Read Online Arc Angel by Elizabeth Avery - Free Book Online Page B

hoping.”
    “But then she bolted.”
    “And you don’t know why.”
    “No.”
    “I’d suggest you figure it out, if you’re ever going to get her to come back.”
    Bryce sat in silence, tapping his fingers against the bottle in his hand.
    He’d noticed Miranda’s skittishness, but he’d gotten so wrapped up in the possibilities of what she’d admitted that he’d rushed things. If this woman had actually been struck by lightning and turned into his heroine—and the white streak in her hair made a good case for that being true—the possibilities were astounding.
    He thought back to the end of their conversation. The expression on her face, right before she’d dashed for the door, had been one of complete panic, which he didn’t understand. He’d been overly excited, sure, and probably pushing her a little faster than he should have, but not enough to frighten her that much. What could he have missed?
    “You’re right, Matthews, as always.”
    He pushed himself out of the armchair and strode over to the laptop on the desk.
    “I thought we’d learned what we needed to know about Miranda James, but clearly we need to dig deeper.”
    Matthews pushed himself out of his chair.
    “This wasn’t the type of figuring out I had in mind,” he muttered under his breath as he joined Bryce at the desk.
    Bryce ignored him and started his search. He needed Miranda James, and he was determined not to screw up his second chance. If he got a second chance.
     
    ***
     
    “Thank you for your help, Detective.”
    The relocation of the ancient artifact had gone smoothly, and the piece now rested in its new home in the east wing of the Elder’s Grove Museum. Kate played no part in the actual move, but as head of the task force was required to be present for the event.
    “You made it easy, Mr. Fredricks. I appreciate you being willing to close down the entire museum for us on a Friday afternoon.”
    The museum director waved a wrinkled hand.
    “It’s not our busiest time anyway. Besides, the security of the artifact took priority over a few field trips.”
    “Well, thank you again. Please give me a call if you have any questions or need anything else. We’re planning to continue the extra staffing through the grand opening.”
    “I’m sure I won’t need anything else. You’ve been very thorough.”
    Kate smiled her thanks and turned to leave.
    “Detective?”
    She pivoted and looked at the older man again.
    “Yes?”
    “Would you like to see it?”
    Kate’s mind went blank. “See it?”
    “The artifact. Would you like to see it? You’ve certainly earned a sneak peek.”
    She almost said no. The word sprang from her throat, almost to her lips before she forced herself to swallow it. Why shouldn’t she take a quick look? What would it hurt? She smiled to cover her sudden uneasiness.
    “Sure. Thanks.”
    Mr. Fredricks motioned her closer to the case.
    “The security on the display case isn’t turned on yet, so you can get quite close if you’d like.”
    Kate trudged over to the case, stopping a foot away. She made herself look down.
    She’d expected something fancy, maybe encrusted with jewels or crystals. But the artifact was nothing more than a stone tablet with a number of markings on it. They didn’t quite look like pictures, but they weren’t exactly letters either.
    No one should be seeing this. It wasn’t meant to be seen.
    What had made her think that? The artifact was simply an old rock. Nothing special. But she could barely manage to keep her face turned toward the case. Dammit, she was a police officer. She believed in facts and evidence, not strange woo woo feelings. She’d be damned if she let herself be spooked by a stupid artifact.
    And yet a shimmer of energy seemed to flow up from the artifact and settle around her head, seeping into her nose, mouth, ears. She desperately wanted to shake it off, but decided she was being crazy. She forced herself to hold her ground for another 15