Page 22 of Her Frozen Heart

After the apple and chocolate pies had been decimated, Nikki and Caitlin started cleaning up the table. Jessie rose to help, but Caitlin insisted she stay with Mark.

“We can handle it.” She smiled sweetly, plates stacked high in her arms.

Nikki grabbed as many dishes as she could carry and followed Caitlin into the kitchen. “Smooth.”

“I thought it was,” Caitlin whispered, glancing out at the busy dining room. “She just wants to get you alone and discuss the past. It’s not happening tonight. You have enough to deal with.”

Nikki felt tears building in her eyes again. “Thanks.”

“Lacey seems to be doing okay,” Caitlin said.

“She’s struggled some, but kids are resilient.” Nikki told her about Lacey seeing the cardinals earlier. “Part of me felt bad leading her on, but—”

“You weren’t,” Caitlin cut her off. “Lots of people believe that about cardinals, and since we’ll never know the truth, it’s not a lie. It’s a kindness to her.”

Liam appeared with the ham platter and casserole dishes. He set them down next to the sink and leaned against the counter. “Okay, brief me, please. It’s killing me not to know everything about the case.”

“I can’t right now,” Nikki said. “We’re doing dishes.”

“And I’m here, dummy,” Caitlin said affectionately. “Don’t put her in that position when a member of the media is right here.” She shooed him out of the kitchen. “You’ll get your chance.”

Liam grumbled something under his breath and went back to the dining room.

“I’ll wash, you dry,” Nikki said. “We’ll put the smaller stuff in the dishwasher.”

Caitlin grabbed a towel off the counter. “Have you heard of Doctor Alex Roth?”

Nikki scraped chunks of hash brown casserole off the glass baking pan. “The name sounds familiar. Who is he?”

“He’s a neuroscience researcher working on mapping the brains of criminals. He worked on the Kasey team at the University of New Mexico, but he returned to Minnesota a few years ago to open a new facility and expand on his research. I caught part of a true crime show yesterday that he’d consulted on. The research is really interesting. He’s focused on juveniles.”

Nikki stopped scrubbing. The study Caitlin was talking about sounded an awful lot like the one the Bloomington detective had said Dion participated in. “What exactly is his research looking for?”

“It focuses on brain development in minors, looking for patterns of psychopathy and predatorial behaviors. He’s trying to identify them in juveniles, compare them to adults, and then develop some sort of biomarkers, with the eventual goal of prevention.”

“Prevention of what?” Nikki asked. “Violent crime?”

“That’s my understanding.”

“Why are you telling me all of this?” Nikki passed her the glass dish. “You never bring something like this up just to make conversation. What are you getting at?”

“Fine.” Caitlin paused for dramatic effect. “I found out that Kesha’s boyfriend has been in the program.”

“We know,” Nikki said. “I intend to ask the boyfriend about it, but unless we get real evidence against him, we’ll never get his medical records.”

“I just think Doctor Roth might be a good resource, since he’s interviewed and scanned over a thousand murderers in the last decade,” Caitlin said. “With Liam gone and so much on your plate, consulting with Doctor Roth could make sense on this. He’s in these guys’ heads on a regular basis, you know? The stuff he’s sat and listened to would turn your hair white.”

Nikki finished cleaning the stockpot and gave it to Caitlin to dry. “And the caveat?”

“What caveat?” Caitlin asked innocently.

Nikki snorted laughter. “I trust you and consider you a friend, but you’re also a smart and savvy journalist. You want an interview with Roth. A connection through me would help you get it.”

“What makes you think I can’t get that on my own?” Caitlin asked. “My documentary on Mark’s exoneration earned me a major media award.”

Nikki grabbed another heavy dish and started washing. “Translation: you’re working on something new, and Doctor Roth would be a great addition to it.”

“Only if it’s something he’s interested in.” She smiled sweetly and set the big cooking pot in the rack to dry. “I just thought this might kill two birds with one stone.”

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