Early Friday morning, I stood at my desk in my library office. My hands were fisted in the pockets of my slate gray slacks as I contemplated the plain sheet of paper centered on its surface. It hadn’t been there when I’d left last night. I’d have remembered it. The note printed in black type on plain white paper reminiscent of the hit list read, “You and Spence looked good together at the cocktail party. It would be just as easy to kill both of you as it would be to kill one. Mind your business or you’ll be added to the list.”
I swallowed again to ease the dryness in my throat. My heart pounded against my chest in equal parts anger and fear. This threat had taken advance planning. The serial killer had figured out a way to break into the library and my office to deliver a message intended to scare me into dropping the investigation. I was definitely frightened. But to go to that much trouble meant they were afraid also. I had to be getting close.
Jed scooped the note from the desk with a gloved hand and dropped it into an evidence bag. “We’ll see if we get any prints off this and whether they match the ones from the list of names we have.”
Fortunately, I’d taken a photo of the note with my cellphone before I’d called the sheriff’s office. I scowled at the evidence bag as I rounded my desk. That note wasn’t going to stop me from protecting Spence. I pulled my fists from my pockets and pressed them against my hips.
In addition to Jed and Errol, two younger deputies had arrived with crime scene kits. They’d printed the other librarians and I for exclusionary samples. Now they were dusting my door, chair, and desk. I didn’t have much hope of their turning up anything. A killer with the talent to slip in and out of the library’s locked doors would’ve worn gloves. Still there had to be something—some small clue—from this event that could help advance our investigation. I just had to recognize it.
I joined the other librarians who were observing the activity in my office with various reactions. Floyd was offended someone had trespassed our hallowed halls. Corrinne was troubled by the apparent ease with which the break-in had occurred. Viv tracked my every move as though concerned someone would appear from thin air to harm me. Adrian’s head swiveled around as though afraid to miss a moment of this unexpected drama. Had I mentioned I was concerned about him?
The librarians closed ranks around me as we faced Jed and Errol. Viv rested her hand on my shoulder. Her touch was comforting and bracing. I was grateful for both.
“Are y’all sure you locked up last night?” Jed stroked his upper lip as he scrutinized each of us in turn.
Corrinne clasped her hands in front of her and repeated her earlier answer in an even tone. “I was the last to leave yesterday. I assure you, Deputy Whatley, I checked all the doors and offices on my way out.”
I nodded my confirmation. “And I was the first one in this morning. The entrance was locked when I arrived. So was my office.”
“Are any of y’all missing keys?” Errol looked up from his notepad. We shook our heads. He continued. “Ms. Marvey, did you notice if the lock’d been tampered with?”
I spread my arms. “No, but I wasn’t paying close attention.”
Jed’s grim gray eyes surveyed the surroundings again. “Are you sure nothing’s missing?”
I roamed the close confines of my office, weaving round the librarians and the deputies as I studied my desk and scanned my file cabinets, shelves, and bookcase.
“I’m certain. Everything appears to be here, although I don’t keep anything of value in my office.” Besides photos of my family and my emergency bag of chocolate-covered peanuts. “And I believe the only reason the killer came to my office was to deliver that threat in the most invasive and threatening manner they could.” And they’d succeeded. I couldn’t suppress a shiver.
Errol gestured toward the door with his pen. “Did y’all happen to notice if anything in the main area had been disturbed or’s missing?”
My four colleagues exchanged looks while shaking their heads.
Corrinne wrapped her arms around her waist. “It doesn’t appear to be, but we’ll do a thorough search and let you know whether we discover anything.”
Errol gave her a comforting smile. “That would be real helpful, Ms. Corrinne. Thank you.”
Corrinne’s offer triggered a thought. I waved a hand toward my desk. “I don’t think this is significant, but papers from one of the project folders on my desk were disturbed.”
“Which project?” Errol asked.
“The Summer Solicitation Drive.” I shrugged. “I don’t know why the killer would be interested in our list of donors.”
“Like you said, it’s probably not significant.” Jed held the evidence bag with the note aloft. “I warned you not to get involved in this investigation.”
I unclenched my teeth. “Is ‘I told you so’ the most constructive response you can offer right now?”
“We don’t have the resources to protect Spencer Holt, Brittany Wilson, and you.” Jed lowered the bag. “I don’t suppose this note has made you come to your senses and convinced you to leave the investigation to us.”
Gripping my hands together, I struggled to keep the anger from my voice. “Deputy Whatley, tomorrow will be two weeks since Nelle’s murder. Hank had been murdered two weeks before her. If the serial killer sticks to a pattern, either Spence or Brittany will be harmed tomorrow. So no, that note has not convinced me to mind my business. Spence’s safety is my business.”
I didn’t want to stand here talking about the killer’s timetable. I wanted to do something.
But what?
The darkness in Jed’s gray eyes eased and appeared to be replaced by grudging respect. I could have been hallucinating, though. I hadn’t yet had my third cup of coffee.
“Don’t you worry about Mr. Spence and Ms. Brittany, Ms. Marvey.” Errol sounded so earnest. “I’ll do extra patrols of their houses myself.”
“Y’all just about done there?” Jed snapped over his shoulder at the two younger deputies. They’d stopped packing their evidence kits and were gaping at us with identical expressions of wide-eyed interest.
At Jed’s order, masquerading as an inquiry, the deputies collected their kits and hurried from the room. They each gave me a lingering look as though I was one of the specimens they were gathering from the crime scene.
Errol closed his notepad. “If there’s nothing else, ma’am—”
I held up my right index finger. “There’s one thing. Based on the message, I think we can take June Bishop permanently off of our suspect list.”
Jed interrupted. “What makes you think Ms. Bishop was on our list?”
I arched an eyebrow at the contrarian. “I like June too. But either way, I’m now convinced she’s not the killer.”
“Why’s that?” Adrian asked.
I turned my attention to him. “In the message, the killer references seeing Spence and me at the kickoff. They called it the cocktail party. June wasn’t at the event, remember? She’d RSVP’d but then one of her employees was ill, so she’d had to deliver the flowers to the wedding he was going to work. If she’d written the note, she wouldn’t have made a reference like that.”
Floyd nodded. “Good point.”
“It’s as though the killer wanted you to know they’d been watching you that night.” Viv squeezed my shoulder before dropping her arm.
I saw the flash of fear in her eyes. I’m certain she saw mine. “Exactly. They wanted to emphasize the threat in their message.”
June and Delores were cleared, but Lucas, Philomena, and Reba were still on the list. I wasn’t even close to identifying the killer—or killers—and there was only twenty-four hours to go.
“You have to stop investigating.” Spence’s response had been expected. This was a replay of the argument we’d had yesterday afternoon when I’d told him I’d followed Lucas.
It’s the reason I’d dreaded sharing this latest update with him. We were having lunch with Jo and Nolan at the conference table in his office Friday afternoon. The room smelled like fried chicken and gumbo, but the mouthwatering aromas didn’t affect me because the other three people in the room were angry with me. My tension made everything taste like wood.
I could disregard Jed when he ordered me to leave crime solving to the professionals because there was too much at stake. But it was harder to ignore friends, especially when one of those friends was the reason for my investigation.
“We’ve already been through this.” I strove for a reasonable tone when all I wanted to do was pull my hair out. Everything in my life seemed to be moving in circles: our disagreement, this investigation, and replacement options for the lead library donor.
“That was before you received a direct threat to your life.” Spence’s voice was tense as though he also was striving to sound reasonable. “Obviously, we need to discuss it again.”
“All right. Consider it discussed.” I returned to my Italian sub. This might be what woodchips on a toasted whole grain bun taste like.
“Marvey, it’s not safe.” He gestured toward my cell phone on which was the photo of the anonymous note.
“Spence has a point.” Jo was hesitant. She seemed torn between protecting one friend over another. “You’ve brought all of your information to the deputies. Let them do the physical investigation. We’ll focus on keeping Spence safe.”
“That’s a good idea.” Nolan looked at Spence. “You can stay with me until the deputies find the killer.”
Spence appeared caught off guard. “Thank you, Nolan, but I don’t want to impose on you.”
I added my support of Nolan’s solution. “Thanks, Nolan. I’d feel better knowing Spence wasn’t alone.”
Jo interrupted. “And Marvey, you and Phoenix should stay with me. Someone broke into the locked library, then into your locked office to leave a threat on your desk. It’s not safe for you to be on your own, either.”
Her offer warmed my heart. Jo was more than a friend. She was my sister from another mother. “I appreciate that but unlike the library, I have an alarm system. I’ll be safe at home.”
“All right. If you’re sure.” She didn’t seem happy with my decision, though.
I turned to Spence. “You should consider getting an alarm system. In the meantime, I’m certain your mother will be relieved to know you’re staying with Nolan until the serial killer is captured.”
Jo packed up the remnants of her lunch. “I wish we knew how long that’ll take. Considering how stubborn Jed’s being about the information you’ve brought him, it could take weeks. Or months.”
I groaned. “We don’t have that kind of time.”
Spence gave me a pointed look. “If we continue this investigation, it has to be a group effort.”
“I agree.” I swept my gaze over Spence’s conference table. “We’re dealing with a remorseless killer. No one should confront any of the suspects on their own.”
Nolan turned to me. “What’s our next move?”
I was reluctant to admit the truth. “I don’t know, but we have to stay alert. If the killer sticks to their apparent routine, someone’s going to be in harm’s way tomorrow.”