Melissa closed the drawer of Nick's bedside table, sighed, and went over to his closet. "Have you found them?" she called out to Vic, who was in the bathroom.

"No, nothing. You having any luck?"

Melissa frowned. "No. I wonder where he put them." She stared at his endless line of suits, one for every occasion or alias.

Victoria walked into the closet. "Nick wanted to hide them from you. Where would he think was a good place?"

Melissa smiled a little. "Perfect question."

She suddenly noticed the dark circles under her friend's eyes and the grayish pallor of her skin. "Thanks for helping me, Vic."

"I don't mind. I want to. Now, what was your good idea?"

"Follow me."

Melissa led the way into the basement, Victoria close behind. She and Nick had organized it last winter, so it was easier to get around now. Surveying the area, she found what she was looking for. "Over there." She pointed to a large collection of camping equipment in the corner.

Victoria gave her an incredulous glance. "You and Nick camp?"

Melissa couldn't help but giggle. "No, just Nick. Hunting, boy stuff, you know. Anyway, he usually hides my Christmas presents in here. So maybe . . ." She started shifting things around. Victoria jumped in to help.

"Do you always snoop?"

"What?" Melissa picked up a large backpack and looked inside. It was empty, so she set it back down.

Victoria lifted a large canvas tarp. "Do you always look for your Christmas presents?"

"Usually. Is that bad?"

"No. I just never knew that about you. You seem so proper."

Melissa smirked. "I haven't always been. Guess I'm just a mash of contradictions." She found a cooler and opened it  - old Budweiser cans but no files. Repressing a sigh, she moved on to the next pile of junk.

She lifted up some sleeping bags. When she saw the tote bag filled with folders and notebooks her heart began to pound. And when she recognized Nick's scribble on the pages she thought it might leap out of her chest and run away.

She wished that she hadn't been so stubborn, and it was hard not be consumed with anger at herself. But she had found the folders and Nick's notes, so she could try to further the progress he had made and give his sacrifice some meaning—and maybe save the lives of some children in the process.

Melissa asked, "Do you mind helping me bring this stuff upstairs?"

Vic looked at the large bag. "I bet it's heavy. How about we each take a handle and carry it up that way?"

Melissa picked up the right side and Victoria the left. They went right into Nick's office and plopped the tote on the wood floor.

Victoria suggested, "I can look at the files, and you can start with the notebooks."

"Okay." Melissa picked up the notebooks and sat in Nick's favorite leather chair. It made her feel closer to him.

Opening up the first one, she found a chart of foster children that all had incredibly high IQs, just like she suspected. She flipped the page—more of the same.

"Hey, Mel, come look at this." Victoria was seated at Nick's desk with an open file in front of her.

Melissa moved behind Vic and looked over her shoulder. The name Sidney Ryder was stamped across the top. " Oh my God. I need to sit down." She staggered back to Nick's chair and fell into it, clutching her knees against her body.

Vic read through the file aloud. Finally, she reached the part Melissa dreaded. "The mother left the child alone overnight. When she returned—"

Melissa interrupted. "That's enough." She covered her eyes with her hands. "I can't hear anymore."

"Melissa, there's something else in here, some notes that Nick took. Apparently, he visited some families who fostered the targeted children."

"Was Sidney one of them?"

Victoria shuffled through the papers. "Yes."

"Let me see."

She handed Melissa the sheet without comment.

Melissa glanced over it rapidly. "The Walkers. I have to go, Vic." She rushed out of the room.

Victoria ran behind her as she skidded into the garage. She'd forgotten that the bloodstains were still there, and she closed her eyes for a moment, forcing herself not to cry. Then they were in Nick's car and pulling onto the highway. She couldn't think, evaluate, or decide. She just needed to do. It was the only thing that kept her from breaking down and sobbing.

~~~

As they drove, Victoria asked, "Are you sure you're ready for this, Mel?"

"How could I ever be ready? But I have to. Maybe they can tell me something about Sidney."

"I'm sure they can. But realize that they probably aren't aware what happened to him."

Melissa stared through the windshield, driving as if on autopilot. "I know. But they could tell me if his eyes stayed blue, what color his hair was, if he smiled a lot, when he crawled and walked, when . . ." Melissa sniffed. "I'm sorry."

Victoria clasped a tiny hand over Melissa's knee. "There's nothing to be sorry about."

Melissa's phone rang.

"Do you want me to see who it is?"

Melissa nodded.

Victoria pulled the phone out of the cup holder. "Answering for Melissa Ryder." She listened for a moment and then said, "Mel! Go to the hospital now! Nick might be waking up."