"We don't need to hang out here all day. Scott will let us know when the jury comes back." Nick sat in the diner with Warrick and Catherine, picking at his food, as usual. It had been just over an hour since they had left the courtroom and the jury had begun deliberations.

"I got nowhere else to be," Warrick said through a mouthful.

Catherine joined in, "Me either."

Nick pushed his plate away. "Well we can't just sit here. It's driving me crazy. I think I'm gonna head home."

Warrick laughed. "Yeah, as if that will relax you!" He waved off Nick's annoyed glance. "You're not gonna stop thinking about it, so you might as well hang out with us. We got the whole day off for this, so let's do something to get our minds off of it."

"Movie?" Catherine offered. When she saw both men roll their eyes, she said, "Well what do you want to do?"

"It's a great day. Let's get outside...get some exercise." Warrick looked at Nick. "Red Rock Canyon. You in?"

Nick scrunched up his face. "I can't go in these clothes. I'd have to go home and change."

"Seriously, man? So what? Ten minutes tops. Catherine, what do you say?"

She sighed and threw up her hands. "I'd have to go home and change too, but...why not?"

"How long are we gonna be out there?" Nick was shaking his head. "We need to be able to get back if the verdict comes in."

Determined to get him to go, Warrick said, "It was almost noon when they started, then you know they took a lunch break...they've hardly had time to talk about it and they'll probably go into tomorrow. Even if they do come back today, it's gonna be late. C'mon, man...you need a break. Whatever they decide, they decide. It's not going to change things if you're there or not. You need to get out in the fresh air...blow the stink off ya." He grinned.

Nick appeared to be considering it, then asked, "You really up for this, Cath?"

"I am. I need the exercise. And Warrick's right. It'll do you good...clear your head. But...if you really feel like you to need to hear the verdict yourself...to be there...then maybe we shouldn't chance it."

Fuck it. Ever since this case began, Crane had been controlling him in one way or another. Hell, even seeing Nick come to court every day and have to sit there and listen to the bullshit Forte was throwing out left and right and being subjected to cross-examination and even the suggestion that he might have been to blame for the deaths...all of that was exactly what Crane wanted. Sure, if he was convicted it would be sweet satisfaction for Nick to see him taken away. But if he was set free? Then Crane would get the satisfaction. No...not this time.

"You know what? I don't even care. If it's good news, it won't matter to wait. And if it's bad...the longer I don't know about it, the better. So let's go."

A short time later the three of them headed out in Warrick's SUV to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area just west of Las Vegas in the Mojave Desert. It was a place where Nick had always liked to go to get away from things when cases weighed too heavily on his mind. A couple of times Warrick had come with him, but this was the first time they had gone with Catherine, and she surprised them with her hiking skills. They took the Ice Box Canyon trail and went all the way to the end, scrambling over rocks and even scaling boulders, and were rewarded with the sight of early spring waterfalls. Nick spotted several favorite species of birds along the way and made sure to share his knowledge with the others, even if they had heard enough after the first five or six. It took them a little over two hours to hike out and back, the contrast between the cool canyon and the hot desert feeling great going in but unpleasant coming back. They made sure to drink plenty of the water they had brought, but a stop for a beer on the way back was even better.

Worn out from the full day, they were quiet on the way home. Warrick pulled up in front of Catherine's house first. "Thanks for going with us, Cath. Felt good to get away, didn't it, Nick?"

"Sure did. Reality sucks sometimes. Nice to leave it behind for a little while. Catherine, you working tomorrow?"

She looked over her shoulder at him sitting in the back seat. "Yeah...yeah, I'll see you then." She gave him a half smile and unbuckled her seat belt. She reached for the door handle, but stopped and pulled her hand back.

"You want me to come open it for you?" Warrick laughed. But she wasn't laughing. "What's wrong?"

She looked at him, then back over her shoulder at Nick again.

Nick knew. He saw it in her eyes. "They let him go, didn't they? That was the call you took at the bar?"

Warrick's eyes widened as he looked from Nick back to Catherine. "Is that true? Why didn't you tell us?"

She sighed. "I figured it could wait for a bit. We were having such a good time. I'm sorry, Nick. I can't even believe it. God damn it. I'm sorry."

"Hey." He shrugged. "It's not like we didn't expect it, right?" When no one said anything for a few moments, he said, "It's getting late. You'd better go in. I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

"Nick..."

"It's okay. I'm okay. I'll see you tomorrow."

She looked at Warrick and he nodded at her. "All right." She forced a smile. "I'll see you tomorrow. You guys be careful getting home. And Nick...you call me...if you need anything. Just to talk. Anything. Okay?" When he agreed, she put her hand on the door handle and gave Warrick one more look.

"Hang on." Nick was unbuckling his seat belt. He got out of the car and opened Catherine's door for her. "Come on," he said. "The sooner you let us go the sooner he can have that talk with me that you're hoping he'll have."

She never could put one past him. She nodded and got out, wanting to hug him but not knowing what he wanted. She didn't wonder for long.

He put his arms around her and held her tightly, whispering in her ear, "Thank you. I'm okay. I promise. I'll see you tomorrow." He gave her one more tight squeeze before letting her go and getting into the front seat. "Go on...we'll wait for you to get inside."

He and Warrick waited in the car in silence until she had entered the house and they saw the front door close and the lights inside come on. The silence continued for the next three blocks before Nick broke it. "Aren't you supposed to be talking to me? Making sure I'm okay?"

"You okay?"

"Yeah."

"All right then." Warrick glanced at him. "You're an adult. If you say you're okay, man, I have to take you at your word. As long as you take me on mine."

"How so?"

"That I'm gonna keep on making sure you're all right. And you aren't gonna hassle me about it."

"Warrick..."

"I mean it, man. This is a big deal. After everything you went through with this guy...and he kills two people...now he isn't even going have to pay for it."

"Maybe he will," Nick muttered half to himself.

Warrick shot him a hard look. "And that's another thing. You aren't gonna go all vigilante on him, are you?"

"Shit no. I wouldn't waste my time. He's a pathetic little loser who's going to go back to his pathetic little life."

"And you aren't worried that he might come after you again? Or obsess over someone else? Or kill someone else?"

"Look, Warrick...I already talked about this with the shrink. I did what I could do. What happens next isn't up to me and it isn't my fault. Yeah, I'm pissed he wasn't convicted. And yeah...I'm still gonna keep watching my back. Nobody's ever going to get into my house again without me knowing, and I'm damn sure going to make sure nobody's ever going to take anything of mine or follow me or watch me again like he did. But...Jesus, a lot of our cases don't get prosecuted the way we want them to or turn out the way they are supposed to. We have to let it go."

Warrick snorted suspiciously. "So you're going to 'let it go' now, huh? That ain't like you, man. Something's up."

Nick shook his head and said wearily, "Nothing's up. I'm tired, Warrick. I'm tired of feeling afraid...being angry...I just can't do it anymore. I have to leave it behind and go forward. Look...I appreciate how you feel, but don't worry about me, okay?"

"Can't help it." Warrick pulled up in front of Nick's house and turned to look at him. "But like I said...I'll take you at your word." He looked at the house through the window behind Nick. The light by the front door was on, and it looked like every light in the house was as well.

Nick unbuckled his seat belt and opened the car door. "I'll see you tomorrow." He got out and closed the door. He stood there waiting, and when Warrick didn't drive off, he motioned with his hand for him to go. The window rolled down, and Nick said through it, "Go on. I'm not letting you sit here and wait for me to get home safely, okay, Grandma?"

Reluctantly, Warrick agreed and drove away, leaving Nick standing on the curb. He turned to face his house, knowing his friend had seen all of the lights on. He didn't care at this point. He also realized as he reached for his gun that it was not there. Stupid! He hadn't worked today and didn't even think to take it with him when they went hiking. His heart began to pound a little faster, but he marched up to the door and let himself in, quickly closing and locking the door behind him. He then retrieved his gun from the drawer where he kept it, and did his ritual walk-through. Every room, every closet, and up through the panel into the attic. Next, every door and every window were checked to make sure they were locked. And finally, a look behind the furniture and under the bed. Satisfied that he was alone, he got himself a beer from the refrigerator and sat down in the recliner in the living room where he fell asleep every night. But this night wasn't like the others. Tonight, Nigel Crane walked the streets as a free man.

Sleeping was easier during the daylight, and after sitting awake in the living room all night, Nick finally closed his eyes as the sky began to brighten. It was by necessity, however, not choice. If he could have it his way he would never close his eyes again. It made him too vulnerable.

When he awoke several hours later, he went through the same routine as when he had gotten home the night before, checking all of the locks and all of the rooms. Once satisfied that all was well, he grabbed a bag of leftover tacos from the refrigerator and ate two of them without bothering to heat them up. Heading back to the living room he noticed that his cell phone was blinking and picked it up. He had three missed calls...two from the D.A. and one from Grissom. He had two voicemails as well but deleted them without listening. They'll see me eventually. He stepped out the front door to retrieve the daily paper, locked the door again, and sat down on the couch. He steeled himself for what he was about to see, and there it was at the top of the front page: "Jury Finds Attic Creeper Not Guilty." Beneath it was a photo of Crane exiting the courthouse next to his attorney. Nick stared at it for a moment, then crumpled the whole paper up went to the kitchen where he stuffed it into the garbage can. He stood in the kitchen a moment and sighed. He wasn't due in to work for a awhile yet, so he went to the couch and flipped on the TV.

Channel surfing turned up no live sports. Typical for the middle of the week during the daytime. What he did see as he briefly passed channel 8 was KLAS news anchor Paula Francis, and what he heard her say was "jury". He quickly flipped back to the channel and turned up the volume.

"...was told he was free to go. Mr. Crane exited the courthouse accompanied by his attorney, Sharon Forte, who spoke briefly to reporters."

The screen showed the defense attorney with Crane at her side. She was smiling as she spoke. "We are very pleased that the jury saw through the prosecution's extremely thin case and their attempt to implicate Mr. Crane in these crimes. We are very grateful that justice has been served, and Mr. Crane looks forward to getting back to his life."

Francis was back on the screen. "When asked about the possibility of a civil suit against the city, Ms. Forte said she could not rule that out. Our reporters spoke to two jurors who did not wish to be identified, but they both said the jury felt there was no proof presented of Crane's guilt and that there were several other suspects who had opportunity to commit the murders. Reasonable doubt decided the case, they said."

A preview of the weather then popped up, followed by a commercial for Siegfried & Roy at the Mirage. He turned off the TV. His heart was pounding and his stomach was churning from the sight of Crane walking out on the street, free as a bird. And smiling. He checked his watch and saw he needed to start getting ready to go in to work. But first, he turned on his computer and did a few internet searches before he found what he was looking for. He picked up his phone and dialed.

"Hi, could you please tell me...does Nigel Crane still work there?"

Thank you so much to those who took the time to review the previous chapter! It was very good to know there were some people who were still interested in the story. Please continue to let me know you're out there. It's what keeps me writing. Thank you!