“I have a letter from her. She wanted to come back to Helena so she could be with her little brother.”
“Christ,” said Brad. “They’re just bringing up the video now.”
“Would you recognize her?
“Depends on how much she’s changed,” said Brad. “It’s been a while since I last saw her.”
“What do you see on the video?”
“Hooded sweatshirt and sunglasses. Difficult to say.”
“See if you can get a photo to show to the receptionist,” said Macy.
“I’m on it. Someone at the office will have something on file. I’ll call you back when I know more. Meanwhile, don’t worry. Luke and your mom are in good hands.”
Macy watched cars pull to the side as Gina sped through the traffic crowding Route 93. Nicole’s letter had been in her hands for over a week.
“I should have read the damn thing when it arrived,” said Macy.
Gina gave her a sharp look. “Don’t beat yourself up. Even if you had read it, you couldn’t have known the girl would do something as stupid as this.”
“Nicole is troubled, but I never believed she was dangerous.”
“If she figured out where your mother’s gym is, she probably knows where you live.”
“I’m afraid that may well be the case,” said Macy.
Macy’s phone rang. She held it to her ear.
Brad sounded out of breath. “It was definitely Nicole.”
Macy pictured Nicole as a child. She’d been so open and full of life. Ten years on and there was a good chance she’d be charged with attempted child abduction.
“You have to be absolutely sure,” said Macy.
“Ray’s old personal assistant sent us some photos she had on file. The receptionist at the day-care center confirmed that it was Nicole.”
“I’m really worried about her, Brad. She must have been desperate to try something like this. Put out an APB and track down her friends and classmates. We’ll need to speak to her therapist in Chicago.”
“Will do,” said Brad. “We’re in touch with her mother. Nicole ran away two days ago.”
“I should be back in Helena in a couple of hours,” said Macy. “Have some units check my mother’s house thoroughly. I’m worried that Nicole may have figured out where we live.”
Macy read through Nicole’s letter in its entirety. It held no clues as to the girl’s whereabouts. If Nicole was as clever as her father, she could keep Macy guessing for years. Macy sat back and closed her eyes. She had a feeling it was going to be a very long ride home.
Sources
An incredibly well-researched article entitled “The New Heroin Epidemic” was published in The Atlantic in October 2014. Though it focused on my home state of West Virginia, it opened my eyes to what’s been going on throughout America for the past fifteen years. I followed the sources, eventually finding an equally enthralling piece of journalism that was published in the Los Angeles Times in November 2012. “Legal Drugs, Deadly Outcomes” made it clear that many Americans were dying after being overprescribed powerful opiate-based painkillers by their doctors. I knew immediately that this was the story I wanted to tell.
http://graphics.latimes.com/prescription-drugs-part-one/
www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/08/20/doctors-licenses-medical-boards/2655513/
www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8MaITKJJEI
www.miheadlines.com/2014/08/04/partyers-weekend-rave-vow-projectp-happen/
www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/01/rural-americas-silent-housing-crisis/384885/
www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2014/10/the-new-heroin-epidemic/382020/
ALSO BY KARIN SALVALAGGIO
Burnt River
Bone Dust White
About the Author
KARIN SALVALAGGIO received a master’s in creative writing from Birkbeck at the University of London. Born in West Virginia and raised in an Air Force family, she grew up on a number of military bases around the United States. She now lives in London with her two children. Burnt River is her second novel.
Visit Karin at www.karinsalvalaggio.com. Or sign up for email updates here.
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Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Epigraph
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Sources
Also by Karin Salvalaggio
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
WALLEYE JUNCTION. Copyright © 2016 by Karin Salvalaggio Ltd. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.minotaurbooks.com
Cover design and photo-illustration by David Baldeosingh Rotstein
Cover photographs: woman and trees © Robert Jones / Arcangel Images; mountains © Tetra Images / Shutterstock; sky © SJ Travel and Video / Shutterstock
The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Names: Salvalaggio, Karin, author.
Title: Walleye Junction / Karin Salvalaggio.
Description: First Edition. | New York: Minotaur Books, 2016. | Series: Macy Greeley mysteries
Identifiers: LCCN 2015050421 | ISBN 9781250078926 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781466891470 (e-book)
Subjects: LCSH: Murder—Investigation—Fiction. | BISAC: FICTION / Mystery & Detective / Women Sleuths. | FICTION / Mystery & Detective / Police Procedural. | GSAFD: Mystery fiction.
Classification: LCC PR6119.A436 W35 2016 | DDC 823/.92—dc23
LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015050421
e-ISBN 9781466891470
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First Edition: May 2016