He’d lost a significant amount of weight since she’d last seen him in the basement, and he looked entirely different from when she’d first seen him, when he’d fed her and a new friend, Madison, drink after drink at a dive bar in Philly. Without even peeking around, Hanna could tell that her friends were each having their own struggles with the Nick they’d known—the shape-shifter who’d tricked them into trusting him—and the Nick who loved Ali. It was a thrill to see him in prison garb, though. If only Ali were by his side, behind bars, too.
Nick raised his head and saw them. His eyes narrowed. His mouth set in a straight, angry line. He glanced at the guard and shook his head, murmuring something that looked like no.
Spencer jumped to her feet. “We’re not here to curse you out. We’re on your side.”
Nick peeked at them again. There was a shadow of a bruise by his eye. His chest heaved up and down, as if he’d been running hard. Finally, he lowered his shoulders and slumped toward the seat across the table from the girls. He was so close Hanna could reach out and touch him if she wanted. She stared at his hands. The skin under his fingernails was filthy.
“Look, you know as well as we do that Ali’s not dead,” Spencer started, when no one else spoke. “She’s too smart for that. We heard what she wrote about you in that journal. She lied about us, too. She screwed all of us. We should be on the same side here.”
Nick’s eyes danced. “I don’t know, girls. Maybe you did kill her.” He cocked his head teasingly. “I distinctly recall the rage in your eyes in that basement when we trapped you. I distinctly remember how badly you wanted her gone.”
Hanna curled her fist. “Yeah, and I distinctly recall how easy it was for you to torture people, judging by what you did to us that night.” She didn’t blink. “Who’s to say you didn’t do that to Ali?”
The playful look on Nick’s face vanished. “I loved her.”
“Do you still love her now?” Hanna challenged.
Nick muttered something Hanna couldn’t hear.
Aria shifted her weight. “Look, we’re trying to find Ali. Bringing her back, making her explain—it will help you, too. You’ll serve much less time. We know you didn’t orchestrate those murders. We know you weren’t the ringleader.”
Nick’s jaw was so tense that ropy cords stood out on his neck. “I hate you bitches,” he whispered raspily. “You were supposed to die in that room. Ali and I were supposed to escape together.”
“But instead, she left you for the police to find,” Emily pressed. “She framed you.”
Nick’s bottom lip twitched. “She was trying to save herself. It was part of our plan.”
Aria snorted. “It was part of your plan for you to take the blame for all her crimes?”
“Of course it was. We were in love. I love her. She loved me.”
Emily leaned forward. “No, she didn’t,” she said in a strong voice. “Know how I know? She told me so when she tried to drown me. She said I was the one she always loved. She told me she was just using you. She laughed about it.”
Hanna turned and gaped at Emily, but Emily didn’t meet her eye. Emily hadn’t talked much about Ali trying to drown her at the Rosewood pool, but Hanna suspected it had shaken her to her core.
Nick glanced at Emily suspiciously. “She didn’t say that.”
“Yeah, she did,” Emily stated. “She said you were pathetic. A nothing.”
A conflicted expression crossed Nick’s face. Hanna’s heart started to pound. He was going to crack. She could feel it.
Spencer shifted her weight. “Tell us where she is. Please.”
Nick snorted. “Like I’d know.”
“She was last at your parents’ property in Ashland,” Hanna pressed, her words coming out in a jumble. “Had you told her about that place?”
He averted his gaze. “We’d been there a few times. It wasn’t surprising that she hid out there.”
“Does your family have other properties she might be hiding out in?” Hanna asked.
Spencer looked at Hanna. “Ali wouldn’t do something so obvious. They’re listed online, remember? I’m sure the cops are searching all of them.”
“I’m sure the cops are searching all of them,” Nick mocked Spencer. He crossed his arms over his chest. “You girls think you’re so freaking smart, but don’t you get it? The cops aren’t looking for her. They don’t think she’s out there. They think she’s dead, thanks to you.” He pointed at them.
“So you don’t think she’s dead, then,” Spencer stated.
Nick shrugged. “I don’t know,” he admitted.
Hanna’s heart leapt. “Where do you think she is, if you had to take a guess?”
Nick breathed in, as if he was about to speak. Then a shadow loomed over them. The guard clapped a hand on Nick’s shoulder. “Time’s up.”
“Wait!” Emily surged to her feet. “What were you going to say?”
“Time’s up,” the guard repeated angrily.
“Nick, please!” Spencer called out. “Tell us!”
Nick looked at them. “Ali really liked gathering seashells in Cape May,” he blurted. “We walked with my grandma Betty on the beach this one time. Senile old lady had no idea who Ali was, kept calling me my dad’s name. It was a nice day, though.”
Everyone looked at one another. “What do you mean?” Spencer shouted after him. “Is Ali in Cape May?”