Nicole got out of the police car when it stopped in front of the rental house. "Thank you for the ride home," she said as she got out.

"Not a problem," Clive responded. He drove off once she was inside.

Her parents heard her come in and began asking questions about dinner and the family she was with. She gave them the best answers she could without giving any information on what she was really up to, barely managing to get away. She went into her room and almost immediately wanted to turn around and leave because she'd forgotten Hailey was waiting for her.

"I was wondering when you were coming back," she commented over the top of the magazine she'd gotten in town. "He must have been an awesome guy."

Nicole couldn't even force a smile. She was too wrapped up in questions, wondering just where he'd gotten the shirt and why he hadn't ever mentioned it, and why she didn't ask the questions swirling around her head when she had the chance. Hailey kept talking, but Nicole tuned her out. She didn't want to think about going out with another guy like Hailey was probably talking about. She took a shirt and a pair of shorts out of her dresser and went to the bathroom to change.

A few minutes of privacy would do her good, she hoped. She looked at herself in the mirror, and she didn't like what she saw. The girl staring back looked like her, but there was worry and guilt etched all over her face. She turned away from her and slowly undressed, planning on taking her time.

She remembered Ash telling her the story of how he tried to save the girl. What did she think he did with the shirt? He had to have done something with it. She knew that. But keep it? She had to admit, it did seem like an act of someone guilty. But he was sentimental. Maybe he kept it because of that? That could also be an act of someone guilty. She hated thinking this way about him, but his dad had a point. Keeping the evidence made him look like he did it. But maybe he didn't know what to do with it because he was scared? That seemed like him and was a pretty innocent reason. She had to ask.

---

Ashton did something he hadn't done in years: he went for a night run. He dug out his reflective tape and covered his sneakers before lacing up.

It was late when he got back, but his head felt clearer, and he felt calmer. He knew he wasn't going to lose Nicole. He knew things would work out and the real killer would be found. Nicole would make it happen. She'd never let him down.

These thoughts let him fall asleep with a smile.

The next morning, he woke up at dawn. He tried to go back to sleep, but he couldn't. Maybe another run would help him. His legs were sore after last night, but he got up and went out anyway.

He ran for miles. He lost track after the third. He ran along the beach near Nicole's cottage. He came to a stop, hands on his knees. Someone was at the window. He'd been seen. Great. Unless it was Nikki, they'd probably run him off. He sighed and began slowly walking. He was worn out. Before he thought he got down and lay on the sand.

A few minutes later, something surprising happened. Mrs. Downs sat next to him on the sand and had a glass of water. He sat up quickly and she handed him the glass. "Hello, Ashton."

"Hello, Mrs. Downs." He took a sip. It tasted okay, so he took a long drink. "Thank you for the water. I was just out on a long run this morning."

She smiled. "I saw." She watched the water with him in silence for a few minutes. "My daughter is very happy with you."

He swallowed. So this was going to be a 'stay away from Nicole or else' type of talk. Great. Life just got better.

"Would you come over for dinner tonight? My husband and I would like to get to know you a little better."

His eyebrows rose in surprise. "I'd love to, Mrs. Downs. What time should I be here?"

"Around six." She checked her watch and stood, dusting off the sand. "I'll see you then, Ashton." He handed her the empty glass, and she left him sitting in the sand.

He sat there a little bit longer before standing again. It was about eight or so. He took one last glance at the house. The curtains moved again and gave him the feeling of being watched. He rolled his neck and his shoulders. His rubbery legs didn't feel like he could make it back to his house, but he was going to try.

After a few running steps, he fell hard. A face-plant on the sandy sidewalk that ran in front of Nicole's cottage. He lay there stunned for a few moments. Before he could get up, the door flew open, and Mrs. Downs and her husband and Nicole all ran out of the house. Huh. So they had been watching him.

Mr. Downs helped him up into a sitting position. His forehead throbbed. He swiped at it and saw blood on his hand. He frowned. Mrs. Downs turned and ran inside. Nicole knelt in front of him. "How did you fall?" She was checking him over.

He shook his head. "I just fell is all."

"Well, don't do it again – you scared me." Her mom came running out and handed her something. She pressed it to his forehead. It felt cool, but he could tell it was just a damp paper towel. She applied just a little pressure. To make it stop, he realized. He was so tired things were slowly clicking.

Once the flow had stopped, Mr. Downs helped him to shakily stand on legs he knew now wouldn't get him all the way back to his cabin. The man led Ashton inside of the house. He felt his mind getting foggy. Slowly. Things made less sense. It didn't take him over, but he could tell something was wrong. He didn't think Mrs. Downs had slipped him anything. She wouldn't have. He could tell. When he saw he was in front of the couch, he sank down gratefully.

Nicole sat next to him and smoothed away the hair on his forehead. "Are you okay?" Her face looked pinched out of worry.

"I'm fine," he told her. Was it again? He couldn't really remember. "I just need to lie down for a few minutes." He closed his eyes and felt Nicole get off the couch. He rested his head against the back of the cushion. The next thing he knew there was stinging on his forehead. His eyes flew open. Nicole was seated in front of him, dabbing at his forehead. He realized she was cleaning it. When she finished and bandaged it, he felt himself drift off.

---

Nicole wouldn't leave the sitting room. Ashton was basically passed out on her couch. She couldn't leave. If she did, she would feel horrible. It was all she could do to leave to use the restroom. Somehow, it was her fault. It had to be. But what had she done?

She reached over again and pushed the hair away from his eyes. This time she noticed he was damp. Did he have a fever? She moved her hand to feel his face but he felt normal. He couldn't have had any fever, anyway. She frowned a little more.

"Give it a rest," Hailey said exasperatedly as she came into the room. "He's fine."

She shook her head. "Then what happened to him? He fell. He never falls." She turned scared eyes to her friend. "He never falls," she repeated as her friend came to a stop by her side. "He never even loses his balance."

Hailey touched her arm reassuringly. "But he's been running. He told your mom he'd been running. He probably just ran farther than he intended to, and he just got exhausted."

Nicole frowned. That was a reasonable explanation, but still. Something wasn't sitting right with her. She couldn't figure out what it was. "But there was something else wrong." She studied him carefully. He hadn't moved since he fell asleep earlier. She couldn't tell if he really was sleeping or unconscious. Maybe if she prodded him a little . . .

His eyes fluttered open but closed right back. He made no other movement. That was it – she needed to get the town doctor. She got up and turned to Hailey. "I'm heading into town to get the doctor, see if he'll come out here."

Hailey stood too. "What if he wakes up? He's just sleeping!"

Nicole turned to her and quickly scanned her face. "Even you don't believe that." She sighed. "If he does, text me. I'll be back soon with the doctor, I hope."

---

Benson wasn't busy when Nicole arrived, out of breath. He was standing at the front desk, talking to his secretary. When she burst in, he turned, startled. "What's wrong, miss?"

She rested her hands on her knees and held up a finger. After a moment she'd caught her second wind and could speak. "Something's wrong with Ashton. I don't know what it is, but he fell in front of my cottage and then he was acting weird after that. He's on our couch and I can't tell if he's just sleeping or if he's unconscious."

He listened carefully. "Where's your cottage?" She gave him directions and he nodded. "You should ride back with me. You shouldn't run like that if you're not used to it."

Five minutes later, Benson was sitting next to Ashton. "When did he fall?"

"About thirty minutes ago."

He nodded, checking Ashton's vitals. He sighed. "Ashton, what did you get yourself into?" he asked in a voice that was barely a whisper.

"What?"

"Nothing." He finished his quick exam and faced Nicole and Hailey. "He's going to be okay for now, but he was slipped something this morning at some point." He turned away. "I can't tell for sure what it was without labs or a history from Ashton himself, but he's stable and as long as he doesn't get any more, he should be fine. He's sleeping it off right now."

Nicole nodded, feeling like she was about to cry again. "How long will it take for him to be okay?"

He began repacking his bag, a thoughtful look on his face. "He should be back to himself tomorrow morning or afternoon. It should have worked its way out of his system by then." He stood and began to walk to the door. "For now, the worst has passed. He'll probably be out for another hour because I think he was given something with a sedative in it. It would explain the deep slumber. Once that wears off, he can get up and walk."

"Thank you so much for coming," Nicole told him, walking him to the door.

He gave her a sad smile. "It's no problem, Nicole. I won't even charge you or him. Ashton is a great guy. There are people here that don't see it or refuse to believe it, but they're wrong. I've known him well for years. He'd never hurt anyone."

"I know." She returned his sad smile.

His face hardened. "I've heard rumors you were at Clive's house last night." Judging by the frown, Nicole guessed it wasn't a good thing. "Stay away from him. He's bad news. He's the one that started all that crap about him. Oh, nobody will admit to it because the people that started it had their pockets all lined with money. They won't sell out their own. Not easily, anyway."

Nicole shook her head. "I had no idea." This man would be seeing them together a lot more, so she felt she had to explain. She reached for the door handle but paused and peered thoughtfully at Benson. "You know the famous advice, 'keep your friends close and your enemies closer'? I'm a big believer." She left it at that and watched the puzzled man slip out into the daylight.

---

The room was bright when Ashton woke up. His head felt clearer, but it was still slow. He glanced around and saw Nicole sitting next to him on the couch. When he raised his arm, he found a blanket on him.

She looked over and smiled at him. "Hey, sleepyhead."

He smiled back. "Hey. I was sleeping?" His mind was catching up to him.

"Ya. Somehow, someone slipped you something."

He rubbed his head. Water. "Your mom brought me a glass of water earlier." He winced, regretting it the moment the words were out of his mouth.

She frowned, but it left so quickly he wondered if he actually saw it. "She didn't slip you anything. I was in the kitchen when she took the glass out of the cupboard, filled it with tap water, and brought it to you. She didn't add anything."

He reached over and touched her arm. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"I know." She gave him a brief smile. "I would have wondered the same thing." She fiddled with the edge of the blanket. "I had Dr. Benson come over and check you out when you collapsed on my couch. He said that you had been slipped some sort of sedative." He sucked in a breath. "Ash, is there anything you've eaten – maybe some of that stuff you threw out yesterday – that someone gave you?"

He thought. His mind still felt a little slow, but he concentrated. "I didn't eat any of the stew," he said slowly. "I didn't eat anything last night after you left. This morning I had some cereal-" He stopped. He remembered something. "Yesterday a man came into my house. He came in my back door and left out my front door. A cop."

"Mason," Nicole whispered.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "That guy? How do you know?"

She sighed. "I saw him in the forest hanging around your house. I took the long way back here just to avoid him. I knew why he was looking for me, and I wanted to put it off for as long as I could."

His curiosity got the better of him. "Why was he looking for you?"

She chewed her lip for a moment. "Well, he was coming to take me to your dad. I didn't want to go."

He nodded, understanding the feeling. There had been many days he felt the same. He dreaded going home and having to face him, so he would wander through the forest and take his time. Sometimes he would get home late and his mom would be worried to death, but his dad wouldn't really care. He'd just stay in his office until he went to bed, doing who knew what. Ashton would instead take the evening to play with his little sister; anything she wanted to do, he'd do willingly. He smiled to himself as he went back to the time she wanted to play dress up and she put makeup all over him. She even put him in one of their mother's dresses, claiming it made him prettier.

Nicole's hand touching his brought him back to the present. "What are you thinking about?" She gave him a warm smile that made him return it.

"Ella." She nodded, squeezing his hand. He frowned. "I wonder how her home life is."

"She seemed okay when I was over there last night."

"Maybe to you, but I could always tell if something was up. I wish I had gone with you."

Her eyes looked deep into his. "What would have happened if you had?"

Good question. He nearly shut his eyes, but forced himself to instead focus on the pretty girl in front of him to stop the images that came to him. Her eyes sparkled with life. Those green eyes. Like the sea after a storm, he thought. He reached out before he could think twice and ran a finger over her lashes gently. He rested his palm on the side of her face. She leaned into his hand. Her eyes closed as he ran a thumb lightly over her cheek. He gave her a kiss on her forehead before hugging her closer.

Someone cleared his throat nearby and he looked up to find her dad watching them. He felt his face turn red and he pulled away from Nicole. "Hello, Mr. Downs." Nicole pulled away and leaned back on the arm of the couch.

"Hello, Ashton." He rocked on his feet for a moment. "Are you feeling better?"

He nodded. "Yes, sir."

Mr. Downs nodded back. "Good." Awkward silence. "Let's you and I have a talk after dinner, shall we? In the meantime, give my daughter a little space." He walked away and Nicole moaned into one of the throw pillows.

"Sorry," she said, peeking up at him from the pillow, words muffled.

His heart warmed. He gave her a small smile. "It's okay. He's just being a protective father, like he's supposed to be." His thoughts drifted back to his own dad, imagining how he'd be when Ella was older. He didn't like what he pictured and forced his thoughts back to the moment. "What have you found out about this stuff?" He didn't want to say anything to tip off her parents. He had a feeling they wouldn't like their little girl turning into a detective. It was a dangerous business.

She sat up and glanced at the hall her dad had disappeared down. "No," she said in a low voice. "But I know a couple of places I can start looking." She glanced at the hallway again. "In your dad's office-"

He shook his head firmly. There was no way. "Dad's office is off-limits."

She gave him a slight glare. "His office at your house has a laptop." She paused to let that sink in. "I was told to bring him anything I found on you, whether physical evidence or verbal. If I go when he's not at the station, I can tell them to let him know I'll leave it on his desk at home. Since you say no one is allowed in there."

He thought it over. It might work. Anything she left there he'd get, and no one else would find it there before he got home. There was just one thing. "He has a password."

She pressed her lips together. "So does just about everyone else on the planet, Ash. I know how to get around passwords on Windows 7 and 8."

He shook his head. "He has 10. When they were giving the upgrade away, he downloaded it. But he's got the passwords written down at his desk at work. They're in one of his drawers. I don't remember the exact one, but there's only five drawers."

She looked surprised. "How do you even know that?"

He shrugged. "I used to go to work with him when he thought I was going to actually take over later. I wasn't there very long, but I still remember a lot."

She thought it over. "I can find them. Easy." She smiled at him. "Now, tell me something that could be suspicious." She leaned back and watched him with rapt attention.

He eyed her. "Did you tell him about me taking her to the beach? Or the doctor?"

She paused, thinking. "No, but I don't think I should mention the beach," she said slowly. "That's one thing I think could pin him, so if I did, he'd probably make sure that evidence disappears. But Benson is a witness, and I've been told I can interview anyone whether I have an officer with me or not." Her eyes lit up in a way he could tell meant she had an idea.

"What are you planning?"

She shook her head as she stood. "You'll see. Now, I might be a little late for dinner, but go ahead and eat if I'm not here." She left before he could stop her – not that he truly thought he could.