Because of You – Part 2
Last Time:
Nora leaves and heads over to the Palace. She gets Melanie’s room number at the front desk and goes to the 14th floor. As Nora approaches the room she notices that the door is ajar. Her heart drops and her breathing increases. She calls out to Melanie as she slowly walks into the room. What she sees stops Nora dead in her tracks. Melanie is lying on the bed, covered in blood. Nora knows that she is dead just from looking at her and there is nothing she can do to help. She also knows that she needs to leave the room without touching anything and get the police there as soon as she can. She has to keep it together…she has to. She calls the police from her cell phone and waits. It seems like hours but Antonio finally shows up with a forensics team. She gives him what details she knows and tells him that she has to get to the church…to Bo.
Nora takes a deep breath as she gets out of her car and walks into the church. How is she going to tell Bo. She has to be strong for Bo. Some of the guests are already mingling around outside the chapel. Vicki and Ben say hello but she hardly notices them. She slowly opens the door. She walks into the chapel and sees Bo talking to Hank. He notices her and gives her a quick smile. He sees the look on her face and the smile quickly disappears. They start walking towards each other, their eyes locked. Both of them start crying before they reach each other. Nora pulls him into a tight hug and whispers in his ear…I’m so sorry Bo
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Nora continues to hold Bo tight, caressing the back of his head,
talking to him quietly.
NORA: Bo..I am so sorry.
BO: Tell me.
NORA (still holding him tight): She’s dead Bo. I went over to the hotel and I found her.
BO (crying harder): How?
NORA: I’m not sure. Antonio is there now.
BO: I gotta get over there.
NORA: No you don’t. You do NOT want to go there.
BO: I want to be with her.
NORA: No…I’m going to take you home.
BO (yelling): I want to go!
NORA (pulling back and looking into his eyes): No you don’t.
HANK: Go home.
BO: I have to talk to the guests.
HANK: I’ll take care of that. Let Nora take you home.
BO (crying): Who would do this? Who?
NORA: Antonio will find out. Trust him to do the job that you trained him to do. Come on..let’s go.
HANK: Nora, Matt’s with Renee right now. I’ll just have her take him okay.
NORA: Thanks Hank. Tell her I’ll call her later.
HANK: I’ll stop by Bo’s as soon as I can.
Nora wraps her arms around Bo and leads him out the side door. He refuses to talk to her on the ride home. He just stares out the window. She finally gets him to the garret and onto the couch.
NORA: Let’s get your jacket off.
BO: You don’t have to baby me. I’m all right.
NORA: You are far from all right Bo. You just lost the woman that you love. Talk to me. Please.
BO: I need a drink.
He gets up and pours himself a large glass full of bourbon and swallows half of it down. He sits down on the couch again and Nora sits across from him on the coffee table. She takes his hands into hers and just looks into his eyes.
BO (crying): Why would somebody do this? Melanie wasn’t a mean person. She had no enemies.
NORA (trying to keep it together): We will find out who did this. Antonio has some of the best people working on this. That person will pay.
BO (drinking more of the bourbon): Why do I always lose the women I love? Didi, Sarah, you, Melanie. I’m cursed.
NORA (smiling through her tears): You are not cursed. You are one of the greatest guys in the world.
There is a knock on the door. Nora gets up to answer it.
BO: I do NOT want to talk to anybody.
NORA (opening the door): It’s only Hank.
HANK (pulling Bo into a hug): Hey buddy. How you holdin’ up?
BO (snapping at him): How do you think Hank?
HANK: I’m sorry…that was a stupid question.
BO: No I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped. Get everything handled at the church?
HANK: Everything is fine. Don’t worry about it.
Bo gets up and pours himself another drink. Nora and Hank just look at each other and Nora shrugs her shoulders.
HANK: I talked to Antonio.
NORA: What did he say?
HANK: Bo…you really want to hear this?
BO: I have to know what’s going on.
HANK: Okay…this is all very preliminary. We should have the medical examiner’s report later tomorrow. It seems that Melanie was shot three times probably some time between 8:00 and 10:00 this morning. Since no one at the hotel heard the shots we are assuming that the killer used a silencer. That’s all Antonio has now. He is running the prints that they found and should have some more information tomorrow. Antonio said that he would probably stop by sometime tomorrow to talk to you and fill you in on the details.
Bo drinks the rest of his bourbon and pours himself another one and drinks it down in one gulp and throws the glass against the wall.
BO: Damn it. I hate this…I absolutely hate this.
NORA: Bo…it’s going to be okay. You’ll get through this.
BO (yelling): I don’t WANT to have to get through this. (calming down a little) I just wanted to be happy. I thought this was my chance but yet again that rug is pulled out from under me. I’m goin’ to bed. You guys let yourself out.
Bo walks to the bedroom and slams the door behind him. Nora starts to cry and Hank pulls her into a hug.
NORA: Bo’s not the only one that hates this. He deserves to be happy. Why did this happen? Why Hank?
HANK: Baby, your guess is as good as mine. We have to trust Antonio to get the answers for us.
NORA: Did you hold anything back from your talk with Antonio?
HANK: No…nothing. He really doesn’t have much yet. He will tomorrow. You need a ride home?
NORA: No. I’m gonna stay here tonight. I’ll curl up on the couch.
HANK: He is going to have one heck of a hangover tomorrow.
NORA: I know. And I just want to be here for him to talk to. I don’t want him to retreat into that shell of his.
HANK: He does have a tendency to do that doesn’t he?
NORA: And I’m not going to let him do it this time.
HANK: Okay. If you need anything tomorrow you just call me okay?
NORA: I will.
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The next morning Bo slowly wakes up and remembers what happens. His stomach turns to knots and his heart drops. His head is pounding from all of the booze last night. He doesn’t move his head off the pillow for a long while. He finally gets up and heads for the shower. He stands in there until the water runs cold. He throws on his robe and walks into the kitchen. He smells the coffee before he sees Nora.
NORA: Hi. How did you sleep?
BO: You still here?
NORA: I slept on the couch. I didn’t want you to be alone. I hope you don’t mind.
BO: I don’t mind. I’m glad that the coffee is made.
NORA: How do you feel?
BO: Numb. Totally numb. I can’t believe that this has happened.
NORA: Neither can I Bo.
BO: I’m not even sure where to turn this morning…what to do next.
NORA: You don’t have to do anything. Just let yourself grieve. Go fishing with Hank, take a long walk, go for a ride on your bike.
BO (smiling softly): You’re actually giving me permission to get the bike out?
NORA (smiling): Just this one time. I won’t make a habit f it I promise.
BO: Thanks for being here. I really appreciate it.
NORA: I couldn’t be anywhere else.
BO: But…you can go home now. I’m fine.
NORA: You are NOT fine.
BO: You’re right, I’m not fine but I will survive. I will get through this. Go home, go to work. I’ll be okay.
NORA: I really don’t want to leave you here alone.
BO: Red…you don’t have to worry about me. Really.
NORA: I’m just scared. I’ve seen what happens to you when you lose people you love. We’ve been through this together a couple of times remember.
BO: This is not like when Sarah died….or when Drew died. I’ve learned my lesson on shutting people out. But right now I think I need to be alone. Okay?
NORA: Okay. What are you going to do?
BO: I don’t know but I may take you up on the idea of a ride. I haven’t been out in a long time. I need it.
NORA: Okay…if you’re sure.
Nora gets up to leave and gives Bo a long hug.
NORA: I’ll call you later to check on you.
BO: I’d like that.
Nora leaves. Bo heads to the bedroom when he hears a knock on the door.
BO (smiling): What??? Back to check on me already?
Bo opens the door and finds an envelope. He looks around but doesn’t see who dropped it off. He slowly opens it and reads it.
Because of you
I lost my love
Now I've taken
Yours from you
To be continued……
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