AVA’S POV
That night, Nicholas and I agreed on going to the police as early as possible. But at the break of dawn, Nicholas got a call from the detective. Immediately we left, all hopes high that something positive would come out of the meeting.
The NYPD briefing room was unwelcoming, cold, white walls, shining white lights, the faint sound of cars moving through the windows.
Nicholas sat beside me at that long oval table, his hand holding mine under the surface. A quiet promise to hold myself together.
The detective cleared his throat and adjusted his tie.
He took a deep breath.
“Thank you both for coming in on short notice. We received new forensic results and collected additional statements. Some of our previous assumptions were wrong—some key inconsistencies.”
His face was ti
