Free Grave Decisions (A Maddie Graves Mystery Book 7) by Lily Harper Hart Page B

leading Maddie back to the detective bureau area. She looked markedly better than she had a few moments before. “She’s my Maddie, and she always will be.”
    “Is that true, Maddie?” John asked, his eyes twinkling. “Don’t I even have a shot?”
    “Sorry,” Maddie replied, shrugging. “I’m a one cop woman.”
    Nick wrinkled his nose as he tugged Maddie down on his lap. “Don’t forget the part where I’m better looking and more charming than John,” he prodded.
    “That, too,” Maddie said, grinning when John made a face and Nick kissed her cheek.
    “Okay, now that everyone is put together, let’s talk about this,” Kreskin said, returning to the business at hand. “Did you recognize the woman you touched, Maddie?”
    Maddie pressed her lips together and shook her head. “I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen her before.”
    “Maddie had a dream last night,” Nick volunteered. “She was in Samantha Bradshaw’s body as she was attacked. She saw her murder, in fact. Are you sure these flashes weren’t part of that memory, Mad?”
    “No,” Maddie replied. “Samantha Bradshaw’s hair was kind of an auburn color, right?”
    Kreskin nodded.
    “I saw it when I … I mean, Samantha … was being killed. The flashes I saw today involved a very blond girl.”
    “What do you mean you were being killed?” John asked, intrigued. “Did you see things from Samantha’s point of view?”
    “Um … .” Maddie was uncomfortable with the question.
    “She was in Samantha’s body, so it was like she was being killed,” Nick said, rubbing Maddie’s neck. “Don’t push her on it. She woke up screaming.”
    “What was she screaming?” John asked. “Could it be a clue about the killer?”
    “She was screaming for me,” Nick replied, his eyes flashing. “Don’t … push her.”
    “John isn’t going to push her,” Kreskin soothed. “This is new for most of us, so you’re going to need to exert patience when we ask questions, Nick. We’re not trying to hurt Maddie. We’re trying to understand.”
    “I know,” Nick said, offering his brother and partner an apologetic smile. “I just don’t want Maddie hurt.”
    “No one does,” Kreskin said. “What about Cooper, Maddie? Did he show any interest in the girl as she left the bathroom?”
    “I’m not sure,” Maddie admitted, tapping her chin as she searched her memory. “I don’t think so. It happened so fast, though. I was fixated on getting away from him and then the next thing I knew I was in someone else’s nightmare.”
    Nick pressed his lips to Maddie’s cheek as he rocked her, his mind busy.
    “I think we should have someone close to Maddie at the festival at all times,” John said finally, taking everyone by surprise. “She can keep doing her tarot card reading thing, but if one of us is close, Cooper won’t make the mistake of approaching her.”
    “I like that idea,” Nick said. “We’d also be close should Maddie see the girl again. We need to find out who she is and follow her. We might be able to save her. It’s not too late.”
    “I like that idea, too,” Kreskin said. “Maddie is the only one who can identify this girl. Our goal is to save her. If we manage to find her and stake her out without anyone knowing, we could also catch a killer in the process.”
    “That sounds good to me,” Nick said. “I’ll take the first Maddie shift.”
    “And the second, and the third,” John said, his smile teasing.
    “I’m not surprised by either of those responses,” Kreskin said. “I’m going to let you take the first shift, son, but you need to be prepared to let your brother or I step in down the road. You can’t be glued to Maddie’s side twenty-four hours a day. You know that, right?”
    “I do,” Nick confirmed. “I also know you can’t drag me away from her right now. I want to have a talk with Cooper Asshat.”
    “Ashton,” Maddie automatically corrected.
    “I’m not saying it by accident, Mad,”