She laughed. “I guarantee you’ll be bored in ten minutes flat.”
He pulled her close. “I never get bored watching you,” he said before kissing her.
The knock on her window had them both jumping. One of the security guards for the building stood just outside her door.
He rushed to get out and moved over just as she climbed out of the car.
“I thought you should know, a package came for you earlier today shortly after you left. I’ve called the police,” the man said. His name was Derrick, and he had replaced Kenny.
“A package?” Bella asked.
The man looked over to him. “It was… um, leaking a red substance.”
Calvin wrapped his arms around Bella and held on as fear and dread overtook him.
“They are upstairs waiting to talk to you both.”
“What was in it?” Bella asked.
“I’m not sure. We didn’t open it, they did. Then more cops showed up and, well…” He shrugged. “When we saw you pull up on the camera”—he motioned to the parking garage camera— “I came down to give you a heads-up.”
“Thanks.” Calvin shook the man’s hand before he pulled Bella towards the elevator. They rode up in silence and when the doors slid open, Calvin knew instantly that whatever had been mailed to them was serious.
More than half a dozen police stood in the lobby. Some took pictures while others talked to the other security personnel.
As they stepped out, every eye turned towards Bella.
“Miss Rothschild.” An older woman stepped forward and introduced herself as Captain Elizabeth Feller. “Is there someplace we can go?” she asked the building security officer, who quickly showed them to a small office down the hallway. After the three of them were shoved into the small space, with Bella sitting down in one of the chairs while he stood beside her, the captain started explaining. “Today around noon a package arrived for you special delivery. Your building security, per your private security’s request, had it waiting for inspection before delivering it up to you. While they waited, someone noticed it was leaking a red substance and called us.” The woman shifted gears and glanced towards him. “We’ve already confirmed both of your schedules with your private security and have tentatively cleared both of you—”
“Cleared us for what?” Calvin broke in and asked.
“Miss Rothschild.” The captain glanced back towards Bella. “Can you tell me when was the last time that saw or spoke to Michael Himes?”
Bella gasped and Calvin reached out to touch her shoulder and felt her shake. “What has this got to do with Michael?” she asked, her voice low.
“Please.” She held up her hands. “I’ll need you both to answer first.”
“The night of the awards,” Bella blurted out.
“In the lobby before the event,” Calvin finished for her.
The captain nodded. “As I said, we’ve confirmed that already, I just needed to hear it from you.” She took a deep breath. “Michael Himes was found murdered in his home shortly after this package was delivered to you.”
Bella’s eyes closed and she rested her head back against his arm. He swallowed and held his breath.
“It appears that someone has taken it in their hands to send you some of his… parts.” Her eyes went to his. He nodded, showing the captain that she’d said enough.
“Bella.” He knelt before her and watched her face pale.
Then she was scrambling and thankfully he handed her the waste bin before she lost the dinner they’d enjoyed earlier.
“He’s… dead?” she said, her eyes still closed as she wiped her mouth.
“Yes,” the captain answered. “We’ll need an official statement from both of you, but that can wait until tomorrow.” She nodded as one of the other officers stepped into the small space. The man whispered something to her, and she waved him away. “For now, I’ll leave you to head up and get some rest. Your place was inspected to ensure your safety.”
“You searched her place?” he asked.
The woman narrowed her eyes at him. “No, your security team rushed up there to inspect the place shortly after you returned.”
“Thank you.” Bella stood up suddenly and gripped his arm. “We will cooperate. What time do you want us?”
“We’ll come to you. I understand how volatile things are right now for you. We don’t need the press getting wind that we’re questioning either of you. Let me make this clear—at this point, neither of you are on the suspect list.” Her eyes moved between them.
“Then you must have some evidence?” Calvin asked.
The woman’s eyes narrowed again, and he watched the corner of her mouth twitch. He took it as a good sign and nodded quickly.
“Thank you.” He shook her hand again and then helped Bella upstairs.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Even though Calvin tried to keep the news from her, she pulled out her cell phone when she locked herself in her bathroom and read the headlines.
“Director Michael Himes’ brutal murder” was plastered on every news site.
When she clicked into one article, she read about how the police had been called to her apartment while she’d been out for the day with Calvin and how the police had found Michael Himes’ head in a box that someone had sent to her.
She quickly threw up again and decided she didn’t need to know any more details. She scrubbed her teeth and washed her face, then answered the tenth call from Maggie since returning to her apartment.
Maggie kept trying to convince Bella to let her come up, but she insisted that she was just going to get some rest.
“I’m fine,” she answered the call.
Instead of Maggie’s worried voice, a deep male voice whispered in the phone.
“Did you get my present?”
She swallowed and sat on the edge of the bathtub. “Wh-who is this?” she asked, her voice shaking as much as the rest of her body was.
“I thought torturing you was fun.” The voice chuckled. “Until I killed that doorman.” A full laugh sounded in her ear, making her entire body shake. “I guess it’s true, when you spill blood, it’s like a drug. I have a taste of it, now I’m done playing games. When I come for you, nothing will stop me.”
When the line went dead, she was frozen in place listening to the emptiness.
A quick loud knock on the bathroom door had her screaming and dropping her phone. Then Calvin was there, holding her and promising her that everything would be okay. She didn’t know how he’d gotten in the locked door, but she was grateful for his arms around her.
“He called,” she said into his chest as she held onto him.
“Who?” he asked, then he stiffened. “What did he say?”
She quickly relayed the message, then gasped. “He called on Maggie’s cell phone.” She stood up and looked around for her phone. “He has Maggie.”
“I’ll call the police.” Calvin pulled out his phone.
She stood there and listened to Calvin speak to the captain that had talked to them earlier that day.
Within half hour, a knock sounded on the door and several police officers filled her living room.