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Prologue Part III


"You cannot tell anybody what I am about to tell you. Not ever. Do you understand me?"

I nodded.

Nick's hair hung in his eyes and he peered down at me through the strands that caught on the bridge of his nose. "Hugh Walters is dead."

I blinked in surprise, "What??"

"Dead," Nick said. "Hugh Walters is dead."

"When?" I asked, my eyebrows pinching together, a hundred thousand things going through my mind.

"Just now," Nick replied. He took a deep breath. "You need to go... before everyone finds out you were fighting with him... They might think you've done it or something..."

"But I didn't," I said, "You know I didn't, that's ridiculous, I've been downstairs here where everyone can see me for over an hour... Where's Cora? She's probably done it..." I looked around, craning my neck.

"Cora didn't do it..." Nick answered, his voice annoyed with the accusation. He pulled away, his face drawing away from my face.

"Then who?" I demanded.

"Go home, Sam," he said in a final, commanding voice... and something in his tone was so final that I knew he knew exactly what happened.

"No," I said, "Not until you tell me what's going on.

He straightened his suit as he straightened his spine, sniffed, looked around, jaw set, and said, "I guess that's it, then. Good night." He walked away.

And I stood there staring as he walked away, as his back melted into the crowd... I could still smell him. My hands were shaking... "Have some champagne, miss," a waiter said, suddenly appearing at my side... and I grabbed the last flute on his tray as he passed by... downing the glass quickly so the bubbles would take away my consciousness...

I woke up on my bathroom floor, head spinning. I rolled over, my heart hammering my chest a million miles an hour, memory hazy. The entire night before was nothing but a blur of color and light and noise in my head. I blinked my eyes, and focused on the sight of Addison leaning over me, concern all over her face, mingled with tears. "Oh thank God," she gasped.

"Addie?" I choked.

She clutched me to her. "You had me scared to death," she sobbed, and she pressed her face into my shoulders as she hugged me tight.