“Maybe the adrenaline threw your gift out of whack,” Gilly suggested.
I shook my head. “The first one happened before the fake shooting. The person wore all black, including a hoodie and a balaclava to cover their hair and face. Even the phone they held was black.”
“Phone?” Ari snapped her fingers. “Maybe they were using a voice changer.”
“A voice changer?” Gilly tucked her chin. “That’s very film noir.”
“It’s an easy app to download on the phone,” Ari said. “They have dozens of them, including one that will change your voice to that of a celebrity.”
I felt like a dummy. “That makes the most sense.”
Gilly brightened. “Is there a way to find out if someone has the app on their phone?”
I grimaced. “Not really. Not without a warrant.” I picked my taco back up. “And we need a suspect to get a warrant, along with more evidence than my scent-o-rama drama.
“It’s too bad we can’t record your visions,” Ari said, unwrapping a taco. “I have a friend who’s studying audio forensics. She could reverse engineer the voice changer to find the person’s real voice.”
“Mmm-hmm.” I bobbed my head as I finished my bite. “It’d be nice.”
Gilly sighed, running a hand through her hair. “That letter in the Gazette... it’s changed everything. People are scared, and some are angry. Whoever wrote it knew exactly what they were doing.”
I swallowed hard, the reality of my situation sinking in even deeper. “We need to find out who’s behind this,” I said, determination hardening my voice. “And what they plan to do next?”
The doorbell dinged, and the three of us froze in place momentarily.
“I’ll get it,” Ari volunteered.
I grabbed her arm before she could escape the kitchen. “I’m not expecting anyone.”
“Ezra?” Gilly queried.
“He wouldn’t ring my bell.”
Gilly snickered. “That’s not what I’ve heard.
I rolled my eyes. “You know what I mean.” I cautioned Gilly and Ari to stay behind me as we walked out of the kitchen and into the living room. I cursed myself for not locking the door behind me, but I never locked my door when I was home unless I was sleeping. “It’s probably safe,” I said, unsure whether I was trying to convince them or myself. “I mean, bad guys don’t advertise their arrival, right?”
Three loud knocks stopped me in my tracks. Gilly, who was right on my butt, bumped into me, and I careened forward, staggering my steps to keep upright. Several illicit expletives fell from my lips as I righted.
“Sorry, sorry,” Gilly whispered harshly. The grimace on her face deepened her frown lines.
“This is ridiculous,” I hissed back before rushing to the door and locking it. “Who’s there?” I demanded of the person behind the door.
“Garden Cove Floral delivery,” a guy said.
I shot Gilly aWTFlook. Her eyes widened as her brows went up with a quickYour guess is as good as minelook.
Ari was peeking through the curtain. “It’s Brady Newsome,” she said. “I went to school with him. Besides, his van has the Garden Cove Floral logo on the side, and he’s holding a bouquet of flowers. He’s legit.”
“Hey, Ari,” the delivery guy said as he leaned to look inside the window.
My goddaughter gave him a slight wave. “Hold on,” she said, then looked at me. “I think it’s safe to answer the door.”
I didn’t know Brady from Adam, but I acquiesced. “Okay.”
Gilly rubbed her hands together, her shoulders bunching with excitement. “I wonder who the flowers are from?”
I opened the door and saw the most beautiful bouquet of vibrant fuchsia and white starfighter lilies. This flower was divisive: You either loved the scent or hated it. I’d always thought the aromatic tropical sweetness with notes of honey was heavenly, like ambrosia for the gods. “Is there a card?” I asked suspiciously.
