?


    N nodded and turned to Damon. "Looks like you have work to take care of. I''ll go put Buddy to bed."


    "Alright," Damon said, then turned to Spencer. "Let''s talk in the study."


    Once inside, with the door closed, Damon handed Spencer two hair samples.


    "Take these in for testing. I need the results within a day," he instructed.


    Spencer carefully took the samples. "Understood, Mr. Sumner."


    "How''s the investigation on Drakeing along?" Damon asked.


    Spencer''s expression grew tense.


    Lowering his voice, he said, "Drake knows someone''s looking into him, and Falcon was almost caught. They''ve stepped back for now."


    Damon''s gaze hardened. "Got it. Tell them toy low and stay out of sight for a while."


    "Alright. But they did manage to find out that this ''Amy'' is somehow connected to the Nixons," Spencer added.


    "That fits with what I suspected. The Nixons have deep roots in Meristate, and any investigation will be risky. Keep tabs on Tom-let me know if he makes any moves," Damon replied.


    "Understood," Spencer said.


    Once Spencer left, Damon sat alone in the study, lost in thought for a while before finally heading back upstairs.


    Late that night, N''s phone suddenly rang, pulling her from sleep.


    Groggily, she reached for it and answered. "Hello?"


    "N, Brandon is too much... I''ll never forgive him... sniff..." Vrie''s voice was tearful and slurred, nearly drowned out by loud background noise. She sounded like she was at a bar.


    N nced at the clock. It was 3:00 a.m.


    Her frown deepened with worry. "Vrie, where are you right now?"


    "I''m at... a bar... having a drink. Want toe?" Vrie asked.


    "Which bar? Are you with friends?" N pressed.


    "No... Men are all jerks... Not a single decent one..." Vrie muttered.


    N had to ask twice before Vrie finally slurred out the bar''s names N ended the call and got up to change, preparing to go get her.


    UMS


    Damon, now awake, said, "It''ste, N. I''ll call Brandon and have him pick her up."


    "Are you sure? They were just fighting. What if he doesn''t want to go?" N asked, worried. "He will," Damon said confidently.


    He picked up his phone and called Brandon, who answered quickly. "Uncle Damon, what''s up?" "Where are you right now?" Damon asked.


    Brandon named a club about ten kilometers from where Vrie was drinking.


    "Vrie''s at Tunes. Go take her home," Damon instructed.


    After a pause, Brandon said, "I''ll get someone to pick her up."


    Damon let out a coldugh. "Then get someone else to be her boyfriend, too."


    "Uncle Damon, you don''t know what''s going on between us," Brandon argued.


    "I don''t need to. Your girlfriend''s


    drunk at a bar, and if you don''t


    enough to get her, you don''t ne


    UMS


    her," Damon retorted before hanging up.


    N turned to him. "What if he still won''t go?"


    "I''ll have Walter check on her. If he gets there before Brandon, you can help Vrie rethink this rtionship tomorrow," Damon said.


    He called Walter and instructed him to go to the bar and check on Vrie.


    When he finished, he turned to N


    "Go


    vel.n


    secreto sleep. I''ve asked my


    secretary to contact the bar


    manager to keep an eye on Vrie. She''ll be fine."