He writes something in his notebook, then says, “Go on. Calla found the package…”
“She stuck it in her bag without looking at it, and none of us thought about it until she went to get something—cheese—and found it again. It had Phil’s name on it, but no address, and there’s a doll inside with one of those TMZ photos of his face stuck on. There’s a knife stabbed through the doll.”
Spears’s mouth presses into a line as he writes. “Did you touch the doll or the knife? And who touched the box?”
“Nobody touched anything inside the box,” I assure him. “The outside… uh, Phil. Calla. Me, when I took it from Phil.” I glance at Jordan. “That’s it, right?”
He nods. “Yeah, none of the rest of us touched it, unless Harold did before you got here. But he wouldn’t have gone rummaging through Calla’s bag.”
“I don’t suppose the building has a doorman or CCTV?”
Jordan laughs outright, and I grimace. “Not that kind of building.”
Spears sighs. “Is it secure, at least? Or can anyone walk in?”
I pull a face. I’ve only been there once, but… “Technically, it’s secure, but last night, someone had propped the door open for the pizza delivery guy. So I’m not sure how secure it actually is.”
“Okay. Let’s go look at that box.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
PHIL
Vivi’swarm body is a tether to reality that I desperately need. The soft, soothing noise in my ears blocks out the rest of the world, and as the minutes pass, my heartbeat paces itself. I’m still anxious as fuck, and I don’t think I’ll be talking again today, but I canthinkagain. I no longer feel like the world is going to crush me.
I lift my face from Vivi’s fur, and she takes advantage of the opportunity to lick me, her big eyes fixed on mine. I rub her ears, then make myself take a breath and glance up.
Harold is curled up on the couch beside me, close but not touching in any way. His gaze is on me, and when he sees me look at him, a relieved smile breaks over his face. He doesn’t say anything, though, just offers me a mug. I think I remember that mug from before.
God, my mouth is dry. I reach for it, trying to muster a smile of thanks, but I don’t know if I manage it. He doesn’t look like he cares, just watches me sip the warm tea. That gives me the strength I need to look around.
Griff is only a few feet away, talking to Calla, Blaise—who has his arm around Calla—and a man I don’t know. Griff’s mostlyin profile but must still catch sight of my movement, because he shoots a quick look in my direction and raises a brow as though to ask if I need anything. This time, I manage to move my head a little, just enough to show himno, and he keeps talking to the man… who also looks at me, but I’m trying not to notice that.
Butch and Xera are curled up together in one of the armchairs, and when they notice that I’m… back…, Butch gets up and comes to sit beside me where Griff was before. She’s careful not to touch me, but I’m starting to feel a little more in control. I could probably handle a touch.
Maybe.
Polly’s pacing over by the door to the kitchen, his phone to his ear, and Jordan’s standing near him, clearly listening in. I’m not sure how much time has passed since I opened the box, but it’s been a while. Maybe even a couple of hours.
My hand’s a little shaky when I reach up to tap the side of the headphones, stopping the audio. The sounds of the room are still muted, giving me the buffer I need, but I can hear voices now, albeit muffled.
“…you’re sure about that?” It’s the stranger talking. He’s got a little notebook, and it occurs to me that he’s probably with the police.
“Positive,” Calla says. “I got back from the market at about ten, and there was nothing at the door.”
“Hm.” He writes something down. “What time did you leave again?”
Calla looks at Griff. “We were supposed to be here by one, but we were running late…. Maybe twelve fifty? I stopped noticing exactly how late we were once it hit twelve forty.”
“And nobody came or went from the apartment in between?”
“No,” Griff confirms. “Calla’s the only one who went out this morning.”
“Are you friendly with your neighbors?”
Calla’s lip trembles. “Do you really think one of them could have done this?”
“I don’t know. I only meant, is there someone in particular who might have noticed the package being delivered?”
