The Hunted Girls by Jenna Kernan (best book club books for discussion txt) 📕

“And the ME’s office?”

He grinned.

“That all?”

“Sheriff’s office took me to the body dump.”

“You questioned people?”

“A few.”

“Clint, you are not an investigator here. Agent Skogen told me specifically that you are only to assist me. Process the information his team provides, is what he said. He doesn’t want you interfering.”

Demko made a snorting noise. “Interfering. That’s a laugh. You know who has spoken to the owners of the businesses in the strip mall closest to that body dump?”

She had a funny feeling that she did.

“No one?”

“Correct.”

“No more of that,” she said. “At least without bringing me along.”

He smiled. “I can work with that.”

“Ready to meet Special Agent Skogen?”

“Lead on.”

On the way, she filled him in on the ID made on their first victim.

In Skogen’s office, the agent in charge stood to greet them, anchored behind his desk. He buttoned his blazer as she crossed the threshold and the corners of his mouth tipped down.

Clint Demko trailed behind her. She made introductions and stepped back as the two alpha males shook hands and sized each other up.

Nadine pressed her lips together. You needed no skills on behavioral science to see that these two hated each other on sight.

“So you got your gold shield in Miami-Dade and have been on the job in Sarasota over a year.”

“Yes.”

“With a solid solve rate,” said Skogen, showing them he had done his homework. “But I’ll remind you that this is my investigation. Dr. Finch’s input is essential. Yours is not. You are here at her request and only as long as I don’t find your work interferes with mine. We clear?”

Demko lowered his chin and smiled. “I understand my job here.”

It wasn’t the verification Skogen sought, or acceptance of his position as subordinate.

Demko had worked with the Feds and she knew that he generally found agents overbearing, with more education than experience.

“You delivered notification of death before?” asked Skogen.

“Many times,” said Demko.

“Then I’ll let you handle it.”

Notifying next of kin was a terrible job. So this was the reason Agent Skogen had been receptive to allowing the detective to accompany him. He was anxious to foist the dismal duty onto Demko.

Nadine scowled, thinking it small of him to “let” Demko have the job that no one in their right mind wanted.

“Sure.”

“I appreciate you tagging along,” he said.

Nadine’s mood soured further. Demko wasn’t tagging along. Skogen had just assigned him a job.

“I want to make it clear to both of you that Detective Demko has no jurisdiction in this county and his role is strictly advisory.”

Demko’s brows lifted. “So you don’t want me to notify next of kin?”

Skogen turned to Nadine.

“He always this difficult?”

She glanced from her new boss to him.

“When provoked.”

She and Demko shared a smile.

Skogen changed the subject, wisely, she thought. His attention shifted to the page before him.

“Nikki Darnell’s husband, Roger, listed her missing on Saturday, March 13th, eighteen days ago. He is the owner of a small business and has his state contractor’s license. They rent a home in DeLand. Nikki previously worked for her father, Clem Miller, but switched jobs last February and now works for a financial planning group in Orlando. Seems to be some bad blood between father and daughter.”

“I know of him. He’s a developer. A really successful one,” said Nadine. “He builds assisted-living places all over the state.”

Demko nodded, perhaps recalling the controversy over one of Miller’s buildings in Sarasota that succeeded in gaining a variance against the community objections to the high-density project.

“A man like that could have raised an army to hunt for his daughter. Gotten public awareness.”

“Except my agents tell me he and his daughter haven’t spoken in over a year, since she announced her plans to marry Mr. Darnell.”

“Does he know she’s missing?” asked Nadine.

“Unknown. All my agents could verify was that Roger and Mr. Miller are not in contact.”

“And he didn’t think to ask her father’s help when his wife vanished?”

“Whether he thought of it or not, he has not been in contact, or so he claims.”

“Disappearance in the papers?” asked Demko.

“Yes. Local only.”

“And her father lives in Orlando,” said Nadine.

Skogen nodded.

“Your people spoke to Darnell?” asked Demko.

“Yes, and with every family who has reported a woman missing in the last month. Nikki was on the list. Her husband has been interviewed.”

“But not her dad?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“We spoke only to next of kin or the person filing the report. In Nikki Darnell’s case her husband was both.”

“What are the details of her disappearance?” asked Demko.

Skogen referred to the page again. “Missing after she failed to return home after an early-morning walk with their dog in the state forest on Saturday, March 13th. Officially listed as missing on March 14th. Her husband located her vehicle at the trailhead she had mentioned.” Skogen sighed. “No sign of either Nikki or the black Lab until the recent bodies were discovered.”

“Does she often walk alone in the woods?” asked Nadine.

“Always with the dog, Char. Husband said the dog is very devoted to her and protective.”

Not protective enough, thought Nadine.

“Where’s her dog?” asked Demko.

“Missing,” said Skogen.

“You check the shelters?” asked Demko.

“Not yet.”

“How’d you make the ID?” asked Demko.

“Dental records, verified by DNA match. Hair sample provided by Roger.”

“Anything from the vehicle?”

“Sheriff released it to Darnell after processing. My people are handling that now.”

Nadine realized that the news they were to deliver would be a shock, the worst possible outcome, but not as great a shock as homicide notification from out of the blue. Nikki had been missing for over two weeks. Searches had failed. Her husband would be hoping for the best and fearing the worst. Unless he already knew, and her job was to assess if that might be a possibility.

Skogen turned to Nadine. “Ready?”

She narrowed her eyes and stepped up beside Demko. “We’ll follow you.”

His mouth went tight. “Fine.”

He checked with his assistant that the sheriff was waiting outside, and they followed him from the lot.

Inside his SUV, Demko said, “He’s a charmer.”

On the drive, Demko explained the procedure far more clearly than Skogen, who, she