Fatal Series 00 - Fatal Destiny

that could possibly get them disbarred.”
    “True. So what’s the plan?”
    “Let’s find out where he and his pal Simmons were on December 28, 2008.”
    “With you, boss.”
    Once they were in the car, Sam tried to find a tactful way to broach the subject of the wedding. She’d been surprised to hear that Freddie hadn’t responded. “So, um, are you coming on Saturday?”
    “Of course I am. Why?”
    “You never sent back the RSVP thingie. Shelby’s having vapors over it.”
    “Oh. Sorry. I was… waiting, but um, I’ll get it to you later on.”
    “No need to worry about the card. I’ll tell her you’re coming. Unless… Are you bringing someone?”
    He looked down and brushed what might’ve been doughnut powder off his jeans. “I asked Elin.”
    Sam almost drove off the road. “You did ? When?”
    “A week ago.”
    “And?”
    “She said no.”
    Sam had no idea what to say.
    “It was stupid. I shouldn’t have asked her. Nothing’s changed, right? My mother still can’t stand her, and I’m not interested in a sex-only relationship. So what’s the point?”
    “There must be a point if you asked her in the first place.”
    “It’s so stupid.”
    “What is?”
    “I only went out with her for a month, but I can’t stop thinking about her. I miss her.”
    “Did you tell her that?”
    “Not really. I said I wanted to see her, asked if she wanted to go to the wedding and she said she didn’t think it was a good idea. That was it.”
    He was so dejected that Sam’s heart went out to him, even though she hadn’t liked Elin for him, either. “Is it possible,” Sam said, clearing her throat, “that you might be, you know, in love with her?”
    “How would I know? I’ve never been in love.”
    “I hate to say that it seems like you could be now if you can’t stop thinking about her and you miss her so much.”
    “What do I do ?”
    “That depends on you. Are you able to get past your mother’s disapproval and move forward with Elin or…”
    “Or what?”
    “Or not,” Sam said with a shrug.
    Moaning, Freddie banged his head against the headrest. “I can’t deal with this. I seriously can’t.”
    Sam pulled into a parking space in Washington Heights and cut the engine. “You’re almost thirty years old, Freddie. At some point you have to cut the cord with your mother and live your own life.”
    He looked over at her. “I thought you were glad I wasn’t with Elin anymore.”
    “I’m not glad you’re unhappy.”
    “I want to be the guy who tells off my mother and does whatever the heck I want, but that’s so not me.”
    “Christ, you don’t even swear properly.”
    That drew a short laugh from him. “What’ve I asked you about taking the Lord’s name in vain?”
    “Yeah, yeah. I’m going to tell you something, but you have to promise you’ll never let on to your mother that I encouraged you to pursue Elin.”
    Smiling, he said, “Promise.”
    “I first met Nick six years ago. We spent an incredible night together and connected on every possible level. But then he never called.”
    “That doesn’t sound like him.”
    “Turns out he did call—repeatedly, but douche bag Peter, who was my roommate at the time, never gave me his messages.”
    “That son of a bitch!”
    “ There it is!” Sam said, laughing.
    “I can believe he’d do that!”
    “Peter worked my disappointment to his advantage. Wormed his way in by pretending to be my friend. Eventually, Nick gave up on me.” She looked over to find Freddie hanging on her every word. “I can’t tell you how much I wish I’d tried to call him rather than just accepting he hadn’t called me. Can you imagine how different the last six years would’ve been for me—and him?”
    “No bombs, no restraining orders…”
    She smiled. “Exactly. When I was married, I’d take these mental vacations and allow myself to remember that one perfect night with Nick. It would get me through, you know? It made me so sad to think he hadn’t called.”
    “Wow, that really sucks.”
    “Do you understand why I’m telling you this?”
    “Ahhh, is it because all this talk of weddings has made you go soft?”
    Sam punched his arm lightly. “Don’t spend years pining away for the woman you love when all you have to do is pick up the phone.”
    “I get it, and I appreciate you sharing that with me. I had no idea. I knew you’d met Nick a long time ago, but not all that about Peter. That guy is such a