It seems like every time I turn around this past week, my phone’s going at it, and the subject matter is about one thing.

One person, to be more precise.

Dawn.

My crazy ex-wife.

We’ve had a quiet day at the firehouse. Just two minor calls came in since eight this morning. We contained a small industrial leak, and after that, put out a tiny kitchen fire in an unregistered apartment above someone’s garage. Hot plates went haywire. It’s just after three in the afternoon. My firefighter buddies and I just finished stocking the officer side compartments and retesting our equipment in the truck bay. I get a text from Connie, asking if it’s a convenient time to speak, and that it’s pretty urgent.

Instead of texting back, I phone her.

“She’s here,” Connie says frantically into the phone.

“What?” I ask.

“Dawn’s definitely in town.”

“What the fuck? Did you see her? Is Sandy all right?”

“Sandy’s fine. I saw Dawn. Well, your mom and I did. We did a grocery run before school let out, so instead of dropping the food at home, we both went to Sandy’s school.”

“What happened with Dawn?” I ask to get her back to what matters.

“That ex-wife of yours had the nerve to show up at Sandy’s school before we got there. She was claiming that you asked her to pick up Sandy.”

“No…that little c—” I stop myself from hurling out the rest of that nasty insult around the firehouse and to Connie. “They didn’t let her, right?”

“Of course not. The principal checked Sandy’s permission documents. They know you have sole custody, and that only you, me, your parents, and Carter are authorized to take her out of school. These days, schools won’t make exceptions and deviate from what’s on that list.”

“Good. Are you still at the school? Is Dawn still there?”

“No no. She stormed off, but not before giving me and your mother a piece of her mind out front.”

“Shit. My mom didn’t do anything drastic, I hope.”

“She kinda did. You know your mom, how upset it’d make her.”

“What did she do? Where’s my mother?”

“In the car with Sandy. Mrs. West got on her phone and had your dad pull a favor with the Reno Police. They want you to file a formal complaint against Dawn. For attempted kidnapping.”

“That’s a little extreme.”

“Not according to the police. Dawn showed up at the school uninvited, lied about having your permission to pick up Sandy, and if she’d gotten away with it, who knows, she might be long gone with your daughter right now. Just to be safe, they want you to file a formal complaint. The school will be able to get the cops involved if Sandy shows up again.”

“That’s only going to put her on the defensive.”

“True, but you of all people know Dawn. She’s unpredictable to us because she’s unpredictable to herself. That woman defines crazy, Deuce. The last thing I’d ever want is to be in a dark alley alone with Dawn. I just want to help keep Sandy safe.”

I run an agitated hand through my hair. Connie’s right. It’s bad enough that Dawn made good on her threat and showed up in Reno-Sparks. She’s also made it crystal clear that she’s willing to lie and manipulate to get to Sandy. I have to stop this before all hell breaks loose.

“Take Sandy home. Tell Mom I’ll talk to the cops. Once that’s out of the way, I’ll have a talk with Dawn. She’ll listen to me. I’ll make sure of it.”

“Okay. Thanks Deuce, but you know what Hammer would say.”

“Yes. The same thing my mother and father would. That I let Dawn take things too far. That I’m half-blind to her distinct brand of crazy.”

She lets out a nervous chuckle. “And you know they all make a good point.”

“Probably, but the woman’s a junkie. She’s never actually gone through with hurting anyone. I’ve got to go, Connie. Thanks for letting me know. I’m on it.”

I want to punch a wall as I hang up the phone. Or anything that’s convenient.

Hammer crosses the room and rests a hand on my shoulder. “What’s going on?”

“Dawn happened, that’s what.”

His eyes widen. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Connie just called again. Dawn’s here. In Reno. She tried to get Sandy from school. The cops are involved. They want me to come down to the police station and file a complaint.”

“Then that’s what you have to do. Talk to Davis and the chief. They’ll understand.”

“True, but the second they find out that she’s mentally unstable and a drug user, they won’t hesitate to see her as a bigger threat.”

“You can’t stop blaming yourself, can you? The road she went down…it’s not your fault.”

“Just stop right there, all right? I don’t want to go over ancient history.”

“Ten you better get your ass over to Davis and tell him.”

“Get his ass over to me and tell me what?” Davis asks from behind me, catching us both by surprise.

Hammer and I slowly turn to face him.

“Lieutenant, we need to talk,” I mutter.

* * *

The lieutenant and I are standing in the chief’s office less than an hour later. There’s another attendee in the room. A detective from the Reno Police Department is here, on my father’s and the chief’s recommendation.

The chief gets up from his swivel chair and comes around his desk to speak to me at eye-level. “What else will it take for you to file a complaint, West?” he asks after the detective gives us an overview of my options.

“With all due respect, sir, I don’t believe going the formal route is the best idea. Not until I see my ex-wife in person. I’m positive that I can handle this situation. Just give me a day or two to find her, meet her in person, and I feel pretty confident I’ll get her under control.”

The detective shares a look with the chief and shakes his head. “I’m sorry you feel that way, Mr. West. Based on what we found in her criminal record, I don’t recommend taking that chance. Her list of offenses is as long as my arm. From attempted battery, aggravated assault, obstruction, grand larceny, to possession with intent… The woman’s done it all, and some of those charges involved firefighters at Mr. West’s last job with Austin Fire Department. It’s a wonder she isn’t behind bars. She can be armed and dangerous. Add her state of mind to the equation and that combination is just unacceptable for your family…and this fire station.”

I can’t defend my ex-wife. She really has done it all. I can blame it on the drugs, but the truth is the only sane, responsible person is me. She imploded in on herself after Sandy was born. I tried to help, but everyone said it was the baby blues at first. Right up until Dawn had her first drug overdose.

“I can’t afford to put anyone at this station at risk,” the chief tells me. “If her attempt to access your daughter were an isolated incident, I’d give you the benefit of the doubt. But we’re out in the field when the public needs us the most. We can’t stop what we’re doing, and none of my firefighters should have to fear for their safety if this woman tries to pull some of the stunts she got away with in Austin.”

“I really just want to speak to her in person first, Chief,” I persist.

“Fine,” the chief says reluctantly. “Take whatever time you need for the rest of this shift. Go find your ex-wife. Fast. Diffuse the situation. And if you can’t… file that complaint. That’s not a suggestion. I won’t put my men at risk. Understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Dismissed.”

I leave that office in a hurry to find my phone in the locker room. I bump into Hammer on the way there. It’s pretty obvious he’s waiting for me.

“Not now,” I tell him.

Hammer barely gets two words in before another alarm goes off, requesting our trucks and an ambulance at a chemical fire. We both turn and head to the truck bay and jumped into turnout gear, but it appears that Davis has other plans for me.

“What part of ‘take the rest of the shift off to deal with your ex-wife’ don’t you understand?” he asks in a huff.

I guess it’s fair for him to take the chief’s advice to heart, but I’d rather do anything else but track down Dawn right now.

“This emergency sounds like it’s all hands on deck,” I tell him, making an argument for accompanying the team for this call. “If it’s okay with you, Lieutenant, I’d like to help with the response. I promise, I’ll find Dawn the second we get back.”

Davis steps up in the shotgun seat of our truck. “We don’t have time for a debate, Deuce.”

“Let him go with you,” the chief says as he hurries over to his work van. “We’ll need everyone we can get. Dispatch is deploying three other firehouses to help with the response.”

“Thanks, Chief.”

Dawn will have to wait. Hours later, after we return from the call, I have no idea where Dawn is staying in town. She doesn’t reply to my texts and phone calls. If she doesn’t reach out to one of us, this shit’s going to be hanging over my head until she surfaces.

Until then, we’re sitting ducks.