can’t take the risk that she talks to anyone—ever again.”
Dubiously rolling his eyes, his friend nevertheless acquiesced with a small nod of the head. “Want me to take care of the blabbermouth?”
Between the two of them, Vic had always been the one with a knack for accidents.
“You do that. I’ll scare the stupid one.”
***
After the first note, Hannah had begun making copies of the threats before showing them to the law officers. She hadn’t noticed the distinctive capital P and B until comparing the last note to the two previous ones.
With Rory and Snowflake tucked in for the night and a warm fire dancing in the fireplace, she spread the three notes on the coffee table in the living room. Unlike the other letters of the alphabet who presented no remarkable trait, the loop in the capital P and the bottom loop of the capital B showed the same curly twist just as the pen lifted from the paper. The writer might not have noticed his or her writing signature, but it was consistent in Parker , Playing , and Pack , and in Be , Bad , Beware , and Brat .
While Sergeant Reed hadn’t said anything to her, she’d caught the remark he’d made to Cooper when she’d given him the third note. Teenagers having fun. Reed’s face had been turned away from her, but the window had clearly shown his reflection. No one but Freddy had figured out the extent of her lip reading ability, and she intended to keep it that way. One of the many secrets that gave her an edge in a world not designed for people like her.
Teenagers had never ventured near the cabin, not even on the night that Gramp died, but arguing with Reed would lead her nowhere. Instead, with the help of her friend Madison, Hannah had set to prove him wrong. Not that Madison knows what I’m doing with the kids’ letters.
One hundred and twenty-six students were currently registered from grade seven to twelve. Her friend taught all the English classes, interacting with every kid at some point during the week. After Hannah told Madison about a study she was conducting on how teenagers spent their down time in remote communities, her friend had agreed to ask her students to write a short essay titled “Bad Pastimes” for a random chance to win two movie tickets.
Hannah moved the three threatening notes aside and emptied the brown envelope on the middle of the table.
The titles on the essays gave her a large sample of Ps and Bs .
***
The four notes sent to Hannah Parker were scattered on the top of Avery’s desk at the detachment, challenging him to find their author.
#1- Wednesday night, December 4 th : I’m watching you, Parker. You don’t belong here.
Stalking was a crime, even if the culprit didn’t directly threaten her in that note.
#2- Thursday night, January 2 nd : Playing alone in the woods is dangerous, Deafy. Be careful. Very careful.
The offensive term suggested the culprit knew she was deaf, though it didn’t mean Hannah knew him or her personally.
#3- Monday night, January 27 th : Bad accidents happen in winter. Beware.
That one resonated like a threat.
#4- Friday night, February 21 st : I’m coming for you. Pack your Ugly Brat and get out while you can.
In the last note, he perceived a drastic escalation, as if the culprit snapped and had suddenly become eager to get rid of Hannah.
Avery still hadn’t received the report from the lab, but he didn’t hold much hope for prints or DNA traces, not when the other ones hadn’t shown anything. The four notes had been dropped roughly a month apart, like reminders. On each occasion, a snowstorm had blanketed the town during the night, burying any evidence. The dates presented no discernible pattern, but something caught Avery’s eye when he compared the notes to each other. A curl in the loops of the capital Ps and Bs suggested the same author had written them all.
I need a drink before I go cross-eyed. He pulled a bottle of beer and a can of tomato juice from a grocery bag. Avery
Dubiously rolling his eyes, his friend nevertheless acquiesced with a small nod of the head. “Want me to take care of the blabbermouth?”
Between the two of them, Vic had always been the one with a knack for accidents.
“You do that. I’ll scare the stupid one.”
***
After the first note, Hannah had begun making copies of the threats before showing them to the law officers. She hadn’t noticed the distinctive capital P and B until comparing the last note to the two previous ones.
With Rory and Snowflake tucked in for the night and a warm fire dancing in the fireplace, she spread the three notes on the coffee table in the living room. Unlike the other letters of the alphabet who presented no remarkable trait, the loop in the capital P and the bottom loop of the capital B showed the same curly twist just as the pen lifted from the paper. The writer might not have noticed his or her writing signature, but it was consistent in Parker , Playing , and Pack , and in Be , Bad , Beware , and Brat .
While Sergeant Reed hadn’t said anything to her, she’d caught the remark he’d made to Cooper when she’d given him the third note. Teenagers having fun. Reed’s face had been turned away from her, but the window had clearly shown his reflection. No one but Freddy had figured out the extent of her lip reading ability, and she intended to keep it that way. One of the many secrets that gave her an edge in a world not designed for people like her.
Teenagers had never ventured near the cabin, not even on the night that Gramp died, but arguing with Reed would lead her nowhere. Instead, with the help of her friend Madison, Hannah had set to prove him wrong. Not that Madison knows what I’m doing with the kids’ letters.
One hundred and twenty-six students were currently registered from grade seven to twelve. Her friend taught all the English classes, interacting with every kid at some point during the week. After Hannah told Madison about a study she was conducting on how teenagers spent their down time in remote communities, her friend had agreed to ask her students to write a short essay titled “Bad Pastimes” for a random chance to win two movie tickets.
Hannah moved the three threatening notes aside and emptied the brown envelope on the middle of the table.
The titles on the essays gave her a large sample of Ps and Bs .
***
The four notes sent to Hannah Parker were scattered on the top of Avery’s desk at the detachment, challenging him to find their author.
#1- Wednesday night, December 4 th : I’m watching you, Parker. You don’t belong here.
Stalking was a crime, even if the culprit didn’t directly threaten her in that note.
#2- Thursday night, January 2 nd : Playing alone in the woods is dangerous, Deafy. Be careful. Very careful.
The offensive term suggested the culprit knew she was deaf, though it didn’t mean Hannah knew him or her personally.
#3- Monday night, January 27 th : Bad accidents happen in winter. Beware.
That one resonated like a threat.
#4- Friday night, February 21 st : I’m coming for you. Pack your Ugly Brat and get out while you can.
In the last note, he perceived a drastic escalation, as if the culprit snapped and had suddenly become eager to get rid of Hannah.
Avery still hadn’t received the report from the lab, but he didn’t hold much hope for prints or DNA traces, not when the other ones hadn’t shown anything. The four notes had been dropped roughly a month apart, like reminders. On each occasion, a snowstorm had blanketed the town during the night, burying any evidence. The dates presented no discernible pattern, but something caught Avery’s eye when he compared the notes to each other. A curl in the loops of the capital Ps and Bs suggested the same author had written them all.
I need a drink before I go cross-eyed. He pulled a bottle of beer and a can of tomato juice from a grocery bag. Avery
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