Murders & Romance: A Psychic Detective Romantic Mystery (Isaac Taylor Mysteries Book 5) by Lashell Collins (ready player one ebook .TXT) 📗

purposely stayed in the office the whole time, so that I didn’t have to speak to him or deal with him at all. But… well, once he was gone, Zoe brought in the mail.”

“Go on.”

“In the mailbox was a small package addressed to ‘the future Mrs. Ike Taylor.”

“Odd way to word that.”

“I thought so too. Inside the package there was a mutilated stuffed animal with torn, dirty fur, and the eyes ripped off. And there was a huge hairy spider crawling around inside. Like a tarantula or something.”

“What?”

Isaac sounded horrified.

Sidney stood on shaky legs and walked into the hallway where she’d left the box. She brought it back to the living room and handed it to him. It was still sealed inside the bag she’d placed it in earlier.

Isaac pulled a blue latex glove from his pocket and slipped it on. Then he unzipped the bag and pulled out the small box, opening it up with one hand. He carefully examined the contents — the mangled stuffed puppy, and the smashed spider.

“What the fuck kind of sick message is this supposed to be?”

“That’s what I want to know.”

“You say this spider was alive?”

“It was when I opened the box. Scared the shit out of me! When I dropped the box, he crawled out and I stomped on it.”

“And you think this jilted doctor left this in the mailbox for you?”

“Well, he came to mind because he’d just been there. And there’s no return address or even a post office stamp on the package.”

“No, there isn’t. So whoever it’s from just placed it in the mailbox.”

“That’s what I was thinking.”

“Who else has touched this box and the contents?”

“Well, Zoe brought it in from the mailbox. So just her and me. And whoever sent it.”

“Good.”

He put everything back into the box and returned the box to the bag.

“Get your things.”

He stood and grabbed his keys.

“Where are we going?”

“Where do you think? I’m taking you and your little box of goodies here to the PD. With this, and the pictures I took of your slashed tires, we’re going to file a harassment report.”

Sidney sighed. “Not again.”

“You know the drill, Sidney. We need a record of the escalating harassment in order to make a case.”

“I know, I know. I just… I hate this step.”

“Most people do, but it’s necessary.”

“Are you angry? About the kiss?”

Isaac stared at her, and for once Sidney felt like she couldn’t read him. The expression on his handsome face was inscrutable.

“Did you kiss him back?”

“Hell no, I didn’t kiss him back. I wanted to slap him!”

“Then yes, I am angry. But I’m not angry at you.”

“I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you that night.”

“I am too. Because I want you to trust that you can tell me anything, always. You do know that, don’t you?”

“Of course, I do.”

“Good. But for the record, I’m also glad you didn’t tell me that night, because the way I felt then, I might have turned the car around and gone back there to kick his ass.”

Since she’d known him, he’d always been protective where she was concerned, but this was only the second time she’d ever heard him threaten to kick someone’s ass. Both times over her.

In a way, it was comforting to know that this mild-mannered man who had drastic issues with physical touch, would be willing to get into an actual brawl with someone just to keep her safe. Weird, but it only made her love him more.

Once she got herself together, he took her by the hand and led her out to his car.

Sidney watched him while he drove. His jaw was tight, and he clutched the steering wheel like he was trying to strangle it. They drove straight to the police station where he worked, and Sidney held tight to his hand as they waited for the elevator. Inside it, he kept his eyes on the numbers overhead.

They got off on the fourth floor, and Sidney recognized it from when she was here once before. This was the detective section where Isaac worked.

Still holding her hand, he marched her through the area they called the pit.

“Hey, Ike. Didn’t I just say goodbye to you at shift change?”

“Yeah, you did. But it turns out I got some business to take care of. Oh, hey. Palmer, this is my fiancée, Sidney Fairchild. Sidney, this is Sasha Palmer. She also works homicide.”

“Hello.” Sidney smiled at the woman.

“And that’s her partner, Lynn Driscoll.” Isaac motioned with a lift of his chin.

“Nice to finally meet you, Sidney,” Lynn said, with a smile.

“Finally?” Sidney looked from one to the other.

“Well, we’d heard the rumors that ‘Mr. Don’t Touch Me,’ here had a woman, but we didn’t really believe it,” Sasha said with a wink. “Now here you are.”

“Yeah, yeah. You ladies are real funny. Get back to work.”

“Will do, Sarge. Good to meet you, Sidney.”

“You, too.”

When they walked away, Sidney looked up at him.

“An all female detective team?”

“Yeah.”

It was a statement of fact, but Sidney heard the question in that one little word.

“It just surprises me. Are they… effective? I mean, are they good at the job?”

“Palmer and Driscoll are an excellent detective team. Why do you ask?”

Sidney shrugged a shoulder, and a small wave of jealousy crashed through her belly.

“I just wonder sometimes if I could do your job. I know the answer to that is no.”

“But why would you want to do my job, darlin’?”

“I wouldn’t. It’s not about that. I just… I wonder if I’d ever be brave enough.”

“Brave enough?”

She nodded.

“You mean brave enough to take on a drunk irate husband at the women’s shelter and knock him on his ass? Or you mean brave enough to take on the daunting task of helping that asshole’s wife get away from him so that she and her kids can live a normal happy life without him beating the shit out of ’em every other day?”

Sidney looked up into his intense grey eyes and felt her chest swell just a little. How did he always