That was her life.
Not Nick.
She cleared her throat. “You look the same, too.”
“Not much stress around here. Everything gets planned for me. I just have to show up. Still—” He turned his head to the side, looking at her ear. “Age is a cruel punishment for youth.”
Laura touched the earbud. The lie came easily enough. “All those years of concerts finally caught up with me.”
He carefully studied her expression. “Yes, I’ve heard about that. Something to do with the nerve cells.”
“Hair cells inside the middle ear.” She knew he was testing her. “They translate the sounds into electrical signals that activate the nerves. That is, if they’re not destroyed by too much loud music.”
He seemed to accept the explanation. “Tell me, my love. How have you been?”
“I’m good. And you?”
“Well, I’m in prison. Did you not hear about what happened?”
“I think I saw something in the news.”
He leaned over the table.
Laura reeled back as if from a snake.
Nick grinned, the glow in his eyes sparking into flames. “I was just trying to get a look at the damage.”
She held up her left hand so that Nick could see the scar where Jonah Helsinger’s knife had gone through.
He said, “Pulled a Maplecroft, did you? A bit more successfully than the poor old gal could manage.”
“I’d rather not joke about the woman you killed.”
His laugh was almost jubilant. “Manslaughter, but yes, I get your point.”
Laura gripped her hands under the table, physically forcing herself to take back control. “I assume you saw the diner video.”
“Yes. And our daughter. She’s so lovely, Jinx. Reminds me of you.”
Her heart lurched into a violent pounding. Andy was listening. What would she make of the compliment? Could she still see that Nick was a monster? Or were these verbal volleys somehow normalizing him?
She asked, “Did you hear about Paula?”
“Paula?” He shook his head. “Doesn’t ring a bell.”
Laura was wringing her hands again. She made herself stop—again.
She said, “Penny.”
“Ah, yes. Dear Penny. Such a loyal soldier. She always had it out for you, didn’t she? I guess no matter how glowing the personality, there are always detractors.”
“She hated me.”
“She did.” He shrugged. “A bit jealous, I think. But why bring up the old days when we were having so much fun?”
Laura fumbled for words. She couldn’t keep doing this. She had come here for a reason and that reason was slipping through her fingers. “I’m a speech pathologist.”
“I know.”