Page 33 of Silencing Stolen Whispers
“Like I said, Hannah wasn’t returning my calls. I met Sienna through a mutual friend,” Nick explained after having another one-on-one conversation with his lawyer. Whatever was said between them didn’t appear to appease Seth. “Sienna and I started hanging out together, but I didn’t formally ask her to dinner until after I broke things off with Hannah in person. Sienna has nothing to do with this.”
Kinsley leaned back against her chair. She kept her expression neutral despite her growing certainty that Nick was carefully navigating around something significant.
“And you didn’t see Bailey that night?”
“No.”
“What about Jade Patel?”
“What about Jade?” Nick asked after rubbing his eyes. The gesture seemed natural. Almost automatic. “Jade has been going through a really hard time lately. We’re not really friends, but I know that her mother was diagnosed with cancer a while back. Hannah could sometimes get so wrapped up in her ownproblems that she tended to ignore everyone else’s issues. But to answer your question, no. I didn’t see Jade that night.”
“Where were you Wednesday night?”
“At my apartment,” Nick responded without hesitation. It was clear he had already spoken with his lawyer about his alibi. “I had dinner with Sienna around six o’clock. I dropped her off around nine, then returned to my apartment alone. You can check the building’s security cameras.”
“Let's revisit something you mentioned earlier. About Hannah being anxious for the bar exam.” Kinsley decided it was time to play their strongest card. He had given his alibi far too easily, along with proof. Kinsley and Alex would still request the footage to verify. Such confirmation would allow them to move forward, and Kinsley was about to get a head start. “Tell us about Fawn Ginkel.”
The name hung in the air.
Nick's gaze dropped again to his hands as he made a concerted effort to keep them loose and relaxed. Seth's pen paused above the notepad.
“We know all about Fawn Ginkel,” Kinsley continued, her voice steady. “We know she and Hannah were talking and considering a quid pro quo. It’s just a matter of time before we find out Fawn’s real name. It would help us a lot if you could give us that information, Mr. Ryder.”
Nick and Seth consulted again, though their hushed voices didn’t stay on their side of the table this time around. Seth was strongly urging his client to provide a name. Any goodwill would keep his name out of the press, and the same for the Websters. Sienna’s father would almost certainly not appreciate such scrutiny of the family name.
“First and foremost, I’d like to clarify that I never, ever considered having someone else take the bar exam for me. I’mprepared for the test, and I don’t want my name in any way connected with hers.”
“Duly noted,” Kinsley murmured in agreement.
“Fawn’s real name is Rebecca,” Nick finally revealed, his words tinged with visible reluctance. It was the woman’s surname that stunned Kinsley and Alex. “Rebecca Chambliss. She’s Dean Chambliss' niece.”
13
Kinsley Aspen
July
Saturday — 8:11 am
The line at Carol's Café stretched nearly to the door. It was a typical Saturday morning, and Kinsley had already been greeted by a handful of people as she waited with the other patrons for their morning beverage. There wasn’t a table to be had, and the stack of local papers in the wire bin by the door had already been sold out.
No doubt, the story on the front page covered Hannah Scriven’s murder. The article wouldn’t contain much information, but Kinsley planned to read it later today just in case it revealed a thread she and Alex hadn’t noticed yet.
The warm, yeasty smell of fresh bread combined with the rich aroma of coffee beans created a scent that should have been comforting. Instead, Kinsley experienced a disconnect between this ordinary moment and the real reason she had driven downtown instead of directly to the campus.
She moved forward slowly in line, her gaze drifting to the chalkboard menu where someone had sketched detailed coffee cups with steam curling into heart shapes. The cheerful artwork did nothing to lift her sour mood.
She and Alex had contacted the university last night and instructed them to cancel the vigil. They requested that it be rescheduled next week, which would allow them to have plainclothes officers in the crowd. Dean Chambliss didn’t hesitate to approve their request, but his role at the college and the investigation changed this morning when he was called in for questioning by CID.
The Criminal Investigation Division would take over the case involving academic fraud, leaving Kinsley and Alex to focus on the Scriven murder. Alex was scheduled to interview Rebecca Chambliss today with one of CID’s detectives, while Kinsley was to handle the follow-up interviews with Bailey Scriven and Jade Patel.
Alex had initially suggested the opposite, but Kinsley needed some time to herself to attend to a personal matter. She had recently committed to turning her life around, and she planned to see it through.
The woman ahead of her placed an order and stepped aside, bringing Kinsley face-to-face with Brianna, the barista whose departing status had become something of a local point of pride. She was eighteen, bright-eyed, and heading to Stanford on a full scholarship.
“Detective Aspen,” Brianna greeted with a smile that dimpled her left cheek. Her dark hair was pulled back in a neat ponytail, and she wore the café’s signature green apron over a white t-shirt. “Your usual?”
“Yes, please,” Kinsley responded, returning the girl’s smile. Once Kinsley had paid for her coffee, she remained standingin front of the counter. “I also need to speak with Carol this morning. Is she in today?”
