Relative Harm by Caroline Fardig

Author:Caroline Fardig [Fardig, Caroline]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-08-07T16:00:00+00:00

Amy Pressley, Marie Collins’s cellmate before Melia, waited for us in the next room, a carbon copy of the one we’d just been in. We went through the whole process again—Vic turning on the charm and trying to get her to open up, me making a few gruff remarks that allowed him to apologize to Amy to create rapport, and both of us trying to ask the right questions.

Amy was a much tougher nut to crack than Melia.

After fifteen minutes of fruitless back-and-forth, she finally groaned and spat, “Don’t you guys get it? I don’t give two shits that someone snuffed out Marie Collins. She was a bitch, and she made my life a living hell. Besides, I’m no snitch, and I don’t want people to know I’ve been talking to the cops. We’re done here.”

Vic sighed. “Look, we appreciate your situation. And judging from what other people have said about Marie Collins, I get that she was a nightmare. All we’re asking for is a little insight into her and who she might have pissed off over the years bad enough that they’d want to kill her.”

“Here’s some insight—everyone who knew her wanted to kill her,” Amy said with a smirk.

I slammed my hand down on the table. At least I made her flinch. “Whoever killed her did the world a favor, but we still have to do our jobs. You’re sitting in here, rotting away for something you did. Don’t you think it’s unfair that you’re here and someone who committed a worse crime than you gets to walk around free? Why are you so hell-bent on protecting someone you may not even know?”

“I told you, I’m not a snitch.”

I stared her down. “If that’s your only argument, it’s a stupid one. This prison—your cellblock in particular—is not really that tough a place. No one’s going to shank you for talking to us.”

“Maybe not, but I could end up with a black eye or two, like you.”

“Oh, you absolutely could if you don’t start talking. My shiner was collateral damage from me having to rough up another delinquent who wouldn’t give me the information I wanted. If I were you, I’d be more worried about me than about your cellblock buddies.”

As Amy’s façade started to crack, Vic pulled out his phone. After scrolling for a moment, he showed her his screen with a mug shot of the suspect from our last case. I’d done none of the damage to his face—that was all courtesy of my colleague, Jason Sterling, who’d had to literally fight for our safety.

Vic said, “She’s not exaggerating. This is the guy.”

Her eyes bulged, and she blurted out, “Tiffany Clarke. Her and Marie were into it all the time back in the day. They threatened to kill each other on a daily basis. She got out last year.”

I smiled. “See? Was that so hard?”

Glaring at me, Amy bellowed, “You better not mention my name to her or anyone else.”

I stood and headed for the door, not bothering to turn around as I said, “Oh, honey.

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