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

didn’t think she had noticed. He tapped his pen on the folder, scrambling for something to tell her besides seeing a wacko in a gold Kronos mask shoving her friend down the stairs.
    “I can’t explain it.” It was the truth. “But even though there’s no evidence to prove your friend was murdered, I believe you.”
    Her expression softened. “Thank you.” She glanced at his folder. “So you think Kronos pushed Nia down the staircase?”
    Yes. He shook his head. “No. But there have been a couple sightings of robed men in these gold masks.” Okay, so that wasn’t exactly true. So far he’d only seen one in his head, but he had to tell her something, and until he could figure out if he was crazy, the truth wasn’t an option.
    She raised a brow. “Really? I haven’t heard anything on TV.”
    He cleared his throat. “I think it’s your turn to answer my question.”
    A barely-there smile tugged at her lips, distracting him for a moment. “I think the blues and poetry are a perfect match. The music helps the kids find a rhythm for their emotions on the page. Plus, it helps my students share with one another in a safe environment. Sometimes knowing you’re not alone in your feelings—especially your tragedies—can make all the difference.”
    And sometimes being alone is the only way to keep the tragedy boxed up, he thought.
    He sat back in his chair, pondering the woman across the table. “You seem pretty together for someone who just lost her friend.”
    She stared at her coffee cup. “I’m a lot of things, but together isn’t one of them.” She lifted her eyes. “I’ll never sleep in that condo again. I’m staying at Callie’s for now. I called the landlord to terminate the lease.” She blinked back tears and shifted in her chair. “I’m pretty sure it’s my turn to ask a question.” Clearing her throat, she charged forward. “Have you ever been shot?”
    He was going to get whiplash from her sudden changes in subject, but he chuckled. He couldn’t help it. “Yeah.”
    When had tonight become a chance to get to know each other? He had a case to solve. But something about Mel made it tough for him to think straight.
    “Twice,” he went on. “A bullet grazed my right arm once, and I was hit in my vest another time. It cracked a rib, but I lived, so I count that as a win.”
    Mel sipped her coffee. “So what do you want to know about Kronos?”
    He raised a brow at another abrupt change in the conversation. “Are you disappointed I couldn’t dodge a couple bullets?”
    A real smile teased her lips as she lowered her coffee mug. “On the contrary, I’m a sucker for a guy with scars, so for your protection, we should probably stick to the case.”
    “I’m not scared.” Blood was suddenly pumping away from his brain, and for a split second, he considered taking off his shirt to show her his scar. He was losing his mind. Fast. “But I do have a case to work.”
    She nodded slowly. “Definitely for the best.”
    He didn’t agree, but forced himself to nod. Right now he was the only person in the police department who believed her roommate had been murdered, and if the crazy vision was right, then there was a murderer in a mask on the loose, and if he didn’t figure out how to prove it, more people could die.
    The thought sobered him. “Any idea why people might be wearing this mask?”
    She pulled in a slow breath and nodded. “Kronos was the leader of the Titans before Zeus trapped them all in the center of the Earth.”
    “Like Clash of the Titans ?” He set his pen down. “You think these people believe in this stuff?”
    Her back stiffened. “Every myth begins from a need to explain a reality. So while I’m not sure a real Kraken is locked up in the Earth’s core, I think it’s likely there is some inhuman force there, something imprisoned to keep it from destroying the world.”
    Nate rocked back in his chair. He wanted to laugh and point out how insane this sounded,