Sara left to go get Rai a glass of water from the break room. Still waiting for a Victims Services counselor, Rai sat hunched over in her seat, cradling herself.
Nick walked down the hall, headed for the locker room, where he'd left his notes. "Hey" he greeted one of the lab techs as he passed. Turning the corner, he saw Rai sitting in the waiting room, and it took him a moment to recognize her. He stopped in his tracks, his eyes narrowing as heput it all together. Rai felt his eyes on her and looked up. Their eyes met through the glass, hers were red rimmed and still glistening with tears. Sudden comprehension filled his eyes and he took off down the hall, headed for the holding cells. Rai rushed to the door, holding on to the frame "Nick!" She called out, trying to stop him. When he didn't stop, she looked around her, hoping that Sara would appear from around the corner. With no one there to help, Rai took off running after him.
There was no officer at the guard desk, and Nick took that as a sign that Fate wanted him to be alone with the bastard. There was only one holding cell, and Conrad was alone. Even if he hadn't been, Nick would have recognized him as quickly as Rai had in the lineup, Rai's sketch had been so dead on.
Slowly he approached the bars. Conrad looked up and immediately recognized Nick, he had been waiting outside the hospital the night he'd raped Rai, and had followed them to the townhouse, heading home only after the uniformed officer had arrived. Conrad's eyes grew wide with fear and he searched the outside room for someone to holler at for help.
Inches from the cell, Nick grabbed at one of the bars, his knuckles white, his other hand rested on the but of his service revolver, nestled on his hip.
Rai arrived in the doorway, out of breath. She held on to the jam, pressing herself up against it, hiding from Conrad's eyes.
"You! Tell him not to!" Conrad yelled at Rai.
Nick's eyes left the prisoner just long enough to see who was at the door. He turned back to Conrad. "Go away Rai" he demanded.
"Nick." She whispered, but didn't continue, not knowing what it was she wanted to say. Part of her wanted Conrad dead, even wanted it to be Nick that killed him, but in an instant her mind showed her what would happen if he did, looking again, it was Nick inside the cell.
She swallowed hard, shaking away the image.
Nick's lips were pulled back over his teeth in an awful smile. "Go away Rai" he repeated.
"No. Don't do this." She answered. When he didn't move, she added "Please."
Something in her voice broke through his rage. He turned to look at her, and could see in her face all that she had just imagined, her life without him. Please she mouthed, and his hand came off the gun.