Page 58 of Her Frozen Heart

“It’s actually about another issue.” Nikki kept her answer vague. “Thanks for your time.” She waited until Colton had gone into the kitchen before approaching the break table at the other end of the hallway.

Maria sat alone, her head buried in her phone.

“Making plans with Danny?”

Maria looked up in shock. “What the hell?”

“I know, you care about him,” Nikki said, barely managing not to roll her eyes. “I came here to talk to Colton, but I’ve got some questions for you too. I’m investigating Parker’s disappearance.”

The teenager’s expression softened. “Yeah, that sucks. But why are you asking about it? Aren’t you busy enough down in Stillwater?” She sipped her soda. “I saw on the news that more victims were brought out from the woods during the night. The reporters were talking about thawing the ground.” Maria stilled. “Oh my God, that Parker guy wasn’t one of them, was he?”

“He’s still missing,” Nikki said. “Forest Lake police asked for my help. I stopped by to talk with the staff, and I figured I’d start with you since we’ve met before.”

“What am I supposed to tell you?” Maria asked. “I only talked to the guy a few times. He seemed nice.”

“Were you here the night he disappeared?” Nikki asked.

“I was with Danny,” Maria said proudly. “We met at a bowling alley one county over and then bowled for a couple of hours before we went for a drive.” She smiled slyly, obviously trying to get under Nikki’s skin. Had Maria deliberately alibied Danny, or was she just talking?

“Which bowling alley?” Nikki asked.

“Why?” Maria asked indignantly.

“Because I need to confirm Danny’s whereabouts that night,” Nikki answered.

“He didn’t do anything,” Maria insisted.

“This is how the job is done.” Nikki was tired of the girl’s emotional back and forth. “Now, I can have my staff call every damn bowling alley in the tri-county area, or you could just answer my question.”

“Patty’s. It’s about ten minutes north of here.”

“Thank you,” Nikki said. “Now, back to Parker. Did you ever see him with a white guy, fairly tall, maybe wearing Carhartts or other outdoor workwear?”

Maria shook her head. “I never paid much attention, to be honest. He’s not really my type.”

Apparently, handsome and clean was the type she didn’t like. “What about someone lurking around, either on foot or in a parked vehicle?”

“Well, I worked the night before, after school until my shift ended at seven,” Maria said. “When I got here, I freaked out for a minute because I thought Danny had come to see me at work. There was a junky white Chevy pickup parked across the street, which is where Danny usually parks if he comes to eat.”

“But it wasn’t Danny’s?”

“No,” she said. “But every time I walked by the big bay window in the dining room, I’d see it out of the corner of my eye and think it was him all over again.”

“Did you ever see anyone get into the truck?”

“No, but it was gone when I left,” she said.

Nikki spoke to the dishwasher and cashier before she left West End Diner. They’d both been working the night Parker disappeared, but neither one had seen anything. Nikki left a couple of cards with Colton’s mother and headed outside.

“Jesus.” She hid her face in the high collar of her coat. The wind had picked up since she’d been outside with Colton. She jogged to the jeep, the wind nearly yanking the door out of her hand when she opened it. Nikki slammed it shut and turned the vehicle on. Her cheeks burned from the wind.

While she waited for the heat to kick in, Nikki checked her messages. Rory and Lacey had both texted to check in, with Lacey’s text full of her morning exploits at the beach. Knowing that she was having so much fun made Nikki miss her a little less, but she still hated being so far away from her little girl. She texted her and Rory back and then checked her voicemail.

Roth’s gentle voice came through the Bluetooth. “Um, hi, Agent Hunt. I’m just getting ready for my interviews at Oak Park Heights, but that photo of Parker kept bugging me. I knew I’d seen it before. Monday posed his last victim the same way, hung by her wrists, head on her shoulders, the quality of the photo just bad enough it was impossible to tell she was already dead when he’d taken it.” He sighed. “I think this is why I went into science instead of criminal justice. Every little thing seems like a sign to me when I’m sure it isn’t. But I do think the similarity is more than coincidence. Don’t hesitate to call if you need my assistance. I’m tied up the rest of the day, but I will return your call.”

Nikki opened the browser on her phone and googled Monday’s last victim, but the ransom picture he’d sent of the dead girl posed to look alive hadn’t been made public. She texted Liam to call the Anchorage Bureau office and get a copy of the photo emailed ASAP. Roth’s message had left her rattled. Their killer had used Monday’s tricks to dispose of Kesha and communicate with the police. If the pattern continued, Parker Jameson was probably already dead.

NINETEEN

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