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Chapter 8
Janet set the mail on her desk, the small oblong package wrapped in butcher’s paper on top of it. Without taking her eyes off the small brown shape, wrapped in layers of clear tape, Zoe said, “Thank you, Janet.”
Her assistant said, “Let me know what you want me to do,” as she headed out the door.
Spence approached her desk and stared down at the package. “The same?” he asked quietly.
She nodded. “Looks identical.”
“You have any latex gloves?”
Her gaze held captive by the creepy-looking package, Zoe jerked her head toward the bookcases. “On that shelf in the corner. In case I need to open up one of my computers.”
Spence hurried over to the bookshelves and tugged two gloves out of the box. He snapped them onto his hands, then reached for the package. “You want to call the police before I open it?” he asked.
Drawing in a shaky breath, she shook her head. “Open it first. In case it’s… something else.”
“Like what?” he asked.
“I have no idea,” she retorted. “How the hell should I know what Ethan might send me?”
Spence studied her for a long moment. “I know this is scary as hell,” he finally said. “Completely unsettling. He took your bracelet and now he’s using it as a weapon. You feel violated. Terrified. But it’s just a thing, Zoe. It has no magical powers. And neither does Davies. Okay?”
Swallowing hard, she closed her eyes to block out the sight of the package. Then she fell into her chair. “I know,” she whispered. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to tear into you.”
He stripped off one of the gloves and pressed his hand over hers. “I know that, Zoe. I also know how stressful this is. How disturbing. How creepy it is to get that package from Davies.” He twined his fingers with hers and brought her hand to his mouth. Kissed it, then let her go. “I’ll open it and we’ll see what it is this time. Okay?”
Her hand tingled from that brief touch of Spence’s mouth, and she sucked in a shaky breath. Slid her hands into her lap where she covered the place he’d kissed with her other hand. Nodded once. “Yes, please open it up. If it’s another charm, we’ll call the police.”
Spence pulled the gloves back on, then used her scissors to cut through the tape. Just like yesterday, a wad of bubble wrap fell onto her desk, covered in more tape.
Spence cut through that, then shook the contents onto Zoe’s desk. Today’s charm was a key. An old-fashioned skeleton key.
He stared at it for a long moment. Used a pen from Zoe’s desk to nudge it. Turn it over. “First a shoe,” he said. “Then a skeleton key.” He studied them for a long moment then he looked up at her. “I wonder if the order of the charms is supposed to be a message to you. A preview of what he’s planning.”
She frowned as she looked up from the key. “What do you mean?”
“The shoe -- he’s traveled here. He’s arrived. Then the key. Does it mean he has keys to your place? Or to your office?”
Spence sighed. “I have no idea what goes on in the head of someone in the grip of an obsession. But maybe the charms are his attempt to tell you what he wants. Where he’s going with this.”
Zoe wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. Stared at Spence, wondering how he could be so calm. “Creepy,” she said.
“Yeah, it is,” Spence answered. “And I may be completely wrong. Way off base. But I can see a kind of symbolism in the charms he chose to send you. The order he sent them in.”
He closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. “We’ll see what shows up tomorrow. That will tell us more.”
“You think he’ll send another one?” Zoe whispered.
“Hell, yes,” Spence said immediately. “He’s obsessive. This is how he’s communicating with you. I’d be shocked if you didn’t get another one tomorrow.”
“I should call the police,” she said after a moment. “Document this.”
“Yes. Do that now,” Spence said as he stared at the key.
Zoe pulled the police officer’s card out of her drawer and dialed the number. A few moments later, a feminine voice said, “Officer Woods.”
“Officer Woods, Zoe Melbourne here. You were at my office yesterday because I got a package from my stalker. Another one came today.”
