Free Mountain Peril by Sandra Robbins Page B

note?”
    Danielle nodded, opened the top drawer and pulled the envelope out. “They were here when I came in this morning.”
    Jack slipped the card out and read the words written in the same ornate script. Did Danielle have an admirer, or was this something more sinister? The guy sounded crazy—maybe crazy in love and then again maybe just crazy. He clenched his jaw and hoped she didn’t see how this latest development had shaken him. “Sounds like this guy’s really fallen for you.”
    Her mouth gaped open, and she blinked her eyes. “Fallen for me? Jack, you’re a policeman. Don’t you think these words are strange?” A look of fear crossed her face. “And there’s something else…”
    “What?”
    “Somebody left me a rose the morning after Jennifer was killed. Nobody has since. Not until Tricia’s murder, and now I’ve had two.”
    His heart thudded. “You never told me that.”
    “I didn’t think it had anything to do with Tricia’s murder. At the time I thought someone was trying to cheer me up about Jennifer.”
    There might be a connection, but there was no need to alarm her. The thought that Danielle might be in danger, too, made his heart race.
    Trying not to convey his sudden concern, he shrugged. “Maybe Nathan left them. Are you involved with him?”
    She blinked and looked at him as if he’d lost his mind. “No. Why would you ask that?”
    He swallowed. “You were with him last night, and the two of you seemed awfully chummy in our meeting. I think he really cares about you.”
    Danielle leaned against her desk and crossed her arms. “Of course he cares about me. He’s been my friend for years. But there’s no romance between us.”
    Her words were what he wanted to hear, but he didn’t have time to think about that now. He glanced back at the rose. “That still doesn’t answer the question of who sent you the roses.”
    She shivered and pulled her arms tighter. “I don’t mind telling you, this has spooked me. I don’t like the thought of someone in my office when I’m not here, and I certainly don’t like anonymous gifts.”
    He nodded. “I don’t blame you.”
    She shot him a relieved look. “Really? I was beginning to think I was paranoid.”
    The roses left after Jennifer’s death and now Tricia’s could be a coincidence, but his years in law enforcement told him differently. They now knew that the killer had used a Webster computer. That meant he was familiar with the campus. What if he’d decided Danielle was his next victim?
    He couldn’t abandon her if that was the case. His first responsibility was to see that she remained safe even if her presence invaded his comfort zone. “I told you I don’t make friends easily, but with you it’s been different. I want us to be friends, but right now more than anything I want to catch the person who murdered Tricia and determine if it’s connected to Jennifer’s death.”
    “I want that, too.”
    “Then maybe you can help me.”
    Her eyes didn’t blink as she stared at him. “How?”
    “You were here ten years ago. There may be things you’ve forgotten that would help the case. Like the roses you received after both murders. I need you to help me.”
    Danielle’s eyes narrowed as she pondered his words. “Do you really think I might be able to remember things that would help solve the case?”
    “Yes, but we’d probably have to spend some time together. Would you consider that?” He hoped his face didn’t reveal his fear for her safety.
    She nodded. “I think I would. Anything to find the killer. What do we do first?”
    “I want you to remember everything you can about the events surrounding Jennifer’s death. Why don’t we have dinner tonight and discuss it?”
    She hesitated for a moment before she replied. “All right.”
    “Good. I’ll pick you up about seven.”
    Her lips pursed. “No, I have a better idea. Since it may take us a while, why don’t we eat at my house? I’ll cook.”
    It was