The doorbell rang at two AM. Tessa heard it and hopped out of bed. She had been tossing and turning all night, keyed up from Teddy’s news and his caution to her.
Ben slept through the bell. It was a single chime, discreet, tasteful, nearly inaudible. Ben had complained about it, saying they’d miss someone because they couldn’t hear the door. Tessa said that would never happen. Ben had pointed out, how would she possibly know?
Tessa peered out the window to see who it was. She prayed it wouldn’t be a man she didn’t know. If it was, she couldn’t let him in, but she was terrified of what would happen if she didn’t.
There was no one there.
Somehow, that was even more frightening.
Tessa eased the door open a crack, prepared to slam it if someone was lurking in the shadows, but no one was. She opened the door wider, hoping against hope there wouldn’t be a padded mailer on her doorstep. There was. She snatched it up and swayed for a moment, afraid to bring it in the house and afraid to leave it out in the open. What could it be this time? Somehow she just knew it would be worse. It was heavier, if that meant anything.
She took it into the kitchen and switched the light on.
Tessa reached into the mailer and pulled out the cold metal object.
It was a gun.
Teddy groped for his cell phone and clicked it on. “Somebody better be dead, or someone will be.”
“I’m sorry,” Tessa whispered urgently. “I need your help.”
“Where are you?”
“I’m at home.”
“Then you’re safe. I’ll talk to you in the morning.”
“No, wait! Someone delivered a gun to my front door!”
“When?”
“Just now. The doorbell rang. I went to the door, and on the porch was a bubble-wrap mailer. I think it’s the murder weapon.”
“What makes you think that?”
“It’s been fired recently.”
“What do you know about guns?”
“Back home I used to target-shoot on a private estate. The gun is a revolver. It’s fully loaded, but there’s an empty shell in one of the chambers.”
“Shit.”
“What should I do?”
“Is Ben up?”
“He slept right through the doorbell. Nothing wakes him.”
“Hang on. I’ll be right there.”
“You can’t come by at two in the morning.”
“I’m not coming in. I’ll be there in ten minutes. Be watching out the window. When you see the car, leave the mailer with the gun inside on the stoop.”
Teddy hurriedly pulled on some clothes. He grabbed his keys and wallet, slipped on a pair of sneakers, and hopped in the car. He observed the speed laws on his way. That time of night a lone car speeding would attract attention.
Ben and Tessa lived in a Hollywood home with an inordinate amount of lawn. Teddy left the car on the street and sprinted up the drive in his unlaced sneakers. He saw the front door open, and a shadowy figure place the mailer on the stoop.
Teddy picked up the mailer with the gun and slipped off the path into the darkness. He stood stock-still, listening for a sound but heard none. He worked his way quickly around the perimeter of the property to the street.
No one seemed to be watching his car, but that didn’t mean someone wasn’t. There was no help for that now. Teddy got in, started the engine, and pulled away. He drove the speed limit all the way home.
He parked in his driveway, hurried up the walk, and went inside. It was a relief to get home, but he didn’t relax until he’d locked the gun in his safe.