Read Lovers and Liars for Free Online

was tied with string and sealed with red wax.
    The courier looked this Genevieve Hunter up and down. When she had opened the window above, and called down to him, he had at first taken her for a young man; now, on closer inspection, he could see some of the reasons for that mistake. She was tall and slender, and dressed in a mannish way: black trousers, black polo-neck sweater, flat boots. Her long fair hair was tucked back beneath a battered khaki baseball cap, and she wore an odd military-style trenchcoat which reached to mid-calf and was adorned with innumerable flaps and pockets and epaulettes. Now that he could see her properly, however, there was no mistaking her sex: this young woman had a grave, clear-eyed and rather beautiful face.
    ‘Sorry I kept you waiting,f Genevieve said. She signed for the package, and was about to stuff it, unopened, into her bag, when she stopped and looked at it more closely. She might be in a hurry to reach the News offices, but this parcel was unusual, to say the least.
    ‘How strange/ she said. ‘Can you believe it? Look . She held the package out to the courier. ‘Someone’s stencilled the address.’
    She shook the package, as the courier bent forward to inspect it. There was a small rattling noise. Genevieve frowned, and the courier shook his head.
    ‘Maybe it’s meant to be a surprise,’ he said, in an encouraging tone. ‘So you can’t recognize the handwriting, won’t know who sent it until you open it up. Boyfriend, maybe?’ He gave her a shrewd glance. ‘A surprise present from the boyfriend, something like thatT
    Genevieve smiled; there was no boyfriend, at the moment, and the last possible candidate for that title had left to edit an Australian newspaper a month back. Genevieve did not miss him greatly, and he was, in any case, not the kind of man to send surprise parcels. She felt a momentary unease, gave the package another tentative shake. The courier, who seemed as curious as she was, produced a pocket-knife.
    ‘Here.’ He handed it to her with a smile. ‘You never know these days, love - it could be a bad idea, carrying that around. Maybe you ought to open it up.’
    Genevieve did so. Carefully, she cut the string and removed the brown wrapping paper. Inside, there was a plain cardboard box.
    34
    inside the box there were sheaves of new tissue-paper. Inside this was a pair of handcuffs. They were made of heavy steel. A small key was inserted in their lock.
    Genevieve drew them out with a cry of surprise. The sense of unease deepened. She felt around inside the tissue, but the handcuffs came with no accompanying message, or note. Her mouth tightened in anger, and her cheeks flushed.
    ‘Great. No note.’ She looked at the courier, who was shaking his head in disbelief. ‘I’m getting a pretty strong message all the same. What kind of a creep would send me thisT
    She frowned down at the handcuffs, trying to think of candidates: who might find such an anonymous gift appealing? Who might want to play this kind of sick joke?
    She could think of no-one. She had enemies as well as friends at her office, of course, and there were people she had alienated as a result of past articles, certainly, but she could think of no-one who would retaliate in this particular underhand way. With an angry shrug, she began to fold up the wrapping paper.
    ‘Chuck them away, love - I would/ the courier said, on a defensive note. He gestured to a dustbin up the street.
    ‘No way.’ She set her lips. ‘I need them. I’m going to find out who sent me this .
    She began to push the handcuffs into her bag. The courier hesitated.
    ‘I could make a few enquiries if you like,’ he began. ‘At my office. They were sent out from our City branch - I know that much. I could call in there after work - ask around . Genevieve gave him a grateful smile.
    ‘Would you? I’d check myself, but I’m tied up all day.’ She handed him her card. ‘Those are my numbers - work and home. I should