His arm tightened around her as he held her. “Just try to sleep,” he kissed the top of her head gently. “In the morning things will start clearing up, try not to worry.”
As Bekki drifted off to sleep in his arms, with his long fingers ritually sweeping down through the dark waves of her hair, she experienced the most peaceful sensation she had felt in a very long time, perhaps not since that summer that they had shared in high school. It was so comforting that she was able to fall right off to sleep.
***
Bekki awoke around dawn in Nick's arms. She glanced up at him to see that he was still sleeping soundly. It wasn't exactly the romantic encounter they had both been expecting, but it had touched Bekki's heart very deeply. She sighed as she studied the curve of his slightly parted lips. She was very tempted to kiss them. Then all at once the reality of the situation surged on top of her. Sammy wasn't waking up snuggled up in someone's arms. She was waking up in a holding cell wondering if the rest of her life was essentially over. This was something that Bekki simply could not allow. She eased out from under Nick's arm and sat up on the edge of the bed. She knew that Nick had been adamant about her staying out of the investigation, but she couldn't just sit back and let Sammy be convicted.
It was barely light outside when she glanced out the window. She began going over and over in her mind what Sammy had told her about being at the mansion that day. All at once she remembered one very important clue that she had somehow lost track of. Katherine throwing a bag of trash into the garbage can herself. Why would a woman of means be doing this? Because she didn't want to risk anyone seeing what was inside. That was it! The answer had to be in that bag. She jumped up from the bed, careful not to wake Nick. She only took long enough to throw on some fresh clothes before she rushed out the door. Within the hour she knew that the garbage trucks would be rumbling through town to pick up the trash. If she didn't get to those cans before the trucks arrived, she might never know what, if anything, was hidden in that garbage bag.
Bekki left Nick sleeping in her bed. She liked the idea of him being there, but she had to focus on the task at hand. It wasn't until she stepped outside that she realized just how cold it was. She shivered and hurried to the car. Once inside she started the engine and started to back down the driveway. She hoped the noise wouldn't wake Nick. In her hurry she didn't realize that she had left her cell phone inside. Only once she was on the road and reached for it to check for any missed calls, did she find that it was missing. She gr oaned, but she knew she didn't have time to go back for it. She drove as fast as she dared to the Windward mansion. It was a gated home but the gates had been left open with the coming and going of the police and Annabelle's party. Even though the gate was open, Bekki chose to drive down the next side street to park her car. She needed to sneak up to the trash cans before they were taken out to the curb.
As she slipped through the gates and hurried up the long driveway she tried not to think of what Nick's reaction would be to this scenario. She knew he would be furious. But this wasn't about her, or Nick, or even their relationship. It was about setting Sammy free and for that she was willing to risk everything and anything. As she walked around the side of the house she came across the garbage cans. They were full, and smelly. Bekki cringed as she realized she was going to have to start digging through them.
As quietly as she could she sorted through the bags of refuse. There wasn't much in them that surprised her. Then she got to a smaller bag. It was tied tightly shut. She couldn't see what was inside through the plastic. As she tried to rip the bag open she accidentally knocked over one of the metal trash can lids. It made a loud clanging sound against the pavement
As Bekki drifted off to sleep in his arms, with his long fingers ritually sweeping down through the dark waves of her hair, she experienced the most peaceful sensation she had felt in a very long time, perhaps not since that summer that they had shared in high school. It was so comforting that she was able to fall right off to sleep.
***
Bekki awoke around dawn in Nick's arms. She glanced up at him to see that he was still sleeping soundly. It wasn't exactly the romantic encounter they had both been expecting, but it had touched Bekki's heart very deeply. She sighed as she studied the curve of his slightly parted lips. She was very tempted to kiss them. Then all at once the reality of the situation surged on top of her. Sammy wasn't waking up snuggled up in someone's arms. She was waking up in a holding cell wondering if the rest of her life was essentially over. This was something that Bekki simply could not allow. She eased out from under Nick's arm and sat up on the edge of the bed. She knew that Nick had been adamant about her staying out of the investigation, but she couldn't just sit back and let Sammy be convicted.
It was barely light outside when she glanced out the window. She began going over and over in her mind what Sammy had told her about being at the mansion that day. All at once she remembered one very important clue that she had somehow lost track of. Katherine throwing a bag of trash into the garbage can herself. Why would a woman of means be doing this? Because she didn't want to risk anyone seeing what was inside. That was it! The answer had to be in that bag. She jumped up from the bed, careful not to wake Nick. She only took long enough to throw on some fresh clothes before she rushed out the door. Within the hour she knew that the garbage trucks would be rumbling through town to pick up the trash. If she didn't get to those cans before the trucks arrived, she might never know what, if anything, was hidden in that garbage bag.
Bekki left Nick sleeping in her bed. She liked the idea of him being there, but she had to focus on the task at hand. It wasn't until she stepped outside that she realized just how cold it was. She shivered and hurried to the car. Once inside she started the engine and started to back down the driveway. She hoped the noise wouldn't wake Nick. In her hurry she didn't realize that she had left her cell phone inside. Only once she was on the road and reached for it to check for any missed calls, did she find that it was missing. She gr oaned, but she knew she didn't have time to go back for it. She drove as fast as she dared to the Windward mansion. It was a gated home but the gates had been left open with the coming and going of the police and Annabelle's party. Even though the gate was open, Bekki chose to drive down the next side street to park her car. She needed to sneak up to the trash cans before they were taken out to the curb.
As she slipped through the gates and hurried up the long driveway she tried not to think of what Nick's reaction would be to this scenario. She knew he would be furious. But this wasn't about her, or Nick, or even their relationship. It was about setting Sammy free and for that she was willing to risk everything and anything. As she walked around the side of the house she came across the garbage cans. They were full, and smelly. Bekki cringed as she realized she was going to have to start digging through them.
As quietly as she could she sorted through the bags of refuse. There wasn't much in them that surprised her. Then she got to a smaller bag. It was tied tightly shut. She couldn't see what was inside through the plastic. As she tried to rip the bag open she accidentally knocked over one of the metal trash can lids. It made a loud clanging sound against the pavement
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