Back at the municipal building, Constance came into the conference room to meet with Nick. He was waiting for her, looking amazingly handsome, although somewhat gaunt. Jail takes a toll on people. She wondered if he was sleeping at all. Still, he perked up when he saw her. "What's the bad news today, gorgeous?"
I love it when he talks like that. Constance reached across the table to shake his hand. He took hers with both of his, wrapping her in warmth. Between his hands and his smile, heat seemed to flow through her entire body. She gasped silently and let go of his hand.
Constance fought her way back to legal business. "Not much has changed. Your brother's willing to testify, as are others in the neighborhood. They've all written very effusive support letters. That will help you. And the prosecution's case remains weak. I still think you have a good chance if you go to trial. But trials are never sure things, so the best avenue is still negotiation."
"Looks like I'll be here for a while. Probably miss Halloween this year."
"You like Halloween?" She did, too. The Witchy Women went nuts over it.
"Sure, it's fun. I've always liked it. Whatever, it's not that important." He took a deep breath.
But Constance could see that it was, to him. And that meant it was, to her. She imagined herself going out with him on Halloween, all dressed up. That would be a difficult trick, but a wonderful treat. She spent a while in the fantasy before returning to the conference room.
"Are you getting enough sleep, Nick?"
"I'm all right. I get some."
"And have you thought of anything new about your case?"
Nick shook his head. "I've got nothing."
Constance lowered her eyes for a second, then looked directly at him, her mouth tight. "I have a suggestion that might help you sleep and. . . well, I don't want to get your hopes up, but it might help you find some evidence."
Nick raised a questioning eyebrow. "What do you have in mind? How can I find evidence while I'm sitting in jail?"
He's not going to like this. "This will seem like a long shot to you, but I want you to try it. I think you should meditate on your situation and see if you can receive any information."
He laughed briefly. "You're right. I didn't expect anything like that. Pretty weird."
"Too weird?"
"Hey, I'll do anything. I can imagine it might help me sleep. But find evidence? I don't know. And I've never meditated before. Jail doesn't seem like the place to learn."