Chapter Seventeen - When forgiveness comes too late.

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Nick clanked the barbell onto the rack above. His white T-shirt stuck to his chest and his light gray basketball pants were so drenched with sweat they'd turned the color of steel. The music blasting in his ears cut out, replaced by a text alert – not the one he used for Melissa. Disappointed, he frowned as he opened it.

It was just one word, an acronym. Nick stared at the word as he figured out what it implied. After a few minutes, he realized what Sam was trying to tell him, and unfortunately, it made sense. He could easily imagine the connection to Sunshine.  Now he knew for sure that Warner had something to do with it. Asshole.

Thanks, he texted Sam then hurried to finish his workout.

Walking through the parking lot, he stopped short on his way to his car. The white Ford sedan was still there. It was the same one he'd caught a glimpse of this morning as he left the house, and again when he arrived at the gym.

It looked like Sam was right. He was being followed. But why hadn't Nick noticed until now? Maybe a new guy had taken over. Nick decided to view it as a good sign that he was being tailed. It meant he was making somebody very nervous.

He popped open his trunk and threw his gym bag inside. His phone buzzed. This time it was Victoria calling.

"Hey, Vic." He leaned against the back of his car. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. Nick–"

"How's Melissa?"

"She's fine, too. Nick, listen to me. Sam Prezziato has just been murdered."

Nick suddenly felt the coldness of his wet clothes against his body. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, unfortunately, I am very sure."

"Jesus! I have to go. Keep Melissa safe. She might be in danger, too. Promise me."

"Nick–"

He shouted, "Promise me!"

"I promise. Nick, just listen for a sec–"

He had already hung up.

* * *

Melissa paced up and down the length of Victoria's loft apartment. "What did he say?" she asked her friend, agitated.

"Mel, I'm sorry. Once I told him Sam had been murdered, he hung up on me." Victoria angled her spiky blond head beseechingly toward Melissa, concern filling her violet eyes. "I'm supposed to keep you safe."

"To keep me safe. That's ironic. What about him?"

Melissa suddenly became aware of her obsessive pacing. She forced herself to sit on a nearby ottoman. "Vic, I've screwed everything up."

Victoria contorted her wiry body and sat on the floor beside Melissa. She placed a petite hand on Melissa's knee. Melissa laid her hand over Victoria's. "Thanks for being my friend, Vic. I know I can be difficult."

Victoria flashed a subdued version of her pixie-like smile. "Not as much as you used to be. Now, when I first met you –"

"I was a cold bitch." She shook her head to fling away the memory. She didn't like to recall those days.

"No, you were just closed off. You had to work through some things before you could trust someone."

"You were very forgiving."

"And you were worth the effort." Vic smiled and squeezed Melissa's knee.

"Can I tell you something?"

"Sure."

Melissa eyed the deep purple sofa across the room. "Come sit next to me for a minute." She reached out a hand and helped Vic off the floor. They sat on the sofa together, eye-to-eye.

"You know the day I found those files from Sunshine in Nick's car?"

"Of course. You've been living here ever since."

Melissa twisted her hands together as she spoke. "I never told you that I planned on asking Nick to help me find Sidney that day. But when I saw the files in his car, I felt betrayed."

"You can't beat yourself up for that. You asked him not to investigate."

Melissa brought her hands together in a prayer-like clasp and focused on them in meditative stillness. After a few moments, she spoke again. "I need to warn him that he's in danger, and it's just as important that he knows I forgive him. I understand he was trying to help me. He knew before I did that I couldn't move on without knowing what happened."

Victoria grimaced. "I was charged with keeping you safe. I think Nick wants you to stay here." She examined the tip of her left index finger and began to chew on her nail with purpose.

"But he didn't actually say that, did he?"

"No, not exactly. But I think that's what he meant. And I don't want you to get hurt. Nick knows what he's doing. He's a professional. You aren't."

Melissa stood. "Nick is looking for my son. I should've been helping him all along. I need to go back home."

Victoria's face suggested that a battle was going on inside her. Finally, she seemed to pick a side. "Go. I love you. Please just call or text me tonight so I know everything is fine, okay?" She threw her thin arms around Melissa and hugged her.

~~~

Melissa drove so quickly and with so much internal dialogue occupying her mind that she scarcely knew how she got home. Not wanting to startle Nick with her sudden appearance, she rang the doorbell. As she waited, she rocked back and forth on her heels. She rang again. Still, there was no answer. She fumbled through her purse to find her house key and opened the door.

"Nick!" she called out, but he didn't respond. He should have been home already. Victoria said he had just left the gym. Where else could he have gone?

She went to the garage to see if his car was there. She pulled open the door, assaulted by what she saw. No! she screamed.

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