Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 134598 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 673(@200wpm)___ 538(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 134598 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 673(@200wpm)___ 538(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
“What?” Rhodes asked, turning to Samantha. “You had Polly go to your apartment?”
“Yes, of course. I can’t get my mail.”
“Yes, but she shouldn’t be getting it either,” Rhodes told her. “Obviously, the stalker has discovered where you live.”
“Pfft.” Samantha waved her hand in the air. “It’s not like anyone is interested in Polly. She’s no one.”
“Samantha!” Rhodes barked.
Samantha instantly looked contrite. “I didn’t mean it like that. Just that the stalker isn’t likely to bother Polly. And what’s this about another letter? I want to see it!”
“We need to check it for prints,” Ethan said.
“I brought some tweezers,” Seth said.
“Here is your water, Polly,” Cate said as she returned. She handed Polly some water.
Polly smiled gratefully.
“Polly, you shouldn’t be making Cate run around after you,” Samantha scolded.
Polly slumped, her head dropping.
“I wasn’t running,” Cate said. “I walked. And Polly didn’t make me do anything. I offered.”
“Well, the letter?” Samantha asked impatiently.
Ethan carefully pulled it out of the plastic bag. “Good job putting it into this bag, Polly.”
Polly smiled shyly.
“Yeah, Pol, that was smart thinking.” Rhodes smiled at her.
“What does it say?” Samantha asked sharply.
Pretty little bird,
Fly, fly away
Or I’ll keep you in a gilded cage
As my sweet pet.
“That’s a terrible poem. It doesn’t even rhyme,” Cate said. “Or make much sense. Why would this person want to trap you?”
“Maybe because they want to use me to trap Rhodes. Or perhaps they’re shifting their attention to me,” Samantha said.
“I don’t know, that doesn’t make sense. And why are they calling you pretty now when before they seemed very angry at you before,” Cate murmured.
“Well, we’re hardly dealing with someone rational, are we?” Samantha snapped.
“We’ll add these to the rest of our evidence and I’ll dust them for prints,” Seth said. “I’ll also call Brody and Ink.”
Ethan nodded at him.
“Polly, thanks for bringing this over on a Sunday,” Rhodes told her. “You were right to be suspicious of it.”
“You’re welcome,” Polly whispered, staring down at her feet.
“She took three buses to get here,” Cate said. “That doesn’t seem very safe, especially at night.”
Rhodes frowned. “No, it doesn’t. I’ll give you a ride back.”
Suddenly, Samantha burst into tears.
Cate stepped back, bumping into Ethan. Her hands went up to her ears and he remembered that she hated loud noises.
He replaced her hands with his own as Rhodes gathered Samantha close to his chest.
“Perhaps you could take Samantha somewhere else,” Ethan suggested.
Rhodes looked over at Cate as Ethan turned her into his chest and picked her up. Rhodes nodded.
“Come on, Samantha. Polly, I’m sorry. I’ll get the service I use to come and get you.”
“No worries. I’m happy to take the bus.”
Rhodes shot the shy woman a stern look. “You will not. As Cate said, it’s not safe. You’ll let the service drive you. Come on, Samantha. I know you’re upset but you need to calm down.”
Ethan held his girl against his chest as she shook.
“Samantha has a set of lungs on her, huh?” Ethan said dryly to Polly.
Polly blushed.
“Why don’t you sit in the living room while you wait? Coffee? Soda?”
“Oh, I’m fine.”
“You might need more than water. I’ll get you a soda once I take Cate to her room.” Polly didn’t look fine. She seemed pale and shaky. “The sugar might help.”
Cate tightened her hold on him. “No.”
“No?” he murmured.
“Stay with you.”
“All right.” Ethan carried Cate into the kitchen with him. “What about you, my baby? You want some soda?”
“Chocolate milk.”
Surprise filled him. Chocolate milk? That didn’t seem like her usual choice.
“Chocolate milk right before bed? Now that sounds like it’s something for a special occasion only.”
She leaned back, her lower lip sticking out. “Samantha scared me.”
“Hmm. True. All right, chocolate milk just this once.”
“Thanks, you’re the best. And can I suck your cock while I’m going to sleep?”
“Of course you can, baby.”
She was definitely going to be the death of him.
Ethan waited until she was asleep to pull back, letting his dick slide from her mouth.
Cate let out a small murmur and he grabbed her pacifier from the nightstand, sliding it between her lips.
After she’d relaxed with a sigh, he stood and sent a text off before pulling on his clothes.
Then he walked into the garage where Seth was waiting for him.
“Brody managed to get into the cameras at her apartment building. They have cameras in all of the hallways and the entrance.”
They might actually capture this guy.
“Unfortunately, there’s not much to see. It’s like this bastard knew where all the cameras were.”
Seth turned his laptop toward him. He watched as a figure wearing a black baseball cap walked up to Samantha’s door and slid an envelope under it.
“Looks like a slim-built man,” Ethan said. “Or it could be a woman with her hair tucked under the cap. Dark clothing and no distinguishable features. So no real help at all.”
“No, and the outside camera just has them walking along the street. No car outside.”