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“I don’t . . .” Lexie rubbed her eyes. “I don’t know what to tell you. How can you be so sure that this has anything to do with me? Or Sara?”
“Unfortunately, we’re not sure of anything yet, but it does paint an unsettling picture once you start connecting the dots. Three identical murders, all three victims either killed or originating from this very island. They were your friends. Your name is right there on the missing person’s report.”
“Yeah, I was interviewed. We all were. So what? You said yourself that Bryan Fowler is in prison. Case closed.”
“And yet here we are.”
Lexie sat silent while Frank’s last words sank in. She knew she was being immature. “How can a man behind bars stab two women to death?” she asked.
“He can’t,” Zoe admitted. “His being in prison eliminates him as a suspect, but it doesn’t eliminate the connection.”
“What connection?”
“That’s what we’re trying to find out,” Frank said. “For your sake.”
“My sake?”
“We don’t want to scare you, Lex, but we are . . . concerned,” Zoe said carefully.
“You—” Lexie suddenly felt lightheaded. Her eyes bounced from one officer to the other. “You think I’m next, don’t you? You actually think I’m in danger. Oh . . .”
Here they came: the walls, growing closer and closer by the second, every logical, rational argument she’d come up with as to why she was being ridiculous to even entertain this possibility disappearing like smoke on the wind.
“Look,” Frank said, coming to crouch beside her, one arm circling the chair behind her shoulders. It was a comforting gesture; one she knew he wouldn’t offer to everyone. “We don’t want you to be alarmed, but we do want you to be aware that there could be more at play here. There’s something we’re not seeing, and until we figure out what it is, our official advice is for you to take extra care. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Lexie tried to steady her breathing. “That’s a great speech, Frank, but in case you haven’t noticed, I’m pretty fucking alarmed here.”
He smiled. “I can tell. Don’t worry, we’ll get to the bottom of this.”
After answering a few more questions, Lexie was finally led out of the interview room. It was late afternoon and she felt dead tired. She half-considered not returning to the bar. In spite of being terrified to sit at home all alone, the thought of crawling into her big, comfortable bed and sleeping her troubles away was enough to have her stifling a yawn. Zoe gave her a smile before disappearing down the hall. Frank gestured for Lexie to follow and be on her way, when another door opened behind her. She felt Nico’s presence before she saw him.
“Give us a minute, Frank,” he said. “I’d like to have a word with Ms. Bowen.”
“Sure thing.” Frank tipped an imaginary hat at Lexie. “Ms. Bowen.”
Lexie rolled her eyes and wished for this day to be over as Nico took her into his office. Once the latch clicked shut and they were alone, he cupped her face softly in his hands. When his lips found hers, they were warm and gentle, a kiss not ignited by desire, but rather a tender and reassuring reminder that she wasn’t alone.
After several moments, he pulled away. “Are you alright?”
“Where were you?” she asked.
“West ordered me to stay away.”
“Ordered you?”
“He’s my boss, and he thinks I’m too close to be objective.” Nico stroked her jawline with his thumbs, a troubled look in his eyes. “He’s right.”
“So, you saw? You heard . . .”
“Everything.”
Lexie closed her eyes.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked.
That was a loaded question if she ever heard one. Why hadn’t she told him? What was she so afraid of? Rather than answer him, she decided to shift the focus off herself and ask a question of her own instead.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
