Chapter 5

Eve stared at the photo of Michael Harold Jones, trying to imagine the ordinary-looking man placing a bomb in her office and in her home. There was something vaguely familiar about him, but she couldn't place it. Maybe he had been one of the sign-holding demonstrators she'd walked past on her way into the office a couple of weeks ago.

Or maybe her imagination was working overtime, and she'd never seen this man before in her life. Either way, she was having trouble understanding why he wanted to kill her.

If he was even the one behind these attacks. It didn't seem logical; then again, setting bombs wasn't rational no matter how you looked at it.

She rose and moved away from the computer, wrapping her arms around her waist. In some ways, she hoped Michael Harold Jones was responsible. If so, she was one step closer to returning to her normal, boring life.

And her research.

It was troubling to realize she didn't know what to do with herself without the ability to lose herself in her research. As if her life had no meaning aside from her diabetes work. Which she knew was not true. She attended church. She knew God was watching out for her and for the rest of the tactical team.

So why was she feeling as if she were adrift at sea? In a boat without a life jacket while not knowing how to swim? She didn't like feeling useless.

"Rhy?" Grayson's voice interrupted her thoughts. "We need to bring in a guy by the name of Michael Harold Jones. He lives in Milwaukee and is a possible suspect in setting the bombs."

She paced the length of the room, listening as Grayson discussed arrangements to interview the animal rights suspect.

"Yes, that should work. I should have realized Mitch Callahan would need to interview Eve."

Who was Mitch Callahan? She didn't remember hearing the name before. It was annoying to be discussed as if she wasn't standing right there, but she reminded herself that she was a victim. Of course, Grayson would be taking a lead on things.

"Okay, we can be there in fifteen. Thanks." He ended the call and stood to face her. "We need to head back to the precinct."

"I heard. Who is Mitch Callahan?"

"He's the arson investigator who will help pinpoint the location and type of device that was set." Grayson's gaze was serious. "It's my fault I didn't think to contact him sooner. I should have known he'd be called to the scene."

"You can't think of everything." She grabbed her errant sticky note, then looped her oversize bag onto her shoulder. "I'm ready."

"You can leave that here if you like." Grayson gestured to the bag.

"I'd rather keep it with me." Her notes and laptop were priceless now that her office had been blown into smithereens. "Please," she added when it looked as if he might argue.

"I'll carry it for you." He held out his hand.

"I have it." She clung to the bag handle as if it were a lifeline. "Let's just get this over with."

He nodded and held the door open for her. They didn't speak as they headed outside to the black Jeep.

This would be her third trip to the police station in one day. After setting the bag on the floor between her feet, she clipped her seat belt.

The June sun was still high in the sky, as they were close to the summer solstice. Her stomach rumbled with hunger, but she ignored it. It seemed absurd to want dinner at a time like this.

As promised, they arrived at the precinct within fifteen minutes. She knew her way around now and was about to go to her usual desk when Grayson guided her toward an interview room. "Mitch is waiting."

"Okay." Flustered, she opened the door to see a tall blond-haired man standing at one side of the table.

"Dr. Shaw, it's a pleasure to meet you." Mitch extended his hand, so she took it. "I'm sorry it has to be under these circumstances."

"Thanks." She sat in the empty chair, setting her bag at her feet. "You're absolutely sure there are no casualties from the blast?"

"A few people in the offices below yours suffered minor injuries, but it appears the early morning hour was a blessing as there were not many people around." Mitch held her gaze. "Is that usual for the research institute? To have the building mostly empty at seven in the morning?"

She nodded. "Yes. I was going in early for my online presentation, but normally, I get to work around eight. So do many of the others. We don't punch a clock, if that's what you're asking."

"I suspect that the timing of the blast was to target you specifically since there were no other victims," Mitch said. "And from what I can tell, your desk was tucked in the corner where you could sit and look out the window."

"That's true too." She shivered despite the warmth. "I guess it's a good thing this bomber only wanted to hurt me."

"It's not good that anyone wants to hurt you, but yes, it seems as if this perp tried to minimize the impact." Mitch leaned forward. "I know Grayson and the others have already asked, but I need to hear it from you. Do you have any idea who set these bombs?"

"I don't. I wish I could point you in the right direction." She glanced at Grayson who gave her an encouraging nod. "I gave Grayson—er, Officer Clark the names of my colleagues, my competitors so to speak, and mentioned the animal rights group that camped outside the building a few weeks ago. He's been looking into them."

"I know, I got an update from Rhy on that." Mitch nodded at Grayson. "I'll poke around in their backgrounds too. And I understand Michael Harold Jones is being picked up for an interview."

"He's one of the animal rights activists and has a previous charge of breaking and entering along with destruction of private property." Grayson shrugged. "I figure it's a place to start."

"I agree," Mitch said. She was surprised that the arson investigator thought along the same lines as Grayson. "He could have done other things we're not aware of."

It must be exhausting to expect the worst of people. But she didn't say anything more. "Barbara the receptionist wasn't hurt?" she asked.

Mitch glanced at his notes. "It appears Barbara Copland had the day off. So yes, she's fine."

She frowned, realizing Barbara hadn't mentioned having the day off. Although really, it wasn't her job to keep track of the receptionist's schedule. "Good. I'm glad to hear it."

Mitch went through a few more questions similar to the ones Grayson had asked. She dutifully answered them all. When she was finished, Grayson and Mitch exchanged a long glance.

"Anything I missed?" Mitch asked.

Grayson shook his head. "No. I'm happy to share all the information I've gathered thus far."

"I'll keep you in the loop too," Mitch said. "Better for us to work this thing together. Good catch on finding the device in her home office." Mitch turned to face her. "Any other place you go on a regular basis? The gym? A coffee shop?"

"No." She flushed with embarrassment. "I pretty much work, eat, and sleep."

Mitch nodded without commenting on her lack of social life. "Unfortunately, I won't be able to dig into the scene further until tomorrow or Thursday. By then it should have cooled off enough for me to sift through the debris."

"Understood." Grayson pulled out his phone. "Looks like Michael Harold Jones is here." He rose. "I need to talk to that guy."

"Go ahead. We're finished here." Mitch stood and held out his hand again. "Take care, Dr. Shaw. You're in good hands with Grayson watching over you."

"Thanks." She wondered how well Mitch knew Grayson, but there was no time to ask questions. She followed Grayson out of the interview room, intending to return to her usual spot, but Grayson caught her arm.

"I'd like you to watch the interview, see if anything about this guy is familiar," he said in a low voice.

"Of course." She hoped he wasn't pinning his hopes on her meager abilities. "I'll do my best."

He flashed a smile. "I know you will. This way." He led her to the other side of the room where there was another interview room. She could see through the window at the man sitting inside. "He can't see you," Grayson assured her.

She nodded in understanding, knowing she'd never look at cop shows the same way. Not that she watched a lot of television, normally she was too tired mentally to do anything but head to bed.

Grayson left her standing beside Rhy Finnegan to join Joe Kingsley in the interview room. She twisted her hands together and tried to concentrate.

Voices came through the speaker. "I'm Officer Clark, and this is Lieutenant Kingsley," Grayson said. "You are Michael Harold Jones?"

"I go by Mike, yeah." The activist glanced around nervously. "Why am I here?"

"What do you do for a living?" Grayson asked, ignoring the question.

"I'm a software designer for Designs, Inc. Why, is that a crime?" Mike's tone was defensive.

"Are you familiar with the Milwaukee College of Medicine Research Institute?" Grayson asked.

Now Mike fidgeted in his chair. "Yeah. So what if I am? I didn't break any laws."

"You admit you were there two weeks and three days ago, protesting against the use of animals in research?" Grayson pressed.

"Yeah. And you know what?" Mike slapped his hand on the table. "That's what is truly criminal here. They shouldn't be experimenting on animals."

"I see. You have actually seen animals being used for experiments?" Grayson asked.

"Well, no, that's all done in their big secret labs, right?" Mike threw up his hands. "Is that what this is about? Some stupid protest?"

"Tell us about what happened a year ago, when you were charged with breaking and entering and property damage," Grayson went on.

Now Mike flushed. "That was a big misunderstanding," he muttered.

"Why don't you tell us your side of the story?" Joe pressed.

Mike shifted again. "We got bad intel. We were told this guy had several dogs he was using for dog fights. So we broke into his house and freed the animals." He glanced between the two officers. "We only learned later that they weren't being used in illegal dog fights. Like I said, we got bad intel."

Eve could tell Grayson was annoyed with the guy's response. "Did it ever occur to you to double-check your intel before breaking the law?"

Mike shrugged. "I paid the fine and restitution for the damages."

"Did you ever consider the possibility that the research institute isn't using animals for their research?" Grayson asked. "Maybe you got more bad intel on that topic too."

"They're not going to tell anyone about their secret lab," Mike protested. "Or there would be animal rights groups showing up on their doorstep from all across the country. We're all on this mission together."

No way is this guy the bomber, Eve thought with a sigh. He sounded like an idiot, even though she did agree with his goal to protect animals. Eve wanted to storm inside to assure him there were no secret labs of animals anywhere within the research institute. And that she loved animals as much as he did.

"Where were you last night and early this morning?" Grayson asked.

"I work until five, then I went home. I was with my girlfriend, Amy, all night. I didn't leave my house to go to work this morning until seven fifteen." Understanding dawned. "Oh, this is about that bomb, isn't it? You can't seriously believe I had anything to do with that?"

"Amy, that's Amy Shuller, also a member of the animal rights group?" Grayson asked.

"Yes, that's right. We met at a rally." Mike leaned forward now, his gaze imploring. "I had nothing to do with that bomb. I swear!"

Again, Grayson and Joe exchanged a long look. They asked a few more questions before bringing the interview to a close.

Eve turned away, battling a wave of despair. They were no closer to finding the person responsible than they were earlier this morning.

At this rate, they wouldn't find him until it was too late.

* * *

Grayson couldn't imagineMike Jones planting bombs, but his background as a software designer indicated he was familiar with computer technology and could have easily tracked Eve's computer to the American Lodge.

Maybe he was one of the fringe players, not the one setting bombs or pulling the trigger of a gun but helping from the background. Too bad, they didn't have anything that could be used as evidence to place him under arrest. With reluctance, they let him go.

"What do you think?" Joe asked, once Jones had left the building.

"He could be a part of this, but he's not the main guy." Grayson shrugged. "I only went through the first five names Gabe gave me. There are more to investigate."

"I have to agree. The group in general seems disorganized." Joe shook his head. "Bad intel? Really?"

"I know. Sloppy at best." He glanced around for Eve. She was back in her usual spot; only this time, her head was down, and she looked completely defeated. His heart squeezed in his chest. He felt bad for putting her through this.

"You better check on her." Joe jutted his chin toward Eve. "But be careful. Don't get in over your head."

"Sure, just like you and Elly," Grayson joked, then sobered. "I know, trust me, I don't want to mess this up."

"God is watching over you, Grayson. Eve too." Joe slapped him on the back. "I know you'll protect her with your life."

"Absolutely." He and the rest of the team, every officer on the force really, put their lives on the line to protect the public every day. But acting as Eve's self-imposed bodyguard was different.

Because she was different. A friend. A high school classmate.

No, if this was one of the guys from his high school football team, he wouldn't be nearly as emotionally invested. If he were being honest with himself, he'd admit his gut was in a knot over his attraction to Eve. He was falling into the same trap as his fellow officers. Joe, Brock, Raelyn, and Steele had all been in a similar position and not all that long ago either.

Too bad, he told himself harshly. Time to get over it. He did not want a repeat of what happened with his last girlfriend, Monica.

As if to prove himself immune to her charms, he walked away from Eve toward Gabe Melrose's office. The guy wasn't there, and by the looks of the dark computer, Gabe had obviously left for the day.

He quickly checked his email on his phone, relaxing when he saw he had another email from Melrose with the names and dates of birth for the rest of the people pictured in the animal rights photo.

It would have to be good enough for now. Frankly, he was grateful to have something constructive to do.

He turned to head back to Eve. She looked up as he approached. "May we please leave?"

"Yeah. Sorry about the delay." He pulled the Jeep key fob from his pocket. "Are you okay?"

"Mike didn't set those bombs or try to shoot at me." She sounded deflated. "He's not smart enough and doesn't strike me as someone who is capable of killing in cold blood."

"I agree with your assessment." He tried to gauge where she was coming from. Did she see this as a waste of time? "However, we wouldn't know that without talking to him face-to-face."

She shrugged. "That's true." She abruptly frowned. "Is this what police work is like? Following up on various clues and suspects until you find something useful?"

"Pretty much." He smiled. "It's not glamorous or nonstop action. We tend to pay attention to every single detail. It's often something small that breaks a case wide open."

"That's similar to my work," she confided. "Sifting through details and possibilities like sand on the shores of the ocean until finally discovering something important."

"Exactly." He rested his hand on her back. "I'm sorry that you've had to go through all of this. Did Mike Jones look at all familiar to you? Do you remember seeing him outside the research institute that day?"

"He looks vaguely familiar, yes, but I could not swear he was there the day of the protest. Unfortunately, I didn't pay much attention to any of them at the time. I knew we weren't using animals in our research, so I didn't really bother with them."

"You heard what he said about bad intel?" Grayson asked. "That's the concern I have about these groups. Not that they aren't doing good work in general, but that they don't have their facts straight."

"I heard." She shook her head. "I don't know where the rumor of a secret lab with animals came from. We don't have one."

"Who knows?" He gestured toward the door. "Let's get out of here. I'm hungry."

"Me too," she admitted, then paused. "Do you mind if I stop in the restroom first?"

"Go ahead." He showed her where they were located. "I'll start the car so the air-conditioning is revved up and ready to go."

"Thanks." She ducked inside.

"You're still here?" Rhy came out of his office, heading toward him.

"We're leaving." He grimaced. "Sorry Jones didn't pan out as a viable lead."

"Like you said, he could be involved peripherally. But he looked really shocked to be considered a suspect for the bombing." Rhy glanced at his watch. "I need to hit the road, Devon is waiting for me, and Colleen always greets me as if she hasn't seen me in months." Rhy grinned. "She's kind of like a puppy that way. Now that I think about it, she scoots around on her hands and knees like one too."

He chuckled at the image. And for the first time in his life, he found himself wondering what it would be like to have a wife and daughter waiting for you at home. Parenthood wasn't something he'd thought about much, especially after Monica, until Rhy and Devon had Colleen. Their daughter was seven months old now, and there was a rumor going around that Rhy and Devon were already planning baby number two.

Considering Tarin's wife, Joy, had given birth to a baby boy a few months ago, and Kyleigh had recently delivered a baby girl, the Finnegan family seemed anxious to populate the world with more Finnegans. Although in Kyleigh's case, she was a Scala, having married ADA Bax Scala.

His parents had waited until he'd gone to college to split up, but he'd always known they weren't happy. He figured that was one of the reasons he'd never been able to find a woman he cared enough about to settle down. That along with the incident with Monica had him shying away from commitment. He didn't think it was fair to bring kids into the world only to end up divorced.

But he'd noticed the Finnegans had not only jumped into relationships with startling quickness, they rushed to the altar too.

He didn't get it.

"You need anything else?" Rhy asked.

"Nope." He smiled when Eve emerged from the restroom. "We'll walk out with you."

"Sure thing." Rhy waited for them to catch up. Together, they headed for the side door. Grayson took a moment to double click the key fob to start the Jeep.

The sun was still warm, but there was a cool breeze coming in from the west. He figured it wouldn't take long for the air-conditioning to kick in.

He and Eve had just joined Rhy when the Jeep exploded, the blast knocking them off their feet.

"Eve!" he shouted, searching for her. Had she been hit?

"Here." Her voice was hoarse. "I'm here."

Thank You, Lord!Even as the prayer formed in his mind, he stared dumbly at the wreckage.

Someone had planted another bomb. But who had known they would be here at the precinct at this time? Mike Jones had been brought in for questioning, but he couldn't know that Grayson would be the one to talk to him.

Possibilities swirled in his mind as Rhy called 911 to report the blast. The only thing he knew with grim certainty is that if he hadn't used the remote start, he and Eve would both be dead.