AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Nursing a beer, he didn’t say a word as she approached, didn’t offer the hint of a smile or indicate in any way that he was glad to see her. In fact, he almost scowled as if irritated by the sight of her.
“Do you know what time it is?” she asked, dropping her purse onto the table.
He shrugged. “After midnight.”
“If you’re here to offer me a bribe, forget it.”
“Sit down, Adria,” he suggested. “I heard you’ve been getting some nasty mail.”
“Bad news travels fast.” She settled into a chair.
The waiter came and she started to decline, then decided she could use a drink. Zach’s presence always unnerved her. It was his attitude, she supposed. All male ego and raw sexuality, as if he knew he was attractive to females, the kind of cynical man most women considered a challenge and itched to tame, the kind of man she should stay away from—a lonesome cowboy who was up to no good. “I’ll have a glass of chardonnay, please.”
“Tell me about the letters.”
“Not exactly love notes,” she said and pulled a plastic bag from her purse. She slid it across the table and he read the short messages through the plastic.
“Someone means business.” His mouth was grim, his eyebrows pulled together.
“Someone named Danvers, unless I miss my guess.”
“Nelson said you got a package, too.”
“That I did.?
?? Her wine came and she took a long sip.
“From the same guy?”
“I imagine.”
“What was it?”
Oh, Lord. “A personal gift,” she said, watching his reaction. “A dead rat with—”
“What! Someone sent you a dead rat?” His face drained of color.
“—with a necklace around its throat and body, the very locket and chain that was stolen from my room when I was staying at the Hotel Danvers and this note.” She pointed to one of the plastic encased letters.
“Jesus Christ, Adria, are you kidding?”
“About this? Nope.” She shook her head.
“And you didn’t call the police?”
“Not yet.”
“Where is the damned thing?”
“On ice.”
“What?”
“In the mini fridge in my room.” He looked as if he didn’t believer her. “You want to see it?”
“Damned straight.” His countenance had changed from shock to anger and he slapped some bills onto the table and followed her out of the bar, past the front desk and to the elevators.
“This is friggin’ nuts,” he growled as she unlocked the door to her room, stepped inside, and walked to the minibar.
