d just feel better if you let me drive you. Especially since you’re so upset.”

She wrapped her arms around his muscular waist and kissed the tattoo on his bare chest. “I’ll be fine. I can’t bring my boyfriend to a crime scene.”

His lips twitched into a smirk. “Boyfriend? Is that what I am?”

The past several weeks had been a blur. Nikki had tried to keep her distance from Rory while his brother, the man who’d served twenty years for the murders of her parents—a crime he didn’t commit—had acclimated to his freedom. Mark swore that he forgave Nikki for her role in his incarceration, as she’d been a victim as well, but his parents were still angry with her. They’d gone through the roof when Rory told them about seeing Nikki. The last thing she wanted to do was further harm the Todd family, so Nikki had tried to give Rory space. She had a backlog of cases and paperwork that needed to be addressed. But staying away had been harder than she anticipated.

“Maybe.” Nikki hadn’t introduced Rory to her five-year-old daughter or told her ex-husband she was seeing anyone. “But I need to get going.”

He pulled her to his chest and kissed her hard. “Please be careful.”

“You forget I grew up in rural Minnesota and learned to drive on icy roads. I’ll be fine.”

Sleet still fell as Nikki drove slowly down the narrow, old county road. Reynolds had said that the bodies had been found at the bottom of a steep gully near Valley Branch Creek. The area was definitely rural, with several miles between houses, which meant the road had lousy visibility, and the night seemed much darker than she was used to. Many of the rural roads in the area had once been the state’s original stagecoach routes, including this one. With the lack of development and light sources, it wasn’t hard to imagine the nerve-racking journey of stagecoach travelers, hoping the coach wouldn’t be robbed.

The road wasn’t as slick as she’d expected, thanks to the heavy layer of sand that allowed tires to get a better grip on ice. Flashing emergency lights stood out in the bleakness, and Nikki’s stomach knotted.

Forty-eight hours ago, she’d been trying to watch the evening news while Rory did his best to distract her. Nikki had finally given in when the news anchor announced the amber alert. Their phones had vibrated seconds later. The amber alert had announced that Kellan had been abducted by his biological mother, who’d recently lost custody of him to his aunt and uncle. Nikki had immediately called Miller. Her own daughter was with her father for the weekend, and Nikki had planned to spend time with Rory. Instead, she and Rory had spent the next two days trudging through the snowy woods and fields in search of the little boy. Although Nikki was a volunteer, Miller had briefed her on the details of Kellan’s disappearance.

Dana Rhodes had lost custody of Kellan three years ago because of drug use. Six-year-old Kellan had gone to live with his aunt and uncle, and the Andersons had fought to adopt him. Dana had spent time in rehab and in a sober living house, trying to convince the courts that she was capable of caring for Kellan, but she’d recently failed a drug test, losing her last shot at getting custody back. Nikki knew that Dana had confronted the Andersons multiple times since then, and she’d been spotted in the park outside of Kellan’s elementary school twice in the lead-up to his abduction. Dana’s old VW Beetle had been spotted near the Anderson home on the day Kellan disappeared, but no one had been able to find the car, even though every cop in a hundred-mile radius was on high alert.

While Nikki wasn’t responsible for the case, Miller had still wanted her opinion on Dana’s mindset. Dana had never threatened her son’s safety as far as Nikki could see. She’d accused her sister and brother-in-law of railroading her, but had never threatened them, and she never carried any kind of weapon. Nothing in her history suggested Dana would intentionally hurt her son, but Nikki had worried that her drug use and impulsivity would cause Kellan to get hurt. Her stomach tightened as she rounded the final curve and the bridge came into view.

The sheriff’s department had blocked off the northbound lane for the emergency vehicles.

Nikki parked behind a county sheriff’s cruiser. Its headlights had been left on, and they cast an eerie spotlight on the steel railing and steep ravine. She left the engine running to keep the sleet from coating the windshield.

Nikki stepped gingerly onto the gravel. Her winter boots had plenty of traction, but she wasn’t going to take any risks. She pulled her red winter hat down over her ears and slowly shuffled toward the steel railing. Dizziness swept over her as she gazed down at the scene. The drop had to be at least twenty feet, and the iced-over creek looked like a thin snake. Crime scene lights had already been set up near the creek, and Nikki could see much of the scene.

Judging from the tire marks, the driver had lost control and slid past the guard rail, plummeting toward the bottom. Hours’ worth of sleet left a fine layer of ice that likely accelerated the descent. A large fallen tree had stopped the Toyota Rav in its tracks. Bright yellow evidence markers followed what appeared to be a trail of blood deeper into the gully and out of sight. How in the world was Nikki going to get down there without breaking her neck?

A tall, broad-shouldered deputy raised his hand in greeting. Nikki recognized him from a previous case in Washington County. “Agent Hunt, thanks for coming out.”

“No problem.” Nikki scanned the bridge. “No one from the ME’s office yet?”

Reynolds shook his head. “Short-staff and it’s Sunday night. Or Monday morning, I guess.”

Before Nikki could say anything more, a second set of headlights flashed behind her. Nikki turned to see Miller’s SUV pulling up behind her jeep. He’d been promoted to Acting Washington County Sheriff after the previous sheriff’s forced retirement.

Miller got out of the big vehicle and pulled a beanie over his head. Ice pellets freckled across his brown skin. “Agent Hunt, I didn’t expect to see you here.”

Reynolds cleared his throat. “Sir, I called her after I saw the scene. I assumed you’d be asking for her assistance since she helped search.”

Miller nodded and then addressed Nikki. “Is it Kellan?”

“I don’t know.” She wanted to add that her gut already knew the truth, but she could tell Miller was thinking the same thing as her. “I just got here. Deputy Reynolds?”

“Their faces are obscured, and we haven’t touched the bodies,” Reynolds said. “I’ve got another deputy with them. The medical examiner should be here any minute.”

“Right,” Miller said. “How were they found?”

Reynolds pointed to the smashed white car at the bottom of the deep ravine. “The driver’s name is Michelle Chow. She has a concussion and some superficial abrasions. She wasn’t driving fast, but she hit the brakes and the ice sent her right into the ravine. There’s a blood trail from the car to the area where the bodies are. Michelle saw their feet and called it in.” He looked at Miller. “You got any outdoor gear? Getting down is nearly impossible without something to keep you steady.”

Miller opened the SUV’s hatch. Various outdoor equipment was neatly stored inside. He handed her two trekking poles, which were essentially heavy-duty canes with wider ends that were equipped with special gripping material. The handle looked like a garden hose nozzle, so it was probably adjustable, but Nikki could make them work without fiddling with the height. He grabbed a second pair and shut the hatch.

“It’s got to be them, Nikki.” His eyes looked bloodshot.

Nikki hadn’t known Miller very long, but they’d worked a difficult case together in January. He had kids around Kellan’s age, and Nikki knew he would take Kellan’s death as an act of failure. She squeezed his arm. “I’m sorry.”

“Me, too.”

“Reynolds, stay here and wait for the medical examiner. If she doesn’t have poles, there’s another set in my truck.”

Reynolds pointed to the far side of the metal railing. “I put down ice melt over there. It’s a little less treacherous. Follow her blood trail. The bodies are about a hundred yards away by the old bridge.”

Miller headed down first. “Keep the poles kind of in front of you. Don’t worry, they’ll support your weight.”

Nikki said a quick prayer and started wobbling down the hill. The sticks were made of a strong titanium, but she kept imagining one slipping from her grip and her rolling down after it. She reached the bottom with a sigh of relief. “Lucky you had these.”

“My family and I like to do outdoor stuff in the winter.” Miller pointed to the smashed car. “She’s lucky not to have anything worse than a concussion. Here’s the blood trail.”

The area around the old bridge had been searched already, and the K-9 hadn’t picked up either Kellan or his mother’s scent. They walked in silence for a few seconds, pushing through the bushes. The iced-over thorns snapped like twigs as Nikki replayed yesterday’s search in her mind. The old stone bridge over Valley Creek was less than a mile from the Andersons’ home, and even though it had been closed to traffic for years, kids still liked to play on the decaying structure. Nikki and Miller, along with about ten volunteers, had searched the entire area. They’d seen a few beer bottles and cigarette butts indicative of partying teens, but no sign of Kellan.

The arched stone bridge loomed in the shadow of the Klieg lights like the remains of an old castle. The base could only support foot traffic, and the harsh winters were slowly eating away at that.

Nikki’s heart pounded in her chest as two pairs of feet came into view. A small lake of blood surrounded the bodies, and the child was positioned between the woman’s legs, curled on his side in the fetal position against her chest. A fine layer of ice covered the blue winter coat that had been placed over the child’s upper body and the woman’s head, along with his exposed hands.

Nikki’s throat ached as she forced the words out. “That’s Kellan’s coat. His aunt said it’s brand new.”

The gold swoosh on the bottom of the child’s Nikes had probably reflected in the headlights just enough for the driver to realize someone was in the ravine. Nikki could imagine the girl, shaken and possibly concussed, walking to this scene. She’d need years of therapy.

A young, white-faced deputy stood guard, evidence bags tucked under his arms. “Sheriff Miller, Agent Hunt. I didn’t want to move the coat until one of you arrived.”

Nikki suspected he didn’t want to see what was beneath the coat, and she couldn’t blame him.

Miller took off his winter gloves and pulled on a latex pair; Nikki did the same.

“Sometimes I really hate this job,” Miller murmured as he reached for the coat.

Nikki steeled herself against the wave of emotion, but she could feel the moisture building in her eyes. She almost wished she’d not been part of the search team. She was no stranger to a crime scene, but she felt closer to Kellan. He was only a few years older than her daughter, and he’d gone through so much turmoil in his short life.

From the road, it would have been impossible to see their bodies. They would have been here for weeks if the girl hadn’t gone off the road. Dana had wedged herself and Kellan into a small space between a pile of bricks from the bridge and a massive fallen oak. Dana leaned up against the oak, with Kellan between her legs. Her hands lay at her sides, palms up, a bloody utility knife still resting in her left hand. Four-inch vertical slits in both her wrists had caused her to bleed out. Bits of sleet crusted over the wounds. Kellan lay against Dana’s chest with a bloody, pink scarf wrapped around his head. Dana’s face pressed against the top of his head as though she were giving him a kiss. Blood crusted Kellan’s neck.

“The scarf is probably hers,” Miller said. “She must have tried to stop the bleeding.”

“Some kind of accident, then.” Kellan looked so small and cold. He must have been terrified in his final moments. Nikki was glad for the pelting sleet on her cheeks. “This doesn’t make sense. If she died by suicide, she’s gone to a lot of effort to hide her own body.”

“That’s a damned understatement.” The medical examiner had arrived. Dr. Blanchard dropped her black bag onto the snow and sighed. “Sorry I’m late. I’ve got two investigators stuck with remains on lousy roads. Miserable night to die.”

Dr. Blanchard was Minnesota’s first African American medical examiner and exceptional at her job. Her findings had been instrumental in the missing girls case Nikki and Miller had worked, and Nikki knew Blanchard would do everything humanly possible to figure out what happened to Dana and Kellan.

Blanchard snapped on gloves and knelt beside the bodies. She shined a bright penlight on Dana’s wounds. “What’s the first thing you notice about these cuts?”

“Clean slices,” Miller said. “Right down to the artery.”

“The radial artery is completely severed,” Blanchard confirmed. “She started right at her pulse point and then cut toward the elbow, nearly four inches.” Blanchard lifted. . .