Page 47 of Her Frozen Heart

Rory massaged her shoulders, his warm fingers igniting an electric current inside her. “Nope. It makes you human.” He leaned down until his lips grazed her ear. “Why don’t we go to the bedroom, so I can give you a massage?”

Nikki rolled her eyes at his obvious innuendo. Doing normal things like sex and sleeping during a big case always made her feel like a lazy cop, but a little self-care could also do wonders for a tired brain. She stood and took his hand. “All right, but only if it’s a full-service massage.”

SIXTEEN

MONDAY, DECEMBER 27

After her “massage,” Nikki had spent at least two hours going over her notes, searching for anything they’d missed, including the information Forest Lake had originally sent about Parker’s disappearance. That jettisoned her into worrying that she hadn’t taken that information seriously enough, which led to going back and forth about giving her boss a heads-up on the police’s claim she’d ignored them. He’d know it wasn’t true, but a big part of his job was about making the Bureau office look good. She eventually sent him a short text and forced herself to at least try to sleep a couple of hours, but she tossed and turned, falling asleep an hour or so before her alarm.

Hernandez’s early morning call also came before her alarm sounded. “What the hell is happening with the Forest Lake police? Is there a missing person we need to be concerned about?” He sounded like he’d been running, but Hernandez always sounded like that when he was upset. From the clinks and clangs on his end, Nikki assumed Hernandez was still at home and getting breakfast.

“Honestly, sir, I don’t know.” She grabbed her notebook off the nightstand and went through everything they knew so far. “When you look at the big picture, including Parker’s trouble with his ex, there’s still a strong chance his disappearance isn’t related. But Liam is working with Forest Lake from the office, and I will be going to Parker’s work and the diner later today.”

“This is a PR nightmare,” Hernandez said. “Without evidence he’s been taken by the same person, it doesn’t look great that we’re stretching resources between him and a black woman’s murder.”

“I know,” Nikki said. “But that’s our best shot right now. And I didn’t ignore the Forest Lake police, by the way.”

“I believe you, and I believe in you and your team. Stick with the plan right now, but I want you to run it all by Roth this morning. How soon will Blanchard be able to tell us if the male victim you found last night was sexually assaulted? That’s the key to what kind of person we’re dealing with.”

“She’s rushing it,” Nikki said. “But that’s all I can tell you right now.”

“Stay on her,” Hernandez instructed before ending the call.Right, Nikki thought. Because Dr. Blanchard responded so well to being pushed. Still, she left the doctor a message, making clear the male victim needed to be priority, all the while envisioning the medical examiner rolling her eyes.

Numb with exhaustion, Nikki loaded up on coffee, showered and dressed and then headed towards the sheriff’s station. They were meeting with Roth at nine a.m., and she wanted to have plenty of time to go over the case with Liam and Miller before the doctor arrived.

Nikki followed the smell of donuts to the conference room, her stomach grumbling. “Food?”

“They’re incredible.” Liam spoke around a mouthful of pastry. “Miller’s wife got up and made them this morning. He also brought in fresh coffee.” He took another bite and moaned. Liam’s relationship with food was always a sight to behold. He could put away more than anyone she’d ever met, including Lacey, who seemed to be constantly ravenous.

“What an angel.” Nikki poured a fresh cup of coffee and dumped sugar and powdered creamer into it. “I don’t think I slept more than a couple of hours.” She sat down across from him.

“You sounded kind of spooked last night,” Liam said.

“Aren’t you?” She told him about her conversation with Hernandez. “Until we know if the male vic was sexually assaulted, we’re spinning, but it sure looks like that’s going to be the case. And if Parker Jameson turns out to be another victim…”

“Boss,” Liam said. “I went over that file, and so did Kendra and Jim. Sheriff Miller, too, since I emailed it to him last night. Parker did ‘vanish,’ but that doesn’t mean his ex—whose jacket is more extensive than I thought—isn’t responsible. Statistically, that’s the most likely scenario.”

“Stats aren’t looking that helpful right now, are they?” Nikki grabbed a glazed donut and ate half in two bites. “That’s going to sit in my stomach, but damn, it is good. Where’s Miller?”

“He went to call Reynolds to tell him to check on the site and make sure no one’s been snooping. He should be back in a minute.”

Nikki opened her notebook and tried to decipher the notes she’d taken at three a.m. “We need to get everything we know on the board. My mind is so jumbled and tired, I’m having trouble keeping everything straight.”

While they waited for Miller, Nikki went to the whiteboard and wrote down what they knew so far.

Black Friday, Kesha disappears

Big Marine at least four inches of ice by mid-December

December 12, Chelsea and boyfriend meet suspect in woods looking for dog

December 14, ice fisher observed building shack and hauling tote. Witness said driving old white truck

December 17, Parker Jameson goes missing, possible victim, age 25. Disappeared leaving Artists’ Co-op in downtown Forest Lake

Christmas Eve, Kesha’s body found

Christmas Day, burials found. 6 victims total. At least one male, possible sex assault. One victim may be Native American. Kesha is black, couple found in decomp white, suggesting no preference regarding ethnicity and appearance

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