This chapter is dedicated to EliciaHyder. Thanks for writing The Bed She Made. For all of you who haven't read this great book, head on over to her profile and check it out. The story is class.

31 – There Has Been an Accident

"So what's your favorite movie of all time?" Sam twirls the spoon with the last bit of ice-cream in his mouth, his eyes sparkling with mischief. I know whatever I will reply, he will make fun of it.

"Donno." I wrinkle my nose, pretending to think about his question. Secretly, I study him. He is wearing casual clothes today – jeans and a Superdry hoddy – which makes him look even younger.

He showed up about half an hour ago, interrupting Noel's and my lunch during our hearing preparation in one of those secured attorney interrogation rooms that don't allow surveillance. Noel had an urgent phone call at reception from his mother and with a growl, abandoned the pizza he had ordered. Sam felt it was a shame to let the food go to waste, first devouring the pepperoni pizza with mushrooms before moving on to Noel's desert. I am already curious about my lawyer's reaction.

"I think mine is Back To The Future," Sam says when I still evade his question.

"Time travel – seriously?" I arch an eyebrow. "I took you more for a history buff."

"Why?" His tone is almost challenging. "Because Asian people are all about studying and couldn't be possible interested in anything non educational."

I blush slightly. "I don't believe that," I claim, even though the thought occurred to me. In hindsight, it sounded totally stereotypical.

He laughs. "Don't worry about it. It's a common misconception." The last spoon of ice cream disappears in his mouth. "A lot of Korean parents are actually very ambitious. My mom always wanted me to become a lawyer and go into politics."

"And you didn't?" I ask.

"I'm still undecided." His eyes turn thoughtful. "To get anywhere in the Bureau, you really need a law degree, even if you never practice. On one hand, I could see myself making a career there, but sometimes, I don't know if I'm cut out for law enforcement."

I wiggle my brows. "Why? Is it because you like to hang out with criminals like myself too much?" The words are out before I can help it and I clutch my hand over my mouth. That could be easily interpreted as flirting and was totally inappropriate.

He doesn't seem to mind, laughing again. "That could have something to do with it."

My cheeks burn even more than after the blunder with the time travel and I lower my gaze. I blame his stupid outfit for my bluntness. Dressed like that, he doesn't appear like an FBI agent at all, especially since he isn't even wearing his badge. That I find him really cute doesn't help the matter either.

"So what are you doing here on a Sunday anyways?" I ask. "Don't you ever have a day off?"

"Not during an active case. After the hearing tomorrow, I'll probably take a few days off. If you win."

A lump builds in my throat. Noel and I have been prepping all day yesterday and today, but according to him, our chances are dire. Pam's private investigator has still not found any credible evidence of Ryan's abuse which can be introduced in court and Detective Tate hit a dead end after Charlotte had refused to cooperate. She still believes that Ryan was somehow involved in his son Jared's death, but evidence in a cold case is hard to come by.

"What if I lose?"

"Then things will get tricky." His face is tense all of a sudden. "If you still refuse to disclose Noah's whereabouts after losing permanent custody, the case will be classified as parental kidnapping. There will be more charges and you will likely be turned over to the US Marshalls to be held in a federal detention center. A senior agent of my unit will become the main investigator, and trust me, you don't want to be questioned by him. Briar is a pussy cat in comparison."

His words are like weights for my tears. "I don't know what to do, Sam." I wipe the wetness away with my sleeve, my face burning like a ripe tomato for constantly crying in front of him.

He squeezes my arm which surprisingly gives me comfort.

"You can't help him while you're locked up, so try to work a deal to get your new assault charge dismissed in exchange for turning him over. Then you have to fight. Ultimately, the only one who can help you is Charlotte, so I would try to make her my ally."

For him, it's simple. Alex and Detective Tate will watch Ryan like a hawk, and if he slips up – hurting Noah in any way – they will be able to arrest him. In theory, it doesn't sound so bad, but what they all forget is that one time could be enough to cause some serious damage to my son.

"I'm scared. What if he kills him, Sam?"

He can't hold my gaze. "I don't know what else to tell you. I know it's screwed up, but if you continue to break the law and hide Noah, you'll end up losing everything. There'll be no one around anymore to raise your son when things go down. Foster care can be a horrible experience."

Marcus's story about his foster parents bubbles up. That type of life would be just as bad as living with Ryan, if not worse. At least the authorities would be on alert this time. The days during which he could freely abuse a child without repercussions were over – at least that's what Alex and Detective Tate had assured me.

I made a mistake once before by taking matters into my own hands instead of entrusting in the system. There were plenty of times I could have reached out for help during Brent's abuse – get a restraining order like Pam offered or asked the cops for help when they showed up on my doorsteps. I was scared and proud, figuring I could do it on my own. Now, I am about to repeat the same mistakes.

I find Sam's eyes. "I honestly don't know where Noah is."

His brows arch in surprise.

"But Kade knows how to get in touch with my dad," I continue. "They both thought I might crack under the pressure and didn't want to take that chance."

He closes his eyes, mumbling something under his breath. "I just hope Alex wasn't in on it. If her father finds out, he'll boot her out of the Bureau faster than she can even blink."

Kade wouldn't risk Alex's career for anything. "I'm sure she has no clue." There is something I desperately want to know and hope he can answer. "Do you know if Kade popped the question?"

A smile curls his lips. "He did. On her birthday. Alex called me the next day and was on cloud nine. I've never seen her happier."

So my best friend is getting married. I helped him pick the ring a few weeks ago and he was a nervous wreck just thinking about the proposal. I am dying to find out how it went down in the end. He was planning to sing a self-written serenade to her, something I tried to discourage. Kade's voice could easily compete with a howling cat.

Before I can quiz Sam anymore about Alex's big night, the door opens and Noel steps inside, his face paler than a ghost. "I'm sorry it took so long." He plops into the chair, his fingers running through his hair. "I had to speak to Judge Oaks and it took a while to locate him. The hearing tomorrow has been postponed until further notice."

I frown. "Why?" Even though I am terrified of losing, I also long for closure.

"There has been an accident," he says.

My heart jumps. "Is everything okay with Noah?"

"Yes, Noah is fine." He buries his face in his hands, massaging his forehead. "Tivon Goldstein's plane went down this morning when he was on his way back from Michigan."

"Oh my god." My spit dries up in my mouth. "Is he okay?" Even though I don't like the man, I don't wish this type of harm on anyone.

"No Rena." Noel's eyes drill into me. "Tivon Goldstein is dead."

Okay – deep breath and yes, this is really happening. There won't be a magic wand or stalled gun. Tivon is dead. As many of you know, there is always at least one corpse in all my stories, and this time I decided to kill off a good guy (it wasn't easy, but had to be done).

One couple torn apart, another getting closer. How did you like Rena's little chat with Sam. Do you like him? Could you see a happy ending for them in the future?

I hope you still felt this chapter deserved your vote. Feel free to rant and rage in the comment box (and thanks to EliciaHyder for teaching me how to kill off a loved character). In the next chapter, you will not only get Charlotte's reaction to her lover's death, but will also find out if Ryan played a part in it.

Have a great week and see you next Friday.