“No, it isn’t.”

“Sometimes I wonder how I’m supposed to get through the whole rest of my life without him. I feel like he’s going to show up one day and breeze into the office like he’s been on vacation and pick up where he left off. Maybe this whole thing was a bad dream.”

Sam put an arm around him. “It hasn’t been all bad.”

“Do you think we ever would’ve found each other again if he hadn’t been killed?”

“I’d like to think so.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“Might’ve taken a little longer, though.”

“What would you say if I told you I’d been thinking about going to see Thomas?”

Sam stared at him, wondering if she’d heard him right.

“I know it’s hard to believe I want to see the person who killed my best friend. But I just keep thinking he’s John’s son, and what would I want him to do if the roles were reversed?”

“You’d want him to see your boy. To see if he needed anything. To maybe understand why he’d done what he did.”

As his eyes filled, Nick nodded.

Sam squeezed his hand.

“Maybe after we get back.” He wrapped his hand around hers and stood. “Thanks for coming with me.”

“No problem.”

“Let’s go get Scotty.” Nick took a long last look at his best friend’s grave and then turned to walk with her back to the car.

Being with Scotty helped to put them in a festive mood. The boy was so excited to be included in the wedding that his excitement fueled hers.

Freddie was waiting outside the house when they returned from Richmond. Sam introduced Scotty to Freddie and told Nick she’d join them inside in a minute.

“What’s up?” she asked her partner.

“We’ve done a thorough run on Gardner’s credit cards, bank statements and other receipts, and from what we can tell, he was in town on December 28, 2008.”

A buzz of anticipation rippled through her. “Is that so?”

Freddie nodded. “He’s not talking, though. Lawyered up big time.” Freddie named a prominent local defense attorney. “How do you want us to proceed?”

Sam glanced at the warm light coming from her living room. “It seems I have other things I need to attend to in the next few days, so let’s put it on hold for now. Since Gardner isn’t going anywhere, I can have a go at him when I get back. In the meantime, if you and Gonzo want to dig into some of his known associates and see what you can find out, that would help.”

“Will do, boss.” He looked down at the sidewalk and then at her, seeming chagrinned. “So I um talked to Elin. She’s coming tomorrow.”

“Good for you.”

“Thanks for giving me the push I needed.”