PROLOGUE
“Zina, heel!” Bonnie Novak jerked back on the leash with all her strength and dug her heels into the deep snow flanking Twelfth Avenue. Her thirty-eight-pound Siberian husky strained on the leash, eyeing the park across the street eagerly, but Bonnie managed to hold her in check until a yellow school bus rumbled past. Obedience training had been a waste of money. Walking Zina was still a test of brute strength.
The street was clear now, and Bonnie let the dog pull her across the slippery asphalt and into the snow-covered park. The freezing rain last night had coated the snow with a hard crust of ice, and Bonnie's boots crunched as she hurried to keep up with Zina. She caught a quick glimpse of the American National Bank sign before Zina pulled her behind a snowbank. It was seven forty-five and minus nine degrees in downtown St. Cloud. Bonnie gave an automatic shiver until she realized that the temperature was in Celsius. It was really fifteen above, and that was a balmy day for February in Minnesota.
Zina stopped to sniff at the base of a tree, and Bonnie stood silently, enjoying the peaceful morning. Flanked by tall pine trees, the park was effectively cut off from the noisy traffic on Division Street. It was an island of serenity in the center of the bustling city. The sky above was still gray, but the sun struggled to peek through the low clouds. This might turn out to be a nice day after all.
“Come on, Zina. Let's go.” Bonnie jerked hard on the leash and began to walk through the crusty snow bordering the small lake. In the summer Lake George was filled with rented paddleboats, but now it was the municipal skating rink. As Zina sniffed at the frozen bushes Bonnie followed along slowly, examining the ice sculptures that were already beginning to line the shore. On Monday WinterGame would start, and this peaceful little park would be filled with people. The fundraiser would run for a week with figure skating competitions, ice hockey play-offs, snowman building contests, and the ice sculpture exhibition.
“Zina! No!” Bonnie attempted to pull the husky back, but Zina barked sharply and strained toward one of the ice sculptures. It was the most hideous thing Bonnie had ever seen, a statue of a man dying in agony, his skull crushed in. The artist had added plenty of realistic touches. There was even red poster paint for the blood that covered the man's face. Bonnie certainly hoped that this sculpture didn't win the contest.
The Siberian husky began to whine as Bonnie held her tightly by the choke chain. The sun peeked through the clouds for a moment, and Bonnie gave a sigh of relief as she realized that this statue couldn't possibly win the contest. There was something inside, covered by a coating of ice. The rules clearly stated that all entries had to be carved freehand.
Just as Bonnie was ready to turn and start toward home, the clouds rolled away and the winter sun hit the statue fully, highlighting it in grisly detail. Bonnie's mouth opened in a scream, and she swayed on her feet. This was no ice sculpture. It was real. And there was a dead man inside.