“Joseph got me that exact bouquet every year for my birthday.”
“Asswipe?” I look for a card and find one in the gift bag. It has her name on it. “Can I?”
She nods again.
I open it and my blood pressure boils over.
Happy birthday, beautiful.
Remember what I said, you’re always going to be mine.
These are from asswipe even if the card isn’t signed.
I look into the bag and find a hoodie with his name and number on it.
I should have looked in the damn bag before I came up here.
“Wait here.” I take the roses and the bag and go back downstairs. Collin sees me and makes a beeline.
“Shit, I forgot to get Red flowers. Good thing you did.”
“These are from asswipe.”
“You sure?”
“She said it’s the exact bouquet he always got her and the bag has a hoodie with his name and number on it.”
“Fucker.”
“Just take this shit and get rid of it. Go burn it all in the fire pit in the backyard.”
“Can’t we use this as evidence or something?”
“Evidence of what? There are no threats. It would mean nothing in a court of law. Just burn the shit, okay?”
“With pleasure.” He takes it all gingerly, like it’s coated in filth and disease. “I’m still taking a photo, though. You never know.”
“What’s wrong?” Jenny asks when she sees me and Collin huddled together by the door leading to the attic.
“These are from asswipe and now she’s upset. I told Collin to burn the shit in the fire pit.”
“I didn’t know…”
“It’s okay, Jen. I didn’t look either.”
“This means he knows where she is.” Collin stares out at the crowd in the living room. “Someone ratted her out to him.”
“It could have been anyone.” Jenny bites her lower lip. “Maybe it wasn’t someone we know.”
“Maybe.” I doubt it, though. People are stupid when it comes to getting close to athletes. It doesn’t even have to be a football player really. It could be a girl who recognized Daisy from one of her classes and passed the information along or it was one of the guys on the team. Hell, maybe even one of the coaches. It’s hard to say.
But Collin’s right. He knows where she is now.
“I’m going back upstairs before she freaks out worse than she already is. Please lock the door behind me with the key.”
Jenny does as I ask and I run back upstairs. She’s sitting on her bed staring off into space with a blank expression. That scares me more than her freaking out.
“Daisy?” I ask softly as I walk over to the bed.
