After going through the whole house, Troy ended up back where he started, in the foyer. Those damn flowers smelled like a whole florist shop and made him feel insignificant because some other sap had sent them.
“If those aren’t from Ari, who are they from?” he asked. None of his business, but he felt compelled to ask anyway. He wanted to know how many men she had in her life. It might actually clear up the whole Ari situation. On the other hand, it might muddy it up.
“I don’t know,” Julie said reaching for the card stuck within the arrangement. She opened the small envelope and took out the card. Her brows furrowed as she read it.
Troy didn’t like the look on her face. “What?” he said, reaching for the note. “What’s it say?” Tension crawled up his back. He hated that sensation.
She handed him the card and looked out the side window at the front door, scanning the street. “I got a note like that in the hospital,” she told him. “He wrote something very similar and signed it the same way. Allen.”
Troy had kept his eyes on her, but now he looked down and read the card.
To my precious Julie,
I’m so thrilled your recovery is complete. I hope these roses bring you as much happiness as you’ve brought me. I promise, we’ll be together soon and I vow that no man will ever hurt you again.
My undying love, Allen
Troy read it a second time. That creepy crawly sensation he had along his back doubled in intensity. “You said you got something similar in the hospital?” he asked. “Did you keep the card?”
She nodded. “I planned to, but the police asked if I’d received any unusual fan mail and they ended up taking anything that could be construed as suspect. My mother told me early on to keep all the creepy ones in case any of them turned out to be...a...” She tried to find a way to soften the potential slam of a stalker, amazing Troy with her compassion for the crazies in the world.
“Psycho?” he said, finding the most appropriate word, be it politically correct or not.
Julie nodded with a roll of her eyes. “Yes,” she agreed reluctantly. “But not everyone is psycho. Some people are very nice and very lonely and they reach out to people who make them...feel.” Her face turned a shade or two darker before she cleared her throat.
“How much mail did they take?” he asked.
“Just a couple of big shoe boxes full. Not that much. I have bins full of cards and letters in my garage.” Her eyes widened at his surprised stare. “I haven’t saved every bit of mail over the years,” she insisted. “Just the ones that either touched me or—” she shook her head and shrugged, “—gave me the creeps.”
“Did you get anything creepy after the shooting?” he asked.
“One nasty one came, but it could’ve been someone who just hated my movies.”
“Do you remember what it said?”
She shuddered. “I doubt I’ll ever forget it. It said, ‘You should have died. We’d be better off without you.’ And it was signed, ‘A.’ The police were very interested in that one.” She snatched the card and waved it around. “You know, this seems silly. I mean the guy sending the flowers might be a little creepy, but he doesn’t mean any harm.” She turned as she replaced the card in the bouquet.
Troy looked at it from over her shoulder. Her perfume slammed him in a sweet assault and nearly distracted him.
Suddenly she spun, her eyes wide with panic. “The house! How did he find my address? How does he know where I live?” She ran her hands through her hair and paced next to the table. “Oh, wow. I didn’t think of that until just now. I opened the door to him,” she groaned.
“You what?” Troy said. “What do you mean you opened the door to him?”
“He rang the bell and I thought it was you. I opened the door without checking and it was the deliveryman. It could’ve been anyone.”
“Yeah. Okay.” Troy nodded. “Besides that being a lesson learned, it’s time to call the cops.”
“What?” Her face contorted and her brows pulled together. “Really? Maybe we’re overreacting. He didn’t threaten me. Neither did the other guy really,” she said, clearly trying to find a bright side. “He just wishes I was dead.”
Troy rolled his eyes, more exasperated than ever. “You think this is funny?”