Jake returns home to find a police officer planted at his door. "What can I do for you, officer?, he asks nonchalantly as he steps past. Josh fishes out his keys and inserts them into the lock like it was any ordinary day. He could feel his insides shaking while his heart pounded fiercely against his chest. I need to stay calm so they don't suspect a thing, he thinks, doing his best to control his trembling hands.
"What were you doing over at Millie's house today?"
"I don't see how that's any of your business." Jake snaps sharply, regretting the retort the moment it leaves his lips. He's seen men taken in for less than that.
Rachel's eyebrows raise. The little mouse has some balls, she thinks. Josh has always been the quiet, timid one. "Seeing that she's our prime suspect in an investigation makes it our business. So let's try the question again, shall we?" Racel takes a step closer, placing her hand on her gun. With each word clipped, she asks again. "Why were you at Millie's when we specifically told you to stay away?
Jake tightens his jaw as he spins around. "Millie is my friend, has been for years, and I'll be damned if I'm going to abandon her in her time of need. Besides, you have no legal authority to tell me who I can and cannot see."
He hears his father's word of warning echoing in his head. It was shortly after being suspended from school for fighting the neighbor kid.
"The temper of yours is going to get you into serious trouble someday.
Jake takes a deep breath to calm himself down, then says, "If you must know, she was helping me fix my car. It's something we've been meaning to do for weeks: change the oil, rotate the tires, and that. You know, normal maintenance."
Rachel's eyes narrow. She chews her inner cheek, then asks, "Why did you return?"
"She called me all distraught, saying she needed to talk to someone. Seeing the skepticism, he adds. "It's been hard on her, losing her husband, her job, and people she thought were her friends." He wanted to go on and tell her how wrong she is about Mille but decided to remain quiet instead. Jake figures he won't be able to help Millie if he ends up behind bars.
"You didn't stay long."
She was passed out when I got there, so I locked up and left."
"You do know that because you continually hang around her, we could easily charge you as an accomplice to her killing spree."
Josh's temper flares. Taking a breath to steady himself, he says, "Firstly, Millie didn't kill anyone, and secondly, the only thing I'm helping her with is to cope with the trauma of it all. Losing her husband and career all in one day is a lot. So if you don't have anything more to say, I'm going to bed." Unlocking his door, Jake stiffly turns and says, Goodnight, officers. Stepping inside, he closed the door and exhaustedly fell against it. His heart races as heavy footsteps tromp down the hall. He peeks out the door to find a second, older officer remaining in the hall. Jake shakes his head. "Now I'm on their freaking list." Jake rolls his eyes as he heads to bed. He'd just stepped into the doorway when a heavy knock rattled the door. "What the hell do they want now?, he asks. Trudging along the dirty carpet, he opens the door to find no one there. He then sees the stairwell door close. He then sees the elevator stopped on the first floor. "Am I being pranked?" He starts to close the door when he sees a package in the hallway. Picking it up, he sees Millie Clark's name and address in the center of the box. "Why was it delivered here?" Seeing a note attached, he opens it and reads.
"I know you know where she's at, so be a doll and give this to her for me."
The question hangs in the stale air, heavier than he'd like to admit.
Shivering, Jake nervously glances around. "Who's watching me?" The question hangs heavy in the stale air as he nervously glances around. Jake then recalls what Millie said about the packages she'd received. His stomach tightens into one hard knot. Taking it inside, he tosses it on the table. Inspecting it further, he finds there isn't a postal code. So it was hand delivered. Picking it up, he shakes it but doesn't hear anything. "I should probably call Mille and see what she wants to do."
Grabbing his phone from the counter, he dials her number. Thinking her phone is probably tapped, he hangs up and calls his brother instead. "Hey, bro, it's Jake. Is Millie around by chance?"
Josh glances towards the guest bedroom door. "She's sleeping. Why?"
"A package addressed to her showed up at my door, and I didn't know what she wanted me to do with it."
The bedroom door creaks open. Yawning, Millie stretches, then runs her fingers through her bird's nest of hair.
She's beautiful as ever, Josh sighs. "She just woke up." Turning, Josh hands her his phone and says, "It's Jake."
"Are you alright?" Millie asks, with panic in her voice. "
"Besides the cops waiting for me at my door, I'm fine." He lies.
"But that's not why I called. There was a package at my door addressed to you, and I didn't know what you wanted me to do.
Millie's hands shake, and her voice trembles when she says, "Could you see what's inside for me, please?"
Tearing the box open, Jake peeks inside. He first sees a younger picture of Millie hugging a girl identical to her.
"What is it?" Millie asks.
There's a picture of you and a girl who looks identical to you. Lilly, 2010 is written on the back.
Memories resurface as Millie recalls that day. Tears spill from her cheeks when she says, "The other girl in the picture is Lilly; she's my twin."
There is something wrapped in pink tissue off to the side. Tissue rustles through the line as he unwraps. "It's pink ballet slippers."
"Can you check the tag?"
"I see LC written in black marker."
"They're lilies." Millie sobs again. Why do they keep doing this to me? Why?"
"This isn't the first package?" Josh asks.
"No." Millie says. Feeling as if her body can't support her weight, she collapses on the couch.
"Have you tried to trace them back to where they were sent?"
"Only one went through the post office." Drying her face, she continues. "The rest were hand delivered."
Have you tried tracing it?"
Millie pulls a crumpled slip from her purse. "I planned to do that tomorrow before everything else went down."
"I'll trace it for you," Josh volunteers.
"I'd appreciate it."
"You're sure Lilly died, right?" Jake asks.
Millie's eyes flicker. "That's what we were told."
A perplexed look crosses his face when he asks, "You didn't see?"
Millie shakes her head. "My aunt and I didn't, but my uncle did. They said it'd be best if I didn't remember her that way."
"So someone knows what you've gone through, and these packages are a sick joke. The question is, who'd want to do this to you?"
"I've been brainstorming, hoping to figure that out."
Josh recalls how on true crime shows the spouse is always the first person they suspect. "Your husband maybe? "
"He's dead. Was found stabbed in his car."
A heavy stillness blankets the room, nearly suffocating the two inside. Millie is running through a list of suspects while Josh is questioning her guilt. Seeing his eyes on her, Millie nervously twitches like a hunted animal waiting for the final blow. An uneasiness settles in Josh's gut. My bedroom door is going to be locked tonight, he thinks, playing the scenario out in his mind. Millie wouldn't do those things. Advice he gave his brother echoes in his head. Would she? I owe it to myself to know the truth. After a long awkward pause Josh takes the paper from her hand and says, "Let me take this to the post office to see what I can do."
*****