Page 14 of Postmarked December

“That’s him, there.” The old man pointed toward the end of the parking lot at a white SUV. It pulled out, spinning gravel, and headed down the road.

Marion and Heather locked eyes.

“Thank you!” Heather said as she and Marion took off toward the car.

“Did you catch the license plate or the make of the SUV?” Marion said, fumbling her seat belt in her hurry.

“No, but we can probably catch up to him.” Heather set the envelope in her lap and held it there with both hands.

Marion threw the car into gear and punched the gas. Her little Honda grunted as the engine tried to catch up. A man tying his tree to his car yelled at them to slow down, his voice trailing to nothing behind them as Marion sped toward the end of the lot, kicking up pebbles. Then she had to slam on her brakes to let a family cross. The father eyed her, irritated.

“Sorry,” she said through her windshield.

The father frowned.

When the group had made it safely to the other side of the lot, Marion turned onto the main road. The pavement was clear—not a soul in front of them.

They continued driving, Heather craning her neck at every country road on either side. “Where’d he go?”

“I don’t see him.”

After a while, it was obvious the SUV must have turned off the road somewhere and they’d missed it. Marion finally slowed down.

Heather squinted through the windshield. “He drove like a maniac when he saw the man pointing him out. And he didn’t seem to want us to catch up.”

“I knew it. Stalker.” Marion turned the car around and started back toward town.

Heather took another deep breath, trying to make the ordeal make sense. She looked down at the envelope in her lap. “Should I open this?”

“Uh, yeah,” Marion said.

Inside, Heather found a printout of the email receipt for a plane ticket and a hotel confirmation, both in her legal name. The addressee’s email and information had been cut off.

“What’s that?” Marion’s attention moved between the ticket notification and the road.

“I have a plane ticket to Greenville, South Carolina, and a two-night hotel stay at one of the swankiest hotels there.”

Marion’s eyes widened. “Aaaabsolutely no. No, no, no.” She shook her head. “You are not going to a random location when there’s an unmarked SUV involved. That’s got warning written all over it.”

“Except Greenville is where Toby and I spent our first wedding anniversary. I saw that hotel and said one day we’d come back and stay there.”

“I don’t care.” Marion was still shaking her head. “This freak is using your emotions to get you alone in a hotel. You are not going to be on the evening news on my watch.”

Heather looked in the envelope. “There’s no note in this one.”

Marion pursed her lips. “Even more reason to tear it up and throw it away. Really think about it, Heather. I’m seriously worried. Isn’t it odd that the person leaving these letters doesn’t want you to see him?

“You’re probably right. Toby wouldn’t have told anyone this stuff. There’s no way,” she said, although now she had more reservations about how exactly this person was getting these specific details about her life. Did she, in fact, have a stalker? “Sorry to have taken you on a wild goose chase.”

“Ah, the biscuits and gravy were well worth it. But we should probably put in a police report once we get back.”

As they drove home, Heather couldn’t stop thinking about what might be behind the ticket in her hand. Why did he want her to go to Greenville? Even with all her questions, it was still as if Toby were there, planning her holiday like he always had. It would be reckless to go. But if Toby had a message for her from beyond the grave, wouldn’t it be just as reckless if she ignored it?

Chapter Six

After locking all the bolts on her door, closing every curtain, and scouring her house for cameras, Heather spent all night thinking about the notes she’d received, trying to determine a motive. She’d fallen asleep still meditating on possible scenarios. And in the morning, she woke before the sun, and started contemplating them again.

She should probably call the police and at least bring the situation to their attention.