Iris passed the note to Seth, who frowned when he read it. “Is this the only contact?” he asked.
“There hasn’t been anything since he was put in the hospital. And only my parents and the police knew about the way the note was written—that one typed line and the initial B. Could he still be obsessed with me?”
“Anything is possible,” Seth said.
“Can you find out if he’s still secure with his family in Florida?” Troy asked.
“I’ll make some calls. I’ll get in touch with the police department there. Do you know the name of the psychiatric facility?”
She gave it to him. “When my old coach checked, he was told he wasn’t a patient any longer, that he lived with his family.”
“Grace,” Iris said. “This envelope has no postal stamp on it.”
“Huh?”
She gave the envelope to Seth. “It wasn’t postmarked,” she repeated. “It must have been slipped into your mailbox.”
“Oh, God,” Grace said weakly. “He’s here?”
“Let’s not make assumptions,” Seth said, reexamining the envelope and then slipping the note inside. The envelope went in his pocket. “I’m going to look into this. Iris, get those pizzas in, okay?” He immediately turned his attention back to Grace. “Let me tell you something, Grace. If there’s an odd stranger lurking around Thunder Point, he’s going to stand out like a wart on my nose and even without telling anyone I’m looking, someone’s going to tell me. Especially on the main street that runs through town, past all the businesses. Gina never misses a thing, I miss less. Waylan was robbed about ten years ago and he’s still talking about it, still checking every face on the street. In fact, this whole mystery will be easier to solve if some stranger came around and slipped the note into your mail slot.”
Iris put a glass of wine at her place and Grace’s and asked Troy what he’d like. Then a couple of beers appeared in front of Troy and Seth. After sliding the pizzas into the oven, Iris sat down again.
“But,” Seth went on, “I’m going to tell my staff and the business neighbors that a suspicious note was left in your mail slot and I’m looking for who could have done that to be sure you’re safe. In the meantime, put a note on the door to ring the bell and lock the front and back doors. I’ll find out about your former stalker, but I may not hear back from anyone until the morning. Listen, I don’t know if you’ll take this as good news or bad, but I would be very surprised to find some mentally ill patient from fourteen years ago is still obsessed with you and made it across an entire continent, made himself invisible and shook you up with a copy of an old note. I think this is something else altogether.”
“But no one knows about this,” she said.
“That’s seldom the case, especially after so long. I have no idea what the motive could be, but I doubt this is still a closely held secret.”
“But who would do this? Who could possibly care?” she asked.
Seth shook his head. “I don’t know. Yet. But I’ll be looking for a reason. And you have to think about it, too. Maybe an enemy? Someone who thinks you have money? Have you ever been followed by reporters? A jealous family member?”
“Your mother?” Troy asked. “She’s not happy with your decision to leave competition and you said she’s really controlling.”
“I can’t imagine,” Grace said. “She’s been impossible and demanding but, to her credit, she’s never been underhanded.”
“Maybe you should contact her,” Seth said. “Try to get a read on her.”
“I’d hate to do that. We’ve been estranged since I left competition.”
“Well, give it serious thought,” Seth said. “And keep the doors locked.”
“I won’t leave Grace alone,” Troy said. “I’ll make sure she’s safe in her shop before I go to school tomorrow. And we’re going to get some self-defense things. You know—pepper spray and a Taser.”
Seth groaned. “God, I hate when people do that. People get hurt. Waylan got himself a Taser—the kind that shoots out the prongs. He accidentally Tasered his cat.”
“I have guns,” Troy said.
Seth groaned again, louder. “I assume Grace is not trained in firearms.”
“I am,” Troy said. “But they’re for hunting. And you’re right, she’s so small I’d be afraid it would only put a shotgun or rifle in the hands of someone who shouldn’t have it.”
“Hey,” Grace interrupted. “Am I a part of this discussion? Because I kind of like the idea of having some kind of weapon! The bigger and scarier, the better!”
“Are those guns in a safe place?” Seth asked Troy.
“They’re in my apartment and there’s a great lock on the door. I replaced the apartment lock with a couple of good dead bolts because I have some expensive equipment in there. They’re not loaded. Like I said, I do a little hunting.”
“Make sure they stay unloaded,” Seth said.
“I can keep her safe until you’re back on duty tomorrow,” Troy said.
“Yeah, I’ve seen you in action,” Seth said with a chuckle. “That takedown at the high school a few months ago, that was dramatic. You were showing off, but it was helpful.”
“Helpful,” Troy said sarcastically, speaking of the day Iris was threatened by a very big, very angry and abusive student and Troy happened to be there at the right time. Seth was there second.
The men talked about that incident while Iris took the pizzas out of the oven, let them sit on the counter for a few minutes to cool. Then Grace and Iris stood at the counter, cutting up the pizzas.
“Iris, I can’t eat. I’m sorry,” Grace said.
“I know it’s not chicken soup, but you should have something. A bite or two. Don’t be afraid now—Troy and Seth are on this.”
“He didn’t say anything about staying with me until we came over here.”
“Grace, don’t you know how he feels about you? He’s crazy about you! And I can’t believe you were this famous person and were afraid to tell me!” Iris said.
“I wasn’t afraid. I just wanted you to like me for who I am—a flower girl.”
“There hasn’t been anything since he was put in the hospital. And only my parents and the police knew about the way the note was written—that one typed line and the initial B. Could he still be obsessed with me?”
“Anything is possible,” Seth said.
“Can you find out if he’s still secure with his family in Florida?” Troy asked.
“I’ll make some calls. I’ll get in touch with the police department there. Do you know the name of the psychiatric facility?”
She gave it to him. “When my old coach checked, he was told he wasn’t a patient any longer, that he lived with his family.”
“Grace,” Iris said. “This envelope has no postal stamp on it.”
“Huh?”
She gave the envelope to Seth. “It wasn’t postmarked,” she repeated. “It must have been slipped into your mailbox.”
“Oh, God,” Grace said weakly. “He’s here?”
“Let’s not make assumptions,” Seth said, reexamining the envelope and then slipping the note inside. The envelope went in his pocket. “I’m going to look into this. Iris, get those pizzas in, okay?” He immediately turned his attention back to Grace. “Let me tell you something, Grace. If there’s an odd stranger lurking around Thunder Point, he’s going to stand out like a wart on my nose and even without telling anyone I’m looking, someone’s going to tell me. Especially on the main street that runs through town, past all the businesses. Gina never misses a thing, I miss less. Waylan was robbed about ten years ago and he’s still talking about it, still checking every face on the street. In fact, this whole mystery will be easier to solve if some stranger came around and slipped the note into your mail slot.”
Iris put a glass of wine at her place and Grace’s and asked Troy what he’d like. Then a couple of beers appeared in front of Troy and Seth. After sliding the pizzas into the oven, Iris sat down again.
“But,” Seth went on, “I’m going to tell my staff and the business neighbors that a suspicious note was left in your mail slot and I’m looking for who could have done that to be sure you’re safe. In the meantime, put a note on the door to ring the bell and lock the front and back doors. I’ll find out about your former stalker, but I may not hear back from anyone until the morning. Listen, I don’t know if you’ll take this as good news or bad, but I would be very surprised to find some mentally ill patient from fourteen years ago is still obsessed with you and made it across an entire continent, made himself invisible and shook you up with a copy of an old note. I think this is something else altogether.”
“But no one knows about this,” she said.
“That’s seldom the case, especially after so long. I have no idea what the motive could be, but I doubt this is still a closely held secret.”
“But who would do this? Who could possibly care?” she asked.
Seth shook his head. “I don’t know. Yet. But I’ll be looking for a reason. And you have to think about it, too. Maybe an enemy? Someone who thinks you have money? Have you ever been followed by reporters? A jealous family member?”
“Your mother?” Troy asked. “She’s not happy with your decision to leave competition and you said she’s really controlling.”
“I can’t imagine,” Grace said. “She’s been impossible and demanding but, to her credit, she’s never been underhanded.”
“Maybe you should contact her,” Seth said. “Try to get a read on her.”
“I’d hate to do that. We’ve been estranged since I left competition.”
“Well, give it serious thought,” Seth said. “And keep the doors locked.”
“I won’t leave Grace alone,” Troy said. “I’ll make sure she’s safe in her shop before I go to school tomorrow. And we’re going to get some self-defense things. You know—pepper spray and a Taser.”
Seth groaned. “God, I hate when people do that. People get hurt. Waylan got himself a Taser—the kind that shoots out the prongs. He accidentally Tasered his cat.”
“I have guns,” Troy said.
Seth groaned again, louder. “I assume Grace is not trained in firearms.”
“I am,” Troy said. “But they’re for hunting. And you’re right, she’s so small I’d be afraid it would only put a shotgun or rifle in the hands of someone who shouldn’t have it.”
“Hey,” Grace interrupted. “Am I a part of this discussion? Because I kind of like the idea of having some kind of weapon! The bigger and scarier, the better!”
“Are those guns in a safe place?” Seth asked Troy.
“They’re in my apartment and there’s a great lock on the door. I replaced the apartment lock with a couple of good dead bolts because I have some expensive equipment in there. They’re not loaded. Like I said, I do a little hunting.”
“Make sure they stay unloaded,” Seth said.
“I can keep her safe until you’re back on duty tomorrow,” Troy said.
“Yeah, I’ve seen you in action,” Seth said with a chuckle. “That takedown at the high school a few months ago, that was dramatic. You were showing off, but it was helpful.”
“Helpful,” Troy said sarcastically, speaking of the day Iris was threatened by a very big, very angry and abusive student and Troy happened to be there at the right time. Seth was there second.
The men talked about that incident while Iris took the pizzas out of the oven, let them sit on the counter for a few minutes to cool. Then Grace and Iris stood at the counter, cutting up the pizzas.
“Iris, I can’t eat. I’m sorry,” Grace said.
“I know it’s not chicken soup, but you should have something. A bite or two. Don’t be afraid now—Troy and Seth are on this.”
“He didn’t say anything about staying with me until we came over here.”
“Grace, don’t you know how he feels about you? He’s crazy about you! And I can’t believe you were this famous person and were afraid to tell me!” Iris said.
“I wasn’t afraid. I just wanted you to like me for who I am—a flower girl.”
