Heart of the Woolf (Woolf Series)

by Kai Andersen

  The receptionist smiled and nodded at her. “Good morning, Miss Lee.”

  Adrienne smiled back. “Good morning, Anna.”

  She made her way to her office, noting that Marcy’s desk was empty. The door to Jake’s office was ajar, though. Marcy’s probably taking dictation, Adrienne thought wryly. Jake was really such a workaholic. If only he would put all that energy to another use ...

  She opened the door to her office. Flipping on the lights, she immediately noticed a brightly covered box with a red ribbon on top sitting on her desk. A card read “Happy Birthday!” in bold, bright red letters.

  “But it’s not my birthday,” she muttered to herself. Could the Dispatch Section have sent the package to the wrong employee? It could be for someone whose name was similarly close to Adrienne Lee. Maybe Adrian Li or something ... But no, a card, which was almost hidden by the ornate bow, bore her name. So it was for her, but someone had gotten her birth date wrong, which wouldn’t be for another couple of months.

  She was reaching for the tape that was holding the top of the box in place when her hand stopped and hovered in mid-air. What if the box contained another prank? Or another foul message?

  Adrienne shivered, remembering the threatening note she’d received yesterday. Despite the bravado she’d displayed in front of Jake and Marcy, she was more disturbed by it than she realized.

  After a second, her spine straightened. No way was she going to allow those dissenters to get the better of her. This ridiculous situation had gone on long enough. She’d open the box and confront them with their craven deed and show them in no uncertain terms that she’s not going to tolerate any more of their mischief.

  After placing her handbag on the visitor’s chair in front of her desk, Adrienne neatly removed the tape. Once that was done, she took off the top --

  A bloodcurdling scream tore from her throat.

  Chapter Four

  Jake’s heart stopped beating at the terrified scream. He swayed as a massive wave of overwhelming fear crashed into him. His shields slammed up. Cursing, he rushed out into the hallway, with Marcy hard on his heels. He pushed between the mass of people starting to congregate outside Adrienne’s office. “Let me through!”

  He took everything in at a glance -- the multicolored box sitting at odds with the somber décor of the room, the discarded cardboard top on the floor, and Adrienne ...

  Adrienne had backed herself into the corner, bracing herself against the wall. Her dark eyes were wild and haunted and staring at things only she could see. Naturally fair, she had turned paler and her lips were white. She was taking in rapid, shallow breaths. He felt her shock in palpable waves. Alarm emanated from her.

  Stirrings of anger rose up in him. He looked inside the garish package, and the contents made him turn away. He would put a stop to this, whether she liked it or not. But first ...

  He walked slowly toward Adrienne, one arm outstretched so as not to alarm her. In the back of his mind, he was aware of the gaggle of people crowding the doorway, of their bated breaths and wide-eyed expressions, of their low-voiced murmurs and questionings. But they were the least of his concerns.

  He cupped Adrienne’s cheek gently.

  She flinched.

  “Adrienne, it’s me, Jake.”

  She looked at him uncomprehendingly, her expression like that of a lost child.

  It pained him to see no trace of the capable and efficient woman who tormented him endlessly with her sexy stiletto heels and figure-hugging business suits. He grasped her by the shoulders and shook her a little. “Snap out of it, Adri.” He decided to tease her. “Hey, is this how you fight back against the boss who nags at you and who won’t let up until you reach your targets? Cold treatment doesn’t work with him, I’ll have you know.” He let humor leak through in his voice. “You need to shout and rant and rage at him --”

  “Jake?” Sanity returned to her eyes. “Jake!” She hurtled herself into his arms, the tears replacing her former stupor. “How horrible; all that blood and -- and -- a puppy, Jake, a poor defenseless puppy --”

  How she thought it was a puppy was beyond him, for it was mangled and sliced up beyond recognition, blood and entrails poured out of the big cut in the middle of its body. Its dark red blood marred the box’s pristine whiteness. It was messy, grisly and a terrible sight for even the most strong-stomached individual. Jake tightened his hands on Adrienne’s shoulders.

  “Someone take the box away!” His harsh voice broke through the sounds of her weeping and the shocked silence that had descended.

  A large man, whom Jake recognized as a new recruit, walked forward to gingerly scoop the box from Adrienne’s desk.

  Jake looked down at the woman in his arms. She was like an object wrapped in layer upon layer of packaging, and he was removing them one by one to get to the real Adrienne beneath. It was an exciting process, and he wondered what he would find at the end of the journey. For now, he discovered that her fierce exterior hid a soft heart that could be her undoing, which was most likely the reason she had forced her true self behind a no-nonsense attitude.

  “Marcy!” he said. “Take care of Adrienne.” He gently handed her over to his efficient secretary.

  The anger that had been teasing the edges of his emotions now flared into full bloom. He allowed the fury to wash over him, but he retained control. He didn’t want to go berserk, to give in to the werewolf that wanted to howl with grief at the mangled sight. He didn’t want to give his subordinates the chance to see any weakness and make them lose their respect for him.

  He fixed the staff still standing at the doorway with a cold glare. “Go back to your desks.”

  Everyone started shuffling away on silent feet.

  Leaving Adrienne and Marcy huddled near Adrienne’s desk, Jake strode to the common room where most of the workers’ cubicles were located. He walked down the center of the aisle, his wrath emanating from him in waves. No one dared to meet his eyes. He felt them shrink away from him as he passed.

  Good.

  When he reached the end, he turned around and faced them. He stared at each one in turn. He let down his shields a little and allowed their emotions to leak through. There was fear, horror, and yes, guilt. So, Adrienne’s hunch was right. Some people in the office were so idle that they had time to play all these practical jokes on her. And now, he knew who they were.

  His fists clenched.

  From one lady in particular, he sensed remorse. His eyes narrowed. She looked familiar. Oh yes, she’d been in Adrienne’s office yesterday.

  “I’ve heard most of you are fun-loving, but what I saw in there was no fun at all. Let me tell you what was in that box.” His voice was cold. “Lying in that pool of blood and guts, lay what was once a living, breathing creature. Some sick, twisted individual murdered a helpless animal, cut it up, and its insides were put on display. It doesn’t matter that it was only a dog; tell me that when it is your dog.” The whole office was silent -- the uncomfortable silence of the guilty. Each staff member stood beside his or her cubicle; the brave and innocent ones met his eyes, but a few looked down at their feet. “What I don’t understand is what you have got against Adrienne. Are you punishing her for being more capable and qualified than you? Hurting someone who has never done anything to you, who is even now protecting you? Are your hearts made of stone or what?!”

  He took several deep breaths. Triggering consciences in people who have no conscience was a waste of time. “I don’t know who did this and previous other mischievous tricks; you may have heard about the black rose yesterday. I don’t want to know who’s responsible, but here’s one thing I do know: This has to stop now. I will not allow any more funny business in this division. Believe me, you don’t want to know what will happen should I learn of anything like this again in the future.” He paused to let his words sink in, to let them know that he was taking a personal interest in this situation and that if anyone dared to do mischief again, they would be doing it in direct
rebellion to his order. “Everyone understand?”

  Mumbles and nods.

  “By the way, if anyone has a twinge of conscience and wants to own up, you know who to look for.” His lips twisted. “And it’s not me.”

  * * * * *

  Adrienne was exhausted, but her heart felt light and free. Although she couldn’t really thank God for the grisly package she received this morning, at least the unspoken tension in her team had been resolved. Some of the women had approached her individually to express their regrets and hope for an amicable working relationship. Some had even owned up to the particular trick they had played, although no one claimed the black rose and the dead puppy.

  She shuddered. She needed to stop thinking about it. Instead, she wanted to think about Jake and the masterful way he had taken charge of the situation. Though she hadn’t wanted him to intervene on her behalf, this time she had been grateful. She didn’t think she could’ve handled the situation as well as he did, considering how shaken she’d been. She made a face. Yeah, and while you’re at it, don’t forget about the fact that he disappeared soon afterwards.

  She sighed. Better to concentrate on her presentation. Everyone had already left the office hours ago, and if she were wise, she would too, even if she were driving. The island’s peace and order situation was not at its best at the moment, with increasing incidences of criminal activities sprouting up here and there. In the fourteen months that she’d been living on Tolidet Island, the prices of basic goods had skyrocketed tremendously due mostly to certain macroeconomic factors such as the escalating prices of oil. From reading the newspapers, she realized that many of the lower-income families were affected, and some of them even turned to criminal activities in order to augment their declining income or to feed their hungry children. It was sad, the way things had turned out.

  Maybe she should flee again, to a less troubled country, like Taiwan or Singapore. Or maybe Malaysia or Australia. But that would mean uprooting David, when he was already settled in where he was and happy ...

  God, she missed him. Maybe she could go see him tomorrow, after work.

  She packed up her things, intending to finish her work at home. At this hour, traffic shouldn’t be heavy; she should be home in about thirty minutes. The idea of a hot bath invigorated her, and within moments, she was locking up the office and making her way down the stairs to the basement where she had parked her car that morning.

  Soon, she was on the highway, humming along to the song blasting from the radio. She signaled to make a left turn. Checking the rearview mirror, she saw a brown Toyota right behind her.

  She frowned. A car had been behind her ever since she had left the building, but was it the same one? She was able to identify the Toyota only because it was directly standing under the street light. Maybe they just happened to be going in the same direction ...?

  She slowed down.

  The Toyota went past her and then turned right at the next corner.

  She sighed in relief. She couldn’t be too careful these days. Yesterday, a car also seemed to be tailing her, but she lost sight of it when she neared her home. She didn’t know if both cars were one and the same. Under the dim street lights, it was hard to tell for sure.

  Within minutes, she reached her two-bedroom apartment. She was just about to go to the bathroom when the phone rang. She changed course and went to her bedroom, where the phone was located.

  She picked it up on the fourth ring. “Hello?”

  A click, and then someone spoke, a heavy male voice she didn’t recognize.

  “Hello, Adrienne.”

  Fissions of alarm raced up her spine. Something about the voice sent goose bumps up her arms, such that her voice came out sharper than intended. “Who’s this?”

  “You don’t need to know, my dear. How did you like my gift this morning?” Cackles of laughter reached her ear.

  Anger on behalf of the pup cleansed away her fear. “What sort of twisted mind have you got that you would do such a thing? Who are you?!”

  “Tut, tut, my dear. Is that the way to talk to someone who knows --” His voice trailed away in a sinister whisper. “-- your secret?”

  A sick feeling of dread gripped her. She reached for the edge of the bedside table to steady herself. No, no, he couldn’t ... He had to be bluffing. She mustn’t fall into the trap. She mustered her courage. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Of course you do.” His voice held a tone of rebuke. “He is someone very dear to your heart. Very, very dear.” The last three words were spoken slowly.

  Fear sliced her cold in the gut. “Is this Christopher? It’s not funny anymore, Chris. Stop it.”

  “You know it’s not Chris, Adrienne.” Amusement laced his words. “In fact, you know very well that I’m not any of your colleagues.”

  She tightened her grip on the phone and screwed her eyes shut. Her world came crashing down as the truth reverberated in her head, a truth she had wanted to deny: Those terrible pranks ... It wasn’t her colleagues ... It wasn’t them! The real villain was here, on the phone. Somewhere out there, on the loose. He knew her, but she didn’t know him!

  She swayed, feeling faint. He also knew her secret -- but how? She had been so careful. But he knew. He knew. He knew about David! “I’m going to call the police!”

  She must keep David safe. She must keep David safe.

  “And tell them what?” Malicious laughter laced every word.

  Yes, and tell them what? Her frantic mind recognized the futility of such an action. What did she know about this disembodied voice? Nothing. She had no way to tie a nameless, faceless stranger to the grisly gifts and death threats.

  “By the way, did you like the rose? I spent a lot of time finding one with such beauty and elegance. Such a pretty flower.” His voice turned almost musing, yet the threat of menace was there. “But so fragile. In the blink of an eye it can wither and die. Think on that, my dear. Think on how fragile ... life is.”

  “Don’t play games with me! What do you want?! Is it money? I’ll give you everything in my bank account!” Fear goaded her into shouting, her voice frantic. “What --”

  Click.

  He hung up on her. He actually hung up on her.

  Adrienne looked at the phone in her hand then slowly put it back into its cradle. The acrid taste of fear burned on her tongue. Panicked thoughts crowded in her brain. I’ll take David and run to ... Australia, yes, that’s far enough. Why not make it Antarctica to really ensure that he didn’t find them? Hysterical bubbles of laughter rose in her throat.

  She took a deep breath, struggling for calm. The caller hadn’t actually mentioned David by name, but the evil man had implied he knew something when he’d mentioned “someone very dear” to her. But was he referring to David? She wasn’t sure.

  She took several more deep breaths and felt her mind calming, her heartbeat slowing. With it came clarity of thinking. She sat down on the bed and reviewed their conversation.

  He never actually threatened her. He mentioned the rose and the puppy, as though taking credit for some kind of brilliant ideas.

  Her lips twisted. Some people sure had warped minds.

  His threats were all implied, subtle digs hidden in his tone and his words. Like the analogy of the rose and of life, both being fragile --

  She sucked in a deep breath as understanding dawned.

  -- and at any time, its very existence could be snuffed out.

  She was in danger. But what possible reason could he have for wanting to kill her?

  Someone dear to her ...

  David! Oh God; Oh God, David was in danger, too! He could only be referring to David. Oh God.

  Life snuffed out ...

  Who was this madman?!

  Suddenly, she stilled. How did he know when to call? His timing was so right she refused to believe it was a coincidence. Could he be the one following her the last two nights?

  She shivered.

  She h
ad lived with fear every day -- fear of discovery, fear of having to start all over again in an unknown land -- but nothing compared to this all-too-real fear that had taken hold in her breast. Fear had taken on a voice. The coppery taste of dread was strong on her tongue. Her heart beat in an uncomfortable rhythm. To her surprise, she was sweating, cold beads of sweat that made her feel clammy.

  The doorbell chimed.

  She started, one hand going to her throat. Her eyes went wide with terror, and her heartbeat picked up. Through the open doorway of her bedroom, she stared unseeingly at the entrance to her apartment.

  Could it be him? Come to ... kill her?

  Chapter Five

  The doorbell chimed again, insistently.

  Sanity returned. Logic forced the fear out. A short burst of laughter slipped from her lips. Of course it wouldn’t be the killer. What killer would advertise his arrival?

  But he hadn’t proved the normal sort of killer, with his cunning and subtlety. He wasn’t a man to get what he wanted through brute force. But what if he had changed his tactics to catch her off-guard? What then?

  Adrienne’s head ached from trying to second-guess her tormentor’s motives.

  She needed to answer the door. Yes, if she could get her feet to move.

  The doorbell chimed for the third time.

  All right, Adrienne. Be logical. There’s a peephole, right? You look through the peephole and see who’s there. If it’s not someone you know, you don’t open the door.

  Reassured by the practicality of her own thoughts, Adrienne finally forced herself to her feet and walked toward the door. She peered through the small mirrored hole. Shocked, she involuntarily turned the knob. “What are you doing here?!”

  Jake’s hunky body was illuminated by the bright light in the corridor. He started to smile, but it faded before it could reach full bloom. “What happened, Adrienne? Why are you so pale?”