Page 34 of Her Frozen Heart

“You mean from the autopsy?” Dion asked softly.

“Yes.”

“Did she die quick, or did she suffer?”

“I don’t know,” Nikki said. “Since her body was left in water, the medical examiner may not be able to answer that question. What I can tell you is that Sheriff Miller and my team will do everything possible to locate the person who did this, no matter how long it takes.”

“I guess that’s all I can really hope for,” he said. “I mean, you’re supposed to be innocent until proven guilty but… you know how that goes for some of us.”

“Not when my office is involved,” Nikki said firmly. “I solve crimes based on real evidence, not opinions or bias.”

“Thank you,” he said. “That’s all I ask. Kesha deserves justice.”

ELEVEN

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 26

Nikki trudged into the lobby of the FBI’s massive building in Brooklyn Center, a picturesque suburb of Minneapolis. The rectangular building’s uniformly shaped windows reminded Nikki of the Bureau office in D.C., but the campus was more like a mini Quantico, adjacent to well-maintained walking trails and a beautiful lake. She waved at the security guards and signed in at the front desk. The receptionist was on the phone complaining about how unfair it was that the day after Christmas wasn’t considered a federal holiday.

Nikki held back her laugh and headed up to the top floor to major crimes. She headed straight for her boss’s office.

Hernandez looked up at the sound of Nikki’s knock. “How was your holiday, sir?”

He motioned for her to come in and sit down. “Better than yours, I’m guessing. How are you doing?”

“I’m okay,” Nikki answered. “Lacey had a good holiday, and she’s on vacation with Tyler’s parents right now. As much as I miss her, the timing couldn’t be better. This case is going to take every second of my time, especially with Liam working in a limited capacity.”

“That’s actually what I wanted to speak with you about,” Hernandez said, his eyes on his monitor. “After our conversation on Christmas Eve and the speculation I’ve seen in the media in the last day, I think we need to bring in an outside consultant.”

Nikki hedged. Major crimes agents were all capable, but she and Liam were trained profilers. His background in behavior science was almost as strong as Nikki’s, and he’d started as a junior agent on her team when she’d returned to Minnesota several years ago. The idea of working with another agent sounded more stressful than Nikki taking on an extra workload, but she knew Hernandez wouldn’t see it that way. She mentally ran through the list of agents working in major crimes; they were all solid, but none stood out to Nikki as good or bad options. “Who are you considering?”

“I assume you’re aware that Kesha’s boyfriend is a part of Doctor Alex Roth’s study?” Hernandez asked. “He’s a neuroscience researcher who worked on the criminal mind mapping program in New Mexico until a few years ago, when he returned to the area to open up a facility of his own.”

“Yes,” Nikki said. “It’s my understanding that he’s looking to establish biomarkers for juveniles.”

“Yes, but that’s just one part of the study,” Hernandez said. “And he’s a strong advocate for racial equality and change in all of our institutions. That’s what gave me the idea. I checked with some colleagues before I spoke to D.C. Doctor Roth has assisted the St. Paul police with some pretty big cases over the past few years. Roth has probably spoken with more convicted, violent criminals than all of us combined, including you. In the past year alone, he’s been going to Midwest prisons and jails, focusing on child killers and pedophiles. He’s trying to find biomarkers to predict future behavior, which is all well and good. He’s already been vetted. I ran it by the brass in D.C., and they loved the idea.”

“I’m sure they did,” Nikki said. “I understand your point, but I don’t feel comfortable bringing someone into the field when I haven’t worked with them.”

“You don’t need to,” Hernandez said. “He can do his thing without being in the field, he’s not an investigator. He’s a behavioral psychologist and neuroscientist.”

And it really didn’t matter if Roth could be helpful or not, Nikki thought. It made the Bureau look good, so the consult was going to happen. “What about a conflict of interest regarding Dion?”

“He’s not a patient of Roth’s,” Hernandez reminded her. “This is voluntary reporting, and I’ve already confirmed with Roth’s office that Dion hasn’t spoken with Roth in over a year. At this point in the study, it is Dion just self-reporting. Roth’s office said that they run the names of all their participants every month to make sure they aren’t lying and jeopardizing the study.”

“Dion told me the same thing last night.” She briefed her boss on the surprise video call from Dion. “We’re talking with friends and associates to see if we can shake something loose, but despite the minor inconsistencies in Dion’s story, I don’t think he’s good for this, especially now that we know there are more victims.”

Hernandez nodded. “Just meet with Roth, Nikki. We need all the help we can get on this, especially considering the likelihood more victims will be unearthed.”

Nikki wasn’t going to waste any more energy on a losing battle. “Would you mind if I waited to speak with him until after we’ve learned more about the victims buried in the area around Big Marine Lake? Since the dog tracked Kesha’s scent to the site, we’re pretty confident her killer intended to bury her in that same area but miscalculated how hard it would be to dig, so he improvised with the lake. I’m almost certain these victims have been killed by the same person, but I’d like to have that confirmed by the medical examiner and forensic anthropologist before I speak with Doctor Roth.”

Hernandez thought about it for a few seconds. “According to your email, the plan is to start the recovery process tonight, when the ground should be thawed enough?”

Nikki nodded. “This is the first time I’ve used a Powerblanket to thaw ground, but Miller’s confident it will work. We’ve already created a makeshift windbreak that blocks the site from prying eyes, and Miller is keeping deputies posted.”

“I’ll set the meeting up with Roth for tomorrow morning, at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office so Sheriff Miller will hopefully be able to attend. With the media breathing down our necks, I don’t want to wait any longer than that. We’re drafting a press release right now letting people know we’re bringing in another expert.”

“Assuming we’re dealing with a serial killer, Kesha is still the most recent victim,” Nikki reminded him. “Our current investigation revolves around her, so the press needs to know she is the priority.”

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