“You’re not really going to be difficult about this, are you?” she asked, sitting opposite me with a cup of coffee in hand. “I deal enough with big famous babies thanks to my husband and twin daughters.”
“No.” I sighed. “It’s just so…man, it makes me angry that someone gets to mess with my life like this. And I’m too tired to argue with you, especially when I know you’re talking sense.”
“How much sleep have you had in the last forty-eight hours?”
I sighed. “The detective questioned me until early in the morning. Then, when I finally got up to my apartment, I just kept staring at the bedroom ceiling trying to figure out who’d be deranged enough to do something like this.”
“It’s probably not someone you know.”
“Probably.”
“They just think they have a relationship with you because they’re crazy.”
I frowned. “I mean, an actual heart. It’s so gross.”
“Agreed,” she said. “At any rate, I already called Sam and one of his people is on their way over, so suck it up.”
I gave her a small smile. “You know, I do appreciate your help.”
“I know. And if someone had sent me a stabbed offal, I’d be upset and angry and all cranky-pants too.”
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“If this doesn’t make me a vegetarian, I’ll be heartily surprised. Get it? Heartily.”
Lena just gave me a look.
“Bad joke. I know. It was good of your friend to find me someone so fast.”
“Sam gets that the situation is urgent. He’s one of the good ones. He’d have to be to put up with Martha. She’s not exactly low maintenance.” Her cell phone chimed. After reading a text message, she grinned and her fingers moved across the screen. “Jimmy wants to know what I’m wearing.”
“What are you telling him?”
“A skimpy red silk nightie and a naughty smile.”
“You two are so happy and in love.” I sighed. Jealousy was a bitch. “I’m sick of you living your best life.”
“Sorry. Not.”
“Makes me almost miss being in a relationship.”
“Ooh, I could set you up with someone! There’s this guy–”
“No, thank you.”
“Spoilsport. You ruin everything, dude.”
“Awesome. Thanks for the feedback.”
Lena snorted and I smiled. A little levity felt damn good. Then someone knocked at the door. Ever so slowly, I dragged my oily-haired, yoga pants-wearing, general mess of a self over to answer. A couple hours of shitty broken sleep and a stalker didn’t bring out the best in me. Who could have guessed?
I opened the door and…stopped.
“Miss Cooper?” he asked in a deep voice.
I blinked.
He waited.