by Linda Verji
A man in a black cap, black polo-shirt with the words Connor Deliveries emblazoned on its pocket, and dark jeans was standing at her door, totting a large, brown box. He smiled. “Delivery.”
“Delivery?” Jasmine frowned as she stared the box. “I wasn’t expecting anything.”
“Jasmine Mitchell, right?” he asked. When she nodded, he said, “Then it’s for you. Where do I put it?”
“Just put it on the coffee table.” She stepped aside to let him into her home.
After the deliveryman set the box down on the clear-glass table, she signed his board then walked him out of the house. When she was alone, she grabbed box-cutter from the kitchen then came back to the living room.
Just as she bent towards the box, a sudden rustling sound stopped her. What the hell was that? She stared at the box, but it was silent. Had she imagined the sound? Or had it come from somewhere else? She waited a minute more but heard no further sounds.
She must’ve imagined it.
Shrugging, she bent and cut through the thick tape holding the top flaps together.
The moment she pulled apart those flaps, she screamed. Loudly. Her scream was piercing enough to wake the dead. Still screaming, Jasmine jumped back even as her eyes remained trained on the open box.
What the hell? Seriously! What the hell?
Inside the box, a large snake lay curled up. The snake’s body was a smooth column of armored, charcoal black muscle. It had been sleeping when she’d opened the box but her scream must’ve woken it up because its head lifted, slowly, slowly. Its gaze was fixed on her now. A dark forked tongue darted out of its mouth as if it’d spotted a delicious meal. With a low hiss, it started to slither up the side of the box.
Jasmine screamed again.
* * *
“AND THIS WAS the only thing inside?” Kate Hudson, a uniformed officer, asked as she shook to the note she was holding in her gloved hand.
“Yeah, that and the snake.” Jasmine couldn’t help shuddering as she spoke.
It was over an hour since she’d found that snake and she’d already changed into something decent. However, she still couldn’t forget the sight of that snake slithering up the side of the box. Brr.
Even though Jasmine couldn’t see the note the officer was holding, she knew what was written on it. She’d read it when the cops had extracted it from the box as they were taking away the snake. Its words echoed in her thoughts.
This is your last warning.
Though the noted didn’t specify what she was being warned about, Jasmine had a good guess. Obviously the person who didn’t want her pushing for the reopening of York’s case meant business.
“Do you have any idea what it means?” Officer Kate asked.
“I have an idea,” Jasmine said. She went on to explain the reason she’d received the note and the snake.
The officer seemed inclined to believe that this had something to do with York especially when Jasmine mentioned that she’d already received a threatening phone call.
“You should have come to us when you got the call,” the officer scolded.
“I didn’t think it was a big deal.”
“Obviously, it was,” Officer Kate murmured as she jotted something in her notebook.
After going round the apartment to make sure there weren’t any other unpleasant gifts lying around, the cops bid Jasmine goodbye with the promise that they’d check the box and note for prints then come back to her. Unfortunately, they couldn’t do anything about the phone call since the perp had used an untraceable number.
Normally, Jasmine’s morning shower took over thirty minutes. Today, it only took five. Something about the water slithering over her body reminded her of the snake. Worse, she kept jumping at the slightest sound and imagining that the snake was crawling across the wet floor. Brr.
Despite her fright, she was pleased that this had happened because it had drawn the cops in. This was proof that there was a more to York’s case. Now they couldn’t say that she was chasing clouds. Now they had proof that someone didn’t want York’s murder getting investigated.
The good thing about her work was that it involved a lot of talking to other people. The memory of what had happened in the morning receded under the weight of her packed schedule. Time seemed to fly as she held several consultations with online and offline clients. She couldn’t even break for lunch. At about two p.m., her phone rang. The number was new.
Excusing herself to the client on her screen, she picked up. “Hello?”
“Jasmine, it’s Lucas,” he said. “I-”
She immediately hung up. After the salacious dream she’d had this morning, he was the last person she wanted to talk to. He called again. She ignored it. Six missed calls – she ignored them all. She assumed that she’d gotten rid of him but at around four p.m., Mandy, the temp, she’d hired to replace York, rang her extension.
Jasmine looked away from the document she was working on and picked up. “Yeah?”
“Miss Mitchell,” Mandy said, “there’s someone out here to see you.”
“Who?”
“He says he’s a detective.” Even before Mandy said his name, Jasmine knew who it was. “He says his name is Lucas Gallo.”
Jasmine’s pulse immediately sped up and her senses leapt up in nervous excitement. What was he doing here? She was tempted to tell Mandy to send him away but something told her that he wouldn’t leave. He’d just cause a ruckus.
“Send him in.” Jasmine took in a deep breath to quiet her racing heartbeat but it didn’t work. Still, by the time Lucas walked into her office, she’d fixed her expression into one of bored disinterest. “What are you doing here?”
His eyes on her, Lucas strode deeper into the office. “Are you okay?”
She lifted her eyebrows. “Why would I not be okay?”
The worry in his gaze was as real as the tightness in his voice as he came to stand in front of her desk. “I heard about what happened this morning.”
Oh, yeah! She’d forgotten that he was a cop too. She shrugged. “It was nothing.”
“It wasn’t nothing.” Lucas looked down at her. “Someone sent you a snake.”
“I know,” Jasmine retorted sarcastically, hiding her instinctive shudder. “I was there.”
“Why didn’t you tell me about the threatening phone calls?” Lucas said as he took one of the seats opposite her desk. “This is why I told you to leave the investigating to the cops.”
He was probably speaking out of concern, but to Jasmine it sounded like he was scolding her and it sent instant anger pulsing through her. Her lips set in a straight angry line, she asked, “What are you doing here?”
Lucas ignored her question. “Tell me about the phone call. What did he say?”
“I gave my statement to the officers. Go read it,” Jasmine knew that she was being unreasonable, that Lucas was best placed to investigate the incident, but her emotions trumped reason. “It’s all in there.”
“Angel!” Lucas puffed out an angry breath.
“I told you not to call me that,” she snapped back.
“Sorry… Jaz.” He took a deep breath as if to calm himself. “Do you have any idea who might be behind the threats?”
“If I did, I would have told the real cops.”
He didn’t call her out on her jibe. “Did you notice anything when you spoke to the person?”
“As I told the officer, the person masked their voice. I can’t identify them.”
“What about the box?”
“It was a brown box.”
“I know but did you notice anything strange about it?”
“You mean apart from the snake inside it?” she countered acerbically. “No, I didn’t notice anything strange. All this is in my witness statement. Read it.”
“I have.” He ran his fingers through his hair, tousling it. “I just thought you might have something more.”
“I don’t.” She glared at him. “Now, can you leave? I was
busy before you barged in.”
“I’m trying to help you here, Angel.”
“Don’t. Don’t. Don’t call me that.”
How many times did she have to tell him that? She hated the intimacy that that name evoked, as if they were still lovers. God, she hated that name!
Her voice tight with anger, she added, “And don’t try to help me. I don’t need you helping me or doing anything for me.”
“Am I supposed to sit back while someone threatens you?”
“Sit back. Stand up. Lie down. Whatever! I don’t care what you do,” she bit out. “Just don’t get involved in my life again.”
“I’m trying to protect you.”
“I don’t need your protection.” She knew she was being bullheaded but she didn’t care. “I’ve been doing just fine protecting myself without you. And if I need help from the cops, I’ll call someone else.”
“You don’t need to call anyone else.” He pointed to himself. “I’m here.”
She guffawed. “No thanks.”
Lucas watched her for a long silent moment then asked, “Where do you live?”
What? The question startled her. Her eyes narrowed, she asked, “Why do you need to know where I live?”
“I need to check if it’s safe.”
“Are you listening to me?” She huffed angrily. “I don’t need your help.”
Lucas stood up. “If you won’t tell me, then I’ll find out for myself.”
“Don’t you dare go near my apartment,” she warned. “I don’t need-” Before she could finish the sentence, Lucas was already striding towards the door. “Lucas! Lucas! Where are you going?”
He wasn’t going to her place, right? Right?
CHAPTER 8
“Hill.” Lucas called the officer as soon as he stepped out of Jasmine’s office. “I need you to find an address for me.”
Of course he was going to Jasmine’s place. How could he not? Did she even know how scared he’d been when he’d heard that someone had sent her a poisonous snake? Just imagining her writhing on the floor as the venom seeped into her body was enough to send him racing to her office to make sure she was okay. And she expected him to leave her be?
Yeah, he understood why she was so hostile to him, but this was her life they were talking about. How could she be so flippant after getting threatened by someone who likely had killed York Emerson? Worse, even after being threatened she’d gone ahead to confront Michael Walcott. Michael was top on the Lucas’s list of suspects yet there Jasmine was, running around, agitating him and giving the thug reasons to come after her. She was out of her damn mind!
This was the way people got killed.
Lucas couldn’t let that happen to Jasmine. Not while he was living and breathing. Before he’d gone up to her office, he’d checked out the building’s security. While there, he’d confirmed that the building’s security protocols were good enough that no one could march in without getting stopped, identified and frisked. Now all that was left was checking her apartment.
Officer Hill called Lucas about ten minutes later with Jasmine’s full address. Lucas sped in that direction. Getting into the six-storey complex that hosted her apartment was no problem. All he had to do was flash his badge and Harry, the building’s manager, let him in.
“What’s going on there?” Lucas asked as they entered the building. Several workmen were gathered in the lobby around a large box.
“They’re from a security company. After what happened this morning,” Harry explained, “management thought it would be a good idea to install a parcel scanner.
Lucas was impressed. “That’s good thinking.”
“We try to offer our tenants the best in security,” Harry said.
From what Lucas could tell, the management of the building was concerned with the best of everything, not just security. The lobby itself was the definition of luxurious; from it glitzy chandeliers to the polished marble floors. From where Lucas was standing, he could see signs pointing out directions to the fitness center, swimming pool and lounge area. This wasn’t the kind of place an ordinary American could afford. You had to be making bank. Obviously, Jasmine had done well for herself – just as he’d expected.
Her success reinforced his certainty that leaving her had been the right thing to do. Even though he’d been forced to do it, seeing her running her own company and living in a place like this was consolation enough. If they’d stuck together, she would never have done this well. Back when he was in high school, he’d known that his life was practically a dead end. He’d never even imagined what the future might look like because he’d assumed that he had none.
If he hadn’t broken up with Jasmine, he wouldn’t have run away to the army. And if he hadn’t enlisted, he wouldn’t be a cop. So yeah, as much as he hated the choice he’d had to make. It was the right choice.
Once he and Harry were in the elevator, Lucas pointed to the camera above. “Do those work?”
“They do.” Harry nodded. “It’s how the police identified the delivery man who dropped the snake at Miss Mitchell’s house.”
The elevator doors opened up into the first floor. As they stepped out, the manager continued, “We’ve also got three cameras along each hallway.” He pointed them out. “There’s always someone watching the halls and elevators to make sure all is well.”
It sounded good. Lucas asked, “What about inside the apartments?”
“Unfortunately, that one is up to each occupant,” Harry said as he led the way down the hallway. “Putting surveillance in their homes would be a breach of their privacy.” He came to a stop in front of a white door marked 4C. “This is Miss Mitchell’s condo.”
“Do you have the code?”
“I do,” Harry said then immediately crushed Lucas’s hopes of getting a look. “But I can’t let you in without a warrant or without Miss Mitchell’s permission.”
Lucas didn’t have a warrant. Hell, he probably couldn’t even get one if he tried because one; Jasmine wasn’t a suspect. And two; all she’d received was a package and nothing had happened to her. Still, he needed to get a look in her apartment to make sure it was safe.
Lucas was mulling over ways to force the manager to let him into the house when a ping drew his gaze in the direction of the elevators. Moments later he heard the tapping of heels and soon Jasmine appeared. Obviously she’d followed him.
When she saw him standing in front of her apartment, anger immediately flashed in her eyes.
Oblivious to her anger, Harry gleefully pointed out. “Oh, there she is. You can get her permission.”
Everything about Jasmine’s narrowed eyes said that Lucas wouldn’t get that permission.
When she was within talking-distance, she asked, “What are you doing here?”
“You know what I’m doing here.” Lucas said, his eyes never leaving hers.
“You two know each other?” Harry asked.
“Yes,” Lucas said just as Jasmine said, “No.”
Confusion flashed in Harry’s face as his gaze switched from one then to another. Lucas decided to save the man. He turned to him with a smile. “You can go now, Harry. Thanks for showing me around. Jasmine and I will sort out how to best protect her.”
“Okay, sure, sure.” The man scurried past Jasmine, obviously discomfited by the tension between them.
Jasmine’s angry gaze remained locked on Lucas. “I thought I already told you that I didn’t need your protection.”
“You did, but I didn’t say I agreed.” He rapped on her door with his knuckles. “Open the door. I need to check that everything’s okay in there.”
“Why should I?” She crossed her arms over her chest. Staring at him defiantly, she started, “I told you-”
“Jasmine.” His tone was firm and determined as he ordered, “Open this door or I swear to God, I will kick this fucking door down.”
His voice was low but the threat in it was so clear that Jasmine’s eyes widened. For a moment,
he thought she might defy him again but her sense of self-preservation took over.
“Fine.” She huffed in frustration. “If that’s the only way to get rid of you, I’ll open it.”
She started towards him but when she was just a step away, she ordered, “Move.”
With a shrug, he moved to the side of the door.
In silence, she keyed in the code to her door. It beeped then slid inwards. She entered the house then held the door open for him.
Instead of following her in, he stood by the door inspecting her lock. Usually, a mechanical keyless-lock was good enough but these weren’t usual circumstance.
“We need to get you a deadlock too,” he said as he traced a finger around the lock.
Jasmine guffawed. “That seems like overkill.”
“It’s not. What if someone figures out your pass-code?” He explained, “A deadlock is just another precautionary step. Anyone coming in will need not just your code but a key too. Makes it harder to break in.”
“Before that they’ll have to get past the guard at the lobby, the security cameras in the elevators and the hallway…” she countered. “This place has never had a break-in since it was built.”
“And we’ll make sure that you’re not the first one to experience it,” Lucas said as he entered her house.
Her apartment was as glamorous as he expected. The living room was massive, airy and beautifully decorated. It was characterized by high-ceilings and glass, double-doors that looked out to the balcony. The pastel blue sectional couch perfectly matched the white carpet, white drapes and mirrored coffee table. The living room was connected to an open-plan kitchen with an all-white island, stainless steel appliances and brilliant white cupboards.
He could feel her eyes burning into his back as he edged deeper into the house, looking around. “Do you have any cameras in here?”
“Never thought I had to,” she scoffed. “Plus it would be weird.”
“What about on the balcony?” he asked as he made his way there.
“Nope!” Jasmine said as she followed him. When he stepped out onto the spacious balcony, she stayed by the open doors watching him.
