Storyboard #11 - Part 3

13. With naughty, vampire intentions in mind, Nick takes his dance partner to a more private part of the club. An instant before he can carry out his dinner plans, Janette arrives and calls to him to stop. In full vamp mode, Nick's attention is drawn momentarily to Janette and his intended victim is quick to escape. Unaccustomed to seeing Nick in such an uncontrollable state, Janette wisely heeds his warning to stay away. She retreats back into the main club area where she runs into Schanke and Natalie. Janette tries to warn them off, informing them that Nick has had too much to drink and that he's dangerous, but Nat decides to take her chances.

14. "Come to ogle the beast?" a growling Nick inquires as Natalie cautiously approaches. When asked what happened, Nick vaguely conveys how Monica pushed him off the wagon and betrayed his trust. He then questions whether or not Nat has any secretive plans of betrayal awaiting him. Nat doesn't appreciate being compared to Monica who is a codependent addict. Nick adds that she's also a murderer, and is reminded then that he's supposed to bring her in for questioning. "Monica says that recovery is just a space between fixes," Nick recalls her words just before summoning up his beast. "I think I'll show her what backsliding really is."

15. Nick leaves the Raven and Nat behind in a blinding flurry, then goes to the Windsor Arms Hotel in search of Monica. Hearing her voice from the hallway, he breaks into the room where he finds her with a freshly killed, male victim, tearfully denying any wrongdoing. By the time the investigation team shows up, Nick has calmed down and is acting like himself again. He apologizes to Nat for his previous behavior, telling her that when he saw Monica with the dead body, the cop in him simply took over. He also confesses his belief that Monica is not their killer.

16. Back at the precinct, Nick and Schanke interrogate Monica, asking her to name all the men from the 12-Step program that she's been out with. "You're not betraying anyone," Nick tells her to help put her mind at ease. "It's a little too late not to betray anyone," Monica responds regretfully. "Isn't it Nick?" At another 12-Step meeting, Nick tells the other members that he is a cop investigating the murders, and asks for their help in finding the killer. Later, at home while working on his painting, Nick receives a call from Hilary who asks that he meet her at the 12-Step center.

17. When Nick arrives at the seemingly deserted center, he discovers Angie, another member, dead in the kitchen. Monica enters unexpectedly, stating that Angie had asked to meet her there. Nick informs her that Angie is dead. Suspicious of Monica's real motives, he grabs her arm and asks what she is doing. Suddenly, someone fires a shot at them. Nick pulls Monica out of the line of fire and urges her to go dial 911. After Monica leaves, Nick is shot but quickly shakes it off. He gets up and follows the sound of a woman's voice coming from the main room.

18. Hilary is on the stage at the podium giving testament about her addiction. She holds a gun on Nick as he approaches to keep him at bay while she "shares" her secrets. With her sister, Monica seated close by, Hilary declares her obsession with looking out for her sibling. She explains how Monica suffered a bad experience as a child which contributed to her addictive sexual behavior as an adult. Hilary made it a point to remove those people she felt were taking unjust advantage of her sister's weakness. Nick cautiously persuades Hilary to give up her gun. After surrendering her weapon, she tearfully embraces her sister.

19. Back at the loft, Nick unveils his painting to Nat who's a much better pathologist than she is an art critic. When Schanke arrives, he has no problems finding a rather amazing string of descriptive interpretations for Nick's new masterpiece. "I'm seeing a kind of subtextual renaissance of the ideal. The playful use of light and shadow." After impressing Nick and Nat with a few more verbal observations, Schanke explains, "Myra keeps a copy of the Andy Wharhol Diaries in the john."