EDGE OF SUSPENSE: Thrilling Tales of Mystery & Murder Read Free Page B

be
jeopardizing the career she had worked so hard to achieve.
    Was it worth her job and reputation? She
didn't think so.
    But Judge Barnard Nishida III didn't see it
that way. He ordered her to reveal her source or be held in
contempt of court. Lydia hoped she might get off with a stern
admonition and be given the right to protect her sources like any
good journalist.
    Didn't happen.
    The judge put her in jail and seemed
unaffected by his decision. As he put it, "Once you spend a little
time in hell, maybe you'll be ready to do your civic and
professional duty, Ms. Muldaur."
    It was all Lydia could do not to give the
judge a piece of her mind. Common sense had prevailed. No reason to
anger him even more, only to wind up with additional time in a
place she clearly didn't belong.
    How long would he keep her locked up like a
common criminal? A month? Two months? A year?
    She didn't dare hazard a guess.
    Lydia wanted to laugh to keep from crying.
She had already shed enough tears to turn her blue eyes permanently
scarlet.
    Maybe this had gone far enough. Was she
supposed to stick to her guns for a lifetime?
    Stubbornly, Lydia decided she would do just
that. Otherwise how could she possibly expect to gain the trust of
future sources for investigations if her word was not solid?
    Still, a part of Lydia would give almost
anything right now to be relaxing in her Jacuzzi tub, sipping a
glass of red wine.
    Almost.
    * * *
    DEA Special Agent Devlin Carter wasn't
surprised to learn that a member of Antonio Escobero's inner
circle, Javier Whitman, had been murdered. After all, with the drug
lord in custody on a number of serious charges that would likely
put him away for life, it wasn't unexpected that some turmoil would
occur within his organization. It had obviously been a professional
hit.
    Carter had been surprised to find Lydia
Muldaur's business card in Whitman's pocket. She was the journalist
in jail for refusing to name her source. He had scrolled through
Whitman's cell phone and saw her number on his speed dial.
    It didn't take much for Carter to put the
pieces together. Whitman had been Lydia's informant, supplying her
with insider knowledge of the drug world. And she'd been willing to
go to jail just to protect her source.
    Commendable, yes. Smart, no.
    Carter doubted Whitman had given her much
information that was credible, knowing he had to walk the line
carefully so he wouldn't tip his hand to those who would rather see
him dead than bring the cartel down.
    Unfortunately he hadn't been careful enough
and paid the ultimate price.
    Since Carter believed that Lydia Muldaur
might have just enough information to bolster the strong case they
already had against Escobero, he'd gotten the judge to release her.
Now that her source was dead, there was no need to keep her in
jail.
    But Carter wanted to make sure his new ace
in the hole stayed alive. At least long enough to testify against
Escobero.
    * * *
    "You're free to go," the guard said
tonelessly.
    "Me?" Lydia's eyes widened.
    "Yes, you." The guard sneered. "It's your
lucky day."
    Lydia didn't feel lucky, but was thankful
for the judge's apparent change of heart. She stood up and
practically skipped out of the cell before she was locked in
again.
    After collecting her belongings, Lydia took
a cab home.
    She never wanted to see the inside of a jail
cell again, unless she was interviewing an inmate.
    She brushed aside the thought, happy to be
free.
    Lydia wondered how Javier Whitman was
holding up. They had spoken yesterday and he sounded nervous, as if
she would betray his trust. She had guaranteed him that would never
happen.
    Now she wasn't sure if it was worth getting
anything more from him. She had plenty to work with to write her
book. Maybe it was best to leave well enough alone.
    Lydia called her good friend, Suzanne Pratt.
Suzanne had told her several times that she'd gotten way over her
head on this one and that she probably should think about dropping
the whole book idea