Dani stared in disbelief as a man walked into the squad room carrying a handful of balloons on a string. He spotted her and walked her way. She would have panicked if not for the friendly smile on his face.

“Danielle Stevens, right? I recognize you from the movies,” he said as he handed her the strings. “Some guy outside, dressed as a clown of all things, said he had a delivery for you. I didn’t let him come up, of course, but I told him I’d see that they were delivered.” He pulled a note out of his pocket. “Here. There’s a card or something.”

She stared at the paper in his hand, then looked back at him. “He was here? In the building?”

“Yeah. Downstairs.”

She saw that her hand was trembling as she took the note from him. “Thank you,” she murmured.

“Sure.”

There were five balloons, all different colors, all with smiley faces on them. Her first inclination was to pop them all, but in a room full of cops with guns, she didn’t think that was a good idea. Instead, she tied them to Detective Springer’s desk chair before sitting back down at Harper’s desk.

They were from him, of course. Who else? The note, however, was different. The paper was thick, expensive stationery, not like his normal notes. She was almost afraid to open it and she realized she was holding her breath as she revealed the words written there.

Are you hiding from me, Danielle? No need to try. I can always find you. You will be mine…now and forever…until death. Your lady cop can’t help you. No one can.

“Jesus,” she murmured, her heart hammering in her chest. She fumbled with her phone, so thankful Harper had given her cell number that morning. Three rings…four before Harper answered. “He was here,” she blurted out.

“What? Where?”

“Here. Downstairs. Some guy—a cop, I guess—came up and brought me balloons. He said a guy dressed as a clown wanted to come up and give them to me,” she said in a nervous rush.

“Son of a bitch. No wonder he didn’t show here.” A slight pause. “Are you okay?”

“There was a note. Can you come back here?” she asked, her voice shaking with panic. “I’m afraid he might get in, come up here and find me.”

“Yeah, we’re abandoning this,” Harper said. “But Dani…it’s a building full of cops. You’re safe there.”

Dani jumped as the outer door opened and two men walked in, neither paying her any attention. “Can you hurry? Please?”

“Be right there. Just stay at my desk. I’m coming.”

Dani squeezed the phone tightly in her hands before putting it in the pocket of her jacket. She wrapped the jacket tighter around her, her eyes glued to the door.

Please hurry.

Chapter Thirteen