Slowly she reached for it. Lifted the top edge of the thin sheet. Read the typed words.

Final warning. Shut up or die.

A nife can stab more than tires.

Sweet mercy. Would this never end?

Heart pounding, she read the note again.

Frowned.

What was that about her tires? They were fine—at least the ones on the driver’s side that were visible from the auditorium.

But the car did seem to be listing slightly.

Were the other two flat?

Should she get out to check?

No. Not with this note in her hands. Whoever had gotten into her car and perhaps slashed her tires could be hiding nearby. They might not know how to spell knife, but they could very well know how to use one.

A call to 911 would be appropriate, but a police officer she didn’t know would show up . . . and talking to a stranger—however nice he or she was—held zero appeal.

She wanted a familiar face here. Someone whose very presence was reassuring and inspired confidence.

And she knew just the face she wanted to see.

The patrol officer had stayed in his car, as requested—close to Eve’s Camry, to assure her help was at hand if needed—but he hadn’t approached her.

Good man.

Brent parked beside the cruiser, and the officer slid out of the vehicle.

Myers.

Perfect.

After two decades on the job, the man had street smarts and excellent people skills. Taking the initial report was his responsibility, but he’d cooperate to mitigate the stress of this latest incident as much as possible for Eve.

“Lange.” The man held out his hand as he approached.

“Glad you were the responding officer.” Brent returned his firm shake.

“You got a hot one right out of the gate with this case.”

“No kidding. You want to tag team tonight’s incident?”

“Sure. You can take the lead if you want. You know the drill—and what I need for the report.”

“Thanks.”

“No problem. Shall we?” He indicated Eve’s car.

Brent continued toward the Camry as Eve slid out from behind the wheel. She had on more makeup than usual, but it couldn’t disguise her slight pallor or the taut line of her mouth.

“Thanks for coming.” She addressed the comment to him, giving his jeans and T-shirt a quick perusal before shifting her gaze to include Myers.

Brent indicated the uniformed man. “This is Officer Myers.” He turned back to her. “Have you gotten out of the car since you called me?”

“No.”

“Have you seen anyone?”

“Only the principal. Officer Myers spoke to her as she was leaving.”

“Give us a minute to walk around the car.”

He and Myers circled to the other side.

Considering the slight tilt of the vehicle, he wasn’t surprised to discover two flat tires.

While Myers dropped to the balls of his feet and inspected the back tire, he did likewise in the front.