Page 85 of Coordinates of Death

Dr. Sharpe passed the magnifying glass to him. “Of course.”

Kordell raised it over the words, studying it closer. He recognized the word immediately.

Sídlo

“There’s an accent on the I. It’s Czech, and it means mansion or estate.”

Aurora leaned closer. “I see it. How do you know that?”

“My deceased grandparents moved here from the Czech Republic, and I studied it at university. Do you think he chose that word because of my background?”

Aurora wrinkled up her nose. “How would he know that if he doesn’t know Novy was your last name before you took Maxwell’s? Is it public knowledge?”

“No, so I’m guessing if SBK is as good as Mic is at hacking, he discovered my family background through foster-care records. Remember the helicopter? He knows. Somehow.” He gritted his teeth and handed the instrument back to the coroner. “So because the word is under the numbers, I’m guessing there’s some type of mansion around those coordinates, and that’s where our next clue will be. But has he started the clock?”

Aurora’s phone dinged, and she unhooked it from its holder. She swiped the screen and drew in a sharp breath before raising her phone. “Sixteen hours.”

“How does SBK do that?” Kordell asked. “Didn’t Digital sweep your phone?”

“Yes.” Aurora motioned toward the ceiling. “Dr. Sharpe, have Security lock down your system. I’m guessing you’ve been hacked. I’ll get a team here.” She turned to Kordell. “We need to gather supplies and update Hill before we head to those coordinates.”

“One more thing before you go.” Dr. Sharpe picked up his clipboard. “I also identified the victim from dental records. A local librarian.” He spieled off her name and age.

“Thanks, Doc.” Aurora jotted it down. “Another vocation matching Dawson’s victimology.”

“I’ll text Hill on the way and let him know. Let’s go.”

They hurried to Aurora’s cruiser and stopped short.

Pages secured beneath her windshield wipers fluttered in the gentle breeze.

“What are those?” Kordell leaned on the cruiser’s door, a lingering scent of citrus wafted nearby. “Wait, do you smell that?”

“I’m beginning to associate oranges with bad news and SBK. Not sure I’ll ever eat them again.” Aurora scanned the area. “Whoever was here is gone.” She put her gloves on and pulled out the paper, her jaw dropping.

“What is it?”

“More of my mother’s journal pages. The journal my father knew nothing about.” She opened her trunk and placed them inside an evidence bag. “I can’t think about this right now. We need to find Candace.”

With the earlier reference to his background and now to Aurora’s, what else would the Shadow Box Killer unearth?

Nothing was safe from this killer.

After updating both teams, Hill contacting US officials to explain their presence at the border and gathering a plethora of supplies from Henry’s cave, Aurora drove to the Alaska border two hours later. The GPS showed the coordinates were on the borderline between the countries. She released one hand from the wheel, flexing her fingers to massage them from her white-knuckled grip. Curiosity about what her mother’s pages would reveal gnawed at her like a rat chewing through rope. She couldn’t get it out of her mind, even though her focus must remain on finding Candace. Lord, help us find her alive.

She analyzed the GPS map on her police-issued laptop anchored to her cruiser to determine the correct road to take. Aurora took the next left and drove for two miles before she had to slam on the brakes at a sudden downed tree, blocking the road.

“I guess we walk from here.” Kordell pointed to her laptop screen. “The location appears to be deep in the wilderness. Let’s get in and get out as quickly as we can. We don’t want a repeat of our last trip to Alaska.”

“And that’s why you’re here, Mr. Survivalist.”

“Right. You only want me for my skills. I’m offended.” He snickered before leaving her vehicle.

Their camaraderie had reemerged after all these years and appeared stronger than ever. It was as if they’d remained friends ever since. The difference between now and then was that her childhood crush had exploded into deeper feelings. Feelings she had a hard time suppressing.

Focus, Rory. Remember why you’re here—and why he’s here. It’s not for you.

She stepped into the deep snow beside her cruiser. She stumbled, sinking before regaining her balance, and moved to the rear where Kordell waited.