"Do we know who?" Kat asked sarcastically as everyone looked at Scotty.
"Yep," Scotty said, sadly.
"Our Nick?" Lilly asked shocked.
"Yep."
"Why?" Will asked astounded.
"Apparently Michelle dumped him the day she died. He gave her a locket. His name is on here a lot, so much that apparently his family got a lawyer," Scotty said.
"Come on Scotty!" Lilly said exasperated.
"Hey, it's here in the report, okay?" Scotty defended himself.
"I see a search warrant for Nick's house a few weeks after she died but they turned up nothing. I also see a report from the lieutenant stating he took Black off the case and here is a copy of an apology letter to the family," Kat said, holding the apology letter.
"Probable cause being…?" John asked confused.
"Um… it says here suspicion of murder, but to me, I don't see any hard evidence for a search warrant," Kat said apprehensively.
"Oh crap," John said.
"I seem to remember Nick getting a visit from Henry Cunningham a number of years ago, outside the department but I can't remember why. This file on Henry just reminded me of that incident and I recognize him," Will said.
"Do you think Nick might remember it?" Kat asked.
"I don't know. I do remember he was excited before the reunion, then two days later, he comes in and doesn't want to talk about it," Will said.
"I remember that. He was upset about something but did get over it, eventually. Scotty and Will, you talk to Rhonda first and see what she says. Kat you talk to Detective Black, while Lilly and I will go talk to Nick. Obviously Nick won't be doing this case, but let's be very careful what we say about this case when Nick is in the room," John said then continued, "Let's get to work,"
"Okay, Boss," Lilly said then the Cold Case squad went to do their interviews.
Lilly and John went to talk to Nick, who was outside on the balcony getting some fresh air. They invited him back to the office to talk.
At Rhonda's house. April 12th 4:30pm—
After the doorbell rang, Rhonda let the detectives in after they introduced themselves; they sat down on the chairs while she sat at the couch. She was medium built, with hazel eyes and shoulder length black hair.
"How can I help you?"
"We are re-opening the case of your daughter's death," Will said.
"We got some new information on the case," Scotty said.
"What information?" Rhonda said shocked then continued, "Is Detective Black still on the force?"
"We can't discuss the new information. Detective Black retired 11 years ago. Why?" Scotty said then asked.
"I think he messed up the case when he went after poor Nick because he dated her. Just because he gave her a locket doesn't mean he's the killer, and I liked him the best out of her other boyfriends. I told Detective Black about other boyfriends she went out with. I know my son, Henry, didn't like Nick dating her because he had someone else lined up for her. A few weeks after her death, my late husband, Mark, told me he referred some lawyers to Nick's father, then I found out he did get one."
"Do you remember what the locket looked like?" Will asked.
"It was blue with gold tinting on it. I do have some pictures of Nick and Michelle together and she has the locket on in them. She wasn't wearing it when she died and I assumed she gave it back to Nick. But she wasn't wearing a ring Andrew, her ex-boyfriend gave her either, and I couldn't find it in her room, so I figured she gave it back to him."
"Do you remember what the ring looked like?" Scotty asked.
"It was a red ruby with a blue diamond in the middle, the ring was yellow gold, and on the back had an inscription MC."
"Can you think of anyone who would want to hurt Michelle?" Will asked.
"I can think of Mistina Hart. Michelle told me after she won 'Ice Queen' Mistina was very upset and pretty much wanted revenge against her."
"Can you write down the names of the guys who Michelle once dated, that you remember or caused her any trouble?" Scotty asked as he gave Rhonda a pad and pen.
"Yes. I still have her yearbook and some pictures of her with her friends, did you want that?" Rhonda said then asked.
"Yes, we would," Will said.
After a few minutes they left to return to the squad room.
At John's office-
Lilly and John got information from Nick about the case. Lilly sat next to Nick, with her chair turned towards him, as John sat at his desk while they continued to talk.
"What did you do the day she died?"
"She went to my house that morning and my parents weren't home."
"What did she do there?" John asked.
Nick sighed, "She told me she wanted to go out with other guys and in fact had been going out with a few over the last month."
John sat up as he wrote down what Nick had said.
"What happened then?" Lilly asked.
"I asked her for the locket back, and she told me she left it home. But I never got it back."
"Where were you the night she died?" John asked.
"I was at Joe Cuomo's house. He had some friends over and they were trying to make me feel better about being dumped."
"Do you remember what color the locket was?"
"I do remember it being blue with gold tinting and if you open it, it has pictures of me and Michelle in it."
Was there anyone you knew of who hated her?" Lilly asked.
"I know Mistina took the loss of 'Ice Queen' very hard because Michelle was worried Mistina would go after her. A week after the dance, Mistina followed Michelle on the freeway, and made a last minute lane change, almost causing Michelle to wreck her car. I was in the passenger seat. She was so scared that I had to drive her car but we never made a report or told anyone. There were some ex's who didn't like the fact they were not dating her anymore."
"Anything else you can think of?" John asked as Lilly gave him her pad and pen to write the names down.
"Yeah, there are two things, one of which you probably know already about Detective Black being a pain in the ass and my family got a lawyer then he backed off. I heard that my dad went to Mark Cunningham, who knew and referred him a lawyer. The final thing is, well I don't…"
"What is it?" Lilly asked apprehensively.