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Heart of the Woolf 37
their regrets and hope for an amicable working relationship. Some had even owned up to the
particular trick they had played, although no one claimed the black rose and the dead puppy.
She shuddered. She needed to stop thinking about it. Instead, she wanted to think
about Jake and the masterful way he had taken charge of the situation. Though she hadn t
wanted him to intervene on her behalf, this time she had been grateful. She didn t think she
could ve handled the situation as well as he did, considering how shaken she d been. She
made a face. Yeah, and while you re at it, don t forget about the fact that he disappeared soon
afterwards.
She sighed. Better to concentrate on her presentation. Everyone had already left the
office hours ago, and if she were wise, she would too, even if she were driving. The island s
peace and order situation was not at its best at the moment, with increasing incidences of
criminal activities sprouting up here and there. In the fourteen months that she d been living
on Tolidet Island, the prices of basic goods had skyrocketed tremendously due mostly to
certain macroeconomic factors such as the escalating prices of oil. From reading the
newspapers, she realized that many of the lower-income families were affected, and some of
them even turned to criminal activities in order to augment their declining income or to feed
their hungry children. It was sad, the way things had turned out.
Maybe she should flee again, to a less troubled country, like Taiwan or Singapore. Or
maybe Malaysia or Australia. But that would mean uprooting David, when he was already
settled in where he was and happy ...
God, she missed him. Maybe she could go see him tomorrow, after work.
She packed up her things, intending to finish her work at home. At this hour, traffic
shouldn t be heavy; she should be home in about thirty minutes. The idea of a hot bath
invigorated her, and within moments, she was locking up the office and making her way
down the stairs to the basement where she had parked her car that morning.
38 Kai Andersen
Soon, she was on the highway, humming along to the song blasting from the radio. She
signaled to make a left turn. Checking the rearview mirror, she saw a brown Toyota right
behind her.
She frowned. A car had been behind her ever since she had left the building, but was it
the same one? She was able to identify the Toyota only because it was directly standing
under the street light. Maybe they just happened to be going in the same direction ...?
She slowed down.
The Toyota went past her and then turned right at the next corner.
She sighed in relief. She couldn t be too careful these days. Yesterday, a car also seemed
to be tailing her, but she lost sight of it when she neared her home. She didn t know if both
cars were one and the same. Under the dim street lights, it was hard to tell for sure.
Within minutes, she reached her two-bedroom apartment. She was just about to go to
the bathroom when the phone rang. She changed course and went to her bedroom, where
the phone was located.
She picked it up on the fourth ring. Hello?
A click, and then someone spoke, a heavy male voice she didn t recognize.
Hello, Adrienne.
Fissions of alarm raced up her spine. Something about the voice sent goose bumps up
her arms, such that her voice came out sharper than intended. Who s this?
You don t need to know, my dear. How did you like my gift this morning? Cackles of
laughter reached her ear.
Anger on behalf of the pup cleansed away her fear. What sort of twisted mind have
you got that you would do such a thing? Who are you?!
Tut, tut, my dear. Is that the way to talk to someone who knows -- His voice trailed
away in a sinister whisper. -- your secret?
Heart of the Woolf 39
A sick feeling of dread gripped her. She reached for the edge of the bedside table to
steady herself. No, no, he couldn t ... He had to be bluffing. She mustn t fall into the trap. She
mustered her courage. I don t know what you re talking about.
Of course you do. His voice held a tone of rebuke. He is someone very dear to your
heart. Very, very dear. The last three words were spoken slowly.
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