Page 163 of Heart of Frost and Scars

“So he was unhinged?” Leo lifts the leather book, thumbing through the pages.

“Pretty much.” My forehead twitches. “Whoever sent those quotes to Frankie knows I found the book of poems.”

“Or they put the book in that wall, hoping you would find it.” Leo inspects the spine and inner book flaps. “Along with those flight logs.”

“Since the stalker enjoys referencing Pushkin…” She turns back to the notepad on the table. “It’s safe to assume this person is unhinged, too.”

“That’s a given,” Leo says.

Carl’s investigation into how a human heart arrived with the groceries is another dead end. Someone must’ve slipped the box onto the pallet of food before it was loaded onto the boat in Sitka harbor. There were no cameras or eyewitnesses in the loading area.

Leo returns the book and crouches beside a different box on the floor. This one contains all the things they brought from Hoss. The flight manual, survival gear, Wolf’s keepsakes and drawings, and the slippers Denver stole from me. Melanie also returned the journal, thumb drive, and bag of bones.

The kidnapping cases are still open and will probably remain so forever. But as expected, the detectives moved on to more pressing investigations.

Over the past two days, we’ve watched Denver’s video multiple times.

The solution isn’t here. I’m certain of it.

“We need sleep.” I rub my pounding head.

“We need answers.” Kody grabs his crossbow from the box, checking the strings.

“I just…” She bites her lower lip as if trying to hold back the words. “I don’t know if I can handle it if it’s him.”

She means Wolf. But I don’t know if she’s referring to him being the stalker or the owner of the heart.

The photo could’ve been staged. Leo confirmed that Wolf had access to a digital camera. But none of them know if it was missing after his disappearance. They never thought to look for it.

We need to find that goddamn cabin.

“We won’t jump to conclusions.” I move to her side, taking her chin in my hand. “We’ll wait for the analysis.”

Her eyes are red-rimmed and swollen, a reservoir of unwept tears. She looks physically drained, with a noticeable lack of energy in her movements.

I step back and find Leo’s gaze, giving him a silent demand to call it a day.

“We’ll find him, love. But right now…” He moves in and lifts her into his arms, ignoring her protests. “It’s time for bed.”

He carries her upstairs to the guest bedroom where they sleep now. They moved into the main house after the package was delivered. When I ordered that move, they didn’t argue.

Someone sent a human heart to my heavily guarded island. We’re not taking any risks.

Two days later, the call comes.

Sitting in the gazebo beside the pool, we pore over the map Sirena sent, discussing the sections of the Brooks Range that her team has already scoured.

Pulse racing, I answer the call on speaker.

“Monty,” Wilson says, “I received the results from the forensic investigator.” Papers rustle in the background. “The heart matches Denver Strakh’s DNA.”

Shock slices through me. Frankie’s mouth drops open, and Leo and Kody exchange puzzled glances.

“Denver’s?” Relief floods in as I shake off the surprise. “How is that possible?”

“You said Denver’s body was dumped in the tundra around the same time that Wolf jumped off the cliff.” Wilson coughs, his voice hoarse with age. “It’s plausible that your perpetrator was waiting nearby and collected both bodies.”

“The plane in the hills wasn’t trophy hunters.” Kody’s jaw tightens. “We saw it a week after Denver died. It’s connected.”

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