Read Online Yesterday's Echo by Matt Coyle - Free Book Online Page A

although I was my father’s son, they’d never know me. They could label me a bent cop, a guy who got away with murder, but they’d never know who I really was.
    No one ever would.
    Dan had left me alone with the sketch artist. After about a half hour she had two good renderings of my attackers. I didn’t think anyone wanted to pat me on the back or shake my hand about being a good citizen, so I thanked the artist and got up to leave.
    Moretti sauntered into the room just as I stood up from Dan’s desk to leave. He ignored me and took the sketches from the artist and headed over to the copy machine next to the coffeemaker. I’d started to turn to leave when I noticed Moretti stop and stare at one of the sketches. He gave a quick glance in my direction and then went into the chief’s office, closed the door, and shut the blinds.
    I didn’t wait around to find out who he’d recognized or why the chief had to see the sketch in a sealed room. It could have been a suspect in a high-profile case they wanted to keep the lid on. Itcould have been an ex-cop they knew. It probably had nothing to do with me. But when that door shut and those blinds snapped shut, the memory of Santa Barbara Police Department and another sealed room rushed back at me. My body flashed hot and my breath caught in my throat. I bolted out of the squad room, down the stairs, and out of the station house.

Muldoon’s
C HAPTER E IGHT
    I shut down Muldoon’s early and was home by eleven thirty. Three or four beers and then bed was the plan. I’d had enough excitement for one day. And one night. I had a Ballast Point Ale in my hand even before I opened the back door to let Midnight in. I put a hand out before he could jump up and knock me over again. I was almost knocked over anyway.
    Melody rushed in behind Midnight and planted her lips on mine before I could wipe the surprise off them.
    This time we made it to the bedroom. Despite the fast start, we took our time, explored and savored. The passion of last night was muted, but the feeling was more intense. Like it was more than sex. That it had meaning. Unlike last night, her eyes allowed me in. When I looked into them, I saw desire, yet vulnerability. A vulnerability that I shared and hadn’t felt since the early days with Colleen. It scared me, but in that moment I loved her for it.
    I rolled onto my back when we were done, and Melody nuzzled against my shoulder.
    â€œWhat happened to your face?” She traced a finger along my scab in the dark.
    The hair lifted off the back of my neck. Those were the first words Melody had spoken to me tonight. Her voice floating in the dark sounded so much like Colleen’s that I could have been back in Santa Barbara lying in bed with her eight years ago. Or standing over her grave, her voice accusing, coming up through the earth. Guilt flooded in through the cracks of my memories.
    â€œHey, come back to me, Rick.” Melody gently squeezed my chin. “Where did you go?”
    A place that’s always there, no matter how far I run from it.
    â€œI’m right here.” I took her hand off my chin and held it in my own. “I’m not the one who disappears in the middle of the night.”
    â€œOuch. I guess I deserved that.” She rolled onto her back but kept hold of my hand. “And you deserve an explanation.”
    â€œIf you hadn’t come back, that would have been explanation enough. But you did.”
    â€œI wasn’t going to.” She blew out a deep breath. “I’m sorry I didn’t say goodbye last night or leave you a note. I thought it would be best for both of us if I just disappeared. I wanted you to forget about me.”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œBecause my life is—complicated—right now.”
    â€œYou mean there’s a man in it.”
    â€œNo. My career. Things.” She squeezed my hand. “It just seemed that a relationship didn’t