Page 32 of Silencing Stolen Whispers
“Yes,” Nick replied after getting approval from his lawyer to speak freely. There would come a time when he could play poker with the best of them, but his youth worked against him. He hadn’t expected Kinsley to be comfortable with his choice of attorneys. “We were together for three years.”
Kinsley didn’t immediately follow up with another question. She let Alex settle next to her while giving Nick a moment to respond to the ongoing silence. He shifted in his seat, clasped his fingers together in impatience, and stared uneasily at the electronic tablet in Alex’s hands. While a security camera was tucked not-so-discreetly into the corner and recording their interview, Nick seemed more concerned with Alex’s notetaking.
“Could you elaborate on your relationship with Hannah? We’d like to hear your perspective.”
Kinsley phrased her question to make it seem like they had been given confidential information. He hesitated before Seth murmured that it was okay to answer the inquiry.
“We started off like any other college couple,” Nick replied vaguely. “Eventually, dating Hannah was like... well, it was like being in a relationship with her mother.”
“Can you explain that further?”
“Katherine Scriven’s reputation speaks for itself. At first, I thought the Scrivens were the perfect family. I wanted to fit in. I really did, but Katherine didn’t really approve of Hannah dating during law school. I don’t believe it was directed at me personally, but it became clearer over time that she wanted Hannah to focus solely on her studies.”
Seth jotted something down in his notepad but remained silent. His relaxed posture indicated he was familiar with this territory, but Nick’s sideways glance revealed his disagreement.
“Hannah once locked herself in our bathroom and cried for three hours because she was terrified of telling her mother she didn’t do well on an exam.”
“And how did you handle the outside pressures in your relationship?” Kinsley casually inquired before taking a sip of her coffee. She wanted Nick to be at ease, and if going through the motions to give the impression that this was an ordinary interview, then so be it. “I can’t imagine such parental interference made it easy for you.”
“I tried to hold onto Hannah for as long as possible, but it became clear that we weren’t going to make it.”
Alex tapped something into his tablet before focusing on Nick. Kinsley also noticed the man’s reluctance to clarify his statement.
“You ended things in May, is that right?”
"Yes.”
“Did Hannah ever discuss her concerns about passing the bar exam?” Alex asked, redirecting the conversation.
“She was anxious about it, of course. Everyone is,” Nick replied, though his hesitation in answering Alex’s question was quite noticeable. “It’s par for the course.”
“Do you know if anyone was bothering Hannah?”
“No.”
“Anything unusual happen that might have given you the impression that someone was angry with Hannah?”
“No.”
The hum of the air conditioning suddenly kicked in, and it was then that Kinsley noticed Nick hadn’t reached for the water bottle that Alex had provided him earlier. Forensics hadn’t come back from the lab, and there had been no fingerprints left on the poker iron.Seth continued to take some notes but offered no interruptions or objections. Had he warned Nick not to touch or leave behind his DNA on the water bottle?
“Let's talk about Hannah's other relationships. Specifically with her sister Bailey and Jade Patel.” Alex’s tone remained conversational, but Kinsley recognized the transition for what it was—the gradual tightening of the net. “What can you tell us about Hannah's relationship with her twin sister?”
“Bailey and Hannah were like opposite sides of a coin. Where Hannah was structured and disciplined, Bailey was... chaotic. Unpredictable.”
Kinsley saw her opening and deliberately interrupted.
“We've uncovered an interesting incident report from mid-May involving Hannah and Bailey,” Kinsley said, studying Nick's body language closely. Exes were known to key cars or slash tires. Had Nick resorted to such petty behavior? “Hannah's tires were slashed while parked on campus. Out front of the library, actually. Witnesses say that Bailey and Hannah were in a heated argument hours before that incident. What can you tell us about that?”
Nick’s gaze lowered, and he eventually leaned over to whisper something to his lawyer. Seth might only be a junior lawyer, but he had enough experience to maintain a neutral expression.
Kinsley and Alex shared their own exchange.
“I didn’t have anything to do with Hannah’s tires being slashed, but I was at the library that night.” Nick cast one more questioning glance toward Seth. However, the attorney seemed at ease with the impending revelation. “It was the night that I broke things off with Hannah. She wasn’t answering my calls, and I didn’t feel right breaking things off in text.”
“Is that when Hannah discovered you were seeing someone else?” Kinsley paused, giving the implication time to settle. “Sienna Webster, I believe.”
The effect was immediate. Nick's shoulders tensed, and his fingers stilled on the table surface. Even Seth straightened almost imperceptibly in his chair, as if unaware another reputable attorney’s daughter was about to be brought into the mix. The man wasn’t pleased with being kept in the dark.
