Deadly Obsession by Katie Reus Page A

up her yoga studio this morning.”
    He shook his head. “And she thinks that warrants a police emergency?”
    “Mallory’s car is in the parking lot. It could mean nothing, but didn’t you guys date or something?”
    He risked a quick glance at Lilly and nodded. “We went out once.” The one date had certainly been memorable though. Mallory had gotten plastered on margaritas and thrown up in his truck. Then she’d offered to give him a blow job while he was driving.
    “You want me to head down there and check it out?” Vanessa asked.
    “Nah, I’ll go.” Today was supposed to have been his one day off, but that obviously wasn’t going to happen. “Lilly, want to come with me and I’ll take you to get your rental from there?” He could have left her at the station or had someone else take her to get her car, but every primal instinct he possessed wouldn’t let him. She was involved with this and he needed to keep her close.
    She nodded quickly. “That works.”
    Hudson Bay wasn’t that big so most of the stores and businesses were located off Main Street. The drive was short and as they pulled into the parking lot, Lilly pointed to a small red car. “Is that hers?”
    “Yeah.” The two-door vehicle sat by itself in a corner of the lot and a few other people loitered by the back door. As far as Braden knew, Mallory kept her studio open seven days a week. She opened later on Sunday, but she was religious about her job.
    As soon as he stepped out of his truck, Laura King confronted him.
    “Something’s wrong, Sheriff. I just know it.”
    “Now calm down—”
    “I found this by her car.” She shoved a black compact at him. “This is hers and it’s expensive. I know she wouldn’t have just left it lying there.”
    “All right. I’m going to need you to get back in your cars. All of you.” He raised his voice a few notches as a group of four other women started to cluster behind Laura.
    He was surprised when they silently marched back to their vehicles. Of course, none of them actually got into their cars. That didn’t surprise him. What was he going to do, arrest them?
    Lilly rounded the vehicle with a frown etched on her face. “Do you have a key to this place?”
    He scrubbed a hand over his face and sighed. “No. I’m just gonna have to break a window or call a locksmith.”
    “I can try picking the lock…if you want.”
    “You can do that?”
    She shrugged. “One of the guys I work with taught me how. I’m not a pro or anything, but it might save you a repair bill.”
    He glanced over at the group of women huddled together. The sooner they got this over, the better. “Why not?”
    Braden covered Lilly as best he could while she jimmied the lock. He wasn’t sure if he should be worried or impressed that she carried a lock pick set in her purse. Even though she said she was an analyst, she almost acted like a field agent. She carried a SIG and she could pick locks? For some reason, he found that incredibly sexy.
    He swiveled back toward her when he heard the click of the metal lock sliding out of place.
    She straightened when she was finished. “How are we going to do this? Am I going in with you?”
    Considering the weapon she carried he figured she could take care of herself. Under normal circumstances he’d leave her outside but after what they’d just learned about her therapist he didn’t want her out of his sight for even a moment. “Yeah.” He waited until they were inside to draw his weapon.
    She did the same.
    As they crossed the lobby, his skin tingled. It wasn’t something he could put his finger on, but experience told him that something was wrong.
    “You smell that?” Lilly whispered.
    Nodding, he continued through the lobby toward the open studio. It was something he’d smelled when he’d been in the Marines, in Afghanistan. There wasn’t a single word to describe the putrid, acrid stench, but he knew what it was.
    Death.
    It permeated the air like the smell of