Ch. 7: Deep and shallow

As far as he knew, there was no way to access the far side of the river without an ATV or on foot. There were no roads or trails that were wide enough for a vehicle. So, Walt drove to the spot Vic directed him to telling him it was where the body was found. The Bronco rolled to a stop and they got out. Vic tipped her head back and looked around.

"Looks a lot different when you're not investigating a death in the middle of the night."

It was a beautiful spot. The trees parted where the river bank widened creating an open space where one seemed unlikely. It would be a good fishing spot, or simply somewhere to get away and be alone. It was certainly isolated.

The perfect place to dump a body. This time of year, there wouldn't be anyone out here for recreational purposes. Especially not in the dark when the cold was at its deepest.

"So…how do we get over there."

Vic stopped at the edge of the constantly moving water and looked across. Walt joined her and scanned the far bank. There would be no crossing here. The water would be too cold and moving too fast. It was a risk that was not worth taking. He shifted his eyes.

"Walk some to find a spot."

"What if there isn't one?"

Walt started walking and he heard Vic behind him.

"There's always something."

"Yeah, but how far?"

"Don't know. Have to see."

Vic quickened her pace and moved into his peripheral.

"You know…you really missed your calling as a nature guide."

She looked at the river as they walked.

"We're not gonna have to wade that, are we?"

"Too risky in this weather. We just have to keep walking until we find a way over."

"Sounds fun."

She went quiet after that and the only sounds were the water rushing by and the sounds of their footsteps over the ground. The trees closed back in around them as the bank narrowed, forcing them to walk closer to the river.

"Watch your step. You don't want to fall in."

Vic cut her eyes in his direction.

"You got that right."

He smiled to himself.

"You know…a place like this would be a good camping spot. Right time of the year, you could probably go days without seeing anyone."

He heard Vic huff beside him.

"If you want to go days without seeing people."

"Being completely alone can be good for the soul."

"We'll have to agree to disagree on that. Also, I don't think I would want to camp here after what I saw the other night."

Walt frowned.

"Crimes like that ruin beautiful places. This should be a place of peace, not death."

"You sound like Henry."

Walt stopped and Vic stilled beside him.

"What?"

He gestured.

"Up there. See the way the land drops?"

"Yeah."

"We can probably walk across."

"Through the water."

"If you're looking for a bridge, that's not gonna happen."

"Damn."

He could hear the sarcasm in her voice.

"This way."

She followed him as he cut around some trees and peered up the river.

"Up there."

He placed his hand on her back and steered her in front of him. His preference was to be able to see her. Wordlessly, Vic stepped in front of him and walked carefully along the river. She must have seen the spot he was talking about because she headed right for it. As they approached, Walt came alongside her and peered at the water.

"This is as good as it gonna get without walking miles."

The water was shallow here as it worked its way around the rocks that protruded up and out. Their boots would get wet. But, if they stayed on the rocks, they could keep their feet mostly dry. Even if their feet did get wet, they weren't that far from the Bronco. It seemed like the best option since he didn't know if there would be another place like this one close by.

"Just watch where you step."

Walt started across first with Vic just behind him. One of her hands was stretched in his direction as though she may need him for balance. The water swirled around them and gurgled as they slowly made their way across the river. Vic was quiet and he could see the concentration on her face as she kept her eyes on where she was putting her feet next. Had it not been so cold, they could have crossed much faster. But, landing in the water as cold as it was would make for a miserable walk back.

He felt a trickle of water inside his boot and ignored the feeling. Another minute passed and he stepped up onto the opposite bank. Once he was sure of his footing, he reached out to Vic. She took his hand in a firm grasp and he hauled her up onto dry land. Vic made a face and stomped her feet on the ground.

"My feet got wet."

"Yep. Let's get moving."

They started back in the direction they came, picking their way through the stands of trees that littered the bank. Walt could understand how one could observe from this side and not be seen. The woods were much more dense and there was less open bank. He estimated they had traveled about a half mile to find a place to cross. Vic alternated between watching where she stepped and looking for whatever cabin Jace had mentioned staying in. The idea didn't surprise Walt. There were old hunting cabins scattered through a good bit of unpopulated Absaroka. Many of them were still used. There were those that had been abandoned and left for nature to reclaim.

Walt looked across the river and could see the Bronco appearing into their line of sight. He paused and gestured.

"Should be around here somewhere."

Vic shoved her hands into her pockets as she walked and looked into the trees. Knowing what they were looking for helped and it didn't take them long to find it.

xxx

Cabin was a kind word for the small, dark shape that loomed a few feet inside the trees. Vic didn't think it would have ever passed for much more than a shack. Then again, if it was used primarily for hunting, that might be good enough.

The rough hewn wooden boards were rotted and bowing under the weight of the partially collapsed roof. The entire back portion of the roof had fallen in on that part of the cabin. What must have passed for a fireplace was a crumbled pile of stones. The front portion still had walls that were mostly erect. The roof, or what was left of it, had a big gaping hole that allowed one to see the trees overhead. Just underneath the hole, there was section of floor where the boards were pulled away to reveal the earth underneath. The ground had been dug out to make a makeshift firepit. It was filled with ashes and the remnants of a fire. The rest of the cabin looked as though it had been stripped of what might have been there once. Probably busted up for firewood.

Vic dipped her head inside and looked around. Walt pressed by her and stepped through the doorway. He looked up and around as Vic came in behind him and broke the silence.

"Charming."

Near the fire was an old mattress. A torn blanket was wadded up on the mattress and Vic could see a number of stains whose origins she wouldn't even want to guess.

"That kid was staying here."

Vic looked over to Walt.

"He's homeless, Walt."

She said it with certainty.

"Yeah."

Homelessness was not a visible problem in Durant or Absaroka County. That was more of an issue in bigger cities. That didn't mean there were not homeless people. It simply meant there weren't that many and they stayed out of town and out of sight. The kid might not have even been from here. He could have been moving through the area on his way somewhere else. With the little information they had and no last name, there was no way for them to know that.

"He must have some survival skills. Hard to make it out here like this."

Vic didn't respond to the comment. He was right. Durant didn't have the homeless shelters and resources that would be available in a place like Cheyenne. If you made the choice to live in a place like this, you were on your own.

"He's probably transient, used to it."

Walt looked up at the opening in the roof.

"Looks like a tree felt on this at some point. That's…"

He pointed.

"…part of what made that. The rest is time and decay."

"Doesn't look like it was much of anything."

Walt moved over to a window that no longer held any glass panes.

"It's an old one. Not nice like people build them now. This would have been a place to sleep and eat. Nothing else. Close to the river for water and fishing would be a choice spot. I could see the draw for poachers now. Remote spot, water source. Right time of year there's probably plenty of game for the taking."

"Do you really think we're looking for a poacher?"

Walt pushed the brim of his hat up.

"We're looking for someone who was familiar with the area. What does that tell you?"

"That they either live around here or they come here. Or…both."

Walt dipped his chin.

"Also…"

Vic stepped outside and started making her way towards the edge of the trees. Walt walked behind her at a slow pace.

"…we only found this body because someone called with a tip. A woman. That means it wasn't Jace. He doesn't sound anything like a woman."

"No. So…maybe our murderer has a woman in his life who saw something or knew something. A wife or girlfriend."

"That would mean she's in danger."

"An anonymous call means that she knows that."

Vic stopped and looked out at the river. From where she stood she could see the spot where the body had been found. The line of sight was clear. In the daytime you would be able to see anything that went on along the bank. In the dark that would be a different story.

"His story checks out. You can definitely see from here."

"You didn't believe him?"

She glanced at Walt.

"I believed him. Just nice to have some confirmation that everything lines up. It doesn't really help us with a suspect, though."

Walt was quiet beside her. He was thinking. She was sure of that. He placed his palm on the trunk of a tree and leaned in a bit. She could admit without issue that she missed this. Working with him. Of course, they were together in a different way. It was just that she and Walt had always worked well together and without much effort. It was something she hadn't expected to find after leaving Philadelphia and a welcome change after the hostile environment she endured back home.

"Has Weston gotten back to you on any DNA results?"

Vic shook her head.

"No. There was no sexual assault so we're hoping something will come back from the nail scrapings."

Vic bit her bottom lip and looked away with a sigh.

"What?"

His voice was soft in the quiet that surrounded them.

"The things people do to each other. Her mother mentioned a boyfriend, but didn't know his name. But…"

Her words trailed off and she took in her surroundings.

"…unless he moved from here to Nashville he wouldn't know about a place like this."

The wheels were turning in her own mind now.

"We obviously need to find out who he is. I…"

She looked to Walt.

"…I'm starting to think this was really a crime of opportunity. We have her car left on the side of the road and moved later. We have a possible body dump here in the middle of nowhere. The story tells itself."

"Sounds possible."

Her brow furrowed.

"Possible or likely."

"I think you definitely need to rule out the boyfriend, or ex-boyfriend."

"Yeah, we're trying. We know where she worked now. The plan is to call tomorrow and try to find someone who was in the know about her life. Hopefully, we can get a name and do exactly that. I know…most crimes like this are someone the victim knows, but this may be an exception to that rule."

Walt nodded and she sensed he agreed with her. He was trying to keep her honest, though. It was what good cops did. Walt cleared his throat.

"We should head back."

He led the way and Vic followed.

xxx

Vic pushed through the door as soon as they got back to the cabin saying something about wet feet that contained a few expletives. He watched for a moment as she went up the steps and inside, the door closing quickly behind her. Walt busied himself unloading the horse feed he'd bought in town. With everything that happened, that felt like a day or so ago. Their day had taken quite a turn.

Truthfully, he hadn't minded the detour at all. He was content in his retirement and didn't regret the decision. It was the right move at the right time and it likely saved his life and gave him a new one. But, he would be lying to say there weren't days when he missed his old job and working with Vic. He didn't miss the darker aspects of the job. He certainly didn't envy the case that she was currently working on. He did miss the satisfaction that came with breaking a case open and solving a mystery. He missed the give and take that was the hallmark of their professional relationship.

What he missed was not enough to make him second guess his choice. The life that he was living now was the one that he wanted at this point in his life. This new existence was a much needed change that offered him something he thought was gone from his life once Martha passed. The brutal truth was he never really expected to live through all of it. Yet, here he was.

Walt hefted the bag of food onto his shoulder and carried it to the waterproof container that he stored it in. He dug out his pocket knife and made a slit in the top. Shoving the knife back into his jeans, he lifted the bag and dumped the contents into the heavy duty plastic container. The horse heard the food and started across the pasture in his direction with a neigh. Walt scooped some into his feeder and watched as the big animal walked across the snow packed ground and buried his nose into the food.

Walt noted the thick coat that could use a brushing before he rode the horse again. He reached over the fence and patted the horse on the neck. The horse ignored him and continued to eat.

Typical.

He made a mental note that he would need some hay in the coming week. During the winter months there was no grass for grazing. The horse depended on him more than when the weather was warm and the snow melted. Walt figured it was a mutually beneficial relationship.

He left the horse to his meal, tossed the scoop back into the container, and snapped the lid firmly into place. With an unhurried gait he headed for the cabin. He paused at the bottom of the stairs and stomped the snow and mud off the edges of his boots. Inside he took extra care to wipe his feet on the doormat. He saw Vic's discarded boots sitting by the door and slipped his own off.

He heard her before he saw her and knew that she was at the kitchen table talking to Cady. Not wanting to interrupt, he took a few minutes to work on the fire and warm up the cabin. Once the flames were higher, Walt stood there and rubbed his hands together warming himself up. From where he stood he could hear parts of Vic's conversation. Once she went quiet he left the fire and walked into the kitchen.

Her laptop was open and she was leaned in with her eyes on the screen. As he approached, she kept her eyes on the screen and typed.

"My feet were freezing."

Walt dropped his eyes to where her feet rested on the floor.

"Change socks?"

"Yep. You should probably do the same."

Walt looked down at his own socks. They were damp and the material felt heavy and clingy.

"You talk to Cady?"

"Yeah."

"What does she think?"

Vic turned her eyes from the computer screen and met his eyes.

"That we need cover some serious ground tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

Vic nodded and pressed the top of her laptop down. She pushed back from the table and stood up, lifting her laptop and starting for the living room.

"Yeah, it's Sunday and the places that we need to call are closed. So…not much we can do today. I was just making some notes on the case."

She tucked her laptop into her bag and closed it. Vic placed the bag on the desk. She looked out the window.

"The wind is picking up."

Walt stepped up behind her.

"Yep. Gonna be a cold night."

Vic leaned back into him slightly and her back pressed into him. He tipped his face close to her hair and inhaled. They stood that way for a few quiet minutes before Vic took a breath and turned. Walt stepped back to give her space.

"And an early morning."

She looked up into his face.

"Not looking forward to that."

"That's one thing I don't miss."

Her eyes stayed on him.

"What do you miss?"

"Days like today."

"Traipsing through the river and scoping out potential murder sites."

The edges of his mouth turned up slightly.

"Investigating."

Her head bobbed slightly in understanding.

"The interesting part."

"Yep."

"What don't you miss?"

Walt reached out and moved some hair away from her face.

"People trying to kill me."

Her expression remained serious.

"Yeah, I don't miss people trying to kill you either. Do you have any regrets?"

It was not the first time they'd had this conversation. Parts of his answers were always the same. Others changed as he progressed further into his new life. This was the answer that hadn't changed and he knew never would.

"No. I have a lot of regrets in my life. That's not one of them."

She smiled at him and placed her hand on his chest.

"Good thing regrets aren't a competition. I could probably give you a run for your money. Right now, I regret this conversation about regrets. So, let's table that and discussions about murder, suspects, and crime in general."

Walt offered her a smile.

"What do you want to discuss instead?"

He already knew exactly how she would respond to that question. Vic reached out and ran her hand along the snaps on his shirt.

"You know…dinner…what to do after dinner…that sort of thing."

xxx

"How did it go with Henry?"

"How do you mean?"

They were in bed. Vic was on her back with her head turned towards him. Walt was on his side with his head propped up in hand. Vic managed not to roll her eyes at him answering her question with a question of his own. That annoyed her and he knew it.

"I mean…how did it go?"

"Good."

Vic did roll her eyes then.

"Walt, don't act stupid. You know I'm not talking about the roof."

He was quiet. He knew what she was asking him. He was hedging for some reason. Knowing Walt as she did, it wouldn't be all that hard to figure out if she really applied herself.

"What's wrong?"

She changed her approach.

"Nothing."

"Liar."

"I'm not lying."

"So…talk to me."

The words came out in an almost coaxing manner she found effective when they were alone. Walt tried. She knew that he did. He'd never been good at communication, though. It wasn't realistic to expect that to change without a struggle on both their parts. That didn't mean it wasn't tiring to be constantly trying to extract information from him as opposed to him simply volunteering. She tried to be patient with him. She was successful about half the time.

"Henry still seems…"

Walt paused.

"…wary."

The word came out sounding unsure.

"About me and you?"

Vic had a decent idea of what he was getting at. This wasn't exactly uncharted territory.

"Yes."

She watched him curiously.

"Does that bother you?"

"No."

"Then why that look?"

"I don't have a look."

"You did. Just now. Walt, I like Henry. You know that. But…he's not exactly a model for healthy relationships. When is the last time he was even with a woman for any length of time? A woman who didn't steal from him."

She tried to keep her voice even. She was telling the truth. She did like Henry. She knew his opinions were rooted in a concern for Walt's well being.

"Been a while."

He conceded her point without issue.

"Exactly. He's not the person I would go to for relationship advice. And…I don't really see where he's in a position to judge. I know women like him. He's friendly and charming. But…there's a difference between dating and actually being with someone."

"I don't think he means to judge."

"He worries about you and that's great. He's your best friend. That's what he should do. But…there's no good reason for him to still have doubts. Cady was worried too. She got over it. I don't work for you anymore. And…I wouldn't expect Henry to be weirded out by an age difference. So…is it me?"

He wasn't surprised by her bluntness.

"You?"

There was that question for an answer thing again.

"Does he not like the fact that you're with me?"

Vic just came out and asked.

He was quiet for a stretch. Either he didn't want to answer her question or he didn't know the answer. She wondered if Henry would actually come out and say that to Walt. While they had been friends for decades, recent years brought a great deal of turmoil to that friendship. It was a work in progress.

"He didn't say that."

There was no clarity to be found in Walt's answers. Not that Henry would be the only one with that opinion. She knew people talked when their relationship became public knowledge. There was certainly a lot to talk about. Walt was a respected member of the community who had been in office for a long time. Before that he was a deputy. He was also a widower with his deceased wife being a woman who was well known and liked within Durant's social circles. It was an intimidating situation to walk into if she really gave it thought.

But, for Vic, her focus was narrower than that where Walt was concerned. They'd both been through their own separate hells and came out the other end mostly intact. Those wounds ran deep, though, and would never truly heal completely. She'd never been one to care what people said about her of if they liked her. She was self aware enough to realize that there were a lot of people who didn't like her. Especially here in Durant where she was, and always would be, seen as an outsider. That was the way it was in small towns. She figured that out pretty quick after moving here.

The local newspaper certainly provided enough bullshit lies about she and Walt. The stories made the paper seem more like a tabloid than a legitimate source of news. It was no wonder Walt didn't read the paper. It was an exercise in frustration when the stories were about you and there were no actual facts.

"Maybe he doesn't want to piss you off."

She could tell by his reaction that Walt thought that was a possibility. He simply didn't want to give a voice to it. Walt's journey to tuning out others' opinions was harder than her own. Walt was never one to pander for votes, but he did have a self-imposed code of ethics that he forced upon himself. It was a code that, at times, stifled his ability to allow himself to be happy or satisfied with his life.

She'd called him out on it more than once.

Being with her forced him to take a look at what his life was and what he wanted his life to be. She knew that was a hard task for Walt. Retiring and removing himself from public life did make it easier. It was still a work in progress.

"It doesn't change anything for me."

That was his offering and it touched something inside of her chest.

"I know."

She did know that now. Most of the early apprehension that haunted her was gone now. It dissipated with every day that passed and Walt continued to assure her of his feelings and her place in his life. There were still moments. They just didn't come up as often anymore.

Walt cleared his throat and steered the conversation in a different, slightly less uncomfortable direction.

"There haven't been any more calls."

She'd been busy enough to not notice or think much about it since their earlier talk.

"Is the phone plugged in?"

"Yep."

"Maybe they got bored. Or…maybe they didn't expect me to call them back."

Walt gave her a look that was hard to read.

"You think it's over?"

"I don't know. I'd like to think so. But…when has anything ever been that easy for you or me?"

The answer was never and he didn't need to voice it. Neither of them was optimistic and never would be at this point. Walt breathed out a low laugh of agreement.

"I think it's more likely a response caught them off guard. I don't…"

She paused.

"…believe this is an innocent prank. Not with the regularity that we were getting calls. That was planned."

She could see on Walt's face that his thoughts ran along the same lines. The bigger issue was there wasn't much they could do about it and they both knew it. Phone calls were not harmful. No threats had been made. Hell, neither of them had actually spoken to anyone at all during the course of the calls.

"Yeah."

He murmured the words and she could see him thinking.

"What?"

Walt shrugged the shoulder he wasn't laying on.

"There's not much we can do other than investigate."

"I know. Today was so busy…"

"Try not to worry."

Vic gave him a sharp look.

"I'm not worried. It's…annoying more than anything. I…don't want to talk about this."

She was telling the truth. It was annoying as hell that there wasn't anything they could do. It pissed her off more than anything else. Were she not so busy at work, she would've dedicated more time to trying to solve the puzzle regardless of how little they had to go on.

She thought Walt might protest her statement. He didn't. His expression relaxed some and he let it go for the time being. She knew that being passive went against Walt's natural inclination to take over a situation.

The struggles of retirement.

"You should get some sleep."

Vic gave him a smile. He wasn't wrong.

"Yeah, well…there's lots of things I should do that I don't."

He returned the smile with a soft one of his own that matched the intent in hers.

xxx

Walt thought the phone must have woken him up. His eyes snapped open with a start. The bedroom was still dark around him. The room was comfortably cool with the fire he built before going to bed still putting out residual heat. He instinctively reached out an arm and his hand touched empty mattress beside him. Walt pushed up on his elbows and looked over. Even in the dark he could see that Vic wasn't there.

There was no sound in the cabin. If the phone had rung, it was not ringing now. Walt pushed off the lone sheet that covered him and got up. Out of habit more than anything else, he pulled on a pair of jeans and buttoned them as he left the bedroom. Walt found the rest of the cabin as dark and quiet as the bedroom.

Walt frowned as his now adjusted eyes roamed the space. He knew she wasn't in the bedroom or bathroom. The living room and kitchen were dark. The cabin was small and there was nowhere else inside that she could be. His eyes moved to the door. From where he stood he couldn't see the lock. Walt crossed the floor and peered at the knob.

Unlocked.

Going to bed without the door being locked was not something that Vic did. Never mind her experiences since moving to Durant. That was something that was deeply ingrained into her psyche due to being born and raised in the big city. There were still people in Durant who didn't lock doors. It was something Vic never failed to comment on.

Walt opened the door and stepped out onto the porch. He was met with a cold wind. It only took a minute for him to locate Vic. She was sitting in one of the chairs wearing a pair of sweatpants that doubled as sometimes pajamas and a gray hoodie he assumed she tugged on over her tank top. Her wool sock clad feet were pulled up onto the seat of the chair and the ghostly glow from the screen of her cell phone lit up her face. There was a blanket around her shoulders. She looked his way when the door opened.

"Vic, what're you doing out here?"

The confusion was evident in his voice. Vic lowered her legs and placed her feet on the porch. Her phone went dark as she sat there.

"We got another phone call."

Walt frowned at the comment.

"Tonight?"

"Yeah…"

Vic pushed up from the chair she was sitting in and rose. She walked by him and back inside. Walt followed and was locking the door when he heard Vic switch on a lamp. When he turned, she stood in the illumination the light provided. Now that he could see her better, she didn't look tired the way that he felt. It made him wonder just how long she'd been up.

"…I guess you slept through the phone."

"Same number?"

Vic shook her head.

"Same area code. Different number. Same shit, though. No talking or noise."

He eyed her.

"How long have you been up?"

"Up as it out of bed…not long. Up as in not sleeping…a while."

"Why can't you sleep?"

Vic shrugged.

"There's a lot going on. Guess I just have too much on my mind."

Walt considered her and she was clearly uncomfortable with the attention he was giving her just then.

"Anything I can do?"

"Not unless you can solve a murder and figure out who the hell keeps waking me up."

She gave him a humorless smile when she said it.

"Well, I can't solve your murder. But, maybe we can solve the second mystery."

Vic didn't look convinced.

"I already tried to find the second number. It's a cell that I can trace. Just like the first one."

"Maybe we should take this to Cady."

"And say what exactly? Some asshole is calling us and hanging up? That's not illegal. It doesn't count as stalking. It's like you said before…legally there isn't much we can do."

The way she said that specific word told him what she thought about it. Not that he blamed her. Legality could be a hazy concept at times. It wasn't as cut and dry as people would like to believe. There were always shades of gray.

"So…why were you sitting out on the porch?"

"Told you I couldn't sleep. I didn't want to wake you up. And, it was too quiet in here."

Walt wasn't entirely sure he believed what she was telling him. Her facial expression was hard to read and didn't tell him very much that was helpful.

"You're not generally in the habit of doing that."

Maybe it was the hour that made him press his luck with her. She gave him a sharp look.

"I didn't know I needed a pass or I would've asked you."

Walt sighed at the predictable response.

"Vic…"

She shook her head and he went quiet.

"I just couldn't sleep, Walt. Thought the fresh air might do me some good. Stop looking for what's not there."

He remained silent.

"You should go back to bed."

"So should you."

She shrugged off his comment.

"You want me to lay in the bed and keep you up?"

"I don't have to work tomorrow."

Walt held out his hand.

"C'mon."

When she hesitated, he expected her to stay where she was. After a few seconds, though, she took his hand. Her skin was still cool from being outside. She allowed him to tug her towards the bedroom.

"Do you want to talk?"

He gave her the offer once they were back in bed. Vic's head lolled his way so that their eyes met.

"You already know everything. I don't see what good talking would do. I don't like not knowing who is making these calls. And, I don't like unsolved murders. I know that we are all working on both…but that's not helping me right now."

"Are you tired at all. You don't look it?"

"My brain is tired."

He understood what she was saying. Vic kept her eyes on him.

"Must be nice to be retired. You don't have to worry about getting up in the morning."

"It has it's perks. And…I get up every morning."

"Yeah, but you don't have to get up early. You choose to get up early."

"Not all the time."

"Most of the time."

"Habit."

The truth was he'd always been an early riser for the most part. It was a habit instilled in him by his father that the day was wasting away if you laid in bed. No work equals no money for bills and groceries. There was a period of time in his life after Martha died that he did sleep late. Usually it was on the couch and after he passed out because of the numbers of beers he drank the night before. That part of his life melded with Vic's entrance into his life. In some ways, it was Vic who helped him get out of that funk and find his motivation again.

He hadn't ever told her that. Not that he could recall anyway. He was pretty sure he would remember such a conversation.

"Something wrong?"

Her question pulled him back into the moment. She was watching him with keen interest. Walt hadn't even realized that he went entirely silent on her while getting lost in his thoughts.

"No."

In the light of day, he would've expected her to push him and question why he was lost in his thoughts. At this time of night, or maybe morning, she let it go. Vic shifted around to get more comfortable. Walt settled in beside her. She was warmer now that she was inside and in the bed. Under the sheet, he could feel the heat radiating from her skin. It was a feeling that he took comfort in. That was one thing he missed after losing Martha. Simply being with someone the way that he was with Vic just then.

"Night, Vic."

She rolled onto her side and tugged at her pillow.

"Night."