Page 40 of How to Flirt with a Hellhound
“Umm…” the kid said. He looked more surprised than nervous as Corbin let him up but stayed in front of him so he couldn’t take the flowers back. Jude was reading the card.
“It’s for Toby, no signature—just a congrats on your newest release message,” Jude said.
We all looked at the kid, who apparently had some common sense, because he was starting to shift from foot to foot nervously.
“Where are you delivering from?” I asked.
“Flowers and Beyond. From Denworth,” the kid answered.
“Isn’t that right outside the city? Maybe a forty minute drive?” Jude asked. He’d obviously studied the area.
“Um, yeah,” the kid answered, looking between us and settling on Jude. He was probably the least scary, so I let him take over on asking questions.
“Kind of far to make a flower delivery. Aren’t those things usually sent to the local florist for delivery?” Jude asked.
“Yeah, I guess so, but the big boss said this was a special delivery,” the kid answered. He seemed to get some sort of clue then, because he started panicking. “Is this, like, trouble or something? Are you guys, like, FBI or DEA or something? I swear it’s just supposed to be flowers. I’m not, like, a drug runner or something. I didn’t check the flowers or the vase, because that’s not my job. I’m just a delivery guy!”
He was getting frantic, and Jude placed a hand on his shoulder while Corbin took the flowers and walked off toward the woods. Jude waited until he was out of sight before saying. “Of course you’re not a drug runner. Relax. We just have some questions for you, and then you can be on your way. You’re not who we’re interested in.”
Good. Jude let the kid think we were official. That made things so much easier. He wasn’t lying, either. He was a good soul, and we weren’t interested in him. If he knew what was best, he wouldn’t keep making “special” deliveries for his “big boss” though.
“Which boss asked you to make this delivery?” I asked.
“Kurt. Ugh, I don’t know his last name. Mandy is the manager and I usually work for her, but Kurt is the owner and stops in sometimes and has special deliveries. I swear it’s always flowers and gift baskets and stuff,” the kid answered.
“Maybe you should find another line of work,” I suggested.
The kid nodded his head vigorously.
“Don’t repeat any of this. Don’t say anything to Kurt or Mandy or anyone else at work. If you decide to go work elsewhere, which might be in your best interest, just tell them you got a better offer,” Jude suggested.
“Like, when should I quit?” the kid asked, eyes wide.
“Now,” I answered, and Jude gave me a look.
What? I wasn’t gonna waste time. The kid nodded his head nervously. “My grandma is sick. I should go visit her,” he said, looking at us.
I nodded my head. Jude took out his wallet and peeled off a few bills. The kid held his hands up, like he wasn’t willing to take it.
“A tip for your long delivery,” Jude answered, pushing the money into his shirt pocket. I knew it would be enough to help the kid out.
The kid stared at us, as if he was unsure what to do next.
“Off with you,” I finally grumbled.
That seemed to do the trick, and the kid hopped into the van and practically peeled out of the driveway. We watched him go, then turned our attention to the woods. We started walking to find Corbin and the flowers.
“Flowers and Beyond,” Jude mumbled.
When we got to Corbin, who had stayed well out of sight and hearing range, I could still smell the slight rot on the flowers. A hellbound soul had handled them recently, and for quite a long time for the smell to remain. Beneath that was the odd non-flowery smell. Corbin had dismantled the flowers and held up what he’d found.
There were two listening devices painted to match the leaves they were attached to. There were also three cameras made to match the decorative stones that filled the bottom of the vase. Corbin had been holding them in his closed hand so theycouldn’t record anything, and after he showed us, he engulfed them in flame, destroying them.
They’d have gotten a bit of footage and sound, but Corbin would have been careful, and if we were lucky, the guy would just assume a malfunction or a range issue.
I was growling low in my throat and couldn’t seem to stop. Someone had tried to spy on Toby. His stalker was the most likely candidate, and obviously the asshole knew where he lived. That definitely complicated matters.
“I’m going to destroy this Kurt,” I snarled.
