L-shaped sofa in front of a fireplace with a raised hearth.
“There used to be two walls back here.” Eve swept a hand around the cheery space. “The kitchen was a cubbyhole, with a door that led to a tiny breakfast room, which in turn led to a small den. Ripping out walls was my top priority. And would you believe there was indoor/outdoor carpeting on top of this hardwood floor? The glue was a mess to get off.”
“Did you do all this yourself?” He could handle basic home handyman chores, but tearing down walls? Refinishing floors? Out of his league.
“The majority of it. I had a construction crew come in to take out the weight-bearing wall and put in a new support beam, and I left the granite and skylight installation to the experts. Otherwise, this is my handiwork.”
“You finished all this in six weeks?”
“No. I closed on the house a month before I terminated the lease on my apartment.” She arched an eyebrow at him. “How did you know when I moved in?”
“A background check is SOP for the victim of a bomb threat.”
“Why?”
“Sometimes we spot a piece of information that helps us put the pieces together.”
“Did you in my case?”
“Nothing beyond the obvious. Given your profession, a disgruntled listener would be the logical suspect—especially after the note we found in the package.”
Color leeched from her face, and she felt for the stool tucked under the island behind her. Sank onto it. “So there was a message. My sister thought there might be.”
He pulled out his cell and scrolled through his photos. “It’s already in the lab, along with the package. But I snapped a picture to show you.” He walked over and handed her the phone.
“‘Be silent . . . or be silenced.’ Short and to the point.” A slight quaver ran through her voice as she passed the phone back. “What happens next?”
“We’ll go over the package and its contents with a fine-tooth comb. My colleague and I also walked your entire yard and the perimeter of your house. We didn’t see anything suspicious—nor did the CSU tech. Our assumption is that the person who delivered the fake bomb came and went fast and was careful not to leave any evidence behind—other than the package.”
“Do you think your lab will find anything on that?”
“I’m not counting on it. TV crime shows get a ton of law enforcement details wrong, but they have helped bad guys learn how to avoid detection.”
“Then this person could walk.”
“That’s a possibility—but we’ll work this until there’s nothing left to work.”
She scrubbed at her temple, and the stretchy band on her hair finally lost its grip.
He snatched the elastic circle as it fell and dropped it on the island.
“Impressive reflexes.” She flashed him a smile and tucked her side-parted, shoulder-length hair behind her ear. “So . . . what about the threat inside the package? Do you think this person will follow through?”
She was trying to present a calm front, but the rapid pulse beating in the hollow of her throat sabotaged the effort.
Much as he hated to scare her, sugarcoating the truth could put her at further risk. Forewarned really was forearmed.
“Do you mind if I sit?” He indicated the stool next to hers.
A flush washed over her cheeks. “Please—and I apologize for my bad manners. Would you like a glass of water or a soft drink?”
“No thanks—and no apology necessary. You have more important things to think about.” He settled on the stool and angled toward her.
“And worry about?” She picked up the elastic band and scrutinized him.
“Maybe. We should assume that anyone who would risk a prison sentence to put that package on your porch isn’t playing games. The message inside would suggest the culprit is a disgruntled listener.” He linked his fingers on the cool granite. “How much of the negative feedback you get is general—like this—versus focused on your position on a particular topic?”
“Doug and Meg at the station would be the ones to ask about that, but my sense is that most listeners who call and write want to talk about a specific issue. As I told you earlier, we hear from a few regulars, but they’re in the minority.”
“Do you know who they are?”
“Only first names.”
“We may want to get a court order for a phone trap on the calls coming in to your program.”
“Doug will be happy to cooperate—but I think that’s a dead end. My regulars are mouthy, but they seem like ordinary people