Chapter 9: The Uncanny Coincidence

Nicholas' mind wasn't clear whilst he was driving over the wet hi-way roads.

Mosy likely because he was upset that he couldn't think of any idea to help Tod on his case. He didn't have any leads of finding any proof for his unfortunate friend. Even if he was pondering and thinking his brains out for any potential idea, he was uncapable of any following plan.

Nicholas lost hope, he couldn't find any proof for his buddy's innocence. His eyes may be straight ahead, but his attention wasn't on the road.

All of a sudden, his eyes were struck from a glimpse of very blinding, white, bright lights. It made him snap into the moment, and noticed that the bright lights were getting closer. As it got closer, it got brighter and brighter. The moment happened in an instant, Nicholas didn't have enough reaction time to fully process what is happening.

Nicholas couldn't think of anything to do but turn the steering wheel around. So he turned the tiller to the right and had mistakenly stepped on the brake pedal causing his car to move slowly. At that same moment, he realized that the flashing lights were from a vehicle of sort.

Because Nicholas accidentally stepped on the brake and not the gas, the vehicle in-front of him has hit the back of Nicholas' car causing him to lose control. The files of paper flew around him, some of them even hitting his face as he spirals out of control. He stepped on the brake pedal and pulled the handbreak to stop his uncontrollable whirl, his car made a loud squeal as it hits a rail, all the glass on his car broke he then slids down the side of the road before stopping.

Nicholas was still in one piece, but he knew his car was in a preety bad shape.

He looks outside and sees the vehicle that had shattered his car. It turned out to be a cargo truck, he expected the truck to stop but it didn't. He looked at the truck for a while and he noticed that it had a massive logo on its back. He didn't recognize it, but he needed to act fast.

Nicholas swiftly brought out his cellphone to take a photo of the vehicle's plate number, and as well as the unsettling and unfamiliar logo behind it from the distance. He manages to take the photos he needed for evidence that can definitely help the police.

After that Nicholas escaped his vehicle looking beaten, and when he got out of his car he looked at the damage it had. Nicholas wipes the sweat off his face with the palm of his hand. A vehicle stopped in front of Nicholas' broken car. He opens a door, it was a man. The man asked "Are you alright sir?". Nicholas answers "No".

The man then helped Nicholas made a phone call to the authorities, he sat down next to the railing with Nicholas as they wait for help to arrive.

The man introduced himself as he sighs after sitting down. The man claimed to be that he was Massimo Anderson.

Nicholas was struck and caught his attention when Massimo mentions his name, he looked at him weirdly as he thought that his name sounds very familiar. Then he remembered and his face lit up. Nicholas then asked, "Did you happen to know someone that was named McCrane Anderson".

Massimo was staggered, his face made a uncanny expression. Massimo replied dubiously, hesitant to answer. He said "Yes i do, how did you know that?". Stuttering as he said so.

Massimo was suspicious of him, until Nicholas utters about being detective. Nicholas lies to Massimo that he was working on a case related to McCrane to avoid more suspicion. Massimo sighed deeply with ease but still worrisome about Nicholas.

Massimo further mentioned that McCrane died ages ago. Nicholas replies that he already knew that information, he further asks a request for them to be able to do an interview.

Massimo told Nicholas that he was only his uncle and that he didn't knew much information about his deceased nephew.

Nicholas then wanted to know if McCrane had closer relatives, Massimo answered that McCrane's parents were strict about him. His brother would not let his son play with Massimo's child. He said that ever since his brother got successful, he became more insolent to him.

Massimo brought all the points he made to a conclusion, he made it very clear that the only close people McCrane had were his parents.

Nicholas was starting to feel more closer to Tod's case because of what had Massimo said.

Nicholas was starting to feel quite jubilant, he couldn't help but to warmly greet Massimo with a gesture of gratitude.

Nicholas had felt motivated again to do this case. He headed over to his broken down car at the edge of the hi-way road. Nicholas tries to gather the files that he had messed up earlier.

While his one arm was gathering all the necessary papers he needs, his other one reached for the bag at the passenger seat.

As he was reaching for the files, a shade of lights reflected the glasd on the window. The lights were a light red and a dark blue, and they were radiating throughout the car.

Nicholas skipped a heartbeat when he realized what happened, the authorities have already arrived.

When he had realized what happened, he took all the files in his car as swiftly as he can. He then shoves the folders into his moldy, dusty, and disintegrated police bag with his bare hands.

Nicholas feared that the police might found out that he smuggled the files from the police station when they spot one of their files with him.

Nicholas was in relief for a minute until he shoved his head out the car window, and saw an officer standing menacingly in-front of him.

He was Tall, Muscular, and had a grim expression in his face. Nicholas felt so puny when the officer looks down on him.

Nicholas innocently raised his hands out of that moment of shock. Nicholas body felt like it was painfully aching due to the tension he felt, he was scared that they might take Nicholas to jail for his actions.

In that moment Nicholas thought what could happen if he were sent to prison. He imagined Bellamy with their child, possibly resenting him.

He imagined his child hating him because they weren't able grow up with a father figure.

Nicholas was breathing rapidly, his heart was pounding rapidly. He was about to say something, but the guilt made him stutter horribly. It made him feel more and more guilty.

Suddenly, the police officer asked if Nicholas was fine, Nicholas answers with a breathy and gruff allusion. "Yeah officer I'm alright, just looking for my stuff." says Nicholas as he puts both of his hands down.

The officer faces the vehicle beside them and asks if he was the owner of the car. Nicholas sighs for a brief moment as he nods and answers back at the officer confirming that he does own the said vehicle.

The officer proceeded to ask if he was hurt, Nicholas calmed down and checked his bodies for injuries and felt nothing. It was when he was about to say something when he felt pain somewhere in his stomach region.

He rolls his shirt up to see a glass piercing at the front side of Nicholas' body. The Officer called the paramedics immediately to aide Nicholas.

Nicholas was so nervous earlier that he didn't felt the glass piercing through his stomach.

Nicholas sat down on the ground and leaned on his car door. Nicholas was slowly losing his vision, soon after his hearing became buzzy. He felt like he was about to swoon.

The next thing he knew, he opened his eyes again and he was inside an ambulance trunk. He was in a familiar vehicle, but what surprised him was that it wasn't moving. He looked around and the doors were open, he then continued to notice that he was shirtless and there was scar in stomach, the same one where he had a glass pierced in it.

Someone then walked in front of the truck outside, he looked recently familiar. As he looked for a while he realized it was the police officer.

Nicholas felt caught in the act, he wasn't. The officer didn't see him guilty of anything because he was the victim of the recent car crash.

The officer sat Nicholas down on the truck and made himself known to him, "I'm Officer Chris and i am from the local police station." he mentions to Nicholas. Chris then mentions that he was out for 7 minutes. Nicholas was surprised he thought everything that had happened recently was a dream.

Moreover, Chris then asked Nicholas if he was allowed to be questioned regarding the scene. Nicholas' anxiety levels started rising again, he took a deep breathe and accepted the interview despite feeling guilty.

Chris started talking to Nicholas, he was asked if he remembered any specific detail that he noticed in the vehicle that crashed crashed his car.

Nicholas tries to briefly remember any detail regarding the truck, and he remembered that he manages to take a photo of the cargo vehicle earlier. Nicholas looks at his right pocket and reaches for his phone, he grabbed his cellphone with two fingers and bought it out.

Nicholas put up the image on his phone and showed it to Officer Chris, they kindly took the photo on the phone by sending it to Officer Chris via texting it to him.

After the small interview was finished, Nicholas was asked to be brought to the police station for further information regarding the accident that occurred.