Page 17 of Silencing Stolen Whispers (Kinsley Aspen #2)

Kinsley Aspen

July

T he final month of Hannah Scriven's life revealed a concerning pattern.

While she lacked someone in her life whom she could confide in, she had also made herself unavailable to others.

Jade was dealing with her mother's diagnosis and treatment, Bailey was caught in family tensions between her sister and parents, and Hannah's relationship with Nick had fallen apart, despite them spending most of law school together.

Kinsley capped the marker as she studied the murder board.

There were still gaps in the timeline.

In early May, Hannah's breakup with Nick Ryder was marked with a stark red X. Next to it, Kinsley had taped a printout of their final text exchange. Her gaze lingered on Nick's last message.

That's the problem. You don't listen. Never have.

Next to that entry was the fallout with Jade. Their increasingly hostile text messages displayed a fractured and toxic friendship. Kinsley reread one of Jade’s last accusations.

You're the most selfish person I've ever met.

The words were raw with resentment.

Everything was clustered in May, even the argument with Bailey at the library.

Were the slashed tires merely coincidental?

Alex had discovered the teens were arrested one week after that incident, which was why they would seek out the teens and their parents first thing Monday morning to confirm that Hannah’s vehicle was included in their targets.

In the meantime, Nick Ryder was waiting in the interrogation room with his lawyer.

“Are you sure you don’t want to sit this one out?”

Kinsley turned to find Alex approaching, carefully balancing two mugs as he navigated between the desks. It was obvious that his hangover had subsided, though she doubted he would touch a drop of alcohol tonight.

Alex extended a mug toward her. The caramel-colored liquid inside was distinctly different from the black coffee in his own cup. She gratefully accepted the hot beverage, the warmth seeping through the ceramic and into her palms after tossing the marker on her desk.

“No. I’m fine. Dad sent one of his junior attorneys,” Kinsley replied, pausing to take a sip of her coffee.

She closed her eyes in bliss, wishing she could remain at her desk a little longer to enjoy her afternoon pick-me-up.

“It’s hard for me to believe that Nick Ryder didn’t deliberately hire my father’s firm to represent him. ”

“Coincidence.” Alex set his mug on his desk to roll up his sleeves. “When I tracked him down, I didn’t even mention your name.”

“Then why not hire his new girlfriend’s father to represent him today?”

“Didn’t you hear? Kenneth Webster is moving his firm out to Los Angeles.”

Kinsley noticed Alex scanning the information displayed on the murder board. She gave him time to absorb the new details, though he came to a different conclusion than she had a few minutes ago.

“It seems like everything comes down to Fawn Ginkel.” Alex gestured toward the break in Bailey’s movements yesterday after she left the cabin. “What if Bailey was in on this scheme with Fawn? What if Fawn was using Bailey as some sort of negotiator? Maybe Hannah was going to turn them in.”

“It would certainly explain why Bailey tried calling her sister so many times in the days leading up to her death.”

“We need to figure out Fawn Ginkel’s true identity,” Alex said as he lifted his mug and downed half the contents in one fluid motion. Once he had taken a massive hit of caffeine, he then stored his firearm in the side drawer of his desk. “Ready when you are.”

Kinsley stared one last time at the murder board.

Something in those broken relationships had gotten Hannah killed, and one of the possible suspects was sitting in their interrogation room.

Seeing as she had already stored her own weapon, all she had to do was follow Alex toward the interrogation room.

He held the door open, letting Kinsley enter first. The first thing she noticed was how Nick Ryder abruptly ended his conversation with his attorney. He cleared his throat and adjusted his tie. It seemed like he had dressed to impress them.

His sandy brown hair had a slight wave to the short strands, and his eyes were dark brown. His gaze was fixed directly on her. There was now no doubt in her mind that he had intentionally sought out her father’s firm.

“Seth, it’s good to see you,” Kinsley greeted the junior attorney as she rounded the table. She smiled as she shook his hand. “Did Debbie enjoy the firm’s annual picnic last month?”

“We had a wonderful time,” Seth replied after reclaiming his seat. “Your mother makes a mean apple pie.”

“That she does,” Kinsley agreed as she followed suit and settled in comfortably while Alex shook hands with both men.

“Mr. Ryder, I’m Detective Kinsley Aspen.

You’ve already spoken to my partner, Detective Lanen.

We appreciate your cooperation in this case.

First, let me say we are very sorry for your loss.

We know that you and the victim were no longer seeing each other, but I’m certain that doesn’t lessen your grief.

You were with Hannah for three years, is that correct? ”

“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.

“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 own problems 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’m prepared 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.”