and chuckled. “I sure do wish he would get a job at another station. Everybody here would be a lot happier.”
Grace laughed. “Me, too, but I don’t have time to worry about Todd today. We have an interview with the mayor this afternoon. Are you ready to go?”
“Yeah, do you want to grab a bite of lunch and head on downtown to his office?”
“I’m going to get my hair cut on my lunch hour today. I’ll meet you there at two. Okay?”
“Sounds good to me. I’ll see you then.”
Grace hurried back to her office and had just grabbed her purse when her cell phone rang. Caller ID identified it as a private number, and she frowned. She sat down behind her desk and pulled the phone to her ear. “Hello.”
“Grace, I saw your broadcast on the noon news. I thought we needed to talk.”
Although the voice sounded familiar, she couldn’t identify it. The thought crossed her mind that the caller was using some sort of voice distortion. “Who is this?”
“For personal reasons I’d like my identity to remain a secret. I’m sure you have anonymous callers a lot in your work. Just think of me that way—a nameless caller who wants to help you.”
Grace took a deep breath. “Okay, but how did you get my private cell phone number?”
“It really doesn’t matter. I called because I think you need to be careful.”
Grace’s hand tightened on the phone. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means that there are people who don’t want you to get too close to the truth. Leave the past alone. You’ll only end up getting hurt if you dig into Landon’s death.”
Grace gasped. “That sounds like a threat. Are you trying to scare me?”
“No, I’m warning you.”
“Do you have some information about Landon’s death?”
“Yes.”
Grace sat up straighter in her chair and pressed her cell phone harder against her ear. “Was he murdered?”
“Please, Grace, for your own good, let it go.”
“I can’t let it go. Landon was my friend, and from the way you’re talking, he was your friend, too. Don’t you want people to know the truth?” He didn’t answer for a moment, and she feared he’d disconnected the call. “Are you still there?”
She heard a heavy sigh. “All right. I tried to persuade you, but you haven’t listened. If you’re determined to continue, I see there’s nothing I can do to discourage you. I have something I want to give you.”
Grace’s eyes grew wide. “I’ll meet with you. Just tell me where and when.”
“No, I don’t want to do that.”
“Then mail it to me.”
“I suppose I could....” His voice trailed off. Then he inhaled. “No, I’ll leave it for you somewhere.”
She frowned. “Where?”
“I—I don’t know. Somewhere that no one else would find it unless they were specifically looking for it. I’ll think about it and let you know where to look. I’ll call you again.”
Grace’s heart beat faster. She couldn’t let him hang up before he’d agreed to give her his information. “Wait, don’t go yet. Tell me where to look, and I’ll do it.”
He was quiet for a moment. “I remember hearing you say once that you are a geocacher.”
“Yes, I am.”
“And you said you like puzzle clues that lead to the hidden cache.”
Grace frowned. “Yes, but I don’t understand what that—”
“Has to do with finding Landon’s killer?” Grace’s skin prickled at the sudden change in the caller’s voice. Moments ago it had been soft and reassuring. Suddenly it had become harsh and demanding. “You don’t understand a lot of things, Miss Kincaid. If you want to find Landon’s killer, you’re going to have to solve much more than a geocache puzzle. I’m looking forward to seeing how smart you really are.”
Grace stood up and gripped the phone tighter. “Don’t threaten me, Mr. Anonymous. You may find out I’m a lot smarter than you thought.”
“I doubt it.”
Grace chuckled. “I get it now. You didn’t call to warn me off. You wanted me more intrigued with this investigation than ever. If that was your plan, it seems to have worked. No way am I going to give up until I find out the truth.”
He laughed, and the piercing tone chilled her. “Aren’t you a little afraid of me?”
Her breath hitched in her throat, and her hand holding the phone shook. “N-no.”
A laugh echoed in her ear. “Yes, you are. I can hear it in your voice. You’d be wise to be very afraid of me. You have no idea what’s about to come down on you. Look for my instructions. Game on, Miss Kincaid.”
Before she could ask another question, the call disconnected. She stared at her phone for a moment and debated whether or not she should call Alex. He’d asked her to let him know if she found out anything. So far the only thing she knew was that someone wanted to play some kind of game with evidence he claimed to have about Landon’s death and he wanted her scared of him.
If her shaking legs were any indication, being afraid of him wasn’t going to be a problem, but she couldn’t give up now. She might have just talked to Landon’s killer. Alex probably wouldn’t agree, though. He would more likely think she’d received a call from some prankster who pretended to have information, but she wasn’t so sure.
A cold chill ran up her arm at the memory of the voice on the phone. He said he heard her on the broadcast. Maybe she shouldn’t talk about the investigation on the air. From now on, she’d be careful what she said. There were a lot of crazy people in the world, and the last thing she needed was to become the target of one.
* * *
Alex tossed the file he’d been studying down in front of him, propped his arms on his desk and buried his face in his hands. What was the matter with him? He’d been tense ever since he came into the office. Maybe he hadn’t gotten over watching a man jump to his death, but in his heart he knew that wasn’t true.
The main reason he’d been distracted all morning was because he couldn’t quit thinking about Grace. He’d put their past behind him years ago, and now she wanted them to work together to investigate Landon Mitchell’s death. Even though he’d agreed, he wasn’t sure he was ready to do that. They would have to see each other from time to time, and that could stir up a lot of old memories that needed to be forgotten.
He pushed to his feet, let out a ragged breath and ran his hand through his hair. Maybe some lunch would make him feel better. Before he could turn and
