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When I put the bottle up and went back to the dining room, Dan saw the mug and snorted.
“Wine in a coffee mug. Should I worry?”
“No.” I plopped down in a chair and cringed watching Cal pull on a pair of blue nitrile gloves. He just carried them all willy-nilly in his pockets? What in the hell has he been doing that this had become common practice?
I watched him, my cheeks flushing as the wine slid down my throat. He methodically went through the box. Each envelope and folded piece of paper was examined. The longer he looked, the redder his neck and face got. After three minutes of dead silence, he tore off a glove, pulled his cell from a pocket, and dropped it on the table. He tapped his finger against the screen. The phone rang one time before it was answered.
“Johnson.”
“Get in here. Bring Berkley and a kit.” He hung up and looked over at me.
My heart was racing now. Who was that on the phone? Why were they here, and what kind of fuckery was going on?
There was a knock on the door. Dan moved to open it. Two men came in, one holding a big, yellow case.
“What’cha got?”
“Bag and tag everything. I want it sent to Annabel’s team for fingerprints and anything else they can find. Do this one quickly. We know who is behind it; I just need to catch him.”
“Cal,” I stood up, “Just leave it alone. After today, he’d be stupid to try anything else.” His hard gaze met mine, and I had enough sense to take a step back. The look in his eyes had the small hairs on the nape of my neck standing on end. I held up a hand when he started my way.
“Do you have any idea how bad today could have gone? Any idea at all, Kara? He sent you a package with dying flowers and a bloody rat.”
“It wasn’t real!”
“This time!” He stalked closer, his eyes pinning me in place. “What makes you think it won’t get worse?”
“Ease up, Cal.”
I took a second to think. I didn’t know. I couldn’t know, but I could hope. He was caught…but then again, I was a fan of those True Crime shows…they never made it easy on you, nor did they do what you would expect them to do.
“Answer me, Kara. Why would he stop, especially after you laid him out in front of me? He’s going to double-down now. I see this all the time.”
“I-I don’t know.” My voice broke, but that didn’t stop him. Cal pulled me against his chest. One hand held my chin, tilting my head back so I had to meet his gaze.
“I won’t let him hurt my girl. I can’t. I’ll end him first.”
“I’m not yours…”
His lips tipped up with a wicked smile. “You’ve always been mine. I was just too stupid to see it back then. I promise you, he will not get to you again. We will not let that happen.”
“Damn straight. I can’t believe you hid this, Kare.” I looked toward the kitchen; my brother was pacing, his ears as red as his face. “I’ll kill him. He won’t get away with this.”
That look he was sporting meant trouble. He was contemplating doing something stupid. I patted Cal’s arm, and he let me go. I stopped before Dan. “Look, you big oaf. I love you, I do, but if you do whatever it is you’re thinking, I’m calling Gran and letting her beat the stuffing out of you with her cane.”
“She’s right, man. Let us handle this.”
“It’s my fault. I brought her into the school. Call out for tomorrow. I’ll get a note posted onto your class planner and send out the email to the students.”
“I’m not hiding from the likes of Ian Sterling. I’m not a coward, Daniel.”
“You may not be a coward, but he’s right, you’re not going to work tomorrow.”
“Let me set the two of you straight right here and now. I may have some bad things going on, but I will not run from them. My students count on me to provide them with the knowledge they seek.”
“You’re vulnerable in that classroom.”
“I am going to class. Apparently, you and Cal conducted some plan here, so…deal with it. I’m finishing this week; we have two days. Then I’m going to go out and enjoy the fair this weekend. I’m going to eat my weight in elephant ears and sausage dogs. Maybe even some chili cheese fries and have a fucking root beer. I will not let some slimy weasel ruin my life.”
