Crandall had made her his business, and like the frost adhering to the windows, fury gripped her soul.
Simon had told Joe everything . For long moments afterward, Mel had held her breath and felt the blood rushing through her ears as the warden related his morning discussion with her next door nemesis.
“Under the circumstances, I thought he should know,” Simon had said after apologizing profusely at what Mel perceived as a gross betrayal. “He appears to be a decent guy, Melanie, and having a cop for a neighbor might be just what you need.”
Lt. Crandall was the last thing she needed and she intended to tell him so. Too angry to be nervous, she’d barged into the operations center without thinking things through. Yet, as armed men and women wearing badges sauntered past, she felt her fifteen-year-old humiliation to the core.
“Ma’am, have you been helped?”
She pivoted to find a uniformed officer whose badge read, C. Sandoval, addressing her.
A youthful face belied his age, but the gray at his temples and the three stripes on his sleeve promised he wasn’t a rookie.
“I’m here to see Lt. Crandall.” As she spoke, the words came out a dry, strangled rasp. Mel cleared her throat.
The man who’d intruded on her deepest, darkest secrets chose that moment to appear. Mel drew her hands into fists inside her coat pockets. Looking every inch the professional and in charge, he wore a long-sleeved white cotton shirt and tailored black pants. And as gold reflected off the badge on his belt, she wasn’t sure what was more intimidating, the breadth of his shoulders or the gun tucked in his holster.
Concern etched his features as he strode toward her. “The city’s on accident alert, Mrs. Norris. What are you doing here?”
What am I doing here ? Mel wanted to scream, “ You idiot ,” but the insult lodged in her throat. The man had breached his authority, invaded her privacy. How dare he act as if he didn’t know why she was here, or worse, that she was wrong to confront him?
He nodded to the sergeant who with one glance made a silent exit.
“You heard from Warden Rivers,” Joe said.
“Are you surprised? Not only was he my husband’s boss, he’s a close personal friend.”
Joe shook his head. “I wanted to tell you myself, that’s all. C’mon. Let’s talk.”
Once again, he was giving her orders. Even so, she could hardly tell him what she thought of him in the lobby. Struggling with how she really wanted to handle the situation, she followed.
Stonily, Mel waited while he used an access card to open the steel door he’d just come through. She walked beside him, passing cubicles of law enforcement personnel until they came to a small office at the far side of the corridor.
He stood aside for her to enter, then pointed to a chair. “Would you like to sit down?”
She glanced toward the window. Outside, the snow continued to fall and she knew a moment’s panic. She had a couple of hours before she had to pick up Luke, but if the coach cancelled practice, what then? “No. What I have to say won’t take long.”
“Fine. But I’m going to. I’ve had a long day.” He sat in the chair behind his desk.
Mel met his stare with an equal challenge. “I should say. Looking into my past so thoroughly must take a lot out of a man.”
“You’re angry.”
“Furious.”
“You have every right to be.” His matter-of-fact tone set her teeth on edge, her heart to pounding, enraging her further.
“I told you my past was none of your business. If I alerted your supervisor―”
“You’d have my badge.”
Mel opened her mouth, but words failed her. She hadn’t considered how deeply the ramifications of his conduct ran.
“My guess is my commander’s in his office. If you like, we can go see him now.”
“Your career means so little to you?”
The lieutenant rose from the chair and walked to the door. “On the contrary, my career means everything. My son means more. You wouldn’t
Simon had told Joe everything . For long moments afterward, Mel had held her breath and felt the blood rushing through her ears as the warden related his morning discussion with her next door nemesis.
“Under the circumstances, I thought he should know,” Simon had said after apologizing profusely at what Mel perceived as a gross betrayal. “He appears to be a decent guy, Melanie, and having a cop for a neighbor might be just what you need.”
Lt. Crandall was the last thing she needed and she intended to tell him so. Too angry to be nervous, she’d barged into the operations center without thinking things through. Yet, as armed men and women wearing badges sauntered past, she felt her fifteen-year-old humiliation to the core.
“Ma’am, have you been helped?”
She pivoted to find a uniformed officer whose badge read, C. Sandoval, addressing her.
A youthful face belied his age, but the gray at his temples and the three stripes on his sleeve promised he wasn’t a rookie.
“I’m here to see Lt. Crandall.” As she spoke, the words came out a dry, strangled rasp. Mel cleared her throat.
The man who’d intruded on her deepest, darkest secrets chose that moment to appear. Mel drew her hands into fists inside her coat pockets. Looking every inch the professional and in charge, he wore a long-sleeved white cotton shirt and tailored black pants. And as gold reflected off the badge on his belt, she wasn’t sure what was more intimidating, the breadth of his shoulders or the gun tucked in his holster.
Concern etched his features as he strode toward her. “The city’s on accident alert, Mrs. Norris. What are you doing here?”
What am I doing here ? Mel wanted to scream, “ You idiot ,” but the insult lodged in her throat. The man had breached his authority, invaded her privacy. How dare he act as if he didn’t know why she was here, or worse, that she was wrong to confront him?
He nodded to the sergeant who with one glance made a silent exit.
“You heard from Warden Rivers,” Joe said.
“Are you surprised? Not only was he my husband’s boss, he’s a close personal friend.”
Joe shook his head. “I wanted to tell you myself, that’s all. C’mon. Let’s talk.”
Once again, he was giving her orders. Even so, she could hardly tell him what she thought of him in the lobby. Struggling with how she really wanted to handle the situation, she followed.
Stonily, Mel waited while he used an access card to open the steel door he’d just come through. She walked beside him, passing cubicles of law enforcement personnel until they came to a small office at the far side of the corridor.
He stood aside for her to enter, then pointed to a chair. “Would you like to sit down?”
She glanced toward the window. Outside, the snow continued to fall and she knew a moment’s panic. She had a couple of hours before she had to pick up Luke, but if the coach cancelled practice, what then? “No. What I have to say won’t take long.”
“Fine. But I’m going to. I’ve had a long day.” He sat in the chair behind his desk.
Mel met his stare with an equal challenge. “I should say. Looking into my past so thoroughly must take a lot out of a man.”
“You’re angry.”
“Furious.”
“You have every right to be.” His matter-of-fact tone set her teeth on edge, her heart to pounding, enraging her further.
“I told you my past was none of your business. If I alerted your supervisor―”
“You’d have my badge.”
Mel opened her mouth, but words failed her. She hadn’t considered how deeply the ramifications of his conduct ran.
“My guess is my commander’s in his office. If you like, we can go see him now.”
“Your career means so little to you?”
The lieutenant rose from the chair and walked to the door. “On the contrary, my career means everything. My son means more. You wouldn’t
Similar Books
