"You no longer believe she cared for you?"

"The fact that she's never come to visit tells me something."

"This is a pretty scary place, Charles. Maybe she's afraid. Maybe she has no idea how to handle it."

"She never answered when I called, either."

"Oh." How could Nate actually feel sorry for this guy? "Did she know what you were up to?"

"I told her a little bit. It's been a long time, though. I don't remember exactly how much."

"Do you think she might've had something to do with the money being stolen?"

Charles was shaking his head before Nate finished the question. "She'd never set foot in G&K's offices. She wouldn't have the foggiest idea how to go about something like that."

"Maybe she met somebody who did."

"I told her I was worried about Vinnie, but she didn't know there was anything illegal going on. I can't see how she could have been involved in any of it."

Nate wasn't convinced, but he didn't argue with the guy. He stood. "Thank you for your time. If I have any more questions, is it okay if I come back?"

Charles stood, too, and shook his hand. "Anytime. Not like I have anything better to do. You're in contact with Marisa Vega?"

Nate nodded.

"Tell her I'm sorry. Tell her... I know it's nothing, but I'm sorry for all I did to her. I wish I could do more to help."

Strangest thing was, Nate believed him.

* * *

NATE STEPPED INTO THE Dunkin' Donuts to see Marisa and Garrison huddled together on a bench with their backs to the window. Two half-empty cups sat on the table in front of them. They watched something on Garrison's cell phone and laughed.

The sight of her laughing warmed him.

She looked up and smiled.

He crossed the room. "What's so funny?"

"Could you hear us from there?" She nudged Garrison in the shoulder, and he moved to the chair across from her. "Garrison was showing me some funny videos."

Garrison lifted his smartphone. "We have access to all the information known to man on these phones..."

"And we use them to watch cat videos." Marisa laughed, and Garrison joined her.

Nate chuckled with them. "Did you two eat?"

"A while ago," Garrison said. "Grab something, and you can tell us how it went."

He ordered a bagel sandwich and returned to the table, where he slid into the booth beside Marisa.

"Well?" she prompted.

"A few possibilities. First, Charles wanted me to tell you how sorry he is." He relayed Charles's insistence that he'd never wanted Vinnie to die, and that he'd never had any intention of hurting her. "He just wanted his money back and thought you had it."

"Right," Garrison said. "Every guy in Sing Sing is innocent."