Page 33 of Her Frozen Heart

“They’re good people,” he choked. “She was the best. I still can’t believe someone did this to her.”

According to the report, Bloomington police had taken Dion to the precinct for further questions. Kesha’s parents arrived sometime during that time and had been livid the police were wasting their time on Dion instead of looking at the mall and surrounding areas. “The police report says that you admitted the two of you had argued more lately.”

He rolled his eyes. “I told that to the mall security guard when we first searched, because I still hoped she was just not answering. He must have told the police.”

“What did you tell the police when they asked you?”

“The truth,” Dion said. “We’d gone through a bit of a rough patch because she decided to go to Mankato State instead of staying close like we’d talked.” He dragged his hand over his short hair. “I acted like an ass when she first told me about Mankato State, that’s true. I panicked and felt dumb for being in community college, so I took it out on her. But that was a month before Thanksgiving. We’d worked through it, mostly because I had no reason to be mad.”

“Don’t feel dumb about community college,” Nikki said. “It’s still higher education, and it’s smart financially. You will have a lot less debt doing only two years at a community college. Kesha got along with people at school and work? Did she ever talk about someone bothering her or being afraid of anyone?”

“No,” Dion said. “Everyone liked her.”

“What about Stillwater or Washington County? Can you remember her ever talking about coming here?”

Dion thought about it for a few seconds. “No.”

“The BPD said you changed your version of events that day,” Nikki asked.

Dion rolled his eyes. “I was freaked out and forgot about going to the bathroom and looking for a damned Pepsi. But the cop only cared that I forgot to tell him that. I guess stress can’t apply to black people.”

Nikki tried to word her next question carefully. “This next question is kind of difficult, and I may have to ask it again after the medical examiner is finished, but do you know what you were doing the first two weekends this month?”

“I think the first weekend, I was still taking off work and classes because of everything going on. I went back on December eighth, and I worked five days straight trying to make up for lost time and keep my mind off things.”

“Ever been ice fishing?” Nikki watched his expression carefully, searching for any involuntary sign of deceit.

“Hell, no,” he said. “I don’t like to fish period, but ice fishing is like Russian roulette. I don’t care how thick it is, shit happens.”

“That it does,” she agreed. “Did Kesha ever mention Danny Stanton?”

Dion briefly closed his eyes. “I know that’s the guy who found her, and ever since I heard his name, I’ve been racking my brain, but I don’t remember her saying anything about him.”

“We’ll double-check with her friends tomorrow,” Nikki said. She wasn’t going to give up her poker face just yet, but unless the GPR had made a mistake, they were looking for a serial killer, likely homegrown in Washington County. And Dion didn’t match the description of the man that Chelsea had told them about earlier today. “The BPD mentioned a violent crime study you were participating in?”

“Not because I committed one,” Dion said quickly. “I did some dumb crap a few years ago, and my mom was freaked out I’d end up like my cousin.”

“Your cousin served time?”

“He’s still in prison,” Dion said. “Three counts of rape and one of murder two.”

“Whose study is this?” Nikki asked him.

“Doctor Roth,” Dion said. “He’s an expert on violent offenders, plus a neuroscientist. He’s studying people between twelve and twenty, so I only have one year left.”

“How does the study work?”

“I don’t know how it works for everyone, but I had a lot of interviews with Doctor Roth the first couple of years, but now I just do a monthly check-in.”

“Meaning you’re supposed to report committing a crime?” Nikki asked dryly. “Criminals don’t exactly do well with the honor system. How’d you end up in the study again?”

He smacked his forehead. “My mom would kill me if she knew I was talking to you without a lawyer.”

“She wouldn’t be wrong,” Nikki said.

Dion looked frustrated. “So I’m still considered a suspect?”

Nikki hedged. “Because I can’t definitively rule you out without more information from the medical examiner, technically, yes, you are.”

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