Page 172 of Pieces of Her (Andrea Oliver 1)

Andy gave an audible gulp.

“I’ll be fine, sweetheart. It’s just a conversation.” Laura pushed the plastic buds into her ears. They felt like pebbles. She asked Rosenfeld, “What does he need to say, exactly? What’s incriminating?”

“Anything that gives ownership to Paula Evans-Kunde’s actions. Like, if Morrow says he sent her to the farm, that’s enough. He doesn’t have to say he sent her to kill anybody, or kidnap your daughter. That’s the beauty of conspiracy. All you have to do is get him on tape taking credit for her actions.”

The old Nick gladly took credit for everything, but Laura had absolutely no idea whether or not the present-day Nick had learned his lesson. “All I can do is try.”

“Good to go.” One of the guards raised his thumb into the air. “The sound is coming through perfect.”

Rosenfeld gave him a thumbs-up in response. He asked Laura, “Ready?”

Laura felt a lump in her throat. She smiled at Andy. “I’m good.”

Mike said, “Gotta say, it makes us all a little bit nervous, having you in the same room with this guy.”

Laura knew he was trying to lighten the mood. “We’ll try not to blow anything up.”

Andy guffawed.

Mike said, “I’ll walk you as far as the door. You still okay with Andy hearing all this?”

“Of course.” Laura squeezed Andy’s hand, though uncertainty nagged at her thoughts. She was worried that Nick would somehow sway Andy to his side. She was worried for her own sanity, because he had pulled her back in hundreds of times, but she had only managed to escape once.

“You’re gonna do great, Mom.” Andy grinned, and the gesture was so reminiscent of Nick that Laura felt her breath catch. “I’ll be here when it’s over. Okay?”

All Laura could do was nod.

Mike stepped back so that Laura could follow the guard down yet another long corridor. He kept his distance, but she could hear his heavy footsteps behind her. Laura touched her fingers to the wall to stop herself from wringing her hands together. She felt butterflies in her stomach.

She had taken a month to prepare for this, and now that she was here, she found herself terrifyingly unprepared.

“How’s she doing?” Mike said, obviously trying to distract her again. “Andy. How’s she doing?”

“She’s perfect,” Laura said, which was not that much of an exaggeration. “The surgeon got out most of the bullet. There won’t be any lasting damage.” Mike hadn’t been asking about her physical recovery, but Laura wasn’t going to talk about personal things with a man who had so openly flirted with her daughter. “She’s found an apartment in town. I think she might go back to college.”

“She should try the Marshals Service. She was a damn good detective out there on the road.”

Laura gave him a sharp look. “I would lock her in the basement before I let my daughter become a pig.”

He laughed. “She’s ridiculously adorable.”

Laura had forgotten the earbuds. He was talking for Andy’s benefit. She opened her mouth to cut him down to size, but any pithy comment Laura might have made was drowned out by the buzz of distant conversations.

Her throat tightened. Laura still remembered what a visitation room sounded like.

The guard worked his key in the lock.

“Ma’am.” Mike gave her a salute, then walked back toward the monitoring room.

Laura gritted her teeth as the guard opened the door. She walked through. He closed the door, then looked for a key to the next one.

She could not help but start to wring together her hands. This was what she remembered most from her time in jail: a series of locked doors and gates, none of which she could open on her own.

Laura looked up at the ceiling. She gritted her teeth even harder. She was back in the courtroom with Nick. She was on the stand, wringing her hands, trying not to look into his eyes because she knew if she allowed herself that one weakness, she would crumble and it would all be over.

Trade him.

The guard opened the door. The conversations grew louder. She heard children laughing. Ping-pong balls hitting paddles. She touched the plastic earbuds, making sure they hadn’t fallen out. Why was she so damn nervous? She wiped her hands on her jeans as she stood at the locked gate, the last barrier between her and Nick.