Page 55 of Her Frozen Heart

“Serial killers adapt and evolve, just like every other living thing on the planet.” Nikki looked up at Roth. “If you have the time to come with me to the co-op and the diner, I’d love a second set of eyes.”

He looked surprised. “As honored as I’d be, I have another commitment scheduled at Oak Park Heights Correctional Facility.”

A chill went down Nikki’s spine. There were plenty of violent felons to interview at Oak Park Heights, including the man who’d killed her parents and the man who’d murdered her ex-husband. If Roth was scheduled to speak with either one of them, Nikki didn’t want to know.

“Thank you for your time this morning, then,” she said. “I’ll touch base tonight or tomorrow, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course.” Roth shook her hand and then Miller’s. “Good luck to both of you and stay safe.” He jogged over to his black Audi, his head down against the wind.

“I’ll head back to the station and get Liam up to speed,” Miller said. “I think he and I should be able to split up the interviews of Parker’s family and friends. I’ll drive out to Parker’s parents, but Liam can do some of the follow-ups on the phone. I’m also going to contact the DNR in charge of the lake here. Forest Lake is a popular spot, even with the bass virus spotted in the fish this fall. Fortunately, it’s smaller than Big Marine and its location in the middle of town makes it a lot less likely our guy would risk leaving Parker here.”

“Agreed, but see what DNR records show, if they keep any. Liam’s familiar with the angler and fishing forums, so he can go through them and see if he can locate anyone who’s been out on this lake since Parker disappeared.” Nikki hit the remote start on the jeep. “I almost feel worse after meeting Roth.”

Miller looked at her in confusion.

Nikki shrugged. “He confirmed my worst fears and then some. And he’s right. Unicorns are a myth. We’re dealing with a sneaky rat who can hide in plain sight.”

EIGHTEEN

Maria Lopez’s father worked at an auto body shop not far from the Forest Lake police station, so after Miller headed back, Nikki drove to the shop and asked to speak with him. He’d been employed by Danny Stanton, before his shop had gone under, and Nikki hoped he could provide her with unbiased information.

Javier Lopez came into the lobby wearing greasy work overalls, an equally greasy shop cloth in his hand. “Someone asked to talk to me?”

Nikki stood and introduced herself, keeping her voice low. Lopez wasn’t a suspect, and she didn’t want his employer to get the impression Lopez might be in trouble. Lopez motioned for her to follow him into the hallway where the vending machines were located.

“You said this is about Danny Stanton? He ran himself out of business,” Lopez said.

“I know,” Nikki said. “This is difficult, and I’ve gone back and forth about it since yesterday. Legally, there’s nothing I can do, but as a parent, I want you to know that your daughter was leaving Stanton’s house yesterday when I stopped to question him.”

Lopez’s eyes glittered with anger. “My Maria? I told her to stay away from him.”

“She said they met at work.” Nikki had assumed that Maria had meant the diner where she worked part-time, but now she realized that the girl had been referring to Danny’s old shop.

“Yeah, I used to work for Danny. She used to come by after school and say hi,” Lopez said. “I could tell she had a crush, and I know how Danny is, so I told her to stay away from him.”

“And how exactly is Danny?” Nikki asked. “Has he ever been violent with anyone?”

Lopez snickered. “He’s too lazy for that. He said the economy ruined the shop, but he didn’t take care of the books. He was too busy getting high. Even if he wasn’t almost my age, I don’t want my daughter with someone like that. She’s going to college, wants to be a lawyer. I’m not letting some deadbeat ruin that.”

“I don’t blame you,” Nikki said. “Do you remember if Danny used a lot of chemicals to clean the shop, maybe something to make things smell clean?”

Lopez shook his head. “Only thing I can think of is the bathroom toilet. It plugged a lot.”

“Maria works at West End Diner part-time, right?”

Lopez nodded. “She’s on winter break now, so she picked up more hours. She’s working right now.”

“Would she get in trouble if I stopped in to ask her some questions?” Nikki said. “Not about Danny, but about the place next door.”

“Yeah, that young man’s missing.” Lopez shook his head sadly. “When I moved my family here from Minneapolis a few years ago, I thought we were coming to a safe area. Washington County’s so beautiful in the summer, the people are friendly. Now we’re turning into a murder mecca.”

“You’re not wrong,” Nikki said. “I’d make sure she stays away from him out of an abundance of caution.”

“Oh, believe me, she’s going to stay away from him,” Lopez said grimly. “Do me a favor if you see her and don’t tell her that I know. I want to handle it myself.”

Like most of the area, Forest Lake embraced their Scandinavian heritage. Nikki’s paternal great-great grandparents had settled in Scandia, the heart of Scandinavian Washington County, just a few miles east of Forest Lake, and had been buried in the historical Scandinavian Cemetery. When she was a little kid, Nikki loved listening to her father talk about the stories handed down through his family. Her ancestors had helped build the railroad switch lines. Chicago gangsters had used the area during the 1930s and 40s, and her great-grandmother had allegedly cleaned one of the cottages occupied by Ma Barker during her stay.

West Side Diner was oddly located on the eastern end of Forest Lake, but within walking distance to the marinas on the western side of the lake itself. Nikki could see the ice shanties dotted along the shallow lakeshore, but the wind that whipped across the lake had likely prevented anyone going out today. Nikki drove down North Shore Drive into the heart of downtown Forest Lake. Located in a two-story Victorian with a sign boasting its status as a national historic landmark, the diner appeared to be a favorite of locals. Seating inside was limited, and the outdoor seating reserved for the summer. Nikki bypassed the line of gray-haired ladies waiting for a table and went to the counter, where she asked if Colton was available.

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