“I think it’s best that you leave now,” he says after a moment.

Now, as if they had been given permission, the guys let themselves loose on me.

“Yeah, get out of here!” one yells.

“Who the hell does she think she is coming here and asking us to help that asshole?”

“Hope he rots in prison!”

“If he ever gets out, he better watch his back!”

I don’t make a move to leave.

“Ricky! Are you here? Ricky!” I plead.

I watch their faces and see one of them shy away from me. He looks a little bit like a kid who doesn’t want his name called in class because he doesn’t know the answer.

Could that be Ricky?

“Olive, you need to leave,” the boss says, leaning his head toward mine. He has a svelte and distinguished face but his eyes are bloodshot and menacing.

I decide not to push my luck. The men are all armed and this isn’t exactly a friendly situation. If any of them want to talk to me, they are not going to do it while they are in the middle of this group.

When I turn to walk away, someone yells, “And don’t come back!” after me.

I take the bus back to my apartment and get my car. Then I drive right back over. I don't really have the intention of coming back here and trying to push for more answers from hostile men, but I don’t know what else to do.

The supposed murder happened years ago and there were no witnesses. The only thing I have to go on was that at the time, Nicholas was friends with that guy named Ricky and he may have some insight as to what might have happened.

The same reasoning that brought me here keeps me here.

I sit in my car, parked on the street opposite the clubhouse. There isn’t much street parking here but if the rest of the block wasn’t abandoned with empty storefronts then there might have been some competition for spaces.

Rain starts to fall.

Big thick drops collide with my windshield and the ill-functioning windshield wipers do little to make the visibility better.

After a few moments, I give up entirely and shut the engine off.

I sit in the car for a long time trying to figure out what to do.

What if I do find out the truth and the truth points to Nicholas being guilty?

What do I do then?

Does that mean that it’s over?

Do I just let him go? Perhaps.

The thing is that right now I believe, or maybe just want to believe, that he’s innocent. But if I had proof to the contrary? Would I still feel the same way about him? Would anyone?

I take a deep breath and bury my face in my phone.

I need a distraction.