If there was one thing Tammy Gail Sharp had learned over the past ten years as an Atlanta homicide detective, it was never to hesitate when facing a killer. Then what would cause her to stand there like a fool instead of pulling the trigger? Because Chip Reeker looked young enough to be her child.

The child she’d never have.

The basement in the small home Chip shared with his grandmother reminded Tammy of the sauna she frequented at the gym – tiny and hot enough to melt a bucket of Rocky Road ice cream in seconds. Sweat clung to her scalp, and she had no doubt her chestnut hair looked as greasy as Chip’s bleached blonde locks.

His right hand shook as it clung to the pistol. His open-mouth breathing caused his chest to move up and down. Despite his bloodshot eyes, Chip’s round face almost looked angelic as his finger twitched on the trigger of the 22-caliber pistol in his short, plump hand.

“There’s no need for anyone to get hurt,” Tammy said as her eyes worked to align with Chip’s. “Your grandmother asked me to stop by to talk to her.”

A tendon in Chip’s neck twitched before he adjusted his view downward. “She was going to fill your head with lies.” The bulge of his throat rippled with every swallow.

She didn’t want to believe he’d shoot her. He hadn’t even been on her radar as a suspect in his father’s murder – not with his solid alibi. Now that they’d made an arrest, what could be the reason? And where was his grandmother?

“Please put the gun down so we can talk.”

The scent of too many animals and dirty bodies in a small space assaulted Tammy’s nostrils as she continued her stare-off with the manchild. Teeny meows broke the silence, followed by loud purrs from a cardboard box at the end of the worn brown sofa. A black cat poked her head out of the box. She meowed again, glanced at Tammy, and disappeared.

As Tammy gripped her Glock 19, she considered ways to diffuse the situation. “Chip, please put the gun down. I’m just here to speak to your grandmother. That’s all.”

Chip’s gaze darted to the box of cats and lingered there for a moment. His brows softened, and the hand holding the weapon slackened until it dropped to his side.

Relief twirled inside Tammy. Her gaze left Chip, and she took inventory of the room. Three computer monitors sat on an L-shaped desk. A massive TV screen hung on the wall above the desk. A plush black office chair and gaming consoles completed the space. Bright images of a virtual world kept flashing on the screens.

The only door in the room creaked open a few inches. A dim light shined on a pedestal sink. Tammy froze. Miss Reeker peeked out from around the bottom of the door. Dried blood was caked around her nose. She moaned and struggled to sit up.

A burst of panic lit Chip’s eyes right before he thundered toward Tammy.

In the blink of an eye, Tammy whirled about and advanced on Chip. Using the butt of her gun, she struck him across the head. He fell to his knees and glared at his grandma and Tammy. Tears pooled on his lashes.

Tammy anchored her gaze to his as the bullet tore through her chest. Her back hit the wall, but she didn’t feel it. Her legs buckled. She crumbled to the floor.

Chip didn’t spare her a glance as he escaped up the stairs. She should’ve disarmed him. Because of her reluctance to shoot, she could meet the same fate Daddy had all those years ago.

What a stupid rookie mistake.

It couldn’t have been more than a minute before Tammy’s partner, Thomas Riggs, yelled for her to stay with him. Where had he been anyway? Outside on the phone. That’s right. He must’ve heard the gunshot. His face seemed to jump around as he leaned over her. He pressed something on her chest as he yelled into his radio, “Officer down!”

As Thomas’s breath tickled her cheek, a sweet chocolate scent reached her nose. He must’ve been in the candy stash she thought she’d hidden. What an odd thing to think about. Shouldn’t her life be flashing through her mind?

Another officer leaned on Tammy’s other side. She pointed at Miss Reeker. It seemed to take every ounce of strength to speak, but she had to. “Help her,” she moaned and pinched her eyelids tight.

Thomas moved close to Tammy's ear. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have ever let you come in alone.”

Let? Did he say he shouldn’t have let her come in? They’d been partners for almost five years – surely, he knew no one let Tammy Gail Sharp do anything.

“You’re one of the strongest people I know, Tammy. Stay with me!”

Tammy wanted to live, but she couldn’t find the will to open her eyes. She tried to tell him it was okay. If only her mouth would cooperate.

As darkness loomed, she wondered how she’d greet Daddy on the other side.