“Oh, my stars and garters!” Neely Kate gushed, looking at the mess. “They’ve totally ransacked the place!”
There were clothes strewn everywhere—on the floor and covering the sofa and recliner. Along with the laundry were empty beer and pop cans, discarded chip bags and cracker boxes.
“This?” Alaina asked in surprise. “This is how Nikko lives. That boy never did learn to pick up after himself.” She leaned over and picked up a T-shirt, took a whiff and cringed, then tossed it in a chair.
Neely Kate put a hand to her chest. “Oh.”
“What exactly are you lookin’ for?” Alaina asked, stepping over a pair of jeans.
Neely Kate glanced over at me, her eyes wide. We had no idea what we were looking for, and the fact that the place was totally trashed didn’t help.
“We were hoping to figure out what Mud’s guys were looking for,” I sighed as I walked past her into the kitchen. The trash was overflowing, and the smell was worse near the container.
“Honestly, we’re grasping at straws,” Neely Kate added. “Can you look around with us and tell us if anything looks out of place?”
“Sure,” Alaina said.
I was curious how she was gonna figure that out, but we followed her as she made her way down the hall, and I noticed the back door was cracked. I pushed it open and saw the doorframe was bent and splintered.
“Has it always looked like this?” I asked. After seeing the state of the living room and kitchen, I wouldn’t put it past Nikko to have broken the back door in if he’d misplaced his key.
“No,” Alaina said, her voice tight.
“Then Mud’s guys must have broken in when they came to look for them,” Neely Kate said.
Alaina continued into the bedroom. The bed was unmade, and the whole room smelled musty. Drawers were partially open, and clothing hung over the sides. A pile of clothes filled the open closet.
“This is Nikko’s room.”
“This is hopeless,” Neely Kate whispered in my ear. “How can we tell if they looked for anything, let alone found it?”
I had to admit she was probably right. “Did Nikko have places where he hid things? Like if he didn’t want anyone to find them?”
“No,” Alaina said. “He didn’t have anything worth hiding.”
“Well, thanks,” Neely Kate said, disappointment heavy in her words. She headed down the hall with Alaina, but I looked around the room, trying to figure out where Nikko might have hidden something.
On closer inspection, I realized the top mattress had been shifted. Nikko might be a slob, but I couldn’t imagine anyone willingly sleeping on a crooked mattress.
I took two steps and stopped.
Mud’s men had been searching this space for something other than Nikko.
I wasn’t sure how skinny he was, but there was no way he could hide under the mattress or even under the bed for that matter. The box springs were on a frame that was barely six inches off the floor.
“Neely Kate!”
She was back in the doorway in seconds. “Did you find something?”
“I don’t know.” I showed her the mattress and told her my theory. “This confirms they were looking for something.”
“I think you’re right,” she said. “But what on earth were they looking for?”
Alaina had followed Neely Kate and stood behind her.
“Alaina,” I said. “What did Nikko do for Crocker?”
She shook her head, her eyes getting hard. “He never worked for that looney tune. My brother’s smarter than that.”
“Okay,” I drawled. “What did he do for Crocker’s men? I know his car parts ring was pretty well done by the summer.” Which meant all that was left were some drugs and fencing stolen goods.
She grimaced, and I could tell she didn’t want to tell me.
“I’m not gonna judge him,” I said in a soft voice. “I know two people who worked for Crocker—a guy I work with and my ex-boyfriend. And I don’t hold it against them. They both got out. Just like Nikko.”
Neely Kate shot me a look of surprise, but didn’t correct me. Technically Bruce Wayne and I did work together. And Joe had worked for Crocker. He just happened to be undercover for the state police at the time.
“Nikko told me they had expanded their drug business into meth. Nikko helped deliver it.” An angry look filled her eyes. “But he wasn’t a dealer, so don’t you be thinking that.”
I held up my hands. “I don’t doubt you.”
Tears filled her eyes. “He’s really done it this time, hasn’t he?”
I gave her a sympathetic look. “I don’t know.” I paused. “You said Nikko and the sheriff’s department didn’t get along. Did they know about his association with Crocker? Or was it something else?”