Page 6 of Her Frozen Heart

The white tent blocking the reporters’ prying eyes was big enough to hold a hundred people, at least. Four divers in wetsuits emerged from the tent and climbed into the amphibious craft.

“They’re heading back to the south entrance to change,” Miller said. “It’s closed and we’re not allowing media into that area at all. We’ll take her body out that way too.”

Nikki felt for the divers. They saw more horrific things than the average cop, but she suspected today’s events would weigh heavily on them for a long time. She hoped they would all take advantage of the mental health resources offered by the department.

There was a welcome center at the south entrance of the lake, which provided heat and bathrooms, along with a large play area. It was a longer ride, but at least the divers wouldn’t have to deal with the shouting media horde.

“Good,” Nikki said. “She deserves some dignity.”

They ducked beneath the yellow tape and went inside the swaying tent where the remains had been placed in a body bag. A stocky man with a clipboard knelt next to the open bag, making notes. His mouth pinched into a straight line, his jaw jutting out. His hand trembled as he wrote.

“Lieutenant Huff, this is Special Agent Nikki Hunt with the FBI,” Miller said. “Huff is the dive team leader. We’re fortunate he was available today.”

Huff glanced up at them with moisture in his eyes. “She’s my daughter’s age.”

“I’m sorry,” Nikki said. She’d worked enough terrible scenes to know that no words would make Huff feel better. The only solace for cops was knowing that someone else truly understood the mark something like this left on a person. “Thank you for helping with the recovery.”

Huff cleared his throat. “It’s the job.”

Nikki moved closer, bracing herself for the bloated, slippery-skin look that water bodies usually had even though Miller had told her Kesha’s body was recognizable. “Jesus, you weren’t lying about her condition.”

Kesha’s dark skin had lost some of its pigment and gone slack, especially around her eyes, but Miller had been right. It was obviously her. Her eyes were still open, the soft tissue damaged from underwater scavengers. The poor girl was fully nude. Nikki’s throat tightened with emotion. For some reason, the idea of Kesha being so exposed to the elements bothered her as much as anything.

“Medical examiner’s probably not going to be able to establish an accurate time of death.” Miller knelt down on the other side of the remains and Nikki followed suit. She snapped on latex gloves and gingerly touched Kesha’s forearm, her stomach turning at the mangled stump of the girl’s right arm.

“We haven’t found her hands and feet yet,” Miller said grimly.

“I personally searched for them, working my way out from her body for several feet. Doesn’t look like her hands and feet were left with the rest of her body. I can’t say if they’re in the lake, but they aren’t near the rest of her,” Huff said.

“No sign of ligature marks on her arms, but I’d expect those to be on her wrists.” She examined the wound site. “These don’t look like hesitation marks to me, but the medical examiner will have to confirm that.” Cutting through human flesh and bone required a lot more strength and determination than people realized. No hesitation marks usually meant they were dealing with a cold, experienced killer. “Do we have copies of her case file?”

“I already contacted the Bloomington police,” Miller said. “They’re happy for us to take the case out of their hands. The detective doesn’t even want to be involved in telling the family.”

“Normally I would go into the precinct and drag their ass out, but I have no interest in working with people like that,” Nikki said. “We’re better off on our own.”

“I agree,” Miller said. “Is Liam off desk duty yet?”

Nikki shook her head. “He’s still dealing with post-concussive symptoms, and he’s been a real bear about it. He can still help with background checks and anything that can be done on a computer. When did the ice fully come in?” Nikki asked Miller. Fall had been unseasonably warm, but mid-November had turned frigid.

“According to the DNR, the lake was confirmed iced-in on December ninth,” he responded. “They never post the date in real time, and they don’t measure ice-thickness, but the lake started to get busy the following week.”

Nikki knew there were dozens of sites and blogs dedicated to the various lakes, and serious fishermen shared information, especially during ice seasons. “How easy would it be for someone to come in here at night?”

“They’d have to leave their vehicle on the road and carry everything,” Miller answered. “During the winter, the public gates are locked, and this place is pretty buttoned up, even the smaller, unmarked dock areas. Not impossible, but there are houses close enough to see lights at night.”

“Chances are he came out here during the day and pretended he was fishing like the others,” Nikki said. “Which means he’s confident as hell. That usually comes from experience.”

“That’s what I was thinking,” Miller agreed. “We need to find her hands and feet, but the divers won’t get back in the water without confirmation there are more remains in the lake.”

Which would be impossible to get without bringing a lot of expensive equipment out, Nikki thought. “We need a cadaver dog. They can smell remains in water and through ice.” Nikki checked her watch. “Unfortunately, it’s two p.m. on Christmas Eve. We probably won’t get anyone out here until the day after the holiday at best.”

Any other time of year and Nikki would be able to pull enough strings to have a dog out by morning, but the holiday made everything difficult.

“You guys care if I take her on in?” Huff asked. “They’re ready for her over at the shelter.”

“I took plenty of photos already,” Miller said.

“Of course, go ahead,” Nikki told the lieutenant. “I hope you’re able to salvage your holiday after all this.”

---