Lure of Obsession (The Muse Chronicles Book 1) Read Online Free

the room.
    “What?” Polly dropped her arms, a crease marring her brow. “How? What happened?”
    Mel’s vision blurred behind a wave of tears. “I came home after work tonight and she was at the bottom of the stairs. She…fell.”
    Their questions piled on top of one another until Mel raised her hands. “The police think it was an accident, but when I came home, there weren’t any lights on. Not even on the porch outside.”
    Whispers filled the room. Mel forced herself to hold back her tears at least a little while longer. “I think someone pushed her. She never would have turned off all the lights. Someone had to have done that after she died.”
    “Were they maybe hoping to grab you in the dark?”
    Polly’s question sent a chill creeping down Mel’s spine as she shrugged. “I don’t think so. There was no one there when I found her and called 9-1-1.”
    At least not that she’d seen.
    Callie came over and wrapped a supportive arm around her shoulder. “Mel doesn’t think Nia had any enemies, but we should all be careful. And if you think of anything that could help the police figure out what happened, let Mel know so she can pass information on to the detective working on the case.”
    “But they think she fell, right?” Clio wrung her hands as her gaze wandered between Callie and Mel. “Why would they help us?”
    “I think Detective Malone believes me,” Mel said. “He didn’t want me to stay at the condo tonight.”
    Callie raised her free hand toward the kitchen. “I have some hot water for tea on the stove. Let’s go sit down and make a list of anyone who may have known Nia. It’s a place to start anyway.”
    Mel watched them go. Could someone have been waiting for her, too? But why? The only connection between her and Nia were the spirits of the muses inside of them, and no one else could possibly know that. Could they?
    But nothing from the condo had been stolen and Nia didn’t have any enemies that she knew of… What other motive could there be to connect them?
    She shook her head almost violently. Impossible. She was letting her tendency toward tragedy get the best of her.
    She stared at the door. But if it was true and someone was hunting the muses, then they were all in danger.

    “I’m calling it a night. You going home soon, Nate?”
    He glanced away from his computer screen for a second. “Yeah, I’m almost done here.”
    John had been his partner long enough to see right through his bullshit. But unlike John, Nate had nothing to go home to. No wife and kids, not even a dog.
    John tipped his head toward the list on the monitor. “You don’t think it was an accident, do you?” He heaved a disgruntled sigh. “There’s no evidence anyone else was in that condo, Malone.”
    Nate leaned back in his chair. “According to her roommate, our vic had a thing for leaving all the lights on. But everything was off. Even the porch.”
    “Could’ve been our guys.”
    Nate nodded and minimized the window. “Maybe downstairs, but every light upstairs was off, too. None of our team was up in the bedrooms.”
    “What’re you thinkin’?”
    That I’m completely losing my shit.
    “Just a hunch,” he said instead. “I think she might be on to something.”
    “It’s a stretch without any sign of forced entry.”
    “Unless our vic didn’t believe in locking her doors, either.” He made a note to ask Mel later.
    John pulled a chair over. “I’ll stay and help you out.”
    “It’s probably nothing.” Nate shook his head. “Go home and kiss Beth and the kids for me.”
    John gripped the back of the chair without sitting. “You should get out of here, too.”
    He glanced up at his partner, who somehow managed to look sympathetic and suspicious all at the same time.
    “This isn’t about Maggie,” Nate insisted. For the first time, it didn’t hurt to say her name.
    “You sure about that?”
    I’m not sure of anything anymore.
    “Yeah. Just covering all our bases before