26. Chapter 26
Maddie sat in the stark, windowless interview room at the San Diego Police Department, hands wrapped around a cup of now-cold coffee.
The air smelled like burnt espresso and stale paperwork, the overhead fluorescents humming softly above.
Across from her, Detective Sergeant Naomi Camrose, young and sharp, sat with a legal pad, pen poised between her fingers.
Her soft brown hair was twisted back in a tight professional bun, not touching the white collar of her dress shirt underneath her suit.
The past six hours had been a whirlwind.
A cab into the city. The station. A ride with Naomi to La Jolla to check her mother’s place—nothing taken, but the break-in damage was clear.
Back to the station to review security footage.
The grainy, black-and-white video was burned into her mind.
The figure was masked, but his build, his movements, his gait… it was familiar. Unmistakable.
Now, she was giving her formal statement, walking Naomi through every detail—up to and including filing for divorce, serving David, and the confrontation in her driveway.
Maddie exhaled sharply, rubbing her temple. “It was yesterday. He showed up out of nowhere, right as I was finishing up something inside. I stepped outside, and he was already out of the car.” She paused, eyes flicking up to meet Naomi’s. “I didn’t invite him. I didn’t want him there.”
Naomi nodded, jotting something down. “How did he seem when he arrived?”
Maddie scoffed. “Like himself. Controlled. Irritated, but in that way where he makes it sound like you’re the irrational one.”
“And then?”
“He wanted to talk. Which, in David’s world, means he wanted to convince me I was wrong and he was right. That we weren’t over. That I needed to rethink everything.”
Naomi’s expression didn’t change, but Maddie knew she was assessing every word, every shift in tone. “Did he make any direct threats?”
Maddie hesitated. “Not in the way you’re thinking. No ‘I’m going to hurt you’ or anything like that. But he said things. About how I was being unreasonable. How I was making a mistake. That I didn’t know what was best for me.”
Naomi’s pen scratched across the page. “What about physical intimidation?”
Maddie’s stomach tightened. “Yeah. That, I got.”
“Describe it.”
“He…” She swallowed. “He got frustrated when I wouldn’t agree with him. Started stepping in too close. Blocking me from going back inside. When I told him to leave, he grabbed my arm. Hard. Shook me a little. That’s when—”
She cut herself off, pressing her lips together.
Naomi lifted a brow. “That’s when what?”
Maddie sighed, shifting in her seat. “That’s when Heath stepped in.”
Naomi set her pen down. “Heath?”
Maddie exhaled, running a hand over her jaw. “A friend.”
A knowing look crossed the detective’s face. “A friend who intervened.”
Maddie nodded. “Yeah.”
“What happened?”
Maddie hesitated, debating how much to say. “Heath saw what was happening. Told David to get his hands off me. David didn’t listen. So… Heath handled it.”
Naomi leaned forward slightly. “Handled it how?”
Maddie met her gaze. “He punched him in the face.”
Naomi let out a small breath. “Well. That’ll do it.” She picked up her pen again. “Did David retaliate? Escalate?”
“No. He left after that. Furious, obviously, but he got in his car and drove off.”
Naomi tapped the end of her pen against the desk, considering. “And you didn’t report this last week because…?”
Maddie sighed. “Because I didn’t think it would come to this. I thought—” She shook her head. “I thought he’d get the message and walk away.”
Naomi’s voice was measured, professional. “But now you think it’s him on the security footage.”
Maddie’s stomach twisted. “I know it’s him.”
“And who is Heath?”
“He’s my friend, Natalie Carrington’s, older brother. I needed a contractor to help on the house, she recommended Heath. He’s in the Navy but does Reno’s on the side. And he’s really good at it. And he’s been around for the past three weeks… helping me.”
“I see.” Naomi nodded, her expression unreadable.
“Maddie, I’m going to be straight with you.
There are a few different things this could be.
This could be just a break-in by a stranger who observed the house was vacant, but it would be unusual they didn’t take anything.
I’ve worked a lot of cases similar to this and it is looking a lot like stalking and domestic violence-related harassment.
The fact that he grabbed you—that’s domestic battery at a minimum.
And if it was David that broke into your home—felony burglary, and if David was armed outside your house?
That puts us into criminal threats territory. ”
Maddie swallowed hard, the weight of those words settling deep.
Naomi leaned in slightly. “Look, I don’t say this to scare you, but we need to take this seriously. He’s escalating. And that’s what worries me.”
Maddie let out a slow breath, steadying herself. “What do we do next?”
Naomi flipped her notebook closed. “First, I want to go over protective measures with you. I’m recommending a temporary restraining order. We can file for one immediately, and I highly suggest we do.”
Maddie nodded slowly. “Okay.”
“Second, I’d like to take a formal threat assessment with you. See if there are any other incidents or communications we need to factor in.”
Maddie’s fingers curled around her coffee cup. “Right.”
“And third?” Naomi’s voice softened slightly. “I want to make sure you have somewhere safe to stay.”
Maddie exhaled. “I do.”
Naomi studied her. “With the friend? Heath?”
Maddie hesitated, then nodded. “Yeah. He’s actually… my boyfriend now.”
Naomi watched her for a beat, then gave a slow nod. “Alright. I see. Let’s get started.”