As she walked through the tangled paths toward her home, she kept her gaze shooting all around her and her ears focused to catch any sound that might indicate somebody was near her.
She saw it when she reached the bottom of her bridge…a white piece of paper taped to her front door. What now? As she approached, a chill suddenly raced up her spine. Once again, she felt as if somebody was hiding somewhere in the thick woods and watching her.
She looked all around, but saw nobody. Once she reached the front door, she pulled the piece of paper off and read—“YOUR VOODOO MOTHER CAN’T PROTECT YOU NOW.”
Quickly, she unlocked her door and went inside. Her heart beat frantically as another chill ran up her back. She relocked the door and then moved to the part of the window that wasn’t boarded up.
She peered outside for several long moments as a deep fear squeezed her chest, making it difficult for her to draw a full breath. First the attack on her and now this?
Who had left the note on her door? Who was after her and why? Seeing nothing and nobody, she moved on stiffened legs to the kitchen. She dropped her bags on the table, set the note down and then sank into a chair.
Her heart beat so fast…so hard, it threatened to explode right out of her chest. The note looked like pure rage on paper, the red letters written hard and big and bold.
Dammit, who had written it?
She could only hope that Daniel would bring her some answers when he arrived. And she couldn’t wait for him to get here.
Chapter Six
It was another fruitless, frustrating day for Daniel and his team in the cases of Mystique’s murder and Angelique’s attack. The only bright spot in the day was the anticipation of having dinner with Angelique.
At five o’clock, he left the police station and raced home. Home for Daniel was a two-story, three-bedroom house just off the main drag. He’d bought it three years ago when he’d entertained dreams of a wife and family. Now he was considering selling it, because at thirty-five years old he’d pretty much given up on finding that special woman for him and having children.
The home came with a large wraparound porch and a fenced backyard. It was painted white with teal-colored shutters. Inside was a nice-sized living room and kitchen with a guest bath and a laundry room.
The upstairs consisted of three large bedrooms, a hallway bath and the primary had an en suite bathroom as well. Once he was home, he raced up the stairs and got into the shower.
The warm spray of water revitalized him as it washed away the day’s frustrations. Once he was finished showering, he then shaved and dressed in a pair of jeans and a royal-blue polo shirt. He then put on his shoulder holster and added his gun. By then it was time to leave for Angelique’s shanty.
He hated that he had nothing to share with her again this evening concerning the investigations. He’d spoken to half a dozen people today, but none of them had any information thatwould be helpful in moving the investigations forward. She would be extremely disappointed with his lack of progress and he hated disappointing her.
He’d always believed he was a pretty good lawman, but these two cases were definitely humbling him. He’d started having dreams of Mystique in her grave and crying out to him for justice.
The other nightmare he had started suffering from had Angelique running from a dark figure with a knife. In the dream, she called his name over and over again, seeking help from him that he couldn’t give her because he was frozen in place. He knew the only way to halt the nightmares was to solve the cases, and that couldn’t happen fast enough.
It was right at six o’clock when he knocked on Angelique’s door. She opened it and smiled at him. God, she looked gorgeous. She wore a golden caftan that appeared to slide smoothly over her curves. The gown perfectly matched her honey-colored eyes.
“Right on time. I like a man who is punctual,” she said as she opened the door wider to admit him.
“Hmm, something smells very good in here,” he replied.
“That would be your dinner. Come on in the kitchen. It’s ready to eat now. Did you bring your appetite?”
“I did.” He was definitely hungry for something, but it wasn’t something she was going to put on a plate.
“Have a seat,” she said once they reached the kitchen. The table was set with two white plates and silverware. He sat at the chair facing her as she stirred something on the cooktop.
She then opened the cooler and took out a bowl of coleslaw, which she placed in the center of the table. She grabbed the two plates off the table and set them next to the cookstove. Within moments she had them filled and on the table, where she joined him.
“This looks absolutely amazing,” he said. The fish pieces were generous on his plate and looked crispy and light. The mac and cheese looked homemade and appeared especially cheesy and the corn bread was golden brown.
“I hope you like mac and cheese,” she said. “I didn’t even ask you before I put it on your plate.”
“It’s a mainstay in a bachelor’s diet, but nothing I’ve ever fixed from a box looks as good as this,” he replied.
She grinned. “Mine definitely didn’t come from a box. Now help yourself to the coleslaw and let’s eat before it gets cold.”
The fish was delicious, light yet with spices that enhanced the flavor of the white bass. The mac and cheese and coleslaw were perfect side dishes and the corn bread slathered with butter and a little honey was as good as a dessert.
