Free Love Inspired Suspense April 2015 #1 by Terri Reed, Becky Avella, Dana R. Lynn

artifact.”
    Lana twisted in her seat to stare at Adam. He stood inside the doorway, filling the frame like a dark knight claiming his territory. Was he bluffing? Did he really suspect Mr. Floyd? She couldn’t tell by the piercing gleam in his eyes or the hard set of his jaw.
    â€œMe?” Mr. Floyd jumped to his feet. “You can’t possibly think I had anything to do with the break-in. I was out of town at the time.”
    â€œWe explore all possibilities.” The hard edge to Adam’s voice made Lana flinch. “Firing Miss Gomez prematurely could result in a wrongful termination suit.”
    Lana blinked. She would never consider suing the museum even if she had grounds and she was pretty sure being a suspect in a crime wasn’t grounds.
    Slowly, she turned back to Mr. Floyd to see his reaction. His face flushed bright red. It was surprising steam wasn’t rising from his ears. She appreciated that Adam had stepped in on her behalf. He’d obviously made her boss feel the same outrage at being falsely accused of something.
    However, the last thing she needed was to have the situation made worse by alienating and humiliating Mr. Floyd or threatening the museum with a lawsuit. She needed this job. Not only because she loved what she did, but also without an income her chances of becoming Juan’s guardian slipped further away.
    She jumped to her feet. “I understand you’re upset, Mr. Floyd. I understand the loss of the arrow has put the museum in a precarious position. I had nothing to do with the theft, but in the interest of doing what is best for the museum, I’ll take my vacation days.”
    Behind her, Adam snorted; clearly he didn’t like that idea.
    Mr. Floyd, on the other hand, visibly calmed. He brushed a hand over his bald head and then sat back down. “That would be most appreciated.”
    She slipped her key card from the pocket of her purse and laid it on the desk. “Thank you, Mr. Floyd. I’m hopeful the police will catch the perpetrator and I can return to work in time to oversee the patron celebration.”
    â€œWe will need to postpone the party for now,” he stated. “The exhibit won’t be the same without the arrow—we’ll need to find another piece to showcase.”
    Disappointment dropped onto her shoulders. “I understand.” She would do whatever she could to help find both the arrow and another piece of history to add to the collection, despite being on “vacation.”
    With a heavy heart, she left her boss’s office.
    Adam fell into step beside her. “You should have stood your ground. He doesn’t have a legal leg to stand on.”
    â€œIt doesn’t matter. I have to do what I believe to be right.” She stopped to meet his gaze. “My job is important to me. Besides, without gainful employment, there’s no way I’ll gain custody of Juan.”
    The anger in his blue-green eyes shifted to approval. Her mouth went dry as her heart sped up.
    â€œThen you did the right thing,” he said.
    Halfway to the exit, she remembered the file on the arrow. She stopped and placed a hand on Adam’s arm. “Would it be illegal if I take the file on the arrow with me?”
    â€œIt has pertinent information that might help in an ongoing investigation,” he stated firmly. “I’ll take the heat if there’s any backlash.”
    A moment of surprise gave way to tingling warmth spreading through her. Grateful for his offer, she said, “The file’s in my office.”
    They retraced their steps down the hall and into her office. She quickly found the thick file in the drawer of her desk. Her gaze fell on the stack of unfinished display cards on the desk and a stab of melancholy hit her.
    She wished she could rewind time and go back to the moment she heard the sound of breaking glass. She should have called the police instead of running headlong into