Emergency Reunion by Sandra Orchard

hands.
    Luke’s father snapped a lead on the dog’s collar and tugged him toward the car.
    Cole curled his fist, looking as if he wanted to hurt the man. “He’s wrong.”
    Her breaths were coming too fast and shallow. She forced herself to breathe slow and deep, already regretting how far she’d let Cole inside her head. “He’s grieving,” she rationalized, almost managing to sound unaffected by the man’s appearance.
    â€œThat’s no excuse.”
    Cole’s palm came to rest comfortingly at the small of her back. “For the record, Atkins is still on my suspect list. He may not have pulled any of the stunts against you, but he could have masterminded them.”
    Sherri drew in a fortifying breath. If they were going to work together to figure out what was really going on, she needed to tell him everything. “You should know that my colleagues blame me for Luke’s death, too. Not as overtly as Mr. Atkins. But I hear them whispering. That’s the real reason I’ve always figured they were behind the pranks. To goad me into quitting. And that’s why I was determined not to let the incidents ruffle me. I promised Luke I wouldn’t quit.”
    â€œWe’re way past pranks, Sherri. And trust me, your colleagues are on my radar.” He prodded her toward his truck.
    â€œSo what do we do now?”
    â€œWe pull in every piece of data we can get our hands on. We’ll cross-reference the date and time of each incident with the schedules of every potential person who could’ve helped orchestrate them, starting with your colleagues, 9-1-1 operators and dispatch. And every person you can think of who could have the slightest motive—ex-boyfriends, wannabe boyfriends, patients or family members of patients who didn’t like your treatment.”
    â€œI already told you—”
    He cut her off with a wave of his hand and motioned for her to climb in. “You’ll be surprised how many names we can come up with after we’re through brainstorming.”
    Her gaze snapped to rustling in the bushes on the far side of the cemetery. Across the street, a man sat behind the wheel of an idling car.
    This was crazy. Cole was making her paranoid.
    â€œWe need to look at anyone you might’ve crossed some time before the incidents started, from the guy you cut off on your way to work to the fellow tenant whose parking spot you usurped.”
    â€œWhat?” Her attention snapped back to Cole. “I never took anyone’s parking spot.”
    â€œIt was just an example. Nutcases have killed for less.”
    â€œKilled?” The word came out scarcely above a whisper. She suddenly felt lightheaded. Sure, that drug guy blew up the house they’d been called to, but...
    As if Cole had read her thoughts, he said, “I suspect the house explosion was as much a surprise to our man as it was to us. If he wanted you dead, he would’ve ordered the dog to go for your throat.”
    She flinched, and Cole winced. “Sorry. You didn’t need to hear that, but if my theory’s right, he’s trying to terrorize you. Except the escalation in attacks has me worried, he’s growing impatient with the game.”
    Game?
Cole honestly thought some psycho was toying with her like a cat with a mouse? Could Luke’s father be that sick? Could her colleagues?
    Cole could’ve died in that house explosion. That dog could’ve torn Dan and the guy with the stick to pieces. How could she go back to work and put others in danger?
    Except...
    The image of Luke filled her vision, his last breath seeping from his lungs with his plea—
Don’t forget your promise.
    She couldn’t
not
go back.
    * * *
    Cole parked in front of Sherri’s parents’ house early the next morning. Masses of purple, pink and white overflowed the front flowerbeds, a colorful welcome banner against the backdrop of the yellow