A terrible sense of foreboding swept over Maggie. Her grip on Cassie's hand tightened without her realizing it, and she hurried toward the interrogation room.
Creak—
The interrogation room door swung open.
The two men inside turned their heads at the same time.
"Maggie?" Paxton looked startled. "What are you doing here? You shouldn't be here."
"Maggie..." Scott's lips trembled at the sight of his ex-wife. He wanted to say something.
Maggie ignored Scott and looked at Paxton. "What happened? Why is he here?"
Paxton sighed and stepped closer to Maggie, lowering his voice. "Armed home invasion. Last night on Millville Street. There was a shootout, and the security cameras caught his face clear as day."
Maggie closed her eyes and swayed slightly.
"Scott..." She looked at him, bitterly disappointed. "You... you really went back to stealing? And now you're breaking into homes? Carrying a gun? What kind of monster have you become?"
"I didn't take part in an armed robbery, Maggie! You have to believe me!" Scott pleaded.
Maggie pulled Cassie behind her so she wouldn't see Scott like this.
"Paxton was right. You're beyond help. I won't let you see Cassie again. I will not let my daughter have a robber for a father."
"No! Mom!"
Cassie broke free of her mother's hand.
The little girl's eyes were red, and fat tears rolled down her cheeks. She bravely rushed to the metal table and gripped Scott's handcuffed arm with both her tiny hands.
"Daddy isn't a thief!" Cassie cried. "Daddy's a superhero! You can't say that about him! You can't lock him up!"
Scott looked at his daughter's tear-streaked face and heard her call him a "superhero" with such complete trust.
It felt as though a rusty, blunt knife were cutting into his heart over and over, leaving