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  “I intend to as soon as Jarrod can free up a security guard to go with me. I don’t feel safe with that maniac running loose out there.”

  “Ah, so now it’s a priority with you.” Flipper didn’t hide his sarcasm. “Well, hallelujah. Make sure Jo gets the signature that Tara faxed, will you?”

  “Uh, yeah, sure. Although it would never stand up in a court of law.”

  Flipper smirked at him. “You’re a genius, you know that, Jarvis? Keep up the good work. I feel better already with you on the case.”

  * * * *

  As soon as Flipper found someplace private, he called Tara. He figured he had amends to make, and he didn’t know how correct that assessment was until she bypassed hello and demanded, “What the hell was the meaning of that inquisition?”

  “I’m really sorry. I can’t control the idiocy of some managers here.”

  “I’m beginning to think this ordeal will never end. What exactly did this latest letter say?”

  “Trust me, you’re better off not knowing.”

  “Likely so, but I think you’d better tell me anyway. I’m sure I’ll be hearing from your detective friend yet again.”

  “Are you sure? It might give you nightmares.”

  “It’s that bad?”

  “Only someone who’s over-the-edge sadistic and psychotic could’ve written something like this. So yeah, it’s that bad. And besides that, the fact you have no idea what’s in the note helps re-enforce that you couldn’t have written it.”

  She didn’t say anything for a few moments, and Flipper wished she was standing in front of him so he could see the emotions playing across her pretty face. He’d be furious if anyone blamed him for such filth, so he figured Tara had to be pretty close to the boiling point.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  “No, and I won’t be until the police find whoever’s responsible.”

  “I don’t think you’re in any danger. At least not physically. Your reputation is another story. I may not agree with your mission, but you don’t deserve to be smeared this way.”

  “Is that what you think I’m most worried about? My God, do I come off as that self-centered?”

  “I never said that, honey.” As soon as the “h” word left his mouth, Flipper wished he could snag it out of the air and stuff it back inside. He knew Tara had picked up on it, because not much escaped her notice. To his relief, she didn’t mention the endearment.

  “I’m concerned about you, you big idiot, and the people you work with,” she half-scolded. “I don’t think I’d forgive myself if someone used me or my organization to harm anyone else.”

  “With any luck at all, this is just part of some sicko’s scare tactics.”

  “I hope so. Oh, God, I just had another horrible thought. What if whoever’s leaving those notes is so unbalanced that he, or she, actually believes dolphins, manatees, and whales are better off dead than in captivity?”

  “We’ve wondered the same thing and have increased security at the aquarium and particularly around Dolphin Inlet, Manatee Haven, and the rehab unit. If anybody tries something, we’ll be ready.”

  She sighed in relief. “Good. What about you? What are you doing to protect yourself?”

  “I’ve decided to buy a gun.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Would I joke about something like that?”

  “Do you know how to use one?”

  “Yes. My dad taught me when I was a kid. My grandparents lived out in the country, so we’d set up cans or whatever out back of the house for target practice. I got to be a pretty good shot.”

  “I’ve never even fired a gun.”

  “Really? The next time you’re here, I’ll take you to the indoor range at Glen’s Gun Shop. The owner’s a friend of mine and can recommend a lightweight handgun with a thin grip that doesn’t have much of a recoil.”

  “You want to take me to a firing range?”

  “Sure, why not? You might unlock your inner pistol-packing mama.”

  Tara sputtered out a laugh. “I doubt it. I’ve never thought of myself as the type to use a weapon.”

  “What type are you?”

  “A kick-ass woman who could put a much-bigger man out of commission with a forearm to the throat, an elbow to the midsection, and a shin to the groin.”

  That was the last thing he’d expected her to say, and Flipper nearly choked.

  “Holy crap. Remind me not to piss you off.”

  “I’ve never done anything like that to anyone outside the self-defense class I took. But to pass the course, we each had to react quickly and convincingly when one of the instructors pretended to attack us,” Tara explained. “I had such a flash of anger when he grabbed me that if he hadn’t been wearing protective gear I might have hurt him badly.”

  “Yeah? Where’d all that aggression come from?”

  “A good friend of mine in college was date-raped. It messed her up emotionally for a while. She’d never been much of a drinker, but she started hitting the vodka bottle hard and abusing prescription drugs, going pill shopping from doctor to doctor to satisfy her habit. She nearly died from an overdose, and I’m still not sure whether it was intentional or accidental.”

  “That’s awful.”

  “Her parents sent her to rehab, twice, and she finally got clean and came to terms with her past. Today, she’s a counselor at a sexual assault crisis center, is married to a police officer, and has two adorable sons.”

  “I’m glad to hear her life’s so good now.”

  “Me, too. Because a lot of those stories turn out much differently. The last time I talked to her, she told me about a sixteen-year-old who finally succeeded on her third suicide attempt.”

  Flipper shook his head. “I don’t even know what to say about that.”

  “There isn’t anything to say. It’s tragic and terrible and it shouldn’t happen. And yet it does, all too often, somewhere.”

  Thinking about that upset his stomach. “The place you live, is it safe? Do you have sufficient outside lighting and secure locks on your doors?”

  “Yes, yes, and yes. Don’t tell me you’re afraid for me, Flipper O’Riley. I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”

  “I’m sure you can, but it’s sobering to think about what some women go through and what dangers are lurking out there.”

  In the silence that followed, Flipper realized that if anyone hurt Tara, he’d want to make that person pay. He wasn’t sure when he’d started to feel so protective, but it was obvious that his feelings for her—as much as they still confused him—not only weren’t going away but were growing stronger.

  “Well, this conversation certainly took an unexpected turn,” she noted. “You and I have a penchant for delving into deep subjects.”

  “Who would’ve thunk it, huh? I guess there’s more to me than meets the eye.”

  “Are you saying you’re not just a pretty face?”

  “Pretty? Bite your tongue, woman.”

  “Excuse me. I didn’t mean to offend your macho sensibilities. But you easily could be modeling beachwear or advertising men’s fragrances.”

  Flipper barked out a laugh. “Holy cripes, don’t ever let anyone I work with hear you say that. I’d never live it down.”

  “That was intended as a compliment. How would you prefer I describe you? Hunky? Studly? Manly?”

  “Now you’re just making fun.”

  “How about McSexy?”

  “How about you just call me Flipper?”

  “McHottie?”

  “Where do you get this stuff? Oh, wait. Grey’s Anatomy, right?”

  “That was McDreamy and McSteamy. Don’t tell me you watch Grey’s Anatomy?”

  “No, but Kelsey loves that show. She’s got a huge crush on Patrick Dempsey.”

  “But isn’t she…”

  “I don’t really get it, either, but apparently it’s like Rosie O’Donnell’s infatuation with Tom Cruise. Although now she says she has a ‘b
oy crush’—her words—on Russell Brand.”

  “You’re kidding. How do you even know that?”

  “I heard Kelsey and Jo talking about it. It’s just one of the many worthless pieces of information rolling around in my brain like marbles in a cardboard box.”

  Tara laughed, as he’d hoped she would. He really liked the sound of her laugh. There was something warm and earthy about it that made him want to delve beneath the stiff exterior she so often presented to the world.

  “Not to change the subject, but any idea when you might be in Gulf Shore again?” Flipper asked.

  “I’m not so sure it’s a good idea for me to be anywhere near your town or your aquarium right now, especially if your boss is unwilling to accept the fact that I’d never threaten or hurt anyone.”

  “Kenshin has his jackass moments, but he’s not a bad guy. He just doesn’t know you.”

  “He clearly doesn’t want to know me.”

  “Just say you’ll think about coming for a visit, okay?”

  “Flipper, I don’t—”

  “Please?”

  “I can’t—”

  “You can.”

  “I’m not making any promises.”

  “That’s fine. Say maybe if you have to. Just don’t say no.”

  She sighed deeply, and Flipper held his breath.

  “Oh, all right. Maybe.”

  “See? That wasn’t so hard.”

  Chapter 9

  Jarvis Jacobson shifted from one foot to the other as he stood in front of Jo’s desk. She had yet to look at him, tapping away on her computer keyboard while sweat dripped down his back. He cleared his throat, hoping she’d at least lift her head, but she held up an index finger to quiet him and then continued typing.

  Irritation warred with nervousness as Jarvis tried not to fidget. The woman intimidated the hell out of him, and he didn’t know why. She wasn’t especially tall, about five-foot-seven, and he doubted she weighed much more than one hundred forty pounds. But she had the powerful build of the mixed martial arts fighters he enjoyed watching on TV, much to his wife’s annoyance. Plus, the detective could be as cuddly as a honey badger at times and used it to her advantage.

  Jarvis had heard she harbored a softer side, too, although he’d never seen it. He couldn’t count the number of times he’d wanted to shake his head after Kelsey praised her girlfriend for some kind deed or another. That just didn’t jibe with the Jo who bared her teeth at anyone she suspected of looking askance at Kelsey.

  The voice that interrupted his thoughts now sounded imperious and impatient.

  “Are you going to stand there staring at the wall, or are you going to tell me why you’re here?”

  “What? Uh, yeah, um, I came to give you this.”

  He held out the envelope he’d been clutching in his damp hand, and she stared at it as though he were offering her a fistful of dog doo.

  “Don’t tell me it’s another threatening letter and that you’ve been handling it instead of enclosing it in a plastic food storage bag to preserve evidence.”

  “Uh, well…”

  She heaved a great sigh. “Set it on my desk.” Jo snatched a pair of rubber gloves out of a box atop a low filing cabinet and pulled them on before examining the envelope and removing the white printer paper inside. Her face paled and then reddened as she read the typed message.

  “What kind of twisted son of a bitch would write something like this? Who else have you shown this to?”

  “Flipper and Kenshin, that’s it.”

  “If you get any more envelopes with that postmark, don’t open them and call me right away. If I have to drive to Orlando to talk to the police chief and the sheriff, I will. It’s time they did their part to help me catch whoever’s sending these letters. And just as soon as we’re done here, Jarvis, I’m calling the U.S. Postal Inspection Service office in Miramar, too.”

  “What about me?”

  “What about you?”

  “I’m mentioned in this latest note.”

  “You’re not the only one.”

  “I know, but my wife will freak when I tell her about this. She’ll insist on police protection.”

  Jo shot him a look reserved for a puppy that’s chewed a pair of Christian Louboutin heels.

  “Oh, Jarvis, you’re lucky I’m in a fairly good mood today. Your wife can demand all she wants, but the reality is this department doesn’t have the manpower to babysit her.”

  “So what am I supposed to do?”

  “Hire private security.”

  “I can’t afford that!”

  “Who can? Hit Wesley up for it. In the meantime, be aware of your surroundings, don’t touch any suspicious packages, and travel in pairs or a pack whenever possible.”

  “That’s it? That’s all you can do for me?”

  “That’s all I can do for anybody besides solve this case.”

  Jarvis swore under his breath. His wife had been upset enough about the threats before his name was mentioned, and now she was liable to pack her bags and fly to Cincinnati to stay with her mother for a while. On second thought, that wouldn’t be such a bad thing.

  “Look, I understand that you’re frustrated,” the detective told him. “So am I. I promise to do everything within my power to apprehend the party or parties involved. All right?”

  “Thanks, Jo. Maybe I’ll follow Flipper’s lead and look into buying a gun.”

  “I’d rather you not. But if you do, make sure you take a class and learn how to handle it properly. I’ve got enough worries right now without wondering whether you’ll accidently shoot yourself or some other poor soul.”

  “Oh, one more thing.” Jarvis pulled another folded sheet of paper from his shirt pocket and dropped it on her desk.

  “What’s this?”

  “Flipper had Tara Langley fax over her signature so we could compare it to the one on the mailed letter. For what it’s worth, which isn’t much.”

  Jo slipped the fax into a drawer.

  “Aren’t you going to look at it?” Jarvis asked, miffed.

  “I don’t have to. I know she didn’t write that threat.”

  “What is it with you and O’Riley? You both have the hots for that woman or something?”

  Jarvis took two steps back as Jo rose slowly to her feet, her eyes shooting enough sparks to light up the Fourth of July sky.

  “Never mind, detective. Gotta go.”

  And with that, he turned tail and all but ran for the door.

  *

  Most of the tables were filled when Flipper stepped inside the aquarium’s Shoreline Café. Luckily, Evan had beaten him there and snagged a place to sit. He’d also ordered two raspberry iced teas and a basket of tortilla chips and salsa as an appetizer.

  “There’s a lot of unhappy campers around here today,” Flipper began as he took his seat and grabbed a chip. “Another threatening note arrived in the mail, this time addressed to Jarvis, and the message was the most depraved one yet.”

  “Great. What body part does the maniac want to chop off now?” Evan asked.

  “He plans to disembowel us, but that’s not the worst of it. He also promised retribution against our families and pets.”

  “What? That’s messed up!”

  “Someone seriously unbalanced has us in his bull’s-eye. And this latest letter is so over the top compared to the earlier ones that it makes me wonder whether someone else wrote it.”

  “You think it’s a copycat?”

  Flipper shrugged. “Maybe, although there’s been no press about the notes as of yet, which astounds me. But it’s bound to come out soon. The Messenger is working on a broader piece about the whole marine mammal debate.”

  “Who told you that?”

  “Kenshin, who got it from Wesley’s secretary. The big boss is scheduled to be interviewed at the end of the week. For the foreseeable future, he’s mandating that all outgoing communications be funneled through our PR department so he can ‘control the message
.’ Expect a memo to that effect later today.”

  “So every time I post to our social media pages, I’ll have to get clearance?”

  “Yup.”

  Evan grimaced. “What a pain in the ass.”

  “That’s about the size of it.”

  “So who’s the reporter working on the story?”

  “Helen Holt.”

  “She’s been writing the articles on the rescued whales, hasn’t she?”

  Flipper nodded.

  “I think she’s done a commendable job,” Evan added.

  “Yeah, she’s good. She interviewed me for her series on Trident. She’s thorough and accurate, and she’s always been fair.”

  “Thank goodness for that, because she’ll get an earful when she talks to the anti-captivity crowd. Has she approached your friend from SWADS yet?”

  “I’m not sure we’re friends, and Tara hasn’t mentioned it. But I can’t imagine Helen won’t contact her.”

  Flipper felt a shooting pain in his belly at the realization things were about to get even more complicated between him and Tara. Evan’s sly smile didn’t help matters, either.

  “So, when’s the last time you talked to her?”

  Flipper glanced around to make sure nobody who cared was within earshot and then leaned forward so he could speak just above a whisper.

  “There’s something I didn’t tell you about the latest threatening message. Whoever wrote it signed Tara’s name to it.”

  Evan’s grin morphed into irritation. “Why didn’t you say that to begin with, squid for brains?”

  “Because it pisses me off every time I think about it. It’s hard enough worrying about our coworkers, our families, and our animals getting hurt. But now I’m afraid for Tara, too, because she’s getting sucked even deeper into this mess.”

  “You’ve really got a thing for her, don’t you?”

  Flipper sighed. “Yes, but getting together seems impossible the more hip-deep in shit we sink. I didn’t tell you I saw her at the seminar in Orlando.”

  “What gives, Flip? We used to share everything. Now we don’t talk, you don’t call. Have you thrown me over for a new BFF?” Evan teased.