today until the Saturday before Easter. With Cathy away on her honeymoon, Lorie was in charge of the shop. Unfortunately, their two part-time clerks had been unavailable today. One, a student at UAH (the University of Alabama in Huntsville), had Thursday classes and the other, a stay-at-home mom, had a sick child she couldnât leave.
While the lasagna plate rotated inside the microwave, Lorie kicked off her heelsâshe wore heels almost all the time in order to add a few inches to her petite five-one heightâand reached into an upper cupboard for a glass. Just as she picked up the wine bottle from the counter, she heard the doorbell ring. Checking the microwave clock, she noted it was six thirty-nine.
She padded through the house and to the front door in her bare feet. She hated panty hose and seldom if ever wore any. She looked through one of three small panes of glass in her front door and saw Mike Birkett and Maleah Perdue standing on her porch. With jittery fingers, she unlocked the door, opened it, and unlatched the storm door.
âWhatâs wrong?â Lorie asked. âWhy are yâall here?â
âMay we come in?â Maleah asked.
Lorie nodded and stepped back to give them room to enter. Once they were inside, she closed and locked the door.
âCome on in.â Lorie indicated the living room to the left of the small foyer.
With all three of them standing, Lorie glanced from Maleah to Mike, who lowered his gaze and refused to look directly at her.
âThe news isnât good,â Maleah told her.
Lorieâs heartbeat went wild. âThe lettersâ¦the death threatsâ¦they arenât a hoax, are they?â
âIâm afraid not,â Maleah replied. âIt seems that, more than likely, whoever sent you those letters has already killed two other people.â
Chapter 5
âI want to assure you that the sheriffâs department will cooperate fully with the Powell Agency and do everything we possibly can to keep you safe,â Mike Birkett said, his voice calm and even, showing absolutely no emotion.
âWe have every reason to believe that youâre in danger,â Maleah said. âItâs imperative, now more than ever, for you to be extremely careful. Iâm suggesting that you stay with me at Jack and Cathyâs, at least until they return from their honeymoon.â
âYou think I need a bodyguard?â
âI believe itâs better to be safe than sorry.â
âWhat led you to the conclusion that the person who is threatening me has already killed twice?â
âIt seems that the brother of one victim and the husband of another have hired the Powell Agency to investigate their loved onesâ deaths. When Sandersâwho is Griffin Powellâs assistantâdiscovered the similarity in the two murders, it was not a giant leap to connect them. And only today, the husband discovered two letters that his wife had kept hidden. The wording in those letters is identical to the wording in your letter,â Maleah explained. âAnd it really wasnât a surprise to find out that the victims knew each other and they had worked together years ago.â
Lorieâs mind whirled with thoughts of how she might be connected to the other victims. Focusing her attention on Maleah, she ignored Mike completely. He was here only because he had to be, because he was the sheriff. She didnât kid herself, didnât for one minute think he gave a damn if she lived or died.
âWho were these people?â Lorie asked.
âThe woman was Tagg Chamblessâs wife,â Maleah said. âHilary Chambless. She was the second victim.â
The name didnât sound familiar to Lorie. âI donât know a Hilary Chambless.â
Maleah nodded. âThe first victim, at least as far as we know, was a guy named Dean Wilson.â
Lorie gasped. Her stomach flip-flopped. âDean Wilson? In his late forties?