Manhunt (17 page)

“We went to college together, she’s very good. I’d even venture to say she’s better than me, but don’t tell her that. Most importantly, you can trust her. She and I will work in tandem behind the scenes.”

“Oh no, it’s not that,” she rushed to reassure him. “I’m sure she’s fine. Thank you. I just don’t like being referred to as Michael’s victim.”

“Well, that’s why you’ve got me. It’s my job to fix that.” His cocky grin made it impossible not to smile. Wes gestured with his hands around the room. “I suggest we caravan home, and you can ride with me for the first leg of the trip so we can chat, if you’re comfortable with that.”

Nikki bit her lower lip. It was the simplest solution. The sooner they got back to Pennsylvania, the sooner she could see Michael again. Still, she didn’t feel comfortable being locked in a car with a strange guy for God knows how long. She’d had enough of that with Michael, and the sense of panic and trepidation she felt was hauntingly similar. Just like with Michael, instinct told her she could trust Wes, but it didn’t calm her fears. She looked to Christian for help deciding what to do, and once again her best friend came to the rescue. He took her hand on top of the table and turned to Wes.

“Wes, I think that Nikki would feel more comfortable if I rode with you two.”

Wes nodded, closing up his portfolio and shoving it back into his briefcase. “That’s fine with me. I’m going to step outside and set up an appointment with the prosecutor and the federal agents, who should be concluding their portion of the investigation today and turning it over to local authorities. Meet me out front when you’re ready to get going.”

“Be forewarned,” Sophie piped in, “I require frequent potty breaks.”

Everyone chuckled. Aaron paid the bill, then he and Christian went upstairs to retrieve their bags while the girls finished their coffee and used the powder room.

Christian then walked Nikki over to Wes’s Escalade and opened the door for her before hopping in the back seat. Nikki noticed the recording device on the console and looked up to Wes questioningly.

“Don’t worry, Nicole. I’m on your side. I’m just recording the conversation because it would be a little tough to take notes while driving, and nobody drives my car but me.”

Christian laughed at that and Nikki forced a smile.

“You ready?” Nikki nodded and Wes reached over and hit the record button. “Okay, first thing’s first. I need you to tell me everything you know about the night Sebastian died. And by know, I mean remember. Anything you may have heard from anyone else, or saw on the news or whatnot, doesn’t count.”

“I don’t remember much, I’m afraid. I remember locking myself in the bedroom, then the bathroom. Sebastian was pounding on the door, telling me that even Michael couldn’t save me this time. I called Jeremy right before he busted the bathroom door open. The last thing I remember before waking up in the hospital was Sebastian grabbing me and dragging me out.”

“How many black spots are there in your memory now?”

“I don’t know, really. I have a lot of memories from childhood now. I don’t even realize that I’m missing a memory from that time until I remember a new one. The time between high school and the attack are still pretty spotty. I don’t have many memories of Olivia, for example, even though I know from Michael that I spent a lot of time at their house and that she taught me how to cook.”

It occurred to Nikki that perhaps Olivia inspired her love of baking. She would have to ask her about it.

“Okay. That’s actually a good thing. If the only thing you didn’t remember was the attack, the prosecutors would probably try and cry foul.”

“Why?” Christian asked. “She was a victim of a violent crime that included head trauma. Wouldn’t her short term memory from just before the attack be the first to go?”

“Well, yes, but I’m sure they would find it awfully convenient.” Nikki waited for him to explain that statement, but he didn’t. “Okay, give me your version of what happened when Michael took you from the hospital. Leave nothing out.”

Nikki gave him her account, and he seemed both pleased and distressed.

“Well, Nikki, the good news is your stories jive. The bad news is that I’m going to have a hard time defending him on the kidnapping charge. You did agree to go with him willingly, but if you had no idea who he was or what was happening, the sane thing to do would have been to call for help.” Nikki looked affronted. “I mean no offense, Miss. It’s just, well, really, why did you agree to go with him? He never even gave you a reason.”

Nikki thought about it for a moment. “At the time, I had no clue. In retrospect, I think my heart knew that I belonged with him, that I could trust him. The idea of staying there, lost and clueless, seemed scarier than leaving with him for whatever reason.”

“That makes sense. We can work with that. It’s going to be a tightrope walk, making the jurors believe that Michael didn’t kidnap you without you being charged as an accessory after the fact.”

“That’s why I hired you, Wes. If anyone can make this right, it’s you,” Christian pointed out.

Wes chuckled and puffed out his chest a little. “It’s a nice change of pace, representing people I actually believe deserve being defended.”

Wes raised an eyebrow at Christian via the rear view mirror with a smirk on his face.

“Hey!” Christian yelled, making Wes and Nikki laugh harder. “I’ve never even been charged with a crime, at least, one that’s not sealed in my JV record!”

“Which is proof positive that I’m the best attorney in the state. Maybe even the country!” Wes nodded his head in agreement with himself while Nikki continued cracking up.

“All right, all right. Enough picking on the poor guy in the backseat. Let’s get back to business, shall we? My wife is going to be pulling over, searching for a greasy burger and a bathroom at any moment, I guarantee you.”

Wes refocused. “The prosecutors will also want to know what you remember about your involvement with Sebastian before the date in question.” Nikki told him what she could. It seemed Wes actually knew more about their relationship than Nikki did.

“Nikki, forgive me for having to address this delicate topic, but I’ve been told that Sebastian would force you to have sex with him, to prove that you were over Michael. Why didn’t you ever turn him in for rape? It might have strengthened your case when you filed the restraining order, made the police see why you needed a detail assigned to you. Or better yet, why did you stay with him after that? Why didn’t you just leave him?”

Nikki had been asking herself the same questions, and she just didn’t have the answers. There were still so many pieces to the puzzle missing. Nikki suspected, though, that even if she could remember everything, the answer would still elude her. Was the comfort he gave to her worth all the pain and heartache? Especially when she didn’t even remember ever feeling that she was in love with him?

“I don’t know,” Nikki whispered, embarrassed she had no better answer than that.

“Wes…” Christian warned at the same time. “I don’t appreciate you questioning Nikki’s sanity like that.”

“I’m sorry, Christian, but it’s necessary. And I’m treating it much more delicately than the prosecutors are going to.”

Nikki thought back to all the terrifying images she’d remembered about Sebastian thus far and started hyperventilating, her breaths coming fast and shallow. Christian unbuckled his seatbelt and scooted as close to her as he could get, wrapping his arms awkwardly around her and rocking her gently back and forth. Nikki took a hold of his hands, gripping them against her collarbone.

“Breathe, Nikki. Calm down. It’ll be all right.”

It took several minutes, but finally she gasped, taking deep breaths to compensate for the oxygen deprivation as she calmed herself down. She turned to look at Christian.

“Why did I stay, Christian?!”

Christian just shook his head.

“Wes, that’s enough for now, don’t you think?”

Right on cue, Christian’s cell phone rang. It was Sophie, asking to pull over at the next exit so she could use the restroom and to let him know she really didn’t feel up to driving anymore. She was hoping Wes was done with his questioning so Christian could drive while she took a nap in the back for a bit. Nikki was thankful to have an excuse to not talk about everything once they got into Christian’s car.

It wasn’t until she smelled the chocolate as they passed the factory that it occurred to Nikki that she had nowhere to go. She didn’t know if she was allowed back in her house, not that she wanted to be there. She had no desire to go back there yet. Or maybe ever. Either way, she was thankful when she realized Christian was heading to his house.

He set up the guest room for her quickly, then suggested both girls take a nap while he waited for Wes’s call to let them know when they would be able to see Michael. Both girls readily agreed, the mental stress and long drive having exhausted them both.

Chapter 16

Michael was going insane waiting for news. The trip to Pennsylvania had been horrible. He was in the back of a very uncomfortable police van, handcuffs on his wrists and ankles, the ankle cuffs chained to the floor. The bright orange jumpsuit they’d made him wear over his clothes drew attention every time he was allowed out for a restroom break. He would quickly search for a familiar car, hoping against hope to catch a glimpse of Nikki. Of course, the cops assumed he was looking for an escape route and were quite blunt in warning him of the repercussions of trying to flee. Once he reached the county jail, he went through processing and had a set of mug shots and fingerprints taken before he was placed in a cell to await the prosecutor and his attorney.

He’d taken a chance, telling Wes the whole story. It occurred to him after the fact that he should have just lied, but he figured since Christian knew, Wes would find out sooner or later anyway. Better to have him know everything, so they could prepare for whatever came their way. Wes took it all in stride, which just made Michael suspect Christian had already told him everything he knew.

Michael was happy to hear Jeremy had been cleared and released. Dumbass. Michael was determined to smack him upside the head the next time he saw him. Why would he do something so stupid? Not that Michael had any room to talk. He’d been the king of stupidity recently. And if he had it to do all over again, he wouldn’t change a thing.

Michael paced. It wasn’t that he was looking forward to the interrogation which awaited him. Wes had already told him he wasn’t to answer any of their questions, just to sit there while they tried to get him to cooperate and then afterwards he would return to his cell. He was anxious because he needed to know what was going on with Nikki and his family. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what his parents had gone through since this all began. Wes had already told him the media circus had blown into a frenzy, and it had only gotten worse now that he and Nikki had turned themselves in. It put a hole in the pit of his stomach to think of the types of questions reporters had probably screamed at his mom.

Michael heard the heavy clunk of the main door unlocking and stopped to see who came through. He was pleasantly shocked when he saw Jeremy walk in, a guard behind him holding the door open.

“Ten minutes, Jeremy. That’s the best I can do,” the guard said before slamming the heavy metal door and locking it behind him.

Michael rushed to the bars, wrapped his fingers around the cold metal with one hand and held his free hand out for his brother almost desperately. Jeremy took it in both of his own with a smile. It was less a handshake and more a reconnection of spirits.

“I’ll bet the view is a lot better from that side,” Michael joked and his brother rolled his eyes at him. “Dumbass.”

Jeremy snorted. “Yeah, the food’s a lot better too. And look who’s calling who a dumbass.”

Michael shrugged his shoulders in agreement. “How’d you get in here? They told me I wasn’t allowed to have any visitors.”

“During my stay, I made friends with a few of the guards. Gave them some stock tips that worked out for them. They’re doing me a favor.”

Michael was grateful and took a moment to think about all the law enforcement officers he’d encountered since this all began. They had all been courteous and kind, despite the fact he was a suspected murderer. It made him reconsider the conclusions he had come to about people in their line of work. Between his biological father, the many run-ins Michael and Christian had over the years, and their utter failure to protect Nikki in her time of need, Michael had never put a lot of faith into the system. The fact that they had treated him more than fairly in recent days gave him pause. Perhaps he should have trusted them instead of running. Michael shook his head. It didn’t do him any good to reconsider past decisions which could not be altered. Besides, he was certain the memories of his time on the road with Nikki would get him through the dark days ahead.