Nick tossed and turned, the sheets and blankets slid down the edge of the bed and onto the gray carpet. Sweat dripped from his pores and streamed down his face. He sprang up, letting out a scream that echoed throughout the room, jolting Lesley awake.
She rose in bed, her heart racing faster than a bullet train as she rushed to Nick's side.
"Nick, are you alright?" she inquired, laying her hand compassionately on his arm and rubbing it to soothe him.
"I saw Greg!" Nick's voice trembled as he awoke from the nightmare. His heart nearly beat out of his chest.
Lesley, alert and anxious, fixed her eyes on him. Nick glanced up, and the deep concern etched on her face tugged at his heart.
"Nick, Greg is in jail." Lesley's voice soothingly reassured him. "He's never coming back."
Nick's eyes darted wildly, his face contorted with fear. "And there was a woman. I could hear her voice. She was arguing with a man."
Lesley wondered if Nick's nightmare was just a flashback that had haunted his subconscious. Her eyes bore into Nick and she questioned him.
"How did the woman look? What did her voice sound like?" A desperate hope flickered in her gaze as she tried to get him to extract any scrap of memoryâa scent, a glimpseâanything that might shed light on those who assisted Greg in his sadistic journey.
"I don't remember." Nick's voice was laced with frustration as he distressingly rubbed his forehead. "I only remember a woman yelling at a man."
"Did it sound like anyone you know?" Lesley gazed into his eyes.
Nick shook his head, "No."
At that moment, he felt helpless and consumed with guilt. He was supposed to be there for Lesley, taking care of her; instead, she was there taking care of him.
The room grew colder, and the echoes of Nick's words hung in the air like a ghostly omen. She consoled Nick, laying her head on his chest.
"Nick, things are going to get better." Lesley whispered. "I promise."
***
Denise peered out of the curtains that hung over her kitchen window. She spotted Lesley walking up the pathway to her front door, and a sense of calmness washed over her.
Lesley stood on the porch, ringing the doorbell. It chimed, and she waited patiently for Denise to answer.
All she could think about at that moment was Nick. Although he was contending with nightmares and flashbacks, she was optimistic that he'd make a full recovery soon.
Dr. Singh figured it would be an entire month before Nick would even get a fraction of his memory back. However, Lesley noticed his memories were slowly trickling in at a rapid pace- faster than initially anticipated.
Now, if only Nick could recall the dark time he was with Greg and provide Officer Grant with a description of the others, then they could potentially track down the suspects, paving the way to obtaining justice for both Nick and Leah.
Denise swung the door open. "Hi, Lesley." She opened the door wider, gesturing for her to come inside.
Lesley stepped into the house. Bright rays of sunlight streamed in through the slits in the blinds, creating an inviting atmosphere.
The sky-high ceilings in the living room furnished with tan-colored décor wrapped Lesley in a blanket of coziness. However, as soon as Denise's lips moved, Lesley was transported back into a state of chaos, dismay, and horror.
"Can you come with me to pay a visit to Gary's lawyer?" Denise kindly asked, her eyes dripping with sadness though no tears were present.
"Sure." Lesley responded.
Denise suddenly shook her head. "Where are my manners? Can I get you a cup of water or tea?"
Lesley settled onto the tan-colored leather couch positioned in front of the fireplace.
She then locked eyes with Denise. "I'm fine," she began. "Though I do want to know more about this lawyer."
"His name is Brian Smith," Denise explained. "He's been Gary's lawyer since Gary decided to become a city councilman ten years ago."
"Well, what does Brian think about this case?" Lesley asked, trying to get Denise to divulge more information.
"To be honest, I'm not sure," Denise replied. "I did mention you and the fact that you've been delving deeper into the Leah Meyers case. I also told him about Nick's ordeal when he was held hostage by Greg, Leah's ex-boyfriend. He seems to think there's a clear connection."
Lesley squinted her eyes in thought. "A connection between what?" she inquired.
"Let's drive down to his office," Denise suggested, grabbing the strap of her purse and slinging it over her shoulder. "He can explain it better than I can. Plus, he's expecting us."
Lesley hopped into the passenger seat of the Tesla, and Denise slid into the driver's seat.
Denise placed a pair of black Ray-Ban's over her eyes, and they drove off to downtown Arcaden.
"Nick is getting better sooner than we expected," Lesley announced, her voice slicing through the silence as Denise held a firm grip on the steering wheel, focused on the road ahead.
"I'm so glad to hear!" Denise replied compassionately.
"When his full memories come back, he'll hopefully be able to tell us who else was involved with Greg in holding him hostage."
Denise shook her head. "I still cannot believe Greg would be capable of such a crime!"
Lesley shifted her head, gazing at Denise's profile as she drove.
"Gary was so close to Officer Todd. They all grew up together. Gary even coached Greg's Little League team with Todd." Denise explained, letting out a heavy sigh. "It's so shocking and unbelievable."
"Do you think Gary got mixed up with Greg and his crimes?" Lesley clasped her hands in her lap.
"Gary believes he was framed, and I believe him."
Denise guided her Tesla into a parking spot right outside of the law office. Stepping out of her car, she slammed the door shut behind her, causing a resounding echo to reverberate through the air.
Lesley followed closely behind as Denise led them up to the front door of the building. She pulled open the glass door, and the bell hanging from it jingled, notifying the business visitors had arrived.
A medium-height man dressed in a white button-up shirt, a gray tie, and gray slacks strolled out of the office and into the hallway, greeting them.
"Hi, Denise!" He smiled warmly. Shifting his gaze onto Lesley, he asked. "And this lovely lady must be Lesley?"
Lesley nodded, "Yes, I'm Lesley."
"Would either of you like a cup of water?" He offered as he gestured toward the water dispenser that was situated in the corner of the room.
Denise and Lesley both shook their heads. "No thanks." They said in unison.
"Follow me back into my office." He pointed to the open door down the hall.
His office was spacious with a large dark brown desk and a fancy black leather seat behind it, which he comfortably took a seat in. The chair swiveled a little as he sat down.
"Have a seat ladies." He gestured to the two leather chairs opposite of him. Denise and Lesley both pulled out their respective chairs and sat down.
"So, any updates?" Denise inquired.
"Well, I have to agree with Gary. He's definitely been framed." Brian placed his hands on top of the desk and folded them together. "I've got some of my own private investigators looking into this."
As the conversation went on, Brian soon turned his attention to Lesley.
"So, Lesley, I've heard you've been heavily involved in looking for clues in the Leah Meyers tragic drowning." He said, clearing his throat. "Can you tell me what you know so far?"
Lesley recounted the various scenarios to him, from the moment she moved into the lake house when Jackie disclosed the tragic drowning to when she first met with Officer Todd and Grant. She detailed how she uncovered that Leah Meyers's case was never solved, and her body was never found.
"Do you believe Leah is still out there?" He gazed into Lesley's eyes. "Alive?"
Lesley shook her head. "No, I don't believe she's alive. But I don't believe her drowning was an accident either. I believe someone murdered her."
"Who do you think that was?" Brian inquired.
Lesley shrugged. "We know it was definitely Greg. However, there are others who assisted him, and they're still out there."
Brian nodded in agreement. "Yes, you're correct. Officer Grant recounted a similar story when I spoke with him."
He lowered his head, fixing his gaze on his desk. "But Officer Grant also believes it was Gary who assisted Greg in killing Leah. They're hoping they can get Greg to lead them to her body."
Denise gasped.
"Are you alright?" Lesley shifted her head, glancing at Denise.
Denise nodded. "Sorry, this information is just a little too overwhelming for me."
After the meeting with Brian ended, Lesley nor Denise felt hopeful. Brian didn't have much to offer.
However, Denise was grateful he assigned his own team of investigators to research the Leah Meyers case further.
As they strolled to Denise's car, Lesley felt the sting of disappointment- they still had few answers and no solid evidence. Lesley knew she was hitting a brick wall again- a dead end.
Denise started her car, and they began their drive down the long windy road. Lesley shifted her head and gazed out of the window. The only thought that occupied Lesley's mind at the moment was, who framed Gary? And why?