Page 78 of Ms Perfectly Fine
“I need to talk to you about something.”
“Is everything okay with Francis?” he asked, his eyes wide with panic.
“No, Francis is fine, although he might want to murder me right now because I’m meant to be halfway across town, signing papers. This is about something else.”
“Okay. Come in.”
It was the first time Elijah had ever seen him at work. He led him to his office; there was a picture of Todd and Francis on his desk.
“Are you in trouble?” he asked, getting right to the point.
“No. It’s about Autumn.”
“She locked you out this time? Francis told me about the stunt you pulled.”
Elijah wished it was that simple. “No, we’re fine, but someone has been leaving items at her door for years and she hasn’t done anything about it,” he said.
Aiden frowned. “What type of things?”
“Roses. Autumn was in an accident a decade ago, and the roses keep arriving on the date of the anniversary,” Elijah explained.
“Flowers? Could it be someone she knows trying to do something nice for her? Surely, the day must be hard for her.”
Elijah shook his head, knowing that it sounded like he was making a big deal out of nothing. “They never sign a card. When they started, she asked everyone she knew, and they said they hadn’t sent anything. Autumn doesn’t know who is sending them. ”
Aiden opened his notepad. “She doesn’t want to file a report herself?”
Elijah sighed. “I wanted to ask your advice first, and she’s terrified to admit whoever is doing this is a threat. She’s using her rehearsals as an excuse, but I can see how worried she is. She has a performance coming up, and I’m worried it could be some crazy fan.” He checked his phone to find another missed call from Francis.
“I can see that you’re concerned, but without her filing a report, I can’t do much. She may come around, but it’s better not to press her.”
“I don’t want to force her, I’m just worried,” he said, running his hands through his hair.
“I have to be clear. You’re in an intimate relationship with her? Could it be a jealous ex?” Aiden asked. Now it felt like he was talking to a detective, not his best friend’s husband.
“Yes, we are, but she says it couldn’t be an ex,” he said firmly.
“Do you have any of the evidence? Any of the roses? The note?”
“The roses she threw away, but I kept this morning’s note. They’ve arrived on the fifteenth of May for the last three years, but recently, it’s been happening every month, and this morning she found this.” Elijah took the note from his pocket. He’d put it in a sandwich bag in case there were prints on it. Aiden took a glove from his desk before he handled it.
“‘Enjoy your performance. You never know when it might be your last.’” Aiden’s brow furrowed as he read the note slowly.
“I think they mean her next show, which is only a few days from now. I’m worried they’re growing bolder. Maybe the roses weren’t getting enough of a reaction?”
“Okay. I’ll send it off to check for prints and see what comes up, but I’ll need to speak to Autumn at some point if we go any further,” Aiden said.
Though Elijah was glad for his help, he wished Autumn had come and explained herself. There might be details he didn’t know about or that she might have overlooked.
“If you find anything, please ring me. I feel in my gut it has to be someone she knows doing it.” He needed to hear someone else’s opinion on the matter because if he kept going over it in his head, he thought he would go insane.
“Why do you think that?” Aiden asked.
“They knew she moved to the city six years ago but the roses only started arriving in the last three. They know the date of her accident and that she has a concert coming up.”
Aiden looked uncertain. “The move, maybe, but the rest could be gathered from the internet. Please don’t try and solve this yourself; you’ll only end up hurting yourself and putting Autumn at risk.” The detective’s tone told Elijah how serious this was and that he was right to be concerned for Autumn’s safety. The thought of waiting on the results made his skin itch. “It should take a couple of days, but I’ll contact you with any word. Until then, make sure you lock up and don’t leave any windows or doors open. We don’t want anyone who might want to get in to have any access.”
Elijah nodded. “I installed an alarm which contacts the station when I moved in—I have expensive equipment. We have Brinkley as well, but she’s more likely to love someone to death than protect us.”
