The Coffee Date

Chapter 20 - Meet The Real Story

They started inside, Nathan swinging the door open before taking a hand of Hazel's and guiding her gently inside.

Vic Gates sat at the table, head in hands, leg bobbing under the desk, eyes glued to the metal surface that had been graciously set before him. Yet, despite them drawing deeper into the room, he refused to look up until the door had slammed closed, leaving him to whip up and stare at the two already seated. Nathan sat in his seat, holding Hazel's hand and soothingly massaging it in his, a kind smile directed towards her. Only when she gave a small smile in return did he dare turn to the witness before him.

Nathan cleared his throat, gently setting the girl's hand back on her lap before speaking.

"Well Gates, tell us what you know."

He sighed, scratching his hair in clear annoyance. Or panic. Maybe both. "Apparently my doctor's note was a fake."

"How did that happen?"

Vic looked away towards the bare, brick wall. "I went in for a checkup a few weeks prior to," He paused, internally groaning. It could be seen by the two. "All this." He shook his head. "My doctor told me that he was going to mail me the prescription if anything seemed out of place. It's a new system my wife and I signed up for."

"They mail it to you?" Nathan asked, leaning forwards, letting his elbows rest against his knees.

Vic nodded. "Saves time in the clinic. If someone just needs to come in for a new prescription, instead of making an appointment and taking up time in the office, a doctor will just mail them what they need."

"Isn't that a security issue? I mean,"

Vic nodded, a frown etching into his cheeks. "It wasn't supposed to be, but it was. My wife and I installed a lock onto our mailbox. The day I got the prescription in the mail, the thing was so new I didn't remember we had it. So I didn't notice our lock was gone."

"So someone had access to your mail?"

"Someone got access to it." He groaned. "Probably broke in, placed in a forged prescription and took the one I was supposed to have."

Nathan shook his head, eyes closing as his body leaned back deeper into his chair. "Continue."

"Well, you know a portion. Sinclair set me up. He told me I was going to get a promotion if I went through with all that crime scene crap. So I did it. Then got fired."

"Is there anything more to the story?"

He scoffed. "I can assure you I didn't write that stupid hostage note that was found in his office. I didn't kidnap the guy." He shook his head, a bitter laugh rippling through his scruffy throat. "I guarantee he did it to take suspicion off himself. Then it looks like I did everything and kidnapped him to keep it a secret." He grew serious. Quiet. Staring into the eyes of the two and scanning them for all signs of purity. "It wasn't me."

Nathan turned, watching the female at his side, but she wasn't fixated on him. She was staring into the eyes of their interrogate before her.

"He set you up?"

Vic was still for a moment, her words processing in his mind. He was scanning her, searching for the honesty and truth in her voice. Searching for a sign that she believed him.

Finally, he nodded. "He set me up."

The brunette turned, finally allowing her brimming eyes to attach to Nathan's. Her eyes soared with information, with learnings, with ideas. Nothing could have convinced her more than the look in his eyes that he was innocent. Absolutely nothing.