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But she was scared.
She assessed her fear.
She studied the sleeping lady.
Then she made a choice.
She unlocked the door.
She looked back over her shoulder.
Then she ran.
He was driving like a madman.
Roane State Police Department. Evelyn was in Cardiff, two hours from Nashville—thirty minutes more from Shelbyville.
He’d get there first—unless he got pulled over.
His phone rang. He answered blindly.
“Yeah?” he muttered in greeting.
“Lawson—are you on your way?” came Nora’s breathless voice.
“I’m goin’ as fast as I can, baby.”
“We’re comin’, too.”
“You with Atticus?”
“He’s comin’ now. I’m on my way downstairs. He promised lights and sirens the whole way.”
“Good. I’ll meet you there.”
“Law?” she called before he could hang up.
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
“Love you, too.”
He barely got the words out before his phone died. It didn’t matter. All he needed was the GPS in his truck. Grateful to have filled up on gas not long ago, Lawson drove at ninety miles an hour across the quiet interstate, weaving in and out of the vehicles that scattered the highway in the pre-dawn hours. He slowed down only as traffic began to pick up, the early risers getting on the road. Still, he didn’t let up off the gas much.
Upon arrival at the police station, Lawson parked illegally out front, jumped out of his truck, and raced into the building. It was just after five a.m. He was stopped almost immediately by a uniformed officer behind a desk. Rather than listen to what the man said, Lawson spoke over him.
“There was a little girl who was brought here two-three hours ago. Evelyn Barton. I need to see her.”
“Okay. And you are?”
“I’m her dad.”
“Can I see some ID?”
Lawson was quick to reach for his wallet. It wasn’t until the officer frowned down at the license that he remembered…
“You said her last name was Barton. Yours is Steele.”
