Page 110 of Kaine

“So, someone had to have put it there. It wasn’t delivered by post,” I reason.

“No. They were here,” she says, her voice shaking.

“Do you know who might have put it there?”

“No. And we don’t have security cameras here. It was pretty busy last night, being our genealogy group night. So, lots of people were walking around.”

Whoever it was knows about me and Jade and was near her. I want to kill him. I’m almost afraid I will.

“Is there anything else?” I ask.

“No, just what I showed you. What does it mean?”

“I don’t know, honey. I don’t know,” I admit. And it kills me not to be able to ease her fears.

“What’s going on?”

“I wish I knew, sweetheart. But I’m going to find out. Don’t worry.”

“Okay.”

“Hey. I mean it, don’t worry,” I try to comfort her.

“I just... I just want your launch to go well.”

“It will. What are your plans for lunch?”

There’s a relaxed sigh on the line and I can see her smiling at my obvious attempt to cheer her up with the talk of food.

“We’re all going out for lunch, to celebrate our new smoke alarms.”

“Oh, they’re all installed? I hadn’t heard an update yet.”

“Yep, all done yesterday, so we can actually close up for about an hour today and grab a quick drink next door to celebrate not turning into roast humans.”

“That sounds great. Have a drink for me.

“I will.”

“I have to get back to my meeting.”

“Okay. Kaine? I love you.”

And for a split second, everything is okay.

***

“It’s not Jacob.” Xavierbreaks the news to me.

“Shit. I don’t know if that’s a relief or if it’s disappointing, because then we’re back at square one.”

“I don’t know about that. Jacob? We might’ve been able to deal with him.”

“How do you know it wasn’t him?”

“Because he’s in Atlantic City losing his monthly allowance on cheap hookers.”

“Shit. The one time I thought I could rely on the asshole being Jacob and he doesn’t come through.”