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Nervousness bubbled up inside her as he followed her into her home. It was no secret that they liked each other, but they had been friends for so long, taking things to the next level was a welcome but daunting prospect.
She groaned as she picked up the yellow padded envelope nestling under a fresh crop of junk mail. ‘I wish they’d stop sending this crap through the post. Last week I got a pack about a retirement home.’
‘Hang on, that’s not junk mail,’ Will said, securing the door behind them.
Je
If it were anything suspicious she would risk a telling-off from forensics to find out what it was.
‘It’s very light …’ She paused, dipping her hand inside. Peering into the envelope, her fingers found a thin-strapped satin camisole top. ‘What the…?’ she said, passing the envelope to Will as she held it up by its straps. For a fleeting second she wondered if it was some sort of joke Will had orchestrated, until she realised one side was slightly heavier than the other. She spun it around to see a plastic security tag attached. ‘It’s still got the tag on.’
Will took a corner of the envelope and turned it upside down. A shiny black feather lightly touched the black granite counter.
‘It’s from him,’ Je
‘I’m not having this,’ Will growled, tense and muscled as he headed for the stairs.
‘Wait, where are you going?’
‘To check upstairs. This joker’s playing with us.’
Je
‘I recognise this label,’ she said, before dropping the cami inside. She sighed. Their alone time would have to wait.
She grabbed her car keys and shouted up the stairs to Will. ‘Fancy a trip into town?’
[#]
‘Good morning, my lovely, what can I do for you?’ the tall blonde woman behind the smooth backlit counter said.
‘Hi Jacqui, I’m here on police business I’m afraid.’
Je
Je
Jacqui pulled the glasses from the top of her blonde bouffant and pushed them onto the bridge of her nose. Her heavily made-up eyes widened as she peered through the bag.
‘Ah yes, I recognise that label.’ She sca
Je
Jacqui nodded. ‘Of course, for all the good it does. And as for these tags … I spent a fortune installing them, but they always find new ways of getting past the sca
Je
‘Babe, I’d like nothing better, but I’m a technophobe. I’ll get one of the staff to download it and call you when it’s ready.’
Je
Jacqui grimaced. ‘I wouldn’t want it back anyway, now someone’s mucky paws have been all over it. Anyway, my lovely, what about you? Any men on the scene? All those hot cops in your station, there must be someone.’
Je
Jacqui raised her finger in the air, the nail painted her signature siren red. ‘I have just the thing. Why don’t you come to mine next weekend? I’m having a Botox party. I’ll give you the first jab on the house.’
The first one? How many do I need? Je
[#]
A tall hazelnut latte awaited Je
‘I fancied something sweet, do you want some?’ he said, shoving an almond croissant towards her.
Je
‘Botox? Don’t be daft,’ Will said. ‘Where’s that come from?’
Snapping the mirror shut, she threw it in her bag and shook her head. ‘Nothing, it’s just Jacqui being her normal self.’ It had only been a couple of hours since breakfast, but the smell of fresh pastry wafted towards her and she tore off a corner.
‘Any joy with the camisole?’
Je
Will rubbed his soft blond whiskers. ‘It has to be Raven. He could be watching us right now.’ He glanced around at the passers-by.
Je
‘Why not? You’re a police officer. He wants us sitting here trying to work it out. Otherwise why bother sending clues to the same person every time?’
‘I’d just like to know their end game,’ Je
Will tilted his head to one side as he considered the prospect. ‘Unless they’re random killings. I mean, does there have to be an end game?’
‘There’s always an end game. It’s our job to find out what it is, before anyone else gets hurt,’ Je
‘My main concern is that they’ve been in your car and know where you live.’
‘I know. But the important thing for now is to work out the co
Will laid his hand over hers, his honey brown eyes full of concern. ‘I know we’re in Operation Moonlight, but it’s important to look at this rationally. The way I see it, this Raven guy is some loon making up predictions and following them through. He probably believes they’re real but they’re all in his head. That’s what makes him dangerous. He’s on some kind of mission, and for some reason it involves you.’