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arrived. “What a nasty surprise to see him here.”
    The uniformed unit who’d responded to Andi’s call had taken Dean Barton, as Carly had learned his name was, outside to complete a field interview card. Carly wanted to ascertain the situation with Erika. Barton was quiet and compliant with the officers, but both Erika and Jinx were visibly upset. And frightened, Carly thought.
    “I guess he expected something different from me and that made him angry,” Erika continued. “The last time I saw him, Ned was still in the hospital.” She shuddered as if that was an unpleasant memory.
    “Why was he in prison?”
    Erika gave a long-suffering sigh. “He’s a drug addict, and he was falsifying prescriptions. He beat up a druggist who didn’t believe his prescription, fled, stole a car, and led the entire Yuma police department on a chase.”
    Jinx stepped forward. “His original sentence was ten years, so I’m surprised he’s out. It’s only been six. I know Ned hoped we’d be notified before he was released.”
    “Yes.” Erika bit her bottom lip. “I have to call Ned. He needs to know his brother is free.” Something in her voice told Carly this news would not be the precursor to a happy family reunion.
    “You’re afraid of him. Why don’t you press charges? I can arrest him for trying to hit me.”
    Jinx and Erika exchanged looks. “It’s a long story,” Erika said after a minute. “Dean has always been the troublemaker in Ned’s family. When he was sent to prison, we thought we were free of him. I’m sorry he found us. We certainly didn’t leave him a forwarding address.”
    “If you arrest him, he’ll blame us,” Jinx said.
    “Yes, he will. And that will create more problems. If you can let that go—” Erika held Carly’s gaze—“Ned and I would both consider it a favor.”
    Carly checked her watch. “Erika, I have to get to work. If Dean has any warrants, I’m going to arrest him. If not, I’m going to tell him he’s not welcome here and you need to look into a restraining order, okay?”
    Erika’s face flooded with relief. “Thank you, Carly. Sorry this had to come up.”
    Carly cocked her head toward Andi, who’d been listening to the conversation. She motioned that she was leaving the coffee shop, and Andi fell into step with her.
    “That’s what I like about hanging out with you,” Andi said as they walked out the front door. “Never a dull moment.”
    Carly just shook her head as Andi continued to her car. Dean Barton stood between Lopez and Flanagan, the afternoon unit who’d responded to the call.
    Lopez stepped over to Carly and handed her a field interview card. “He’s clear. Says he got out of prison a month ago and just got to Las Playas today.”
    Carly took the card. “No parole?”
    “Apparently not,” Lopez said. “He says he was released without conditions, and there’s nothing on the computer to contradict.”
    “Did you ask him what he was doing here?”
    “Claims Erika and Ned are family. He was looking them up. Guy is covered with prison tats and muscled up. I’d sure hate it if he were part of my family.”
    Nodding, Carly walked to the police car parked on Pine, where Barton stood, stiff with thinly disguised anger. “Mr. Barton?”
    He turned his cold eyes her way but said nothing.
    “You’re not welcome here—I think that’s obvious—so it’s a good idea if you stay away.”
    “It’s a free country. I’m a free man.”
    Carly fought the anger she felt, knowing it would get her nowhere if she let this guy provoke her. Voice level, tone light,she said, “Yeah, and I’m the cop you tried to punch. The only reason I’m not taking you to jail right now is because Erika asked me not to.”
    She paused to see if he’d react in any way, but he didn’t. “A word to the wise: unless you want to find yourself back in jail, stay away from here.”
    She held his gaze. After a minute, he looked away.
    “Can I go now?” he asked