Page 46 of Echoes of You

Lawson studied the tiny side street we were on. “I don’t think any of the shops here have cameras, but I’ll check.”

There was only a gift shop and a stationery store, and they were on the other side of the street.

Lawson continued typing. “Did anything unusual happen today?”

Maddie shifted in place, her gaze pulling to the side.

“What happened?” I growled.

The uncertainty morphed into a glare. “Don’t you growl at me, Nash Hartley.”

“Uh-oh, she full-named you. Watch your step,” Lawson muttered.

I struggled to keep my breathing even. “Mads, something obviously happened today. Please, tell us what.”

“That’s better.”

If I hadn’t been so worried, I would’ve grinned. No one could put me in my place like Maddie. But right now, I was too worried to smile.

Maddie twisted her purse strap around her finger. “There were a couple of things. Dan McConnell came into the café.”

My back teeth gnashed together. “What did that asshole do?”

“It wasn’t anything horrible, but he was rude. Said some stuff about you. Aspen told him if he didn’t start behaving better, she’d kick him out.”

“Who’s Aspen?” I asked.

“The manager of the café. Red hair. Real pretty.”

I nodded. The woman had waited on me before when I came in to pick up a to-go order, but I’d have to come in and give her a hell of a tip now for having my girl’s back.

“What do you mean by rude?” Lawson prodded.

Maddie shrugged. “Just said some crude things about Nash and me. It’s not like he threatened me.”

Lawson nodded. “I’ll have a conversation with Dan.”

“I’ll be coming along for that,” I gritted out.

Lawson turned to me. “The last thing we need is you sitting in on that conversation. You’d probably deck him, and then I’d have to arrestyou.”

“I won’t deck him.” Not when I was in uniform anyway.

“Not happening, Nash.” Lawson looked at Maddie. “You said something else happened?”

She shifted again, her gaze dropping to the pavement. “It wasn’t today, but I ran into my mom yesterday. She said they granted my dad a parole hearing. If he thinks he’s getting out and knows I’m back in town, he might’ve had one of his buddies send me this lovely message.”

My blood went cold. “What did you say?”

Lawson gripped my arm, squeezing hard. “Dial it back a notch.”

But I could barely hear him over the blood roaring in my ears.

Maddie swallowed hard, her gaze lifting to mine. “No one told me. I put a call into Victims’ Rights to see when the hearing was, but I’m guessing it was yesterday or today.”

“Why?” Lawson asked.

Maddie’s lips pursed. “My mom was getting her hair done for the occasion.”

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