The ringing would not stop. Four rings and then silence, then it started again. Zach struggled from his slumber feeling like he had just gotten to sleep when the ringing interrupted, and a glance at his illuminated watch told him that he had been sleeping for less than an hour.

He glanced over at Kendall and found her still asleep, so he picked up the telephone and whispered into the receiver, "Hold on just a moment."

Kendall rolled over and reached her arm toward him as he rose from the bed and said his name softly, "Zach… what's wrong?"

"I don't know… you go back to sleep and I'll take this in the other room," he answered her quietly before letting himself out of the bedroom and closing the door behind him. He seated himself on the sofa and picked up the receiver, "I'm here, Edie. What's happened?"

Edie was the only person at the hotel who was aware that he and Kendall had not spent the night in their penthouse but had stayed in the casita room. She would not have called him unless it was an urgent matter. She replied, "Chief Frye from the Pine Valley Police Department is here. There's been some kind of accident… but he won't give me any details. He's insisting on speaking with you."

"Get the chief some coffee and tell him I'll be there in a few minutes," Zach answered wearily.

"I'll tell him," Edie answered efficiently. Zach didn't need to ask if she was in the office as The Seasons had an efficient chain of command and Edie had been on-call for the night. Any emergencies would be handled from the business offices and relayed as necessary to he or Kendall.

He let himself back into the bedroom placing the phone back on its cradle before kissing Kendall tenderly, pulling the covers up over her shoulders and smoothing them lightly. He picked up his clothing from the evening before and quickly dressed in the other room before leaving to meet the chief. Upon entering the office, he found Edie seated at her desk looking as cool and lovely as she did on a normal business day. He smiled, "I'm sorry you got dragged back in… why don't you go home and try to get some sleep? I'll take it from here."

"I'd rather stay… you or Kendall might need me. I put Chief Frye in the conference room with a fresh pot of coffee. He looks like he's had a very long night, so I took the liberty of ordering breakfast… he was most grateful," Edie answered with a smile. "If you need me to wake Kendall, just let me know."

"Thanks, Edie," Zach answered before entering the conference room and closing the door behind him. He had been trying to keep his mind occupied, but the dread of hearing whatever the chief had to say was almost more than he could endure. One look at Derek told him that it had indeed been a very long and difficult night – which only made Zach more wary of the news he was about to receive.

Wearing a detached expression, Zach held out his hand, "Derek! I'm sorry we keep meeting under difficult circumstances. Edie tells me there's been some kind of accident?"

Not even trying to stand as weariness had begun to envelope him, Derek said quietly, "Yeah… I needed to deliver this news myself. You'll want to sit down."

"Derek…" Zach began as he seated himself and automatically poured a cup of coffee. He had a million questions to ask but didn't even know which one to begin with. He only knew that it had to be devastating news… probably something that he would have to break to Kendall… he could only imagine that someone in her family must have been badly hurt, and he knew she would be distraught. Looking at Derek, he realized that the other man was waiting for him to finish his sentence, "… whatever it is, it can't be good. Please, let's get this over with quickly."

"I'm sorry, Zach… I… I really don't know how to tell you this," Derek began. As Zach's face began to reflect his concern, he decided that he needed to plunge into the news quickly. "There was an automobile accident last night."

"Were they a guest here? …A drunk driver who can be traced to our bar?" Zach said in near relief… despite the damage something like this could cause The Seasons it was still preferable to giving his wife bad news about someone she loved.

"No… no one from the casino… he might have been heading toward it, though," Derek answered not realizing that he hadn't finished telling Zach who was in the accident.

"He… who? Derek, spit it out… I need to know everything before I can break whatever it is to Kendall," Zach said urgently.

"I'm sorry, Zach… I came to see you, not Kendall… this doesn't have anything to do with her," Derek answered without answering once again.

Zach looked at him in confusion, "I don't understand… Kendall is the only one… her family…"

"Your family, Zach… it's Ethan," Derek finally managed to reply.

"Ethan's been in an accident?" Zach asked. "Where is he? …In the Pine Valley Hospital? What happened?" Despite everything that had occurred between them, Zach felt an immediate need to see Ethan and ascertain his condition.

"I'm sorry, Zach… I wish it was better news," Derek answered, unable to force himself to say the words he had to say. Just at that moment, Edie opened the door to bring in the breakfast she had ordered and Zach looked at her in annoyance but remained quiet while she placed the food in front of Derek and poured a fresh cup of coffee for Zach, who had finished his first cup without even noticing.

After she left the room, Zach looked at Derek intently, "Damn it, Derek… Tell me."

Derek looked at Zach sorrowfully and answered, "He died in the accident. The paramedics took him to PVH but it was clearly too late. We'll know more about the accident… and the cause of death… after an investigation."

"Ethan… dead? Derek, I don't understand. Please… take me through this from the beginning," Zach said taking a gulp of the hot coffee and not even noticing as it burned his mouth and throat.

"We don't know much… got a call about a single car accident on a road outside of town. When the uniforms got there it was automobile versus tree… and the tree won. I'd say he was going pretty fast based on the damage. They had to cut him out of the car… but he was never responsive – probably not even conscious. Ambulance took him to the hospital where they declared him," Derek answered quickly. He paused to sip his coffee before continuing with difficulty, "We'll be conducting an investigation and the coroner needs to do an autopsy… after that we'll have some answers. We need… can you? As next of kin… we need… um… we need your permission… We'll get those answers faster if you agree to the autopsy."

"Fine… I agree… do you have something for me to sign?" Zach said quickly.

Derek shook his head, "No… you do that when you… um… identify the body.

Zach felt like he could keep his emotions in check only as long as he concentrated on details and at that moment he felt a need for complete control. Zach said quietly, "I'll do that. You mentioned a road outside of Pine Valley. I assume it is the one that leads here… you said he might have been coming to The Seasons?"

"Yeah… like I said… we'll know more after the investigation… but…" Derek answered, clearly avoiding telling Zach something that he either knew or suspected.

"There's something you're not telling me, Derek," Zach said calmly. "You know we were… uh… things had gotten pretty ugly between us. Is it because of that? Or do you… suspect something… about Ethan… or about the accident?"

Derek looked at Zach for a moment as if making up his mind about something before nodding his head. He took a bite of his food and swallowed a sip of coffee while Zach patiently waited for the chief to reach a decision; the only sign of his discomfort was a continued drumming of his fingers on the table. Derek finally answered, "Okay… now this is unofficial… but…"

"That's fine… I don't need anything official… I just need to know," Zach said with intensity.

"I'm pretty sure he was coming here… possibly up to no good. I'm sorry Zach," Derek said even though Zach had been sitting quietly without reaction to the comment.

Zach answered softly, "Go on."

"He had one of those pricey rifles in the trunk, and in his pocket they found an invitation to that party you had last night. And his clothes…" Derek paused and took another bite of food.

"His clothes?" Zach prompted before taking another sip of coffee.

"Not those fancy suits he wears… all black… slacks, sneakers, turtleneck… and black leather gloves. Something you wear when you don't want to be seen," Derek answered contemplatively.

Despite the shock he had just received, Zach's mind was as sharp as ever, "You do realize what you're implying?

"Yeah… and I don't like to speak ill of the dead…" Derek answered. "… but it's part of my job to be suspicious."

"Sounds to me like you've already reached some conclusions, Derek," Zach pressed. "Are they the same ones that I'm afraid of?"

Derek nodded his head, "Probably… On the night of The Seasons' grand opening last year, Ryan Lavery was shot…"

"We held our grand re-opening last night… and Ethan was very unhappy about it," Zach mused. "Could he have been planning a re-enactment? …With a new victim? Who was the target? Me… or my wife?"

"Don't know… don't even know if that's what he was up to… could have been heading to a gun club for all we know," Derek answered. "Let us do this investigation… get that autopsy… maybe we'll find some answers."

"Let's hope that's all it was. Thank you, Derek… for driving all the way out here to tell me in person. I won't forget your kindness," Zach said quietly. "Stay and finish your breakfast. I'll drive myself to identify the… Ethan. If you'll excuse me."

Derek remained seated as Zach left the room. Although Zach showed no outward emotion, Derek had observed him enough over the last year that he recognized the pain in his eyes and the weariness in his gait. He had seen Zach look just that way in his jail cell after Ethan and Maria had accused him of murdering Edmund Grey. When Zach had been alone in his cell and his only observer had been a security camera, Derek had studied this man… and liked him despite the charges against him and his dangerous reputation. Too bad the son had been such a fool.