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He nodded

“What happened after the fight?” Morgan asked

“Me and Tessa got in my car She cleaned my face up for me” He shifted in his chair His face flushed “Then we drove to the other side of the lake and had sex in my car”

“Consensual sex?”

“Yeah” Nick jerked upright, anger surging over his fear and brightening his eyes “Of course I know the police said she was raped I could never have”

Morgan held up a hand to calht You and Tessa had consensual sex in your car Front seat or back?”

“Back”

“Did you use a condom?”

“No And I knoas stupid” His jaent tight with frustration and regret “I didn’t have one”

Morgan set her pen on the notepad “Nick I’et used to telling oes to trial, every detail will come out anyway”

Nick’s nod was stiff and barely perceptible

Morgan picked up her pen “What time was this?”

“I don’t know exactly Maybe around ten”

“What happened next?” Morgan started a timeline

“Tessa was crying She wouldn’t tell ht and what Jacob said I drove us back to the clearing Her car was still there” Nick’s eyes clouded “Then she broke up with me”

“She had sex with you, and then broke up with you afterward?” Morgan clarified

“Yes I tried to get her to talk to me, but she wouldn’t say why she had to break up with me” Nick’s eyes filled with tears “Finally, I just left She was in her car I assumed she’d drive home” He sniffed “That was the last time I saw her”

“Did other kids witness your argument with Tessa?”

He bit off a piece of his thumbnail “Yeah Probably There were a couple of people still there e drove to the clearing”

“Did anyone see you leave without her?”

“Maybe”

“I need to knoho”

“OK I think Robby Barone was there, and Felicity, and another friend of Tessa’s, Jamie” Nick concentrated, his expression desperate

“Try to think of others” Morgan wrote down the nao?”

“I drove around for a while I couldn’t believe she broke up with me” Sadness quivered in his voice “If the cops hadn’t shown me pictures, I wouldn’t believe she was dead either”

Morgan had a quick flash of Tessa’s bloody body If the case went to trial, she and Nick would both be seeing those ies over and over Would they ever become immune? She hoped not

No She couldn’t think like that She was going to prove he was innocent

“Did you get a burger?” she asked “Stop at a convenience store? Did anyone see you driving around?”

Nick shook his head “No I don’t even remember exactly where I went”

“Did youthe GPS ht have recorded Nick’s location