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Every employee at Helpful Hands Crisis Center received an email regarding what happened to Preston last night. The counselors were mandated to come into the office for a group counseling session in response to the traumatic incident.

During the session, everyone is too upset to inquire further about the details surrounding his suicide. No one has reasons to suspect foul play, because the transcript from Preston’s most recent chat was somehow deleted from the system. All of the employees except for Nia and Mary accept the cause of death. They begin to message back and forth through email about their suspicions.

Mary: Is it just me, or is something not right?

Nia: It’s definitely not you girl. I was thinking the exact same thing. We work with at-risk people all of the time. Nothing about this makes any sense. If you ask me, there’s no chance that Preston was suicidal.

Mary: Yeah… I know.

Nia: You ok?

Mary: No. He finally asked me out on a date. We were supposed to go out dancing this weekend, and now he’s gone forever… I just can’t believe it. It doesn’t seem real.

Nia: I’m so sorry. Is there anything that I can do to make you feel better?

Mary: Actually, there is. Didn’t you work in tech prior to counseling?

Nia: Only for a few years. Are you asking what I think you’re asking?

Mary: Yes. Can you do it?

Nia: I can try, but I can’t make any promises.

Mary: Meet me at the diner on 23rd street at lunch time.

Nia: Ok.

Nia shuts her laptop quietly and resumes listening to the conversation. Mary abruptly removes herself from the table and heads out of the door to get some air. After pacing back and forth anxiously, she chooses not to return. She makes her way to the diner early and waits for her best friend and colleague to join.

Right when Mary starts to get impatient, Nia comes walking through the doors an hour before lunch. Nia looks around the diner before locating where Mary is seated. She walks over quickly and sits down across from Mary and says with her hands placed on top of hers, “Hey, I couldn’t stay in there after seeing you storm out like that. Talk to me. I’m worried about you.”

The waiter approaches the women and asks, “Are you guys ready to order?” Mary pretends to be fine and requests two milkshakes with a big smile on her face. As soon as he walks away, her head is down and between her legs while she cries silently.

She’s shaking and her voice cracks as she asks, “What if he really did this?” Nia tries to hold back tears as she answers, “I don’t know, but I promise that I won’t sleep until I find out the truth.”