"Man, are you ok? I mean you dont seem your usual self." Nick shuddered, hands pulling from inside the hood, now greasy with oil and held himself at arms length from the bumper. He knew Greg was only trying to help, to be a good friend, but he felt himself close up, like an implosion.
"I don't know, Greggo. This whole case has messed me up. And I mean, I don't know if you've caught up with everything yet but, this guy, Neil Howard, was basically taunting me with Catherine, as if she were a piece of meat. He's been sending me letters, and I've found them in places that he shouldn't have been. First was the passenger seat of the Denali, second was in my locker at the lab, and then he attacked her and left a letter here! On Cath's doorstep! For Christ's sake, Greg, what does this guy want with me?! He detailed how he felt and what he did to her in the parking lot, all of which I stood with a gun, with no options. I couldn't shoot, because I could've hit her, and he could've killed her, and then I would have been at fault still. And then...then I had a dream. And I know we've got him in custody but, I can't help it. He's succeeded. I'm scared."
His head fell again, bowed and eyes closed as he felt himself trying to explain himself, the pressure of this entire thing building up around him. He needed to sit, he needed a drink, he needed someting to get his mind off of this Neil Howard guy. What Nick really wanted to do right now was to go proove that this Neil Howard guy was the murderer of the triple-homicide. They had a confession in the first letter, but that wouldn't get a conviction. Before he had taken Catherine home, he had put all of the evidence into testing and the pictures sent to be developed. He needed to make sure this guy was held in prision.
Nick picked up his head again and shook it, looking at Greg. "Sorry about all of this, it's just distracting." He let a small smile show and put his clean hand on Greg's shoulder. "And next time you want to ask me something, just do it. Or at least just say you need to talk to me and walk outside, because there's nothing wrong with anything under the hood."