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

The real thief?”
    He shook his head. Disappointment speared her. The arrow might never be found. The possibility sat like a stone in her gut.
    â€œAre you ready to leave?” The impatience in his voice echoed through her small office.
    Squelching her curiosity about his adjustment in attitude and deciding not to question the gift of freedom because she didn’t want to give him the chance to change his mind, she grabbed her purse from the cabinet behind her desk and slipped into her coat. “Yes, thank you.”
    Sweeping his hand in a gesture for her to precede him out the door, he followed her out of her office and headed toward the front entrance.
    â€œMiss Gomez.” Detective Delvecchio blocked her path. “Please don’t leave town.”
    She barely refrained from snorting. Like she had anywhere to go.
    â€œI’m escorting Miss Gomez home,” Adam stated.
    The detective nodded and stepped aside.
    Adam’s hand skimmed the curve of her lower back. Prickles of awareness shimmied up her spine, prompting her to hurry toward the exit.
    Once she was settled in the passenger seat of his vehicle, she tried to relax, but every nerve was attuned to the man sliding behind the steering wheel.
    â€œI appreciate your offer to drive me home, Officer Donovan,” she said, hoping to ease the tension filling the vehicle. He pulled into the afternoon traffic and headed toward her neighborhood. “It’s very kind of you.”
    â€œI’m doing my job,” he stated, his voice terse, his eyes straight head.
    â€œI didn’t realize chauffer was in your job description.” Stung by his matter-of-fact statement, she couldn’t help the little bit of sarcasm infusing her voice. “I could have easily taken a taxi.”
    He slanted her a glance. “I do what’s necessary. Protecting you is the priority.”
    She drew back as his words sank in. “So you finally believe I’m being set up?”
    â€œI believe that something is going on and you’re in the middle of it.”
    â€œO-kay.” His vague answer didn’t reassure her at all. Clearly he had his doubts about her innocence. Fine. Let him think what he wanted. His opinion didn’t matter to her. She knew the truth. She had nothing to do with the theft.
    When they parked in the lot adjacent to her apartment building, she hopped out without waiting for him to open her door. She just wanted to go upstairs and lock herself inside her apartment and block out all that had happened.
    Adam rounded the front end of the vehicle and snagged her elbow, forcing her to a stop. “Hold up.”
    Reining in her impatience, she waited as he freed Ace. The dog trotted to her side and nudged her hand before moving off to lead them toward the building. Just shy of the sliding glass doors, Ace halted and growled, his focus on the bushes at the side of the structure.
    â€œWhat is it, boy?” Adam asked, letting out the lead. The dog’s nose sank to the ground and followed a path around the building.
    Lana’s breath caught. Was there someone skulking in the shadows? She squinted and scanned the thick leafy branches of one of the Inkberry holly bushes and the blooming Japanese yellow yews bordering the apartment complex.
    â€œWhat’s he doing?” Lana asked, stepping closer to Adam, taking comfort in his presence.
    â€œHe’s caught a scent of something.”
    Moving in tandem with Adam, Lana peered over his shoulder to where the dog had stopped at the base of a flowering shrub. Adam squatted to inspect the ground beside Ace. “Footprints.”
    Feeling exposed, Lana rubbed her arms. The chilly afternoon air seeped through her coat and blouse. “It could be the gardener’s or one of the other tenants’.”
    He tilted his head to gaze up at her. “Or they could be from the same man who broke into the museum. Ace doesn’t alert without cause.”
    A