A Dozen Deadly Roses Read Online Free PDF Page A

reciting his number the message was over.
    “Who was that, Mommy?” Donnie asked, licking grains of powdered cheese from his wrist.
    “Oh, just someone Mommy knows,” she said casually.  But inside, Jade was surprised and a little unsettled.  She and Malcolm had dated a couple of times.  He didn’t take it well when she told him she didn’t think there was any point in continuing to see each other.  Remembering how annoyed she was by his pitiable attempts to appear worldly, she jabbed the “erase message” button.  She wouldn’t be calling him back.
    After a dinner of salad, baked chicken breasts and macaroni and cheese, it was bath time, and then she read Donnie a story while he snuggled in his bedding adorned with bright red fire trucks.
    “Go right to sleep.  Firemen need lots of sleep,” she said, turning out the light and closing his door.
    Moving around the apartment, she closed all the blinds.  Checking the knobs on the three dead bolt locks she’d recently installed on the front door, she took comfort in the heavy pins aligned in place.  The new locks on the windows were all secured.  She made her way to the hall closet where she’d hidden the rectangular box with its brash ribbon.  She argued with herself while carrying the shiny box to the table.
    He’s getting more brazen.  He brought a box of dead flowers to the station!  You really should tell someone.
    Don’t be an idiot, you told Lasko, and she did everything but laugh at you.  Do you want the whole station whispering behind your back?
    They won’t laugh.  You’ve already proven yourself. You shot and killed an armed suspect.
    That was five years ago.  What have you done to validate yourself lately? You’re only as good as your last good arrest.   Now, if you could catch this psycho…
    Blood pounded in her ears while scissors sliced through the crimson trim.  She’d hated bringing the box home, but dumping it at work would have caught someone’s attention.  Here at home, she’d take quick peek and get rid of it.  She knew what was in the box.  She didn’t want to open it, but she had to.  It was like looking at a dead body.  Most officers didn't like scrutinizing a corpse but, in order to rule out foul play, were required to witness there were no obvious signs of trauma.
    She lifted the lid of the container.  There they were.  Five days ago there’d been a dozen.  Yesterday there were eight.  Today, seven.  Seven roses - wilted, withered, and dead lay in the green tissue paper.  She knew there would be no note, but she looked for one anyway.
    Tears slid down her face.  “Who’s doing this?  Why?” she whispered to herself.  Then she remembered a sign hanging at the police academy.  It read, ‘The more you sweat up here, the less you bleed on the street.’
    Suck it up, Jade.  It doesn’t matter who is after you or why.  What matters is that you’re ready . Smoothly conducting a chamber check to reassure herself the gun was loaded, she took a deep breath and returned the weapon to the leather pouch on her hip.
    Come on asshole, I’ve killed before, and I won’t hesitate to do it again.  I’m ready for you.  Bring it on .
    # # #
    The next morning, bloated gray clouds filled the sky.  Heavy rain soaked the thirsty soil of Los Angeles.  Although the precipitation was much needed, water runoff surged down the streets to be sucked into storm drains.
    “Mama, I need my rain boots and my umbella,” Donnie cried, looking out the window at the downpour.
    “Okay, okay,” Jade replied.  “Do you have your backpack?  We’ve got to get going to Grandpa’s.  Mommy can’t be late for work again.”
    Jade was grateful to have a car with a high undercarriage.  It had been pouring all night, and some of the intersections were flooded and littered with cars half submerged.
    After leaving Donnie at her father’s house with a quick goodbye, she carefully navigated her way to the station.  She hated