Chapter 13
Nicole
It was dead silent in the courtroom.
The room looked smaller than it did on TV.
It was cramped and old, and the smell of mold clung to the red carpet. A dull New Hampshire state seal hung on the wall over the judge’s head.
The judge’s bench sat on a low rise at the front, directly across from Jack and Lacey and the prosecutor’s table, where Deputy AG Belmont looked like a million dollars. Some young man in a suit sat next to her, his shoes way too shiny.
Brian and I sat in the gallery, directly behind Lacey and Jack. The aisle split us from Zach’s parents and sister on the other side. The whole thing felt grotesque. Their hateful glares. Their crying. Every sound carried across the aisle and mixed with Brian’s sobs.
Amanda wasn’t with them. And we had no idea how she was doing or where she was. She hadn’t answered any of our calls. Not even Dylan’s. But she had texted him. Said she needed time. Said she’d always love us.
We all stared at Judge Rayner. An older man, bald, with hard lines cut deep into his face.
Papers crinkled as he turned a page, then another. A slight shake of his head. A frown.
I hadn’t slept in thirty-six hours. Everything felt so unreal. Lacey looked totally detached from all of it. She stared at the floor like a broken robot. Like a thing. Something not human anymore.
Judge Rayner finally nodded. “This wasn’t an easy decision,” he said, “but considering there is no evidence tying anyone else to the crime scene, even without the murder weapon, I agree with the state’s attorney to deny bail.”
A wave of mutters washed over the room. Zach’s family sobbed in relief as I gasped in horror. Brian grabbed my hand and squeezed it until it hurt.
Quickly, Jack turned to us. “Don’t make a scene. Try to stay calm.”
“What does no bail mean?” Brian asked, his eyes red from all the crying.
“I’m also ordering a more comprehensive mental health evaluation,” Judge Rayner continued. “For the upcoming hearing.”
“What does all this mean?” Brian asked again.
“Shh,” Jack warned.
The judge gathered his papers. Then his gavel came down with a loud bang, and two officers grabbed Lacey. Her body was limp, and her movements were mechanical.
“Wait!” I shouted, but they dragged her out anyway.
“I’ll get you out!” I yelled after her.
She didn’t react. Didn’t even blink. Just followed the officers like a puppet dragged by its strings.
“I’ll get you out!” I shouted again, louder this time.
“Oh, God,” Brian muttered as he buried his head in his hands.
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 a New 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. ”
Jack’s expression darkened. The look of a man already identifying problems.
“Didn’t the Harlow boy drop out of school after that?” Brian asked.
“Yes.” My voice was soft. “After he dropped out, he spiraled. He overdosed on pain medication a few years later.”
The silence that followed was thick in the air.
“Well, that shouldn’t affect any of this, right?” Brian looked at Jack. “There are laws, I mean. Laws guaranteeing fair trials. Constitutional rights.”
Jack pressed his lips together. “There are.”
“But?” I asked, already knowing.
“But some people think they’re above the law,” he said quietly.
“Think or are?”
“Both,” he said. “Some people have enough power to keep someone locked up for years for no reason whatsoever. Long enough to drain you financially with lawyer fees until you’re broke.”
Brian sank beside me with a hollow stare. “So justice is only for the rich?”
“No,” Jack said. “But it’s hard for the rest of us to get it.”
“What are the next steps?” I asked.
“Same as before,” he said. “We’ll file the motion to reconsider today. If it’s denied, we go straight to Superior Court. The overall goal is to get in front of a jury as fast as possible. Take the power away from the judge and the AG.”
That flicker of hope returned. Small, but enough to hold on to.
“Will she still be out in a few days?” I asked.
“It’s possible,” Jack said. “But even if it takes longer, don’t lose hope.
We’ll get her out. And, who knows? Maybe they’ll find the real killer in the meantime.
Maybe another robbery gone wrong in the area that leaves somebody else dead.
Then this will be nothing more than a terrible chapter of your lives.
A test you’ll all have made it through.”
Brian and I stood and shook his hand.
“Thank you,” I said.
“Thanks, Jack,” Brian echoed.
He nodded. “It’ll all be sorted out soon.”