My heart races.
Get to the point woman. Can you help my sister?
“Okay? I take it there’s been an update?”
“Yes. We’ve reviewed the case, and Mr. Sutton believes there’s evidence of possible duress. A medical exam shows Abigail took several blows to the head and face the night of her arrest—”
Blows? Like punches? What the hell?
Oh my God.
That explains why she looked like roadkill when I went to see her the next day. She wasn’t just worried about Millie and freaked out.
She was knocked around the night before. I took the dark circles under her eyes for a lack of sleep and possible drug usage. Now, I wonder if they were bruises.
“Uh, how bad were these injuries?” I ask.
“No evidence of broken bones or anything like that. She’ll heal just fine. But there is a hint that she could’ve been transporting illegal substances under pressure from another party. Of course, it’s nothing without her backing it up.”
“Okay.” I don’t understand. If Nadia’s right, why isn’t she screaming it from the rooftops? “So have you gotten a statement?” I ask the woman.
“Unfortunately, no. She won’t provide us with anything.”
“What do you mean? She says she wasn’t under duress?”
“She won’t tell us who hit her or why. She’s simply not talking. As long as she’s being uncooperative, I’m afraid it’s going to be enormously difficult to help her.”
It takes a moment to click in my head.
“If someone hit her and made her transport drugs, she’s probably afraid,” I say, swallowing thickly.
Who would do that, though? And why? Who is Abby scared of?
The paralegal sighs. “I realize that, Miss Halle, but until we know who she’s scared of, we’ve reached a sticking point.”
“I—I don’t think she would’ve knowingly transported drugs. After she got out of the foster system, she had an addiction problem for a little while in her early twenties, but she worked through it. Millie’s been her priority, night and day, since the minute she was born. Abby’s been clean for years to the best of my knowledge. This doesn’t make sense.”
“Who would put drugs in her car seat? Do you have any guesses?” Nadia asks.
“I don’t know. I’ll try to think...thanks for the update, I guess,” I say, totally deflated.
“No problem. If anything changes, I’ll call you back.”
I drop the phone into the passenger seat beside me and sag in my seat.
Maybe I should go through Abby’s apartment again. What if the investigators missed something that would give us the foggiest idea what the hell’s actually going on?
* * *
I secure the baby gate between my tiny kitchen and the living room and then put water on the stove to boil.
Millie climbs over the gate like a little Houdini.
“No, ma’am! You’re too good at that but now’s not the time to impress me.” I pick her up and place her on the other side of the gate. “Stay. How old are you again?”
“Four!”
“Yep, new rule. No Millies in the kitchen until they’re at least five whole years old.” I hold out a hand with my fingers spread apart, smiling at her. “And only then if Aunt Reese says yes.”
“Awww, gimme a chance, Auntie!”
“You’ll get it the next time we sing 'Happy Birthday.'” I hold out my hand again. “Do you know why?”
“Burn-burn,” she says glumly.
I nod and smile at her. “That’s right. Go watch TV, bumblebee. Pick out something fun.”
One guess what she picks.
Frozen. Again. With the volume blasting past fifty percent.
Sigh. Why are the adorable ones always the biggest pains in the butt?
I spread frozen chicken nuggets across a cookie sheet and pop them in the oven.
Someone bangs at the door.
Millie jumps up and runs over, trying to beat me to it.
“No, no, Millie-pede!” I yell, noticing how she’s almost as quick as a bug with a bajillion legs.
Too slow. The door hangs open on a smirking bosshole by the time I’ve got one leg over the gate.
“Nick!” Millie screams.
“Is this a bad time?” he asks, those green eyes watching me like prey.
I’m caught mid-stretch. Yikes.
I twist backward, hiding that damnable blush he’s too good at pulling out of me.
Act cool.
“Just a second,” I call out.
I quickly dump the macaroni into the boiling water before I step over the gate again. “You’re just in time for a five-star dinner: chicken nuggs and mac ’n cheese.”
“The best!” Millie screams, throwing her little fists in the air.
Nick hands her a juice box and a pack of snacks. “Little Miss Hangry, go watch your snow people. I need to talk to your aunt before dinner.”
“Thank-ee!” She swipes them gratefully and plops down on the couch with the juice box and fruit snacks.
Be still, my racing heart.
“How did you get so good at this? I’m out of my element and she’s my niece.” I smile at him, even though he’s stone-faced and unreadable again.
“What can I say? I know how to have a good time.” He winks at me. “If you’d let me, I’m sure I could teach you to lighten up and have fun.”