“The same man who sent the… gift?”
I nodded before realizing she couldn’t see me.
“Yeah. I think so. I mean… I’m pretty sure.”
“I want you to come down to the station. Bring a friend if you’d like. It’s best you’re not traveling alone right now.”
“I’ll be okay. Casey can’t leave work early. She’s up for a big promotion and I’d rather not worry her with this right now.”
“Let me send a unit to pick you up. It’ll be safer for you instead of traveling alone.”
“It’s only a fifteen-minute walk and… honestly, I could use the fresh air to clear my head.”
A low hum filled the phone before she finally spoke.
“Alright. But, please, call if you run into any trouble.”
“Will do.”
I hung up the phone and headed in the direction of the police station. Before putting away my phone, I sent Casey a quick text to tell her where I was going and slipped it into my purse.
The walk to the precinct was cold and wet. Rain began to pour halfway there, and being the unprepared woman I was, I didn’t bring an umbrella.
I stepped into the precinct, my body shivering from the cold rain, and was ushered directly to Detective Pearson. Her office was cluttered with files and boxes, papers spilling over their edges. The air was damp and stale, carrying the aroma of burnt coffee and a faint whiff of old, leftover pizza.
The young officer directed me to sit and gave me a quick nod.
“Detective Pearson will be right with you,” he said, before rushing off.
Looking around the room, I noticed a blanket and pillow shoved into the corner of her couch. Her trash was filled with Chinese take-out boxes and multiple empty coffee cups from the shop around the corner.
The adrenaline I felt earlier had finally begun to fade, my eyes growing heavy with exhaustion. Just as I was about to close my eyes, the door swung open, and Detective Pearson stepped through. Her hair was in a messy bun, dark bags under her eyes, and she was wearing the same clothes I saw her in yesterday. She greeted me with a warm smile and handed me a small hand towel.
“I saw you walk in. Couldn’t find much else, but I hope this helps,” she said as she sat down at her desk.
“Thanks. Guess I should have checked the weather before work this morning,” I said with a shrug, drying my hair and face off.
“So, tell me about the flowers.”
My brows furrowed in confusion as I looked at her.
“What about them? Not much to tell. They were flowers.”
“What kind? Where did they come from? Did he send a note?”
I let out a deep sigh and shook my head.
“They were all my favorite flowers. Roses, lilies, and sunflowers. There was a note.”
Silence filled the air as she waited for me to speak, my breathing unsteady as I thought back to the moment I read it.
“It said, ‘See you soon, Lila’. It wasn’t handwritten or anything. Just typed on one of those cards that they use at the flower shops.”
Detective Pearson nodded as she wrote down everything I was telling her, concern etched into her features.
“Do you remember what flower shop they came from?” she asked, looking up at me.
“Yeah. It was Emerson’s Flowers. It’s a flower shop just around the corner from my office,” I whispered.
