“When did you tell Carol Bates that you had a boyfriend?”
“Not that long ago. But Freddy has nothing to do with this, Jasper.”
“What’s with your defense of this guy?”
“You’ve seen him. He doesn’t utter a word in his mother’s presence. I don’t think we’ve ever exchanged more than a handful of hellos or goodbyes. He doesn’t even make eye contact.”
“Which means nothing. Don’t assume you know who Bates is by how he presents. All this started after he moved in, and now it’s escalated after you told his mother you have a boyfriend.”
I grab my phone to google the courier company. Same Day Express is a small hub located in a strip mall about fifteen minutes from Jordyn’s office. They guarantee local delivery before noon if received by eight a.m.
I call Max and recount the situation. “They’re open from seven to five during the week, but they closed today at noon and won’t reopen until Monday. First thing after they open, check out who handled the order processing, how they paid, and if there’s any security footage.”
“Gotcha. I’ll also show them photos of Bates and Hunt for a possible ID and look into the PO Box address just in case.”
We disconnect. “Where’s your laptop?” I ask gruffly, focused on the task at hand.
She brings it to the kitchen bar and takes a seat on the stool beside me. I pull up the camera app and enter my password. Nothing had seemed suspicious during my daily checks, but then I didn’t know about the dead roses. I go to Thursday as a starting point.
“What are you looking for?” Jordyn asks.
“Bates’ activity the day of delivery, the time he left, if he’s carrying a box or anything with him.”
“You do you, Jasper. I’m making a sandwich. Want one?”
“Sure,” I answer absently, watching Freddy emerge on camera at 7:06 a.m. He’s wearing his standard dark hoodie, but not over his head this time. A baseball cap with a wide brim conceals his face, and he’s carrying a backpack. The cameras track him as far as the street.
Jordyn puts a plate down in front of me with a side of potato chips and a beer. “Thanks.”
“Did you find anything interesting?” she asks with a hint of sarcasm before taking a bite.
“Could be. Bates left early enough on Thursday to do the drop off for same-day delivery.”
“Talon would have left early too. He got to work at eight-forty-five, fifteen minutes late for the meeting.”
“I’m not ruling him out. Max will have to pull some strings to get access to the video footage without a warrant, assuming they have any. As a security firm, I don’t have jurisdiction. All that to say, I can’t predict how long this will take. In the meantime, you’re not to go anywhere alone, especially at night. After your games, leave with the crowd, and if you’re working late, have another colleague go with you to your car. If these are not options, I can send someone or be there myself.”
“I don’t need a babysitter or bodyguard,” she dismisses out of hand. “I’m not afraid of Talon or Freddy.”
That snaps my hold on staying cool. “You’re not afraid of anything, and that’s just reckless and stupid.”
“How dare you call me stupid.” She lurches off her chair, ready to battle.
“I didn’t call you stupid. I was referring to you taking this lightly. Dead flowers in a plastic bag are either a threat or a means to scare you. Either way, waiting two days to tell me about it and then acting like it’s nothing is far from smart. You’re not invincible, Jordyn.”
“I know that. But where you see danger, I see a pissed-off, immature colleague who’s getting his revenge by screwing with me. If I can prove it’s him, he will be dealt with. I can promise you that. Athena won’t stand for this, and neither will I. But thinking Talon or Freddy want to hurt me is way outside the realm of possibilities.”
Of course she thinks that. Gemma hadn’t seemed violent either. I had no idea what she was capable of until she showed up on my doorstep with a butcher knife and a vicious distortion of our relationship.
“This is my job, Jordyn,” I remind her. “Can you accept that my instincts in this situation might be more honed than yours?”
“Naturally.”
“And can you also accept that I care about you and your safety?”
Her ire thaws, and she visibly softens. “It’s a lot nicer when you put it that way.”
I might have admitted too much, but all that matters is getting through to her. “Then just trust me on this, okay?”
