Chapter 3
"What!" Nick had to concentrate to keep the rage he'd been feeling for the past two days contained. He'd already bloodied his knuckles and dented his locker door, fervently wishing his locker door was the target of his rage. Anyway, it wasn't Catherine's fault.
"I'm sorry, Nicky. There is no evidence of any wrong doing by Dan Waynright. Unless more victims come forward, the DA feels there isn't enough to be able to prosecute him," Catherine responded sadly. Of the entire team, she alone knew of Nick's secret. What had happened to him as a boy.
Seeing the defeated look on Nick's face, Catherine sighed, "Look, why don't you take the rest of the night off. Go home and spend it with your family. They need you more than we do right now." She paused, then went on, "Get Mara some therapy. Change the kids to another school. Help her move on."
Nick nodded numbly, his anger suddenly drained away. He drug his feet out to his SUV, not really wanting to go home yet. He knew Greg and Tracy had finally noticed his strange behavior, and they knew it had more behind it than just what had happened to Mara. He dreaded dredging up his past again.
Deciding to stop for a drink, Nick pulled into a bar he knew of near the house. He nursed his way through five beers, not really feeling anything more than a slight buzz.
Not wanting to become too inebriated to drive, he left after the fifth beer. He drove aimlessly around for a while, ignoring several calls to his cell. Finding himself parked outside of Dan Waynright's address, Nick sat with his hands clutching the steering wheel so hard his knuckles were white.