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“What the hell are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about your buddy being a total psycho,” Nico replied, too wired to sit, so he began pacing instead. “I’m talking about you burying a complaint Lexie Bowen made to you about him almost two years ago.”
“Whoa, whoa,” West said. “First of all, I never buried anything. Second, I’d like to remind you that I’m your superior, so you watch how you speak to me, and stop throwing harmful accusations around like it’s nothing.”
Nico took a breath. He could feel his blood pumping in his ears.
Frowning, West leaned on his desk and sighed. “She came to me,” he admitted. “But as a friend. She was frightened and didn’t like the idea of anything official. So, I helped her the only way I could.”
“Why didn’t you persuade her to go further with it?”
“That’s not my job.”
“Bullshit. You were protecting Garrett.”
“Hey.” West held up a finger. “You may think you know everything, hotshot, but I’m willing to bet you’ve never lived in a small town like this one. Hauling someone over the legal coals is a big deal.”
“So is murder,” Nico snapped, and for the first time, West looked uncertain.
“Excuse me?”
“Turns out your friend isn’t just a violent, alcoholic asshole,” Nico said. “According to what he told Lexie last night, he was with Isabelle Moss on the night of the murder, which means he’s now a suspect.”
“The condom belongs to him?” West asked after a notable pause.
“Apparently.” Nico finally sat.
“He told Lexie all this?”
Nico nodded. “I’m pressing charges.”
West’s head snapped up. “You can’t be serious. We’ve got no evidence. We need to at least wait for DNA testing to confirm he’s a match.”
“Not for that,” Nico said. “For assault.”
West blinked. “What kind of assault?”
“The kind that leaves marks like this.” Nico swiped his phone, turning it to show the chief photos of the bruises left on Lexie’s neck. Despite her protests, he’d made sure to record every inch of the damage.
Taking it into his hand for a closer look, West flicked through the images. “You witness this assault?”
“If I had, it wouldn’t have happened.”
“And why are we only hearing about it now? Why didn’t she call us straight away?”
“She has no faith in this department to protect her,” Nico replied, uncaring that he was overstepping.
Loaded seconds passed.
“Right, well, if this is going to be an official request for a protective order, we’ll need her to fill out and lodge the necessary forms,” West said. “You know the drill.”
“She’s coming back in later today,” Nico told him. “Zoe’s handling it.”
Slowly, West handed back the phone. He appeared to be having some kind of inner debate. “Look,” he finally said. “I’m not sure how much you know about Lexie Garrett—”
“Bowen,” Nico corrected.
“Those two have always had a volatile relationship,” West continued. “My advice? Don’t get involved—personally.”
