Page 53 of Unholy Masks

“Valentina? Something wrong? Did you find more about Sofia?”

She shook her head, rubbing her brows with a frown.

Her gaze darted around, scanning the street, fear flashing in her eyes. With shaking hands, she reached into her bag and pulled out a small velvet box. She placed it on the table between us as if it might explode.

I immediately knew what it was.

“I found this in my bag,” she said, her voice breaking. “It wasn’t there when I left AFC. I’m sure of it. I—I don’t know how it got there.”

“Did you open the box?”

She shook her head, her grip tightening on her coffee cup. “No. I already know what’s inside. It’s the same box Sofia got. Mr. Sinclair, I didn’t know who else to call. You gave me your card.”

“Thanks for calling me. You did the right thing.”

Her eyes welled up with tears, and she blinked them away furiously. “I feel like I’m being watched. Like whoever put that in my bag is—is close. What if they’re still watching me? What if they’re going to kill me like they killed Sofia and Nikki?”

I looked around. Nothing seemed out of place, but I wouldn’t ignore her instinct. If she felt unsafe, she was unsafe.

“He might be here, but as long as I’m here with you, no one’s going to hurt you,” I said, dragging the velvet box toward me. “Can I open it?”

I picked up the box with a paper tissue. Inside was a single gardenia, white and hauntingly beautiful.

“It’s the same,” she whispered.

I closed the box and slid it into my pocket. “Can you tell me where you went after you left AFC? Better yet, tell me what you did the whole day.”

She told me what she did throughout the day.

“When did you notice the box?”

“I went to look over some additional details in Orbit’s auditorium. It’s where the next charity gala will be held. I think it was there after I left?”

“Did you put the bag down somewhere?”

“I went to the bathroom. God, what if he was there?”

“You need to do things you do every day. You can’t change any of your routines. To catch him, we need him to come for you.”

“Mr. Sinclair?” I felt like an asshole, asking a young girl to put her life—probably more—on the line, but if I let him walk away this time, I might never find him again. Never.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t, but I promise I’ll keep you safe.”

“What if he’s watching already?”

“Then you’ll show him you’re not afraid.”

“I am.”

“I know,” I said. “Do you want to go meet a friend of mine?”

“Who is it?”

“A great detective. Come on.”

I knew bringing in the cops would complicate things for me, but Valentina was not Yara. I needed to protect her first.

I stood up when a familiar voice greeted me. I turned to see Irene walking out of the coffee shop with Trish. They both stopped when they spotted me.