Zach’s family left quickly. No drama. No words. Losing a child was a pain no parent could ever recover from and, as a mother, I understood that. But their hate was aimed at the wrong family. Lacey didn’t do this. And the real murderer was still out there somewhere.
The courtroom emptied until it was just us—Jack, Brian, and me, sitting in the heavy disbelief that followed.
“What now?” The words barely made it past my lips.
Jack adjusted the belt holding up his oversized suit pants. “To be honest, I’m shocked it went this way. Especially with her mental state and the psych evaluation we submitted. She’s no threat to anyone. No motive, no weapon, no record. Not even a damn speeding ticket.”
“Can’t we appeal?” I asked.
Brian fell apart beside me, mumbling into his hands, “Oh, God, why! What are we going to do now?”
Jack grabbed his leather case. “I’m filing a motion to reconsider today. If that fails, we go straight to Superior Court. They’ve got thirty-six hours to rule once I file. Don’t worry. I’ll have her out in no time.”
I nodded and rose. “Brian, did you hear that?”
He wiped his face with his sweater, nodding. “Yeah. That’s a good plan.”
We stepped out into the hallway … and I froze in shock.
Zach’s family stood near the only exit, talking with Kara Belmont, who’d spent the morning painting Lacey as a monster. But that wasn’t what stopped me cold. It was who they were with.
Thomas Harlow.
He stood almost a head taller than everyone else. He was wearing an elegant suit, and his silver hair was combed back. Every inch of him carried the same arrogance and entitlement I remembered from all those years ago. For a moment, he looked surprised to see me. Then the corners of his mouth curled into a grin.
“Hmmm,” Jack murmured under his breath. “That’s not good. Looks like the attorney general has taken a personal interest in Zach’s case.”
We watched as Belmont comforted Zach’s mother with soft words.
I turned and rushed back into the courtroom. Jack and Brian followed.
“Nicole?” Jack called. “What’s wrong?”
I sank onto the nearest bench, my head spinning. Out of all the things that could’ve gone wrong today, this might have been the worst.
“That’s what he meant,” I muttered. Suddenly Detective Nolan’s warning about the attorney general made sense. And his statement about how my past might catch up with me. I’d been so busy, with everything falling apart, I had completely ignored his warning.
Jack crossed his arms. “What’s going on, Nicole?”
I exhaled slowly. “That man out there. Thomas Harlow. That’s the attorney general, right?”
Jack nodded. “Yes. The most powerful man in the state. And, hopefully, not our enemy.”
A bitter laugh escaped me. “Well, I have bad news then. We can all stop wondering why Kara Belmont is so invested or why Lacey’s case suddenly matters so much to the State.”
Jack and Brian stared at me, waiting.
How the hell did I get here? How could things go from bad to world-shattering in just two weeks?
I shook my head and turned to Brian. “Do you …” I had to take a deep breath before I could go on. “Do you remember that terrible incident with one of my students right after I got my first teaching job?”
He squinted. “You mean that kid from the high school football team who drugged a thirteen-year-old girl at a party? Then filmed her gang rape?”
I nodded. “The girl’s name was Vivian Mercer. She came to me the day after it happened. I took her to the principal right away. But instead of calling the police, he pulled me aside and said one of the boys accused was Wade Harlow. The son of aNew Hampshire Supreme Court judge. He asked me to convince Vivian to take his name out of her statement.”
Brian’s eyes widened. “Yeah, I remember. And you didn’t.”
“Of course not. Vivian refused. And I backed her. Took her straight to the hospital for a sexual assault exam. Wade Harlow’s sperm was found in her and matched to the rape, along with ten other boys. They’d put socks into her mouth to keep her from screaming and also inserted a baseball bat into her.”
