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Jessie watched the couple closely. Nina gasped audibly, putting her hand to her mouth. Rhett’s jaw dropped open. For several seconds, neither spoke. Nina recovered first.
“Dear god,” she said, “what is going on? This can’t be a coincidence, can it?”
“That’s what we’re trying to find out,” Jessie told her. “We’re hoping you can help on that front.”
Rhett sank back into the couch as if he was finally processing what they’d said. Nina was shaking her head vigorously, like that might prevent this all from being true.
“I just can’t believe it,” she said, “but whatever we can do to help, we will, of course.”
“Thank you,” Ryan said. “Our understanding is that she was here last night. Is that correct?”
“Yes,” Nina said, her voice catching slightly. “Sorry, this is a lot. We had a little get-together, kind of a neighborhood cocktail party. There were maybe eight or nine people here at various points throughout the evening.”
“Was there a reason for the party?” Jessie wondered.
Nina shook her head.
“Not really,” she said, “I suppose it was intended as kind of a casual kick-off to the holiday season, but it ended up becoming more of a wake for Ava Martell. No one was really in a party mood. Rhett and I had considered cancelling altogether but I’m glad we didn’t because we all got to share stories about her for a while. Ultimately, because of the weight we all felt over her death, the thing ended a little early, but I’m still glad we did it. It was cathartic.”
“How long was Gabby here?” Ryan pressed.
“Oh gosh, I’m not sure,” Nina said.
“Not that long, I think,” Rhett interjected. “I remember talking to her for a little while, but she seemed kind of distracted. She mentioned that she had some other event to go to later, a fundraiser, I think? I’d guess she was here less than a half hour.”
“Did she seem distressed?” Jessie asked.
Rhett rubbed his messy hair while he thought about it.
“Not to me,” he said, “although we didn’t talk for that long. Like I said, I’d describe her as more preoccupied than anything. I assumed her leaving our place early had to do with feeling down about Ava’s death, not wanting to be around the sad vibe anymore. But now I’m wondering if it was something else that was on her mind. Do you think whatever that was had had to do with her death?”
“Hard to say,” Ryan replied cryptically. “So what happened after your party?”
“What do you mean?” Nina asked, looking perplexed.
“I’m wondering when it ended and what you did after that?” he explained.
“Oh,” Nina said. “I’d say that everyone had left before ten. Like I said, it wasn’t the most festive event of all time.”
“So what did you guys do after that?” Ryan asked.
Nina looked at Rhett before shrugging.
“Not a lot,” she said. “I was kind of wiped out from the day. Not just the cocktail party but all the Ava stuff too. You guys coming by the office yesterday was kind of a stressor, I’ll admit. I got into my nightclothes as soon as I could, and we went to bed.”
“When would you say that was?” Ryan pressed.
“I’d say we were in for good before eleven, for sure,” Nina guessed. “It’s not like I looked at a clock. Wait, is this an alibi thing? You don’t think I had something to do with Gabby’s death?”
“We just have to cover all our bases,” Jessie assured her, though checking her alibi was exactly what they were doing.
“I’m trying not to take offense,” Nina said defensively. “Both of these women were my friends. I would never do anything to hurt them.”
“It’s okay, sweetie, they’re just doing their job,” Rhett said, squeezing her hand as he turned to face them. “We have nothing to hide. You’re welcome to look at any of our information, including our phones, if that helps.”
“They already have mine,” Nina said, unable to keep the irritation out of her voice.
"Okay, well, you can have mine too if it helps," he offered. "I assume you could use that stuff to determine location data? Same with our cars. We’re happy to turn it all over, as long as there are precautions to protect attorney-client privilege.”
