It was as if Niki understood something about Lila that no one else—not even Joe—understood. “Sometimes I think it’s made me insane…paranoid. I walk down the street and I’m sure someone’s following me. I memorize the cars around me when I drive, just in case I see them again. I’ve woken up in a cold sweat, sure that I saw one of their faces in a dream. I don’t think a day’s gone by when I don’t think about them being out there.”

“Well, it’s time we take another look at it.” Niki pulled out a pen and wrote down John Aldrich’s name and date of birth on a pad of paper.

“You think John…?”

“He was the prime suspect. With you breaking it off, he had motive, and that picture of him holding your arm shows he had opportunity. Plus, whether it was about taking other kids to the party or about leaving the party alone, I think it’s clear that John Aldrich lied.”

Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Gavin knew his mother would come for a visit. Amy had to sign Leo Reecey’s two-hundred-thousand-dollar check. He’d given his lawyer her phone number. “And if she has any questions,” he’d said, “tell her to come talk to me.”

The jail used a video-conferencing system so Gavin sat in the guts of the jail staring at a screen while his mother did the same from the visiting area. Even remotely, Gavin could see that Amy had dressed inappropriately for the occasion, wearing a blouse that hung low off the shoulders and had a drawstring in the middle—a look far too provocative to wear to a jail. But then, Amy rarely had the good sense to hide the cleavage that Richard Balentine had bought for her.

Amy held the phone receiver with the tips of her manicured nails to keep the plastic from touching the skin of her fingers. “I got a call from some lawyer named Leo Reecey. He said I was supposed to give him a check for two hundred grand.”

“He’s my lawyer. I can’t access my money, so you’ll have to pay him.”

“Did you do any research on the man? I mean, he’s just barely a lawyer at all. Last year he was suspended for stealing from his clients. What do you even know about him?”

“I’m on top of it.”

Amy furrowed her brow. “Honey, he ain’t worth that kind of money. Let me take care of this for you. You’re in jail, for God’s sake. They wanna lock you up and throw away the key. I can find a lawyer who—”

“Mother, all I need from you is a check.”

“At least let me get you a good lawyer. If I’m footing the bill, I should get some say in it.”