Free Love Inspired Suspense September 2015 #1 by Alison Stone, Lisa Phillips, Margaret Daley Page A

“I’ll let Jake know now that he can receive visitors, then if you want you can talk to him.”
    Lydia slipped in behind the steering wheel, started the car and lowered her window. “Have you found anything helpful this morning?”
    â€œNot yet, but every area has to be combed through.”
    While Lydia drove away from the animal hospital, she glanced at Jesse in the rearview mirror, his legs planted a foot apart, his gaze tracking her as she pulled out into traffic. She sighed as he disappeared from her sight. Probably a good thing. She didn’t need to have a wreck, staring at him when she should be driving.
    * * *
    Jesse squatted next to Brutus and rubbed his hand down his back. “Break time is over. We have to get back to work. Sorry about your buddy not coming home with us.”
    As he rose and stretched, he thought about yesterday and spending more time with Lydia than he’d wanted. And yet, in the end, he didn’t mind it because leaving Brutus with her and Kate felt like the right call. Even so, he’d stayed outside her house for an hour before leaving.
    He couldn’t shake what she’d told him about marrying Aaron. If he ever saw his high school friend, he’d throttle him. He’d known Aaron was a player and tried to warn her, but she’d refused to listen. If only she had... Would they have been together today? He’d asked himself that question quite a bit with conflicting answers each time. Now it was too late.
    When he reached the bomb site, he picked up where he and Brutus had left off. Fifteen minutes into searching his section, his cell phone rang, his ring tone the call of a bull moose. He saw it was Thomas and asked, “I thought you were going to be at the bomb site. Has something happened?”
    â€œYes, but not another bomb. I got the autopsy information back on the waitress. She died from a large air embolism. After some investigation and looking at video feed, it has been ruled a murder. A medium -size d man was caught going into her room, dressed as an orderly, but no one on the staff fits his description. It turns out an orderly’s badge was stolen in the locker room the day the waitress died.”
    â€œThen we have a photo of the guy.”
    â€œSort of.”
    Jesse surveyed the area. “What do you mean?”
    â€œIt looks like a disguise, although we’ll use the photo. Even if our bomber is using disguises, maybe this will help us. I’m just not sure how accurate it will be and the orderly had an uncanny way of avoiding the cameras. I can’t find anyone he interacted with on the floor. I’m almost at the bomb site.”
    Jesse clicked off. If the waitress was murdered, then she must have seen something in the dining area or the bomber thought she did. What about Lydia? She couldn’t remember, but the man wouldn’t know that, and even if he did, he killed the waitress to get rid of a witness. Jesse tried calling Lydia on her cell phone, but she didn’t answer. Spying Thomas’s car pulling up, he hurried toward the detective.
    Thomas met him partway. “I’m worried about Lydia. Did you just see her? Is she still at the animal hospital? I want to show her this picture.”
    â€œYes and no. She’s taking Mitch home with her. I’d feel a lot better about that if the dog wasn’t injured. I tried calling her cell phone, but she isn’t picking up. She wouldn’t be home yet.”
    â€œMaybe she stopped somewhere. Doesn’t have her cell. It died. We could be overreacting.”
    Jesse frowned. “I’d rather be overreacting than have something happen. I’m going to her house. I’ll take the picture to show her.”
    â€œI’ll have a patrol car near there go by Lydia’s until you arrive. With this development, she needs police protection. Stay with her until I get everything set up. If this guy thought he needed to kill the