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“Don’t try to change the subject.”

“I’m not.”

He raised a brow at her.

“What?” her voice practically squeaked. “I’m serious. Ireallywanna know.”

“Okay… I guess I can let you off the hook this time,” he teased, sliding over so she could get in the bed next to him. “I got interested in law enforcement when our house got robbed.”

“Oh my gosh, was anyone hurt?”

“No, fortunately we were on vacation. But coming home and seeing your house ripped apart was still pretty bad. Especially for a kid.”

“I bet.”

“The cop assigned to our case went through the same thing the year before. Turns out there was a group of thieves targeting homes in the Seattle area for years.”

“Oh my gosh, that’s awful.”

“Just wait, it gets worse,” Matthew said, explaining that the travel agent his parents had used was handing over people’s itineraries to her boyfriend and his friends. “By the time our house was hit, several local law enforcement agencies were working together to solve the case, so it was a pretty big deal that my dad was able to help out the way he did.”

“What did he do?”

“When he opened the front door and saw the house had been torn apart, he wouldn’t let my mom or me go inside. He just shut the door, ordered us back into the car, and drove directly to the police station to file a report. When they asked why he didn’t go in the house, he said he thought it was a way to preserve evidence. He wasn’t sure if it would work, but said he had to give it a shot.”

“Did it work?”

“Yep, and all it took was one set of fingerprints. After the first arrest, the whole crew went down one by one. The guy was so freaked out about taking the entire rap that he sang like a bird. That’s the first time I ever heard the phrase ‘no honor among thieves.’”

“Wow, you must’ve been really proud of your dad.”

“I still am. My mom’s called him her hero ever since. And that cop that helped us out, he even tried to get my dad to go into law enforcement. Said my dad had the makings of a good detective.”

“Did he do it?”

“No, but they became friends, and it was through that friendship that helped me decide my future. Although at first, I thought I wanted to be a lawyer and put criminals behind bars.But when I found out I could do the same thing and carry a gun, well, that was enough for me.”

“I can see how that could be a draw for a young boy.”

“Exactly!” Matthew smiled. “And get this… when I joined the Kinsey police force, that same officer who helped my family was the Chief of police. In fact, he still is.”

“It’s funny how things have a way of working out even now.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, your connection to your old Chief and now to your new one.”

Matthew looked confused.“I don’t really have a connection to the Chief here. Not yet, at least. He seems like a nice enough guy, but he’s not always the easiest person to talk to.”

“I know. He can be on the quiet side, and it takes time for people to get to know him, but he’ll come around. Deep down, he’s really very sweet.”

“So, you know him pretty well then?”

“Of course I do. He’s my dad.”

Matthew’s head cocked back. “Are you serious?”

“Yeah, you didn’t know that?”