My Deadly Valentine - By Valerie Hansen & Lynette Eason Page 0,25
was visible. The moon was full and streetlights also illuminated the area all the way to the street. Nothing seemed amiss.
“Doors do not knock by themselves,” she said aloud, assuming Jace or Logan could hear her. “What should I do? I don’t see a soul outside. Do you?”
Pausing with her cell in her hand, she waited for it to ring with her answer. Nothing happened.
All right, Rachel reasoned, she had two options. She could either leave the door locked or open it and see for herself what was going on. In the movies, the heroine always made the most foolish choices and got herself into all kinds of trouble. She was smarter than that. She knew she could leave the locks engaged and call Jace or Pastor Logan to come over and see if there was anything wrong on her porch.
“Except that that seems cowardly,” she told herself. “And stupid. If they show themselves and someone sees them do it, all their careful plans to catch my stalker will be for nothing.”
She put down the phone and picked up the tiny can of Mace. One peek. That was all she needed. If she cracked open the door and didn’t see anything on her porch, she’d slam it again, lock it up tight and no one would be the wiser.
With trembling hands she twisted the dead bolt till she heard it click. Turning the knob slowly, cautiously, she held the Mace in front of her like a shield and eased open the door. The porch was empty.
Letting out a noisy sigh she was about to lock up again when she looked down and spotted something white lying on the welcome mat. It was a plain envelope.
She crouched. One arm snaked out just far enough to grab the envelope and pull it inside before she slammed the door hard and leaned against it.
Her pulse was pounding. Her breathing was shallow. Her fingers trembled. If it had not been for the previous threatening notes she wouldn’t have been concerned, but she was afraid that this was another one. If it was, it had to have been recently placed there. Why hadn’t Jace seen someone lurking? Why hadn’t he phoned? And who in the world could have gotten past the defenses he and Logan had installed without being spotted?
She slipped her index finger under the flap and tore the envelope open. Its contents were not another cryptic note, as she had feared. Instead, it was a morbid Valentine. There was a picture of a heart, all right, but it was mounted on a black background and there was a drawing of a dagger piercing it.
Rachel swayed, suddenly dizzy, as she opened the card. The printing inside swam before her eyes. It was more of the same childish scrawl and this time it said,
It’s almost time to celebrate, darling.
Happy Valentine’s Day.
Her phone jangled. She dropped the card as she answered, assuming the caller was Jace.
“It’s—it’s a Valentine,” she said in a near whisper.
Rather than the encouragement she had expected, someone gave a hoarse laugh and said, “I know. I’m glad you like it, sweetheart.”
Rachel dropped the phone with a shriek, took a deep breath, looked up at the camera and announced loudly, “It’s a Valentine!”
Jace vaulted off the back porch of the Duggins house and raced across the rear yards of the two other properties that lay between him and Rachel. His sidearm was secure in its holster. One fist was clenched around a heavy flashlight.
He tried to phone her as he ran and wasn’t able to get through so he stuck the phone in his pocket to free his gun hand. In seconds he was rounding the front corner of her house and taking the porch steps two at a time.
She threw open the door and welcomed him with open arms. Unshed tears lurked behind the fear he saw immediately. Pushing her aside and stepping in front to act as a human shield, he drew his pistol and crouched, ready to do battle.
“Where is he?” Jace demanded.
“I don’t know.”
Keeping his concentration focused on their surroundings, he insisted on a clearer reply. “What do you mean, you don’t know? Did you see him or not?”
“No.”
“Then why did you use the code word? I told you…”
“I know what you told me,” Rachel answered, sounding almost as miffed as she did frightened. She thrust her hand forward and displayed a black-rimmed card. “This was just delivered. Didn’t you see who did it?”