Page 63 of Obsession

Who would be texting him this time of the morning?

Almost as if he read her mind, he said, “We’ve been to the casino, and I forgot to turn on my phone until just a minute ago. One of my patients has been admitted to the ER. That’s where I’m headed.” He nodded at Emma, then turned to Taylor. “See you tonight.”

Taylor’s answer was a smile that lit up her face. Emma waved and shut the door after she used her foot to nudge the card intoher living room. If it was a threat, she didn’t want to get her prints on the envelope and grabbed her tongs from the kitchen and a rubber glove for her left hand.

After she pulled on the glove, she picked up the envelope with the tongs. The seal was barely stuck, and she used her fingernail to flip it open. Gingerly she lifted the folded paper out, again by the corner, and a drawing fell out.

A dead rat caught in a trap. The illustration took her breath. Across the bottom in bold black lettering were the words“Beware the rat.” She carefully laid the card on her coffee table. Then she took out her phone and dialed Sam.

“It’s early,” he said by way of answering. “I can’t be late yet.”

“Didn’t I tell you Brooke was picking me up?”

“No. What’s wrong? You sound funny.”

“There’s...” She gulped a breath. “It’s a drawing of a dead rat. I just got it. Somebody stuck it under my door.”

“I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

He hung up and Emma stared at her phone. She should call Nate. Her fingers shook as she punched the sheriff’s cell phone number. “Rawlings,” he said.

“I received another threat this morning.”

“I’ll be there ASAP,” Nate said.

Emma had barely changed into her gray-and-green uniform when her doorbell rang, and she hurried to answer it. She really needed a peephole. “Who’s there?”

“It’s me,” Sam said.

Emma let him in. He hadn’t shaved, so the clean fragrance that sent her heart soaring had to be his soap. It made her want to feel his arms wrapped around her.

“Where’s the card?” he asked.

“On the table. There’s a pair of kitchen gloves beside it.”

Before he looked at the card, Sam hugged her. “I’m sorry this is happening. I’ll install a security camera outside your door tomorrow. I should have already put it up.”

The tears that sprang to her eyes surprised her. Emma thought she had a grip on this. “Why would anyone send me a drawing of a dead rat with that caption?”

“I don’t know, but I intend to find out.” Sam studied the drawing. “How is this person getting into your building?”

“Do you think he might have a key?” she asked.

“Could be. How many people have keys to the entrance doors?”

“There’s no way to know. I gave Dad one, but most people I buzz in if they visit after six.”

“This puts a different slant on the matter. Whoever—”

“Wait,” she said as her doorbell rang. “Hold that thought. That may be Nate.”

She opened the door and told the sheriff to come in and then followed him back into the living room. “Would you two like coffee?”

“I haven’t had my two cups yet, so yes. Black, please,” Nate said, and Sam shook his head.

While she put on a fresh pot of coffee, the sheriff set a briefcase on the table and examined the card. “What do you suppose this means?”

Sam folded his arms across his chest. “We have someone obsessed with Emma. He probably knows we went to Jackson together last night. It confirms, to me at least, that the shots fired Friday night were meant for me. Evidently, I’m the rat. It’s his way of warning her not to trust me.”

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