Chapter 20
In Portland, Nick parked his vehicle in the Costumes-Year-Around's parking lot, and as he waited in the vehicle, Erica went inside.
Once inside, Erica spotted the Balam saleswoman immediately. The saleswoman was helping a teenage customer.
As Erica moved towards the saleswoman, Bruce (a Wildermann salesman) stepped up to her and blocked her path.
"May I help you find something, Miss?" Bruce asked.
Erica woged to where only another Wesen or a Grimm could see before saying, "The only thing I need is to talk with her."
As Erica was returning to her human form, Bruce caught sight of her detective badge, and asked, "Is your business with her personal or is it a police matter?"
"It's personal," Erica replied. "Angelica Espinosa is my sister."
"Her name is Jolene Garcia," Bruce replied.
Erica slightly chuckled before saying, "Her middle name is Jolene and our maternal grandmother's maiden name is Garcia."
"So, she lied about her name?" Bruce rhetorically questioned. "If Theodore finds out, she will be fired for falsifying her information."
"Yes, well, given the risk that you and your coworkers are taking, I don't see the downside of Jolene getting fired from this place," Erica replied.
"Risk? What risk?" Bruce questioned.
"You might not have heard of the group called the Hadrian's Wall, however, they had re-created the Wesen Council a few years back…" Erica was only able to get out.
"I have heard about the newly re-created Wesen Council," Bruce quickly replied. "And since we are in a costume shop, it's not a violation of the rules for me and my coworkers to be fully woge inside the costume shop as long as the customers don't see us woge back and forth."
"True," Erica replied in an accepting tone. "But you are still risking contracting a condition known as Umkippen."
"Pff. Please. That's an old wise tale," Bruce replied as Theodore was approaching.
Erica heard and smelled him coming, and as she turned to face him, Theodore—while still several steps away—asked, "Detective Espinosa, what brings you in today?"
Theodore's enquiry grabbed Angelica's attention and she quickly excused herself from the customer.
Erica took a breath, but before she could answer, Angelica uttered, "She's here to see me. She's my half-sister on my mom's side… on our mom's side. She has her dad's last name. Anyway, Theodore, if I would have known that you were acquainted with my sister, I would have mentioned it when you hired me."
"It's fine, Jolene," Theodore replied as he and Angelica stepped up to Erica and Bruce. "Just don't listen to her superstitious non-sense about Umkippen."
"I know three people who have witnessed someone with the Umkippen syndrome," Erica replied.
"That's only propaganda that your partner is peddling," Theodore began. "And speaking of your partner, where is the Grimm?"
"He's waiting for me outside," Erica replied. "Anyway, I would like to have a private conversation with my sister."
"I'll allow it," Theodore replied before gesturing towards a door. "You can use the stock room."
"This way," Angelica told Erica before walking away.
Erica followed Angelica into the back room and once the door was closed, Angelica shifted into her human form.
"I expected that it would take you several weeks to learn that I was in Portland, but it only took you five days," Angelica told her. "Hell, this is my third day at this job."
"Yes, well, I got wind of a Balam saleswoman who works here, and there aren't that many Balams in Portland," Erica informed. "So, I came here to find out one way or the other if the saleswoman was you."
"Yes, well, you got your answer," Angelica replied. "You'd found your baby sister. Mom will be so proud of you. So, get your phone out, call Mom and tell her where she can find me. But I'm telling you now that I'm not going back to Los Lunas."
"You're twenty-five, Angel. So…" Erica was only able to say.
"Please don't call me Angel," Angelica quickly requested. "Angel is what Grandma had called me, and hearing you just then just reminds me that Mom had Grandma killed."
"Grandma had dementia…" Erica was only able to get out.
"Yes, I know that, Erica," Angelica replied. "Somehow a worm got into her brain during one of her many trips to the Amazon Rainforest, but the worm was discovered fifteen years ago, and it was successfully removed. And what damage that the worm had caused was manageable. Her dementia wasn't severe enough to bring in a Gevatter Tod."
"Her condition had been getting worse over the past eighteen months," Erica replied. "Hell, she didn't even recognize me when I went home last November for Thanksgiving. And Mom had to promise Grandma, when Grandma had most of her memories left, that she would bring in a Gevatter Tod when the time came."
"What do you mean Mom had to promise Grandma?" Angelica asked.
"I was sixteen and I got suspended from school and sent home for fighting," Erica began. "The day was warm—even though it was early November—and mom and Grandma were in the back yard while talking. So, they didn't hear me enter the house from the front door. I went to the kitchen to get something to drink, and as I was approaching an open window, I heard Grandma as she made Mom promise that she would bring in a Gevatter Tod if she ever gets so bad that she couldn't remember her kids and grandkids."
"Okay, well, she could remember me," Angelica proclaimed.
"No, sweetie, she couldn't," Erica informed.
"Every time she saw me, she knew who I was," Angelica uttered.
"You're the spitting image to Grandma's baby sister, and you were named after her as well," Erica quickly reminded her. "In fact, Uncle Miguel believes that you are our Great Aunt Angelica reincarnated. Anyway, Grandma wasn't remembering you as her granddaughter, she was confusing you for her sister, and mom told me that your last three interactions with Grandma were volatile. She thought that you were an intruder in the home, and so she woged and threatened you."
"Okay, yes, she did, but I was able to talk her down," Angelica replied.
"And the time was coming quickly when you couldn't talk her down," Erica replied. "Mom knew this, and that was why she felt that the time had come. She also knew that you would protest that decision and that was why she bought you a three-day vacation trip to Cancun."
"And I don't think that I can ever forgive Mom for sending me away so she could bring in that Gevatter Tod without my knowledge," Angelica replied.
"I'm not asking you to forgive Mom… and I don't think mom will ask for your forgiveness either," Erica replied. "However, both Mom and I would like you to understand why Mom did what she did."
Angelica took a hard breath before saying, "I'm not going back to Los Lunas."
"You're an adult, Angelica," Erica replied. "So, where you choose to live is your business, but please don't shut me out. In fact, if I ask, will you tell me where you are living?"
Angelica pursed her lips before saying, "I met Bruce—the Wildermann out front—and his girlfriend Gina soon after I arrived in Portland, and they had been letting me crash on their couch. He's also the one who got me this job."
"He also thinks that your name is Jolene Garcia," Erica pointed out.
"That's because I've been telling everyone I meet that I'm Jolene Garcia," Angelica replied. "Mom is a very resourceful private investigator and if I had used my actual name, she would've found me within a week."
"Mom wouldn't have followed after you," Erica informed. "She knew that you needed your alone time to process Grandma's death."
"Yes, well, even if she had no plans to follow after me, she would have tracked my every movement," Angelica replied. "I would have been constantly looking over my shoulders and wondering if today was the day that Mom will find me, and so, once I had closed out my bank account, Jolene Garcia was born."
"And how much money do you have left?" Erica asked.
"Last week, I had only fifty dollars left, and that was why I came to Portland," Angelica replied. "My plan was to ask you for some money, but I chickened out once I was in Portland. I stepped into Archie's Bar for a shot or two to calm my nerves before I continue my quest on finding you and that was when I met Bruce and Gina. As Bruce, Gina and I talked, Bruce told me that he could get me hired on here, and as you can see, I took him up on his offer."
"Eventually, Bruce and/or Gina are going to get tired of you crashing on their couch," Erica pointed out.
Before Erica could continue, Angelica replied. "Gina mentioned something to me this morning about me finding another place to stay."
"Okay, well, I do have an empty room that could easily be turned into a second bedroom, so you are welcome to move in with me, and you can stay as long as you want," Erica told her.
"But if I stay with you then Mom would know where to find me," Angelica pointed out. "However, my alias has been discovered. So, if I don't stay with you, I will have to leave and come up with a new alias."
"Angelica, Mom is not going to come after you," Erica assured her. "And she always gives me at least a day's notice before she comes to Portland for a visit. So, you won't have to worry about talking to her or seeing her until you are ready."
"And what if I never become ready to talk to her or see her again?" Angelica questioned.
"Then that will be the choice that Mom and I will have to accept, but I really hope that you won't make that choice," Erica replied. "Anyway, the invitation for you to move in with me is an open invitation, so you don't have to decide right now."
"I accept," Angelica quickly replied.
"Okay. Great," Erica replied. "It's been over a year since you visited me. Do you remember where my house is?"
"I do not," Angelica replied.
"I'll write down my address and phone number for you," Erica told her while pulling out a pocket size notepad and a pen from her breast pocket. "Oh, and my keys are in my purse and my purse is in my locker at the police station. So, when I find the chance to do so, I'll make a copy of my house key for you."
"Okay," Angelica replied.
"When does your shift end?" Erica asked as she writes.
"The shop closes at eight, but I have to stay late to help clean up," Angelica began. "So, I won't get to leave until nine."
"Okay, unless a possible murder victim turns up between now and six, my shift ends at six," Erica began. "So, I'll be back sometime after six to give you a key to my place."
"Okay," Angelica replied with a slight grin.
As Erica ripped out the page from her notebook, she continued to say, "Oh, and if you need a ride…"
"I still have my car, Erica," Angelica informed.
"You do?" Erica rhetorically questioned in a slightly surprised tone. "That's unexpected."
"Why is that?" Angelic asked.
"You're using an alias, so Mom can't track your movements, but the license plate on your car can also be used to track your movements," Erica pointed out.
Angelica embarrassingly chuckled before saying, "And after three months, that fact should have occurred to me."
Erica slightly shrugged before saying, "I've missed a few obvious clues as well during my time on the force. Besides, you showed little to no interest about being a police officer or a detective."
"Still, I should have known better than to drive a car with the same set of plates," Angelica replied. "However, it does prove you right about Mom not coming after me."
"She does want you to come home, but she wants you to come home when you are ready," Erica pointed out.
Angelica nodded as if to accept what was said before saying, "Okay, well, I'll see you tonight." She then gestured towards the door. "I need to get back to work."
Erica nodded with a grin before saying, "Oh, ah, I swear that I'm not spreading the Grimm's propaganda when I say that the Umkippen syndrome is real."
"I know," Angelica replied. "Billy Blackwaters suffers from it. For a lifelong treatment, he must keep himself from woging for the rest of his life… if he can."
"Why is Billy suffering from Umkippen syndrome?" Erica asked.
"Hunting is… or was, anyway, his favorite pastime, and when he hunted, he would be constantly Woged for weeks on end," Angelica began. "Two years ago, after being out in the woods for about two to three weeks, he returned to the Ducklin Hunting Lodge (a Wesen only hunting lodge), and once he got there, he had a hell of a time retracting his woge. Lucky for him, there was a doctor at the lodge who knew how to handle someone with Umkippen syndrome."
"Okay, well, if you know about Umkippen syndrome, then why did you accept a job here?" Erica asked.
"It took years for Billy to develop Umkippen syndrome, and—according to Billy—the early signs for the syndrome are severe agitation, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde type blackouts and being able to fully woge as easy as a bird stretching its wings. So, I know what to watch out for; plus, I have no plans to be working here for more than a few months."
"Okay," Erica replied in an accepting tone. "Be safe and I'll see you later."
"I should be telling you to be safe," Angelica replied as she and Erica moved towards the door. "After all, you're the one who will most likely get shot at."
"True," Erica replied as she reached for the door.
"Don't open the door yet," Angelica quickly told her. "I have to get back into character."
"You know, since you will be living with me, you don't need to work here, even for a few months," Erica pointed out as she had hold of the doorknob.
"I'm not going to sponge off of you, so for now, yes, I do need this job," Angelica replied.
"Aright," Erica replied in an appeasing tone just before Angelica could fully woge into a Balam.
Erica opened the door and then allowed Angelica to leave first.
"I'll see you later, Sis," Erica told Angelica before moving towards the exit.
"Ditto," Angelica quickly replied.
Before Erica could reach the door, Theodore stepped up to her and said, "I trust that everything is good with you and your sister."
"Yes, everything is good," Erica confirmed. "Before today, I didn't know that Jolene was in Portland. In fact, before today I didn't even know her whereabouts and I wanted to make sure that she was okay… which she is. Also, I invited her to move in with me. So, FYI, I will be stopping by sometime after six to give her a copy of my house key."
"Thanks for the heads-up," Theodore replied.
"Not a problem. Bye," Erica told him before continuing towards the exit.
"Bye," Theodore replied as Erica was walking away.
As Erica was leaving the shop, Theodore went back to what he was doing before.
Erica got halfway to Nick's vehicle when Nick received a text from Officer Lee Maddison.
Lee was a Kehrseite-Schlich-Kennen who learned about the Wesen world last Halloween when a fully woged Löwen died before his eyes and then reverted to his human form. The incident was caught on his body camera, so Hank and Nick didn't try to convince him that what he saw didn't happen. Instead, Nick took Lee to his Grimm books and gave him a crash course on what he needed to know. Now if Lee would come across something that was possibly Wesen related, he would bring Nick in to assess the situation.
Nick was closing out his message app when Erica climbed into the vehicle.
"Perfect timing," Nick told Erica. "Lee is requesting my assistance."
"What's going on?" Erica asked.
"He didn't say," Nick replied as he was backing out of his parking space. "He just texted me an address and asked me to meet him there. So, I guess we'll find out what's going on when we get there."
"Okay, well, the woman inside is Angelica," Erica informed as she took out her phone. Nick shifted into drive and slowly drove towards the parking lot's exit. "I'm going to call my mom and let her know that I found her. Except, I have a hunch that my mom knew that Angelica was in Portland."
"Why do you think that?" Nick asked.
"Because she is still driving the same car that she has had for the past five years, and during the past three months, she never once considered that her movements could be track by traffic cameras," Erica replied.
"And an experienced and resourceful private detective like your mom could easily track her every movement," Nick added.
"Exactly," Erica replied as she hit the Mom button.
"Erica, I'm with a client," Lucia (Erica's mom) informed after picking up. "Can you call me back in about thirty minutes?"
"I can, but I'm calling about Angelica," Erica replied.
"What about Angelica?" Lucia questioned and then gestured towards her client that she will be a moment.
"She's here in Portland," Erica informed. "Although, since she is driving the same car that she has had for the past five years, I suspect that you knew that."
Lucia amusingly chuckled before saying, "I knew since Tuesday that she was in Portland. I also know that she has been going by the name of is Jolene Garcia. Anyway, did she come to you, or did you just happen to cross paths with her?"
"Actually, I got wind of another Balam woman in town, and there aren't that many Balams in Portland," Erica informed. "So, I went to her work to find out one way or the other if the woman was her."
"She has a job there," Lucia commented as if to herself. "Where is she working?"
"She's working as a saleswoman at Costumes-Year-Around," Erica informed.
"Do you know where she's staying at when she's not working?" Lucia questioned.
"She had been crashing at someone's house, but she has accepted an invitation to come live with me," Erica replied.
"That's good," Lucia replied.
"Mom, she's still not ready to see you or speak with you. So, please, no surprise visits," Erica requested.
"I wasn't planning on it," Lucia replied.
"I just wanted to get that out there," Erica replied.
"Okay, well, is there anything else?" Lucia asked.
"No, that's it," Erica replied. "So, I'll let you to get back to your client. Love you."
"Love you, too. Bye," Lucia replied.
"Bye," Erica echoed before hanging up and putting her phone away.
Minutes later, Nick and Erica were stepping up to Lee outside a house. Two other officers were standing closer to the house and had exchanged waves with Nick and Erica.
"Wow, there are rotting bodies inside," Erica informed once the greetings were over. "I can smell them."
"You have a good sense of smell," Lee replied. "The mailman smelled them too, and had called it in; however, the bodies… three in fact, are large breed dogs."
"Please tell me that you didn't summon us here because you found dog carcasses," Erica requested.
"Of course not," Lee replied. "I called you here to show you what else I found besides the three large dog carcasses. Oh, and by the way, the dogs had died from starvation and thirst while in their individual cages. And going by the decomposing carcasses and how much mail had piled up, I'm certain that Warren Schumacher, the owner of the house, hasn't been home in over week."
"Okay, well, lead the way," Nick replied.
Lee nodded before walking away. Nick and Erica followed; however, the other two officers remained where they were.
The mailbox was next to the door, and it was stuffed with mail. Nick and Erica glanced at the mail when they walked past it.
While taking shallow breaths, Nick, Erica and Lee walked past the three large cages, each with a dog carcass inside, and into the basement.
"As the three of us were searching the house, while looking for Warren Schumacher and expecting to find him dead as well, I found a trapdoor that leads into a subbasement," Lee began. "And, Nick, what I found in the subbasement is what I need you to see."
"Okay," Nick replied as he and Erica followed Lee to the trapdoor.
"Wow, there's a heavy bleach smell down here," Erica commented.
"Yeah, I accidently knocked over the bleach bottle when I was searching down here, and it's a good thing I did too," Lee replied.
"Why's that?" Erica replied while covering her nose and mouth slightly.
"Because when I first came down here, there was a table over the trapdoor, so I didn't see it at first," Lee began as they were reaching the trapdoor. Lee pulled out his flashlight. "It was only after I knocked over the bleach bottle and saw where the spilt bleach had gone when I noticed the trapdoor."
"So, what did you find below the trapdoor?" Nick asked.
"Human bones; lots of them, and they looked to have been gnawed on by another human," Lee informed. "First, I thought cannibalism, but then I thought that a Wesen might be capable of doing something like this, and that was when I texted you."
"Okay, well, let's go take a look," Nick replied.
"It's dark down there, so you will need this," Lee told Nick while holding out his flashlight for Nick to take.
Nick took the flashlight before leading the way into the subbasement.
After getting to the foot of the steps within the sixteen-foot by sixteen-foot subbasement, Nick shined the light in every direction. Erica and Lee were respectively a step higher of each other.
Human bones and skulls that could create over fifty adult skeletons were in several large piles.
"So, what do you think?" Lee questioned. "Could this be Wesen related or is this just cannibalism?"
"I'm certain that we are dealing with a Wesen; a Wendigo, in fact," Nick replied. "Have you or one of the others called this in?"
"Not yet," Lee replied.
"Okay, well, do so," Nick told him. "However, you'll need to treat this as cannibalism, and I'll make sure that the captain knows what we are dealing with."
"Okay," Lee replied.
"I'm going to check out that bundle of mail I saw in the mailbox and see if there's anything useful," Nick informed as he turned to face the stairs.
As Lee led the way up the steps he shared, "There's a license plate renew notice among the mail."
"That will be helpful," Nick replied.
Nick stopped at the mailbox as he, Erica and Lee were leaving the house; however, instead of taking the mail, he wrote down the information that he needed in his notebook.
After putting the mail back into the mailbox, he got out his phone, called the police station and put out a bolo on Warren's Jeep Renegade.
As Nick was reading off the license plate number for the Renegade, Lee called for a CSU teem, and after the calls were made, Nick and Erica stuck around and spoke with the person in charge of the CSU team before leaving.
By 4:45 P.M., Nick and Erica were back at the police station. Erica went to her locker to retrieve her house key, while Nick went to his desk and ran a background check on Warren Schumacher.
Warren was thirty-two years old. He stood 5' 10" and weighed one hundred and ninety pounds. He had brown eyes and dark brown hair. His employment was with the Portland Crematorium, and he had been employed with them for the past six years.
As Nick continued his research, he saw that Warren had been arrested for drunk and disorderly and a few assault charges. No time served for any of the charges, except for the time he spent in lock-up after being arrested. The longest time he spent in lock-up was three days before being release on his own recognizance. The last arrest was two years ago.
After reading what he did and seeing Warren's latest mugshot, Nick copied it and sent that copy to his cellphone. He then picked up the phone and dialed the Portland Crematorium.
"Portland Crematorium," a male voice began. "Merle Jones speaking. How can I help you?"
"Mr. Jones, I'm Detective Nick Burthardt of the Portland P.D.," he began. Erica was reaching her desk as Nick continued, "I'm looking for Warren Schumacher."
"Yes, well, join the club," Merle replied in a frustrating tone. "He missed work seven days in a roll, and his cellphone is going straight to voice mail."
"I would like to get his cellphone number from you," Nick informed. "What is it?"
"I'll give it to you, but I doubt it will do you any good," Merle replied. "It hasn't done me any good."
"You will be surprised on how helpful his number will be even if he doesn't answer it," Nick replied before getting the number from Merle. Nick then continued, "Mr. Jones, before I hang up, would you know the places where Warren would frequent?"
Nick wrote down the name to a few bars and restaurants before thanking him for his help and hanging up.
"So, who is Mr. Jones?" Erica asked once Nick was off the phone.
"Warren works for Portland Crematorium, and Merle Jones is either Warren's coworker or boss," Nick replied. "I didn't bother to find out which. Anyway, Mr. Jones has given me Warren's phone number and a few places that he would frequent."
"I'm assuming that you are going to have Wu or one of the officers to find out when and where Warren's phone was last pinged by a cell tower," Erica said as Hank was walking towards them.
"I am," Nick replied before glancing over the room and seeing Hank moving their way. When Hank got a few steps from him, he greeted him with "Captain."
"I got the DNA comparison back between you and Emma," Hank replied as he stepped up.
"And?" Nick questioned.
"You and she share seventy-eight percent DNA," Hank informed. "Emma had guessed that you and she would share that much, and she was right. She was also right about the lab technician scratching his head. In fact, he wants to take another sample from Emma and test it. He thinks that the first sample was contaminated with your DNA somehow."
"So, what now?" Erica asked.
"Now, I go talk with Emma and bring her up to speed about us in this reality," Nick replied.
Hank leaned in before asking quietly, "Will you help her to get back into the… into the Mirror dimension?"
Nick leaned in as well before replying quietly, "I'm not sure if it's even possible to reopen a portal into the Mirror dimension."
"Eve did it and so did you," Hank pointed out. "So, why can't you do it again?"
Nick again talked quietly as he replied, "When Eve did it, the Zerstörer wanted it to happen, and when I did it, I used the stick… or staff fragment, I should say. And I believe the only reason that I was able to use the staff fragment was only because the fragment was still bound to the staff even though the staff was in another dimension."
"And the staff is whole and in this dimension," Hank concluded. "So, there won't be any pull."
"Actually, the staff isn't exactly whole," Nick quietly pointed out. "There is still a shallow grove along the length of the staff, as if there is another piece missing. That missing piece might be in Emma's reality."
"Please tell me that you aren't planning on retrieving it?" Hank requested.
"You have my word that I won't be doing that," Nick replied in a definite tone. "That staff is powerful enough without going after that missing piece. That's why I had hidden the staff away in the first place. However, that missing piece might be the answer that will help send Emma home. I'm going to have to get with Adalind and see what she thinks, and I really hope that we can get Emma home without me retrieving the staff from its hiding place."
"From the stories I've heard about that staff, I hope so too," Erica replied quietly.
Nick slightly grinned before saying, "Anyway, I should go talk with Emma."
"Before you do that, catch me up on this new case," Hank uttered.
Nick took a breath before telling Hank everything he knew. As Hank was giving Nick the green light to proceed, Nick's phone rang.
"It's Monroe," Nick announced before answering, "Monroe, what's up?"
"I got the particulars on that Wesen gathering that you asked me to watch out for," Monroe informed.
"Okay, let's hear them," Nick replied as he was clicking on the speaker button for Hank and Erica to hear.
However, Erica was able to hear the conversation without it being on speaker.
"The gathering is taking place tonight at Running Bear Lumber Mill, and it will begin promptly at 9:00 P.M.," Monroe began. "The owner to the Running Bear Lumber Mill, is Tobias Black; he's a Jägerbar."
Nick glanced around to see if anyone had heard Monroe, and when no one appeared to have heard, he asked, "And how did you get hold of this information?"
"I was invited to the meeting by Tobias Jr.," Monroe replied.
"I didn't know you had any connections to the Running Bear Lumber Mill; not that it matters," Nick replied.
"Well, technically I don't," Monroe began. "Last year, after I got rid of those termites that were eating my house, Tobias Jr. was the one who came in and replaced the floors and kitchen cabinets. Anyway, Tobias Jr. thought I would benefit from attending the meeting, so he has invited me, and I'm welcome to bring others."
"Okay, well, while going by what Olivia had written about it, I don't think that the Wesen gathering is anything to be too concerned about," Nick began. "However, I would feel better, Monroe, if you would go and check it out."
"I had a feeling that you were going to request that, so I have already made plans to do so," Monroe replied. "Also, on the off chance that I'll need back up, do you think that Erica would come with me."
"I'm here and listening, Monroe," Erica began. "And sure, I can come with you."
"Great," Monroe replied. "Since the gathering is going to start promptly at nine, I was going to get there by eight-thirty."
"Okay; I'll meet you there around eight-thirty," Erica told him.
"Great. Bye," Monroe said.
"Bye," Nick, Hank and Erica each said before Nick hung up the phone
As Nick was putting his phone away, he announced, "Now it's time to go and have a chat with Emma."
"Give me the number you got for Warren, and I'll have someone find out where his phone was last used," Erica told him.
"Alright; here," Nick replied while holding out his notebook for her to take.
Once Erica had the notebook, Nick, Erica and Hank went their respective ways.
To be continued