Chapter 1Fred Munson’s heart was thundering in his ears, and he breathed in deeply in an attempt to center himself. Be kind to yourself—Natasha’s voice was as clear in his head as the chatter of the two graying women sitting in the corner was.
“Are you going to move?” Raymond, his partner, gave him a light shove in the direction of the counter. Fred took a stumbling step, a blush warming his cheeks, but he reminded himself he was here as a police officer, albeit on a coffee break, but still an officer, and straightened his back.
He liked Nortown. It was small and quiet, the people were friendly, and best of all was the café. Here no one looked at him funny unless he counted Raymond, and it made him braver than he was anywhere else.
The café was small and in dire need of a facelift, but
