Page 66 of The Inmate
“Oh.” That makes sense. There’s an app for everything. “Can I use that now to find out the number of someone who called me last night?”
“Probably not. I think the app has to be installed when they make the call.”
Damn. I was hoping to figure out who used the blocked number to call me the last three nights. It’s hard to believe those calls aren’t somehow linked to this whole thing. And even if they aren’t, I’d like to know who’s harassing me.
“I’m sure if somebody is bothering you, they’ll call again.” He frowns. “If you’re worried, I’d be happy to escort you home after work today. I don’t have any plans.”
“No, that’s okay.”
“I don’t mind.”
Well, I do. Even if I didn’t have plans with Caleb, I wouldn’t want to encourage him. “I better not.” I wink at him. “I don’t want to make Julia jealous.”
Greg’s eyes widen. “Julia? Jealous?”
“Oh my God, yes.” I lower my voice. “She told me she thinks you’re really cute.”
Julia is one of our secretaries who sits near the front entrance, and she is so far out of Greg’s league, it’s not even funny. He should know that, but the way he puffs out his chest makes it clear he thinks he might have a shot.
Greg kindly offers to install the app himself without insisting on escorting me anywhere again, and he even shows me how to use it. After I feel confident that I can figure out the phone number of the blocked caller, I leave Greg at the copy machine and continue on the way to my cubicle. Dawn’s cubicle is still empty, like it’s been all week.
It’s so horrible. No, Dawn wasn’t my favorite person in the entire world, but she was sweet. There was something innocent about her, like a child. I can’t bear the thought of her being tortured at the hands of some pervert and then beaten to death.
I step past her own cubicle and into my own. I start to drop my purse on the desk when something gets my attention. Something that makes my heart skip a beat.
The tiny turtle figurine. It’s back on my desk.
No. It can’t be. Itcan’tbe. I threw it out.Twice. I didn’t just throw it out, but I brought it all the way to the garbage in the break room. There’s absolutely no way a janitor could have thought I mistakenly threw it away and brought it back to my desk. It was a stretch last time, and now it’s an impossibility.
Somebody put this turtle on my desk on purpose.
“Natalie.”
Who would do that? Who would torture me this way? It couldn’t be some random person on the street. It would have to be somebody who works at this office who has access to my desk. Or at least, somebody who has a way to get a key to the office…
“Natalie.”
I’m vaguely aware of a sharp voice calling out my name. I turn my head, and Seth is standing behind me, a few feet away. There’s a dark look in his eyes.
“Natalie,” he says flatly. “I need to talk to you.”
“Does it have to be now?” I look back at the turtle, then back at him. “Because I—”
“Yes.Now.”
I can tell from the look on Seth’s face that he’s not messing around. What now? I can’t deal with any customer complaints right now. I’ve got much worse concerns.
“In my office,” he adds.
“Fine,” I say. “Let’s go.”
ChapterThirty-Eight
ONE WEEK EARLIER
To: Mia Hodge
From: Dawn Schiff
