The Dead and the Beautiful by Cheryl Crane Page B

L.A.”
    â€œBut . . . but if she was guilty, she would have served time in prison.”
    â€œDoesn’t always happen that way, Nik. There was an error on how the evidence was filed or something. She got away with it. They all did. She and her friends.”
    Nikki didn’t know what to say.
    She didn’t think Jeremy did either. He walked around his desk and sat in his high-backed, leather-upholstered chair. “I need to make some phone calls.”
    â€œFor a murder charge, a judge will have to set bail,” Nikki said quietly. “That could take a few days.”
    He nodded. “Right. I still want to call my attorney now. And catch one of my stockbrokers before he heads off for a long weekend in Catalina. Could you tell Jolene to reschedule the rest of my day?”
    â€œSure, of course.” She picked up her bag, hovering.
    He lifted the telephone from its cradle and looked at her across the desk. “Jocelyn,” he groaned. “I need to get to Beverly Hills High School and get her out of there before someone starts tweeting that her mother’s been arrested for Ryan Melton’s death.”
    â€œThat’s what Detective Dombrowski thought. He’s the one who told me that Alison was being arrested. I can’t sign Jocelyn out, though. I don’t have her mother’s prior permission.”
    â€œI can.” He lifted the phone to his ear. “I’ll take care of it. Can you be at the house when the kids get home from school?”
    â€œSure, of course.” Nikki was relieved to have something to do. “I’ll see you later,” she said as she went out the door.
    He didn’t answer.
    Â 
    At four-thirty in the afternoon, Nikki was in the kitchen making Jeremy’s youngest a snack when Alison rushed into the kitchen.
    â€œIs she here? Is Jocelyn home?”
    Nikki was surprised, bordering on shocked, to see Alison. She couldn’t imagine how she could have posted bail so quickly. Jeremy must have pulled some strings somehow. She glanced down at little Katie. “Would you like to take your snack in the living room and bug your big sister?”
    Katie bobbed her head and grinned.
    Nikki gave her a plastic Hello Kitty plate with cut-up carrots, apple slices, and peanut butter on it. “Go for it.”
    Katie galloped out of the kitchen.
    Nikki turned to Alison. “Jocelyn’s not with you?”
    â€œWith me?” Alison’s usually pale face was even paler. She had no makeup on and looked as if she’d had a rough day. Maybe been arrested and spent time in a holding cell. She wrung her hands. “Nikki, I was arrested this morning for Ryan Melton’s murder. How could Jocelyn be with me?” She was beginning to sound panicky. “She was in school. Did she not go to school?”
    â€œI’m sure she’s fine.” Nikki wiped her hands on a dish towel and approached Alison. “She went to school as far as I know. Jeremy was going to pick her up early . . . in case someone heard about your arrest before we . . . before Jeremy had a chance to tell her himself. But weren’t you with Jeremy? Didn’t he bail you out?”
    â€œHe was going to post my bail?” Tears filled her eyes and she looked at the floor. “I can’t believe he’d do it again. After . . . the last time. After what I did.”
    Nikki exhaled. She didn’t know when the right time to talk about that with Alison was, but she was sure it wasn’t right now. “I’m confused. How did you get here? Did Jeremy post your bail and then not pick you up?” That didn’t sound like him, but she was beginning to realize that Jeremy wasn’t the same person with his sister as he was with everyone else on the planet.
    â€œJeremy didn’t post my bail,” she said in a small voice.
    Nikki waited for an explanation. When Alison didn’t go on, Nikki pressed, “Okay, so who did?