Page 46 of I Want You
I glanced around her shop for inspiration. “Something with fall colors but still screams happy and upbeat. I don’t want it to look dull or muted, but I want it to be seasonally appropriate too.” I cringed. It was asking a lot, and I knew it.
“Oh my God, of course we can do that,” she exclaimed. “Mums are out. We need some chrysanthemums, some roses, probably red and orange,” she said more to herself than to me. Her eyes ping-ponged around as she dug through the filing cabinet in her brain to find exactly what she was looking for. “Huckleberry,” she shouted.
My hands came up to my face, covering my mouth, as I tried to rein in my laughter.
“Sorry. I just get really excited.”
“I know.”
“Come to the back room with me. We can find everything you’re looking for and put something beautiful together.”
This was my favorite part of the week—other than the moments when Luke would wander up to my desk or text me with a funny meme randomly.
Daisy and I spent the next ten minutes picking out all the pieces that she insisted would go together, even allowing me to add sunflowers in the mix to brighten it up. Trust theprocess.
Twenty minutes later, I had the most beautiful one-of-a-kind creation that I had put together myself. I stayed and chatted with Daisy for a little while as she got back to the work she was doing before I showed up. I didn’t want to interrupt her day too much though. Before I overstayed my welcome, I left her to her work so I could get home and put my flowers in water.
The note in my console caught my eye. I had completely forgotten about that. It was probably a flyer for a garage band or something. Although it wasn’t on a full sheet of paper. I unfolded the page and read the message. My vision swam as I tried to read the words again.
Stay out of the Karrigan case - or you’ll end up like she did
They had to be referring to Alana. The murdered girl.
I read the message again. And again.
My first reaction was to throw it out the window. Pretend I never got the message. But that didn’t feel like the smartest move. As the words really processed, my hands started shaking. I locked my car doors, even though there was no immediate threat to my person. I wasn’t even in the same location as where the note was left on my car.
I put the note down gently, touching only the corners of it—as if my hands hadn’t already been all over the small piece of paper—and pulled away from Daisy Days Flower Shop. I was parked out front of my apartment in what felt like seconds. I didn’t even remember driving.
Stay out of the Karrigan case - or you’ll end up like she did
I should call Luke and let him know about the threatening note, especially since it had to do with the case. Only because it might be relevant to his investigation.
My eyes bounced around my surroundings, taking stock of every single thing. The trash barrels by the fence where a person could be crouched behind. My neighbor’s truck parked along the street where anyone could hide out of sight. I clocked the number of steps it would take to get inside. Twenty-two.
It was just a note. Something meant to scare me. It only held power if I gave it power. It was only a note.
Fuck it. I picked up my phone and called Luke.
“Hey, Letty,” Luke answered.
“I found a piece of paper on my windshield a little while ago. It had a message on it,” I told him without even saying hello. Pleasantries didn’t seem important right now. Luke would forgive my rudeness.
“What did it say?” His voice held an edge to it.
“‘Stay out of the Karrigan case—or you’ll end up like she did.’ That’s it.”
“Fuck,” he growled into the phone. “Where are you?”
“I’m outside of my house. I… uh… I was wondering if you could stop by to come inside with me,” I told him. “I’m probably being ridiculous. It’s just a note. But the other night, I had this weird feeling in my place, and now I have this note. I don’t know. Tell me I’m being stupid.”
“You are not to get out of that car until I’m there. Do you understand me?”
I nodded my head before responding to him. “Yeah. I’ll wait in the car. Wait… someone’s coming up behind me,” I whispered.
“I’m not going anywhere, Letty. Who is it? Tell me everything you see.”
I watched from my side mirror as the door of a black sedanopened. Sneakered feet hit the ground. I stopped breathing as I waited for someone to get out of the car. “It’s a black car. Newer model. They’re pulled up too close for me to see a make or model.”
