The barrel of the gun wasn't that cold. The hundred different times she had imagined this scenario, she had thought the metal would be cold, ice against her skin. Now, actually feeling it, she didn't quite understand why she had thought that; common misconception she guessed. But of course it was warm, it had been in his waistband for hours, hidden just out of her sight, it was barely colder than her skin. She didn't cry. She couldn't, there had to still be a way out. She looked around as quickly as her blue eyes could process the scene before her. No weapons in reach, no time for that anyway, and he was blocking the only escape route. She could try and disarm him, her arms were free, but was she faster than his trigger finger? She tightened her jaw and took a steady breath. She had to focus.

"I'm going to do you a favor, lil' missy." He pressed the gun harder. She fought the urge to wince. "I'm gonna let you say your goodbyes."

She heard a rustling as he pulled something from his pocket. This was her chance! She threw her head back into his gun hand. She turned to rise and met the bite of a swung pistol.

"Now, it's an attitude like that," He threaded his hand through her hair and pulled, whispering in her ear, "that gets you into messes like this. If you would just listen, once in a god damned while, maybe you'd be home in that pretty little house of yours."

He dug a knee into her back as he pulled the slide back on the gun. She struggled until she felt the gun back at her neck. The man pulled her to her knees. Something clattered to the ground in front of her.

"Pick it up, and remember who's got the gun here." She picked up a cell phone. It was an old one, flip screen, buttons and all. She closed her eyes.

"Now, I was going to be nice and give you a few calls, your Daddy, your bestie" he sneered, "a few old contacts. Hell, you could of called the cops, wouldn't have changed anything. But now, now you get one call, Nancy Drew."

She swallowed, trying desperately not to shake.

"Who's it going to be?"

Her fingers dialed with out looking. The number had been etched in her memory for years, since the day they'd met. How many times had she dialed this number, from how many different countries? How many times had just the sound of his voice been enough to get her through a case? What was she going to say now? He'd have to tell everyone, her father, Hannah, Bess and George...She took a harsh shaky breath as she hit send. She locked her eyes on the wall, steadying her breathing. One ring. She forced herself to ignore the feeling of metal and her heart racing. Two rings. She wet her lips and swallowed hard. Three rings and a click.

"Sorry, I missed you, leave a message and I'll get right back to you." So like him, straight to the point, so matter-of-fact. She closed her eyes and heard the beep.

"It's me. I love you. I always have. Tell Dad, tell everyone; 'I'm sorry.' We always knew this might happen. We've talked about it. I never left a case, I couldn't, even when I knew it could get dangerous. You have to understand; I know you will, in time. You'll catch him, I left all of the evidence in my room." Her voice started to waver, "Since the second we met I knew it would come to this. This goodbye, the one I would want a chance to say. I knew how ever I died, it would be with the thought of you. It's so stupid, so much wasted time. I know it was never easy, things went unsaid, too much time was spent apart. But, it was worth it, what ever we had, it was worth everything. I'm so sorry, I know you'll carry this with you. Carry it as a light? Don't let me darken your world, please. Please remember the adventures and the late night or early morning calls and those rare moments we were with each other. Be happy you knew me? I'm so happy I knew you. Remember that. I love you and I'm so happy I-"

The phone clattered to the ground.

He heard the ringing from the other room as he pulled on a t-shirt and toweled his hair. 'One Missed Call'. He sat on the edge of his bed. A second notification, 'One New Voicemail'. He slid his finger deftly across the screen. 505-555-7942. He didn't get unknown numbers, not on this phone. He pressed play.

"It's me. I love you. I always have..." No, no not her. Not this. This call he'd thought he'd be making.

"...understand; I know you will..." She was right, he did. Of course, he did. This was inevitable. It should be him.

"...catch him..." He nodded. What ever it took.

"...things went unsaid..." Everything went unsaid. There was always next time. It was so stupid.

"...it was worth everything..." It was. Every second

"...don't let me darken your world..." Never.

"...be happy you knew me?" Forever.

"...I love you and I'm so happy I-" A bang, a thud, and Frank Hardy's phone clattered to the ground.