Page 31 of Nailed

“Long time, no see,” I said, wiping the salt powder from my hands. “I'd shake your hand but mine look like this right now.”

Officer Thorne shook his head. “No problem, Mr. Lawson. Thanks for agreeing to meet up with me today.”

“Hardly my choice,” I grumbled, folding my arms across my chest.

And that was true. I felt like a disappointed dad who was just dying to be a deadbeat. Instead I had to meet Merrick's parole officer regularly to make sure he wasn't doing anything he wasn't supposed to.

Officer Thorne smiled apologetically. “I don't mean to interrupt the work flow. I know how…rigorous this type of work is.”

I eyed him briefly. He was a man in maybe his late 50s with a husky build and the type of complexion that looked like he'd spent one too many years under office fluorescents. He had a raspy voice that sounded like a bad coffee habit. But I didn't want to judge.

“Okay, I know the drill. Let's see—total hours logged a week is forty, on average. One late start around three weeks back due to traffic. No unexcused absences since last month. He's clocked in every shift.” I paused.

Next up were any reported “behavioral red flags.” Here was where it would be so easy to give Thorne something that would get Merrick taken off this crew. It wouldn't be a far cry for him to believe that Rafe had done something reckless especially since, you know, I was pretty sure he was screwing our client. Not that I cared but it was less than professional. That was the only issue, of course.

“No conflict incidents or inappropriate behaviors otherwise,” I frowned. “No observation of any altered states or energy levels, so pretty sure he's clean. He's followed orders and protocols pretty well.”

I couldn't throw him under the bus like that. The guy was a grade-A dick but he didn't actually do anything to violate his parole.

“That's excellent, Mr. Lawson,” Officer Thorne said excitedly, typing something into his phone. “Fantastic. Now, there was some business I needed to discuss with you regarding Mr. Merrick's potential, um, past as it was. As it pertains to you now.”

My frown deepened. “What’s happening?”

Officer Thorne's expression darkened, which was unusual for him. He inched closer as though telling me a secret.

“We had a snitch come in recently who was affiliated with Mr. Merrick's old crew. Mentioned something in his statement about how there might be some of the others looking for him now that they know he made it out. Now, I'm not saying that it's anything to hit the panic button over just yet. But I'd keep my eyes open if I were you.”

My jaw flexed and I cast a quick glance to the firehouse's front door. “I appreciate the heads up.”

He nodded and was about to turn back to his car when he stopped and regarded me again. “You know…you've done a very good thing by taking him on your crew. Not many people would've agreed to that, not with his history and I think having this job is a big reason for why he's staying clean. But you don't owe him anything, Mr. Lawson. Least of all protection.”

Right. I nodded in acknowledgment. “Same time next week?”

“Next week.”

As the PO headed off, I waited a few minutes before going back to the work site. I'd already been hesitant to let Merrick join Cornerstone with his past, but knowing that that past could be bleeding into the present and put my team and client at risk…that wasn't something I could abide by.

Mr. Thorne hadn't been wrong, exactly. Yeah, I didn't owe Merrick anything. But he was still part of my crew now. If there was anything that made it glaringly obvious Thorne had never worked a shift in construction in his life, it wasn't his skin or body or even the way he spoke.

It was the fact he didn't understand the weight of what it meant to lead a crew, even when one of them was the sole cause of all the bullshit. And if there was someone I did owe something to, it was my client. Whatever that looked like.

*

“Did the others clock out already?” Lauren stood in the doorway of the watch office, a hand on her hip and her head resting against the doorframe.

I was finishing up my rounds, ready to head out for the day. I looked at her, then shifted my focus back to the toolkit I was packing in.

“Yep. Both left around twenty minutes ago,” I answered. Which I was surprised she didn't recall, given she'd actually greeted them as they left. The watch office was a very efficient vantage point which meant that she should've known I'd be the last one here.

“Ah. Well, I suppose I can still invite you out with me, then. Join me for a drink on the roof?” she asked casually. My eyes drifted back up. She was trying very hard to seem indifferent. But there was a nervous stiffness to her movements, making it clear she was overcompensating. Did I make her that nervous?

“I don't think that's a good idea, Lauren.” I zipped up my bag.

“Hey. You called me ‘Lauren’ out of your own volition for the first time, that's a start,” she said, smiling.

Shit.

“Please? Just a drink, I promise. You did say that you needed to discuss the permit situation with me anyway, right? Why not now?” she said.