Above All, Honor

Chapter Ten

As it turned out, it was six hours before Megan was satisfied that there was no immediate danger at the apartment building. The plain brown package left in front of Normani's door did not contain a bomb. The dogs sent in to investigate were completely uninterested, and there wasn't anything to excite them in Normani's apartment either. A half a dozen agents had scoured the loft and found no evidence of tampering.

Mac was on his way over with the package and supplies for a few days stay. Megan estimated it would take that long to change all of the locks on the building, recheck all the security clearances of the cleaning crews, maintenance men, and inhabitants of the other apartments, and to review all of the transient visitors to the building for the last week.

Megan hadn't told Normani of the timetable yet and wasn't looking forward to doing it. Until they had a better idea of exactly what happened, she couldn't let Normani leave the safe house. Megan already had Mac arranging around-the-clock coverage. She intended to stay on-site for at least the next several days. The suite had two bedrooms, a large sitting area, a bar, and a widescreen TV. They would be cramped, but they would all have to manage.

Suddenly, a knock at the door brought Megan to attention. She crossed the width of the room quickly, reaching into her jacket to release the snap on her shoulder holster. She relaxed as Mac announced his arrival.

"What have you got for me?" she asked immediately.

Mac hefted a shoe-box-sized parcel in his hands. "I've got this. Bomb boys and evidence techs are done with it."

"Excellent." She indicated that he join her at the table in the sitting area. Normani appeared at the door of the master bedroom just as Megan was reaching for the parcel. Megan looked over at her, and their eyes met. She read the question that Normani could not bring herself to ask.

"Join us, please," Megan said quietly.

Mac looked at her quickly in surprise. Megan met his gaze steadily but said nothing. Once Normani took the seat to Megan's right, Megan carefully examined the exterior of the package. The only address was Normani's name written in block letters with black magic marker. The paper appeared to be ordinary packing paper sealed with scotch tape. A slight residue of fingerprint powder adhered to everything, inside and out. Megan carefully lifted the tape and removed the paper to reveal a cardboard box. She unfolded the flaps and lifted out a single sheet of paper. She looked at it for a second, then placed it flat on the tabletop so Normani and Mac could read the words printed there.

You are so beautiful.

Why do you waste yourself on those who do not appreciate you?

I know how rare and precious you are.

I can forgive your sins.

I am watching.

I am waiting for your sign.

"Oh, shit," Normani breathed.

"Have Taylor return this to the lab for handwriting analysis and a read-out on the paper," Megan said quietly to Mac. "We need photo surveillance of the street in front of the apartment building. I want to see any repeated passbyers, any loiterers, and anyone who seems the slightest bit out of place."

"It's a stalker, isn't it?" Normani questioned, hoping there might be another answer.

"I'm afraid so," Megan responded. This was the worst possible news. Stalkers were unpredictable, difficult to identify, and frequently did not have a previous police record. Everywhere Normani Hamilton went, she would be in potential danger. Megan's job had just gotten ten times harder, and considering the difficulties they already had in keeping track of a reluctant subject, the work ahead looked dismal.