--
The blonde was still fuming long after breakfast. She dropped unceremoniously into a chair near the pool table and watched Denny play. When her turn was over, the young prisoner sat beside Dockley.
"What's up, Shell? You look like someone shit in your cereal."
"It's that bleedin' American, innit?" Dockley sneered. She threw a disgusting look in the direction of a table across the wing, where Olivia, Nikki and Crystal were sharing a laugh. "I've had it up to here with her, I have."
"Ah, come on, Shell, she's not so bad," Denny defended. Realizing those were not the words Dockley wanted to hear, she back-pedalled slightly. "What I mean is, I figure as long as she stays out of your way, there's no problem."
Dockley shot daggers at the far table. "There's a problem, all right. And mark my words, Den, Shell Dockley's going to fix it."
With that, the blonde stood up and stalked away, leaving behind an uneasy and unsettled Denny.
--
"… then Jules says 'Amen' and when we's all trying to be serious right, Denny hiccups. I thought we was gone for sure." As Crystal retold the time the two Julies brewed up some wine in Larkhall, both Olivia and Nikki laughed at the story. "The good Lord reminded me of my transgression the next day," the young Christian admitted. "How come you weren't there, Nikki?"
Nikki scoffed at the idea. "Are you serious? I helped make it, remember? I wasn't going to drink it!"
"You, aiding and abetting an illegal operation, and from within a prison to boot?" Olivia shook her head in mock disbelief. "I'm shocked, Nikki."
Crystal saw Denny hesitantly approach and called out, "Hey, Denny! We was just talking about you."
It was just enough of an invitation to convince Denny of what she wanted to do. As she came up to the table, she asked, "Oh, yeah? What about?"
"Remember that night in the two Julies' cell with the wine?"
"I wish I could forget," Denny groaned. "To this day I can't look at an apple without me head wanting to explode." When the laughter around the table faded, she looked at Olivia. "Could I talk to you about something?"
Benson looked around. "Is here okay?"
Denny shrugged. "Yeah, sure. It won't take a minute anyway." She shuffled from one foot to the other as she tried to gather her thoughts and her courage. She had known Shell for years and knew loyalty was hard to come by in prison. But she also knew that Olivia was one of the good ones. And she owed the American for what happened in the cell that first day. "I just thought you should know Shell's on the war path."
Nikki blew a short breath of scorn through her pursed lips. "What else is new?"
"No, I mean it," Denny stressed, "she's looking to do something crazy, man."
"Did she say what it was?" Olivia gently asked.
The young con shook her head. "Nothing obvious. But I've seen her like this before. And bad shit happens."
"That girl needs the wrath of the Lord brought down upon her," Crystal declared.
Denny smiled a bit. "Yeah, well, I've got nothing to do with all that. Why don't you get on your God phone and ask him for a favour?"
Crystal frowned. "Careful or I might have Him send a little extra for you."
"Nah." Denny nudged her cellmate with her arm. "You'd be too scared the cell's too small and He'd hit you by accident." She turned back to Olivia. "I mean it, right? Just watch your back with Shell."
"I will, Denny. Thanks."
"Well, I figured I owed you for that bit in the cell, yeah?"
Olivia understood. "Consider us even."
"Cheers, Liv," Denny beamed before she sauntered off.
Crystal watched as she walked away. "That girl's come a long way. The Lord's been hearing my prayers about her."
"Ask and ye shall receive," Nikki drawled, "isn't that how it goes?"
Crystal nodded her head appreciatively. "Sing it, sister." Tilting her chin in Olivia's direction, she said, "I'll add you to my prayers. With that psycho bitch around, you might need it."
--
"You worried about Shell Dockley?" Nikki asked as she watched Olivia pace the small cell. Although lunch and supper had passed without further confrontation with Dockley, the weight of Denny's warning hung over the day like a thick fog.
Olivia stopped moving and sat in a chair. "No. I mean, yeah, I've got to deal with it at some point, but for now, I'm wondering what's going on in New York."
"This could be it right now, yeah?"
Looking at her watch, Benson replied, "Well, it's almost eight here, so three in New York. Who knows?" She glanced up at Nikki. "Sit down. Distract me." Wade raised her eyebrows suggestively and Olivia laughed. "Later. I mean, talking."
With a dramatic disappointed sigh, Nikki sat in the opposite chair. "What would you like to talk about?"
"I don't know," Olivia replied. "We've talked a lot about me. Let's talk about you. Beyond these walls."
"There's not much beyond this place. I've got an ex-girlfriend who still runs our nightclub."
"Family?"
Nikki played with her cigarette package. "A mother and a father, like most people." She saw Benson's smirk and flashed one of her own. "My father is a Navy man, my mother a Navy man's wife. Lots of G&T and bridge. I've got an older brother as well, though I haven't seen any of them since I basically got kicked out at sixteen."
"They found out you were a lesbian," Olivia guessed.
"Yep. Bounced around from friend to friend, but somehow managed to stick with school. Found out I had a fairly good head for numbers."
"The literature came later?"
Nikki grinned. "Well, I didn't seem to have the luxury of time back then. I was more concerned about fact; I didn't have much time for fiction. I'll give prison that much –I've read more books in my time here than I did my entire life up to that point."
"So how did you get from sixteen to here?"
"I don't know," Wade admitted. "You think you've got all the time in the world back then, you know? I hit my twenties and was working in a club; a bit of tending bar, some book work. One night, this fantastic blonde comes in and embarrassingly, I fell head over heels."
"This is your ex, I presume?"
"Yeah. Trisha." Nikki smiled at the memory. "Before I knew it, we weren't only living together, we had decided to open our own business."
"That's a risky thing to do in your twenties," Benson said admiringly.
"Two women in their twenties," Nikki said. "The hoops we had to go through with the banks. They couldn't believe two little women were going to go into business without a big strong man to help them. And then… here I am."
Though Olivia had read the file, she encouraged Nikki to continue. "What happened that night?"
Nikki held up her cigarettes. "Do you mind?" When Benson gave silent consent, Wade slipped one out and lit it. Leaning back, she hugged herself protectively with one arm and inhaled a deep lungful of smoke. "I turned up at the club one night to take her home. There was just her and this shit who used to come in. D.S. Gossard. You had to butter up the local filth to keep them off your backs. Most of them were okay but… Gossard. He had her pressed against the bar and he was saying, "Come on, rug-muncher, have some of the real thing for a change." I just saw red. I picked up a bottle and smashed it over his head. He just laughed." She took a shaky drag of her cigarette. "So I stuck what was left of it in his neck." Wiping away a tear with a trembling hand, she pressed her lips together and looked at Olivia. "So, having second thoughts about sharing my bed?"
Olivia frowned at the implication. "Why would I? Because I'm a cop? Because the man you killed was a cop? I'll admit looking at things objectively isn't always my strongest suit. But try and step back and look at it this way –what if you were a man? Would people have a more favourable view of it, because as a society, we seem to expect a man to protect a woman?" She shook her head. "What if Gossard was a janitor instead of a cop? What would people say then? No. What it comes down to is this –a person killed another person to prevent harm coming to another person. It doesn't excuse what you did, but things can't be looked at in isolation. That's how I view it, anyway. Besides, who among us can say we wouldn't have done the same thing?"
Nikki was quiet for a long time. At last, she asked, "Have you ever killed anyone, Liv?"
"Yes," she confessed, "and just because it was in the line of duty doesn't make it any easier. The only difference is, I got a leave of absence and you got a life sentence."
"Yeah."
Deciding to move the subject in a better direction, Benson remarked, "Helen Stewart seems to think you've got grounds for an appeal. Do you know the basis behind it? Judicial error? Case evidence omitted?"
"No idea," Nikki said. "It's all Greek to me."
"But Helen seems pretty confident, so there must be something."
Nikki allowed herself a small smile. "Yeah. I suppose so."
"Good. Once this is all over, if there's anything I can do to help, let me know."
"Thanks. I will." Nikki extinguished her cigarette. "Listen, I collected on that bet yesterday, so if you need a phone card…"
Benson reached over and slapped Nikki on the shoulder. "Very funny. But no, not tonight, anyway. Can I have a rain check for tomorrow?"
"Of course."
"Okay. So, we never really got to talk about you and Helen Stewart this morning…"
Nikki groaned and lit another cigarette.
--
The weight of Nikki's arm over Benson's waist as she lay spooned behind the cop was a welcome feeling for Olivia. Somewhere in that state between sleep and unconsciousness, she asked, "What time is it?"
"Just shortly past seven, I should think," Wade whispered into Olivia's hair. "I heard the day staff come in about ten minutes ago. Go back to sleep; you've still got a good half hour."
"You never left," Benson mumbled.
"Someone wouldn't let go of my arm." Olivia hummed in sleepy amusement. "Besides," Nikki went on, "it's only been the last few hours that you've gotten any real rest. I didn't have the heart to wake you."
Rolling leisurely over onto her back, Benson cracked open her eyes. "Did I keep you awake?"
"Yes," the con replied, "but I don't blame you. You've got a lot on your mind."
Olivia lazily lifted her arm and stroked Nikki's cheek with the back of her hand. "Sorry." With the other hand, she covered a yawn, then said, "It'll be all over soon."
"Yes, it will."
The wistful strain in Nikki's reply got Olivia's attention and she rolled to her side to face her. "Sorry. I didn't mean –"
"I know what you meant," Nikki cut in. "It's all right. But it is all connected, innit? Everything stems off from your case. When that's finished…" The words remained unspoken because they didn't need to be said. "Anyway," Nikki continued, "I knew what I was getting into that night you seduced me."
"What!"
"Don't play coy; we both know what happened," Nikki teased.
"You're delirious," Olivia declared and pushed Nikki away. "Get away from me, it might be contagious." She rolled over and felt Nikki spoon up behind her again. "Seduced you!" she chuckled. The feel of Nikki's warm breath on her cheek as she nuzzled Benson's ear made the chuckle die down to a low moan. "I'll never get back to sleep if you keep doing that."
Nikki stopped. "Do you always get what you want?"
Olivia flipped over again. "Do you always do what you're told?" And with that, she clutched a fistful of Nikki's hair and brought the con's mouth down to her own.
--
A half hour left them little time to do much beyond stoking their hormones again and when the keys were heard in the lock, Nikki was already up and ready with her bath robe and towel.
"I'll never be happier to stand under that cold water," she remarked, much to Olivia's amusement.
"I'll try and refrain from seducing you again," the cop said.
Ignoring the empty promise, Nikki asked, "Will you call your partner after wash-up?"
Olivia nodded. "If they'll let me."
"If you get out of the showers quick and down to the phone before breakfast, you should be all right," Nikki reasoned. "If you get back and I'm not here, the phone card is in the book on the table."
The door swung open and Dominic looked in, surprised. "You ladies are up bright and early this morning. Looks like you're raring to go."
"In more ways than one," Nikki muttered. As she exited the cell, she called over her shoulder to the young guard, "Is the water nice and cold this morning? God knows I need it."
McAllister tilted his head in confusion as the two cellmates walked away.
--
Despite her eagerness to phone Elliot, Olivia savoured her time under the sharp spray of the shower and again was the last person remaining. She found here, just as she did at home, that the staccato beat of the water against her face and body made for moments of clarity and thought. Here, under the lulling sensation, she could think about Elliot and the case; New York; England; Larkhall and Nikki.
Nikki.
She was so deep in thought that the only time she realized Shell had slipped into the room was when she felt a sharp pain between her ribs and saw the blonde's maniacal grin as Olivia slipped down the wall of the shower and collapsed in a pool of water and her own blood.
--
When Nikki entered the cell, she was surprised but not alarmed that Olivia hadn't returned. The cop had established a pattern in her short time in Larkhall, and though Nikki didn't share the sentiment, she knew Benson enjoyed every last minute of wash up. It was only as time passed –time that long surpassed what the screws allowed –that she began to worry.
As her long legs strode towards the showers, Nikki spotted one of the female guards.
"Miss Barker." The guard turned at her name. "Have you seen Olivia, Miss?"
The woman frowned. "No. Surely she's done wash up by now. What's wrong?"
She paused and wondered how much to say. She didn't trust the screws as far as she could throw them. Why couldn't she have run into McAllister? But the decision had to be made, and she knew she'd rather be safe than sorry. "She had a bit of a dust up with Shell Dockley." She knew she wouldn't have to spell it out for the guard, and sure enough, Barker nodded her understanding. "Can I just check the showers? I'm probably just being paranoid, but –"
Barker shook her head and cut the lifer off. "No. Come on. There's no harm checking, is there?"
"Thank you, Miss."
They entered the cavernous tile room, the barred florescent lights flickering on and off, the sound of water dripping endlessly from ancient taps.
"Is this your idea of quick?" Nikki called out loudly, the hollow humour in her voice bouncing off ceramic.
It was Di Barker who found her. The guard's alarmed expletive brought Nikki's attention to the stall and the con froze in the doorway. "I need medical assistance on the second floor!" the screw yelled into her radio. "There's been an accident in the showers."
Nikki pushed Barker aside and stepped into the stall, her shoes splashing the collection of blood and water that Benson's prone body had prevented from swirling down the drain. Kneeling, the first thing she thought to do was check for a pulse. Her warm fingers touched wet skin, turned cold from the water and blood loss. The cop was unconscious, but had a strong pulse.
"That's my girl," Nikki whispered.
"Is she all right?" Barker asked.
Nikki passed on the little medical information she could, and turning Benson over slightly from her fetal position, the two women could see the American had been stabbed in the back. With the blood continuing to seep out, neither could determine much more. Nikki peeled off her sweater and bunching it up into a ball, pressed it firmly against the wound. The pressure caused Benson to groan. Wade gently lifted the cop partially off the cold tile and cradled her, trying to generate as much heat with her hands and body as she could. Looking up at Barker, she asked, "Where the hell is the bloody help?"
"They're on their way, Nikki."
As if on cue, a team of four officers came in with two medical kits and a make-shift gurney. One stepped forward and asked, "What's happened?"
Nikki sneered. "What's happened? She's been stabbed and is losing blood by the second while you work out the bloody obvious!"
Di crouched down. "Nikki…"
The medical officer touched Di's arm and got her to stand again. Looking in Nikki's direction, he inquired, "Who's that?"
"Nikki Wade," she explained. "We both found her –Olivia Benson."
"Right. Let's go," he said to his fellow officers. "Miss Wade, you're going to have to get out."
The con shook her head adamantly. "I'm not leaving her."
"You don't have to leave," he said gently, "but we need to help her and there's only so much room."
Nikki blinked at the common sense and replied, "Yeah. Right. Sorry." She handed Olivia off to one of the guards who had squeezed into the stall. Standing up and stepping out, she brushed the back of her hand across her worried brow and wiped them on her t-shirt, oblivious to the trails of red that streaked across the white fabric.
A shaken Barker put her hand on Nikki's elbow. "Come on, Nikki."
"I'm not leaving her!"
"You're in shock," Di said. "Hell, I'm in shock. Let them do their work and I'll make sure you get to see her later, yeah? Come on, look at you. Do you want her to see you like this when she wakes up?"
Nikki glanced down at herself and realized for the first time how she must look. Shoes that were wet and dark, jeans that fared no better, and a t-shirt that would cause anyone not aware of the situation to call medical attention for her. With a trembling hand, she ran her fingers through her hair in a subconscious gesture to calm herself down.
"Yeah," she replied at last. "Yeah, okay." She watched as they put Benson on the stretcher. "She's going to be all right, isn't she?"
The medical officer nodded. "She's lost a lot of blood, but she's stable. I gave her some morphine for the pain, so she's going to be out of it for a while. The doctor will have to take a look at the wound to be certain, but I'm confident she'll be fine."
"When can I see her?"
Di stepped in. "Nikki, I promised I'd get you in to see her as soon as possible and I will. But right now, you need to take care of you." She looked around at the scene. "And I've got to fill out paperwork until the next millennium."
--
"What the hell hap –" Helen came to a full stop in the doorway of the cell when she saw Nikki. "Jesus Christ!"
Nikki jumped up from her chair and didn't even bother to follow Helen's gaze. "It's not mine. Can I see her now? I asked Miss Barker…"
"She told me," Helen replied. "That's why I'm here. But I'd like to know what the hell happened first."
"We found Olivia in the showers."
"I got that from Di Barker, thank you. What I want to know is why did you feel compelled to go look for Olivia in the first place?" Nikki feigned ignorance. She didn't have the time to get into it all. Helen frowned her displeasure. "It wouldn't have anything to do with Shell Dockley, would it?"
The con remembered her words to Barker and groaned. "Shit."
"Shit? I'd say so! Jesus, Nikki!" Stewart pressed her fingers between her brow. "Nikki, don't go and do anything stupid. Think about your appeal."
"What?" When she realized what Stewart was implying, the tall brunette exploded. "Why don't you piss off and take my bloody appeal with you! I've got someone I care about lying in the hospital, going through God knows what, and you think, what? That I'm sitting here figuring out how I can stick it to Shell bloody Dockley?" She waved her hand in disgust. "Of course you would, wouldn't you? Because I couldn't possibly have an emotional reaction you approved of, could I? So is that why you're here? To babysit me like the child you think I am?" She stopped and realized her actions were giving credence to her words. Mustering up as much control as she could, Nikki said, "Look. I just want to see Olivia, all right? Please."
Helen pressed her lips together and simply nodded. "Come on."
--
"Why isn't she in a real hospital?" Nikki demanded as she stood outside the door to Larkhall's infirmary.
"The doctor says she's stable," Helen explained. "Paramedics came in from the local hospital to administer a blood transfusion, but by all accounts, she's fine."
Nikki bristled. "If it had been one of the screws, they would have been shipped out."
"Nikki…"
The con's face softened. "Sorry. Is that it, then?"
"Well, it looks like she was stabbed with something small –something the size of a pencil, maybe a sharpened toothbrush. But they were able to stop the bleeding and stitch it up."
"When will she get out?"
"Depends how she feels," Stewart replied. "But the doctor seems to think once the morphine wears off, he can get her on some regulated pain killers and she could be back on the wing in a couple of days."
Nikki took in all the information, then quietly asked, "Can I go in now?"
Helen offered a small smile. "Go on. I'll be outside when you're done. No rush."
Nikki returned the smile and pushed open the door.
--
The florescent bulb above the bed shown down on Olivia, and the way the light bounced off the white sheets only served to make Benson look paler. With the lack of a heart monitor or any other real medical devices beyond the IV drip, Nikki wasn't sure if she should be alarmed or relieved. There was no chair or stool in the small room, so Nikki stood quietly at the side of the bed, as if any noise might startle the cop awake. She awkwardly reached out for Olivia's hand.
"So…" As expected, silence was the only response. "So," Nikki said again, "everyone seems to think you'll be all right, so that's good. Another scar to add to your collection. Though remind me to get you to tell me the truth about that one on your shoulder." She absently rubbed her thumb across the back of Benson's hand. "Anyway, just thought I'd see how you were and to let you know how things were going. And to tell you that you owe me a sweater. I'll have you know that was cashmere. I can't get that at the Larkhall souvenir shop." She added a small laugh, then looking down, added, "Oh, and a t-shirt. Maybe I'll just nick one from your collection, what do you think?" Her gaiety died away and she was surprised to feel hot tears prick her eyes. "Don't ever do this to me again, you understand?" Again, there was no response, but in a small way, Nikki was grateful. The last thing the cop needed right now was to see Wade become some blubbering idiot. "I should go; let you get some rest. I know you haven't gotten much lately, even though I'd like to take some credit for that." She smiled again. "And I'm starving. Totally missed breakfast during all of this." Remembering Olivia's agenda for the morning, Nikki swore. "Shit. Your partner." She brushed a gentle caress across Olivia's brow. "Don't worry, I'll take care of it." An image of Shell Dockley came to mind, uninvited. "I'll take care of all of it."
--
"Do you want me to bring you up something to eat?" Helen asked when they returned to the wing.
Nikki sat on the edge of the bed and answered, "No, I'm fine. Besides, if I have you waiting on me, people will talk." She tempered her tone with a smile.
"God, if it's one thing I've learned, it's that people will talk regardless!"
Nikki chuckled. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. But no, I'm fine, thanks. I just… need to get my head straight." She pulled at her shirt. "And clean up."
"Okay. Listen, I'll have to call you up to the office at some point to get your statement as to what happened," Helen informed. "I've already taken Di Barker's; it's just a formality."
"Okay."
Helen looked as if she was about to say more, but seemed to think better of it. "Right. Well, I'll see you later, then." As she got to the door, Nikki's voice stopped her.
"Thanks, Helen."
Stewart simply smiled and left.
--
"Jesus Christ!" the two Julies exclaimed in unison as they rushed into Nikki's cell. "We heard…" When they saw the tall brunette sitting forlornly the bed, her shoes still damp enough to leave a wet impression on the concrete of the floor and the blood drying to dark stains on her shirt, they repeated their exclamation. "Jesus Christ!"
"What the bloody hell's going on? I heard something about –" Yvonne Atkins stopped short in the doorway. "Christ!"
"That's what we said."
"Seems to be the order of the day," Wade remarked, and lifting her head from her fixed stare on her hands, her eyes glazing over fingernails that housed blood underneath them, she relayed the news. "She's all right. And besides the bloody obvious mental breakdown I'm having, I'm fine, too."
Yvonne stepped forward and knelt in front of Wade. With a gentle touch on her friend's knee, she softly asked, "What happened?"
"Shell bloody Dockley happened!" Nikki spit out with unrivalled venom. She closed her eyes tightly and willed herself a measure of control. "Sorry," she apologized, "I don't mean to take it out on you."
"It's okay, Nikki," Atkins said.
"Yeah," Julie S chimed in, "we understand."
"We do," Julie J assured.
"Shell Dockley made good on her threat," Yvonne surmised.
Nikki nodded. "There's no proof, of course, but who else could it be? The doctor thinks it was a small weapon, the size of a pencil or toothbrush. Or the filed end of a spoon or knife. Like the kind of shiv she tried to pull on Olivia the first day she was here."
"Bitch," Atkins swore. "Well, it'd made sense, wouldn't it? She works the kitchen along with a handful of other girls. Who would notice a bit of plastic going missing?"
"Nikki," Julie S said, "we work the kitchen."
Wade frowned in disbelief. "I'm not accusing you two!"
"No, what I mean is –"
"What she means is –"
"Yvonne's right –who would notice a bit of plastic going missing? If you get my meaning."
Julie J picked up on the train of thought. "Yeah. What's good for the goose –"
"Is good for the gander!"
"About time someone gave it to Shell Dockley."
Nikki's mouth dropped open. "I don't believe I'm hearing this, from you two, of all people. I expect more of that from Yvonne."
The mob wife jumped in. "Oi! Now listen, the Julies might be on to something, hear me out." The Julies moved in conspiratorially. "We know she did it, right? And we know she's got at least half a brain in that bloody head of hers, so she's gotten rid of the weapon, right? We just need to put it back."
The shorter Julie crumpled her face in confusion. "How do you suppose…" her face lit up. "Ah, I hear you."
"We get something from the kitchen," Julie J said.
"And we make sure Shell Dockley gets it," her cellmate finished.
Yvonne grinned devilishly. "In more ways than one."
Nikki looked back and forth between the three women. "I don't believe you," she said incredulously. "You want to plant a weapon on Shell Dockley?"
Atkins shook her head. "No. We want to plant it in her cell." Nikki could only laugh at the minor distinction only Yvonne would make. "Besides," the older woman went on, "it's not really 'planting', is it? We know she did it. This is more like… returning." She turned to the two Julies. "Can we count on you, girls?"
Nodding in unison, as they did with most things, they assured, "We are on the job, Yvonne." They looked at each other. "Let's go."
"Meet me in my cell when you're done," Atkins told them.
"Right."
When they left, Yvonne turned to Nikki and stood up. "Take off your shirt."
Nikki jerked her head back, startled. "Sorry?"
"Take off your shirt."
Slowly grabbing the hem, Nikki pulled it up over her shoulders and head. Standing up, she handed it to Yvonne and quipped, "I don't think now is the time. You'd only be a rebound."
"Eh? Oh, sod off!" Atkins laughed. Giving the subject its proper gravity, she then asked, "That's Olivia's blood, innit?"
"Yeah."
"Then I'm going to need it. The more convincing we can make that weapon look, the better." She saw the look of distress sneak through the cracks of Nikki's tough façade. Touching her friend's shoulder, Yvonne said, "Don't worry, love. She'll be fine and Shell Dockley's gonna pay for it."
Nikki reached for the mob wife and embraced her. "You're a rock, Yvonne. Thank you."
Atkins returned the hug and the feeling. "No worries, sweetheart. Now back off before someone comes in and sees us, with you half-dressed."
Nikki couldn't help but laugh. "Go on, then."
Atkins held up the shirt and winked. "I'll see you later." But before leaving, she asked, "You will be all right, yeah?"
"Yeah," Nikki answered. "I'm going to wash up then take care of a few things." Yvonne's eyes narrowed and Nikki shook her head. "Nothing like that, I promise. I'll see you later." When Atkins left, Nikki glanced over at the phone card, still peeking out from the pages of her thick book.
--
