HAVE A HEART

“I—I don’t believe this,” Josie stammered, staring at the card.

“What is it?” Steve asked, turning away from the window.

“It’s a valentine,” Josie replied, holding it up.

“From who? I didn’t send you a valentine.” He made his way across the room to her.

“It isn’t signed,” Josie told him. “But it—it’s disgusting.” She shoved the card into his hand. “Here. Read it.”

Steve took the card from her and examined it. There was a satiny red heart on the front.

He opened it up. The printed words had been crossed out with a black marker. Written underneath them in blue ink was a short rhyme.

Steve read it aloud:

“Violets are blue

Roses are red.

On Valentine’s Day

Josie will be dead.”

Steve stared down at the card for a moment, scanning the rhyme again, silently this time. Then he closed the card and grinned at Josie. “It rhymes okay,” he said.

She gave his shoulder a hard shove. “Who cares? Can’t you take anything seriously?”

His smile faded. He looked hurt. “You don’t think this is serious, do you?” he demanded, rubbing his shoulder. “It’s too dumb.”

Josie pulled the card from his hand and glanced over the handwritten message again. “I don’t know how to take it,” she said. “I mean, it is stupid, but it is a threat.”

“It can’t be serious,” Steve said, putting a hand on her shoulder. “It’s just someone’s idea of a joke.”

“What kind of joke?” Josie demanded heatedly. “I mean, what’s the funny part?”

“I don’t know. I don’t get it,” Steve said. He picked the torn envelope up from the table. “No return address.” He put the envelope back and turned to her. “So who sent it?”

“I don’t know,” Josie said, staring at the card. “Probably Jenkman.”

“Jenkman?”

“Yeah. Probably. He’s such a creep,” Josie said, frowning. “He still calls me, still pesters me. He can’t believe I broke up with him. He can’t believe that I don’t want to go out with him again.”

“You think he sent this?” Steve asked.

“You should see the way Jenkman stares at me in school,” Josie continued. “Like a hungry puppy dog. Mister Pitiful. He follows me, staring at me. Like I’m supposed to feel bad or something. Like I’m supposed to care.”

“Calm down,” Steve said softly.

“How can I calm down?” Josie snapped. “I broke up with him five months ago. And now he sends me this dumb thing. Is he crazy, or what?”

“You know what I think you should do?” Steve said seriously. “I think you should ignore it.”

“Huh? Ignore it?”

“Yeah. Don’t mention it to anyone. Pretend you never got it. That’s what I’d do.”

Josie tossed the card down on the table. “I suppose you’re right,” she said, sighing. “You’re so sensible, Steve.”

“That’s me,” he replied brightly. “Sensible Steve.”

She leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Now let’s get out of here,” he said, smiling. “And no more talk about that stupid valentine.”

Josie started to reply. But before she could get a word out, pale white hands reached out from behind her, wrapped themselves around her throat, and started to choke her.

Дата добавления: 2015-07-20