"Do you work a lot?" Daniel asked, not letting the subject go.

Nick nodded his head slowly. "Sometimes, I feel like there is nothing else to do."

Nick's voice remained soft. Daniel wondered why. Nick looked like a very strong-willed person, yet his tone suggested that he was mild and gentle. Every detail about him amazed Daniel. "Perhaps you're not thinking hard enough because outside work, there are hundreds or even thousands of other things you could do."

Nick remained silent.

Daniel continued. "Like going out, meeting people, pursuing hobbies, or simply enjoying life." Daniel looked to Nick to measure his reaction.

Nick gazed at the stream. "Perhaps I am not thinking hard enough." Nick stopped. Daniel could not tell whether Nick was sad or not. Sometimes, his words would hint at sadness, but his tone would veil any emotion. Daniel was about to ask more, when Nick changed the subject. "Last night, we did not have the chance to discuss the case."

Daniel sighed, finding it disappointing that Nick veered their conversation away from himself, but he would not let Nick determine the course of their talk. "Because we had some differences that needed to be settled before that."

Nick looked at Daniel blankly. "You still have trouble reconciling the fact that I'm involved with your case?" Nick said it without anger or sadness, which made it harder for Daniel to gauge his feelings.

"No. There's something else," Daniel replied. Nick waited for Daniel to continue. "Might I ask you what changed your mind last night?"

"And why did you choose to keep me on this case?" Nick asked evenly.

The boy was stubborn, Daniel could tell. He was as hard-headed as Daniel himself. Strangely, Daniel was not angry. He found Nick's stubbornness refreshing, especially when everyone who had talked to him always yielded to him. That included his children. He never had any friction with them. He did not complain though. He loved them even more for that. But he found Nick to be interesting to deal with. It was almost as if he were arguing with himself. "Because my primary intention wasn't to dismiss you.. And you?" He looked at Nick, expectantly.

"I had no choice. I'm not the one in control," Nick responded.

"You're saying that if you had a choice, you would leave?" Daniel pressed on.

Nick paused, trying to think of an answer that was less than confrontational. "If you had asked me to."

Daniel softened. "I wouldn't have asked you to leave. But you showed so little emotion when you spoke."

Nick looked away for a while. He felt that the conversation was dangerously bordering on his personal life. He did not want to reply to that statement. He did not like that people commented on his attitude and emotions, especially when they were strangers.

Daniel saw the darkness that suddenly loomed over Nick's face, and for the first time in a long time, he felt intrusive and unsure. Nick's face looked rather frightening at the moment. He was not a man to be easily scared, but the expression on the boy's face was too convincing. Heeding the warning signs, he decided to change the subject himself. "I was concerned for my family. I have a feeling that the person who is tampering with my company has a more personal motive."

Nick nodded, but did not reply. He patiently waited for Daniel to continue his story. Daniel saw Nick focus and realized that that was his cue to begin. He took a deep breath. "About a year ago, my company had lost a lot of money. Somebody had broken into our computer systems and messed the financial records up. It took me a while until I realized that the money was being stolen and cleverly masked. I immediately tracked down that person, but unfortunately, the perpetrator stopped stealing money.

The previous thefts were so skillfully masked that I could not trace them to anybody in particular. So I was at a dead end. Months after, the detectives that worked for me still hadn't been able to find any clues to the case and I decided to not pursue it, thinking that the perpetrator had actually gone off to find another company.

About six months ago, my company was once again robbed the same way it was six months earlier. But this thief's illicit acts were not restricted to my company. He had tried to hurt my children, especially Caitlyn." Daniel's voice became gentler at the mention of Caitlyn's name. His voice wavered and Nick sensed Daniel's difficulty in broaching the subject of his daughter.

Daniel quickly resumed. "A group of men had cornered her and tried to rape her. Had Rick not been there with her, I don't know what would've happened." He stopped again, trying to control his emotions.

Nick looked at the man with as much affection as his heart could give at that moment. He did not know what to do. He was not used to consoling others. Slowly, he looked away from Daniel, not wanting to see the man break down in front of him. He tried to ignore the man's quivering voice, hoping to give him some space and dignity. After five minutes, Daniel stopped shaking and recaptured his calm self. Feeling less discomfort, Nick proceeded. "How did you know that those two incidents were related?"

"I don't. But it was more like intuition." Daniel answered. "Sometimes, you just go with your gut instincts."

Nick remained quiet. He had read about all these details the day before so none of the story had surprised him. "We can start with your company. If you are not too tired, you can bring me there so that I can start searching right now."

Daniel faced Nick with an expression of guilt. "Today is Christmas. I hadn't expected you to start work so soon."

Nick stared at the stream. "Like I said yesterday, I don't celebrate anything." With that said, he turned towards the trail and began to take off.

Daniel sighed and followed Nick. As they were shoulder to shoulder, he looked at Nick one more time. The little trace of compassion he had seen in Nick a few minutes ago had all but left his handsome face, replaced by one of concentration and deep thought.

Before long, they had made a whole circle around the house. Daniel was the first to step on the porch. He was about to open the door, when he felt that Nick did not follow him. He turned to face the boy.

Nick looked back into Daniel's face. "Would you mind if I had a look at your company now?"

Daniel was taken back by Nick's desire to work at that moment. "I'd thought you would want some food first."

Nick shook his head. "Too early."

As guilty as he felt for letting the boy work outside normal hours, he felt relieved that Nick had such devotion in this case. "I'll need my keys. It would be too early to call the chauffeur. Nick nodded, and Daniel went into the house to get the car keys."

As soon as Daniel was out of sight, Nick felt the tension go away. He was indeed hungry, but knowing that it was Christmas, he didn't feel like ruining such a special day for the family. He knew that Christmas was a time for families to be together. And even though he didn't celebrate it, he felt that it was only right that he disappear for the day. That was why he asked Daniel to bring him to the company. Urgof would have been proud of this, Nick thought to himself. Not that he felt a desire to please Urgof that much.

While waiting for Daniel, Nick sat down on the steps that led to the porch. He thought about all the words that had been exchanged during the past hour. He sighed in relief when he remembered how close to his personal life Daniel had actually gotten. He had never talked about his life and values with anyone before. And he was pretty sure that what he was experiencing was not of great importance to anyone, especially to Daniel who had a family to look after.

Then why was Daniel so persistent about knowing what he felt or did? The questions that Daniel asked went beyond a professional relationship. Perhaps Daniel realized that and backed off. Nick wrapped his arms around his knees and gazed at the lawn. He took in a few more deep breaths to try to clear his mind of doubts.

The weather was so nice and warm in Florida, especially in the middle of winter. He remembered how winter was at his adopted father's house. One time, he had gotten his adopted father so mad that he had been locked outside for the night. He remembered all too well how cold the winds had been. He had no money so he couldn't find a place to stay. Instead, he crouched in a corner on the porch, hugging his knees for warmth. He had been eleven years old at the time. He was so scared of the dark that he would drift in and out of sleep. But then, he became so numb from the cold that he stopped focusing on his fear of the dark.

When his adopted father woke up the next morning and found Nick on the porch, he actually thought that Nick was dead. Nick's body was blue and stiff. His lips were pale like the rest of his face. The next thing Nick remembered was his adopted father carrying his body inside and throwing him on the couch near the fireplace. That was one experience he would never forget.

Nick heard the door behind him open as Daniel left the house. Quickly, he stood up. Together, the two men walked to Daniel's car in silence. Nick stole one glance at Daniel only to see Daniel's face rather pensive and withdrawn. Nick hoped that he did not say anything that upset the man. The last thing he wanted was for Daniel to hate him. That would make this case all the more difficult.

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