Love Inspired Suspense June 2015 #1 Read Free

taken?”
    â€œTo this office, my file cabinets, a storeroom around the corner and my house. I keep my car keys separate in my purse, which is locked in the top left drawer of my desk.”
    â€œWas that drawer key taken, too?”
    â€œYes.”
    Nicholas peered behind the desk. “Everything has been emptied.” Donning a second glove, he moved toward the purse on the floor and held it up. “Check to see if anything was taken. We’ll get to the bottom of this.”
    She took the brown Coach bag Erin had given her for her birthday. All her life Selena had fought for everything she had, so it was nice to have a champion for a moment, especially with all the tension of her cousin Erin named a person of interest in her boyfriend’s murder and the shooting of Congressman Jeffries. That day, when they’d met to celebrate her birthday, her cousin had seemed so happy. Just a few weeks later, Michael was murdered...and Erin had disappeared.
    Selena intended to help prove Erin couldn’t have done it. Erin cared for Michael and wouldn’t hurt anyone.
    Then why did she disappear the night of the murder?
    Selena refused to dwell on that nagging question and instead focused on what might be missing from her purse. She dumped the contents on her lap, her car keys falling out, and went through her wallet, then looked up. “No, everything is here.”
    The doctor arrived with his black bag. He quickly examined her, asking how she felt.
    â€œMy head hurts, but I’m all right. I’ve had worse headaches than this one.” She couldn’t leave the White House in the middle of the biggest affair she’d put together.
    â€œDo you have any nausea?”
    â€œNo.”
    He checked the movement of her eyes, then the bump forming on the side of her head. “You’ll have a knot, but there wasn’t a cut, so no stitches. You should at least go to my office and let me do a more extensive evaluation in case you need to go to the hospital.”
    â€œI will later. I want to check and see if anything is missing from my office.”
    The doctor frowned but nodded. He looked toward Nicholas. “Make sure she does.”
    â€œI will.”
    The doctor turned back to Selena. “If you get dizzy or your vision is affected, blurry, bright-light sensitive, let me know immediately. Please rest as much as possible, and you can take over-the-counter pain meds for the headache. If it gets worse, let me know that immediately, too.”
    â€œI understand. If anything changes, I will.”
    When the doctor left, she swung her attention between Dan and Nicholas. “I want to see if anything has been taken, though Miss Chick didn’t appear to have anything on her.” Selena had to check a few files in particular to see if they were intact.
    â€œIf you’re feeling up to it,” Nicholas said, “Dan and I need to know that, too.” Behind her desk, Nicholas bent over and picked up a straw hat with a daisy on it. “I’m assuming this isn’t yours.”
    â€œNo, it’s Miss Chick’s.”
    â€œGood. I’m going to use it to see if I can find where she went while Dan stays here with you.” Nicholas covered the distance to his K-9 partner, waiting near the door.
    Taking hold of Max’s leash, Nicholas showed the straw hat to the rottweiler, and the dog sniffed it. “Find, Max.”
    Nicholas and Max disappeared out into the hallway. Previously, when she’d seen Nicholas working with his K-9 partner, she’d always been amazed at Max’s abilities. She hoped they’d find Miss Chick—whoever the costumed intruder really was.
    * * *
    Nicholas followed his dog through the crowds and out the door to the West Colonnade. Max headed east, stopping every once in a while and pointing his nose in the air, then charging forward. The dog entered the Rose Garden and headed to the lawn area bordered by flowering