Jay arrived in minutes, breathless. He saw Rick, lifeless, and Nick sobbing beside him.
"It was an accident, Jay. I didn't mean to—please, help me. We can hide the body. We can make it go away."
Jay froze.
"Nick... this isn't something we can hide. If we do this, it becomes murder."
"I can't go to jail. I can't."
Jay crouched beside Rick, checked for a pulse, but there was nothing. He looked at Nick and made his decision.
"We call the police. We tell them it was an accident. I'll be your witness. But if you lie, it will destroy you. And me."
Trembling, Nick agreed.
The police arrived. Jay told the truth—or most of it. Rick fell. It was a tragic accident.
Detective Haruka Saito noted their story, but her instincts told her something didn't add up.