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“Fine.” I nodded. “We can go.”
We made our way outside to the car. He said nothing about the car actually being a Mercedes. He simply tossed me a sideways glance that was as comedic as it was adorable. I had to admit, it felt nice being taken care of, having someone care about my well-being at all. I missed that. Missed having someone wonder where I was every morning, having someone check in on me.
That had always been Aly and my grandmother. If they didn’t hear from me, they would check in to see if I was all right. Aly still did that to some extent.
Now, I could be gone an entire week before anyone even noticed. I’d barely seen my parents since I’d been home, except for their attempts at blackmailing me and the will reading. My cousins definitely wouldn’t check in on me, even if I didn’t show up for work. They would simply fill out the termination paperwork, then merrily email the notice to my parents.
Everyone would simply assume I’d run off. They’d think nothing of my absence.
Because that was the person I’d allowed myself to become these past few years—flighty, ever-changing, and unable to stay in one spot for too long.
At least now, Hunter knew what was going on. If I vanished from sight, he would tell someone. He would care enough to question where I had gone at least.
“You’re quiet,” he said beside me in the car. “You okay?”
“Just contemplating the many mysteries of life.”
He smiled. “Any idea who might have sent the letter?”
I shrugged. “Your sister for one. She hates me. That whole side of the family does. I didn’t want anything from my grandmother. I would have been happy with the music box.”
“She’s bitter about the whole house thing,” Hunter explained. “Though I don’t think she’d be capable of sending something like that to you. At least, I don’t think she’d go so far as to set the house on fire.”
“But you admit now that the fire might not have been my doing?”
“I never said that.”
How could he not see it? This letter was as close to a confession as I would get. Whoever set the fire was now threatening my life. “Doesn’t this confirm it? There’s someone out there trying to scare me off. Burning my house didn’t do it. So now they are threatening me.”
“I hate to tell you, but you almost became a casualty of that house yourself.”
My heart fell to the pit of my stomach. “Because I ran back into the house.”
“Because all the fire alarms had been disabled.”
The weight in my stomach gained another twenty pounds, digging deep until nausea kicked in. I had been so concerned about the house and the music box, I hadn’t had much time to question my own safety. Obviously, my life had been at stake. Though I hadn’t realized how close I’d come to death until this point. “What?”
“Didn’t you notice?” he asked, sincerely astonished. “What woke you up?”
I hardly remembered. The crackle of fire, being unable to breath. Those acted as the only signals of danger that night. Is that why I had woken up with such a headache? Was I merely moments away from succumbing to smoke inhalation? “The fire. The smoke?”
“You didn’t hear the alarms going off, did you?” Hunter half-asked, half stated, already knowing the answer to his question.
“No. I guess there was so much going on I didn’t even notice.” I stared down at the red envelope in front of me. Had someone actually tried to kill me? “What does that mean?”
“I don’t know.” He shrugged, as if I shouldn’t be overreacting just yet. As if he hadn’t casually just mentioned my near-death a few seconds ago. “It could mean nothing. Maybe your grandmother just forgot to replace the batteries or got tired of the beeping alarms made when they needed replacing.”
“That doesn’t sound like her.” My grandmother was almost neurotic when it came to taking care of the house. Which was partially why it was in such perfect condition. “She was usually very cautious.”
“Then, someone took them apart ahead of time.”
“You mean someone with access to the house?” He wasn’t saying it, but I knew what he meant. He didn’t want to admit to his sister’s involvement in all of this. What brother would want to think their sibling was capable of such atrocities? Yet, the pieces were falling carefully into place. The only ones with a motive and means to accomplish the task were the two people I had suspected all along.
“I mean someone,” Hunter said finally. “I’m not saying Vanessa is a saint. I just don’t think she’s capable of almost killing you.”
“Well who else would it be?” I didn’t even know half the people in town anymore. And those I did know, I hadn’t spoken to in years. With the exception of Flynn, of course.
“That’s on you,” Hunter said, a hint of teasing in his voice. “Have any other enemies? Jilted lovers to speak of?”
