Unwanted Gifts by TD Cooper
https://amazon.com/author/tdcooper
http://www.tdcooperbooks.com
It was midnight. Dark as the inside of a black cat and
pouring rain. I couldn’t sleep and wound up downstairs in the kitchen, where I
put the kettle on for some hot tea.
While I was waiting for the water to boil, I poured a bowl of Cheerios
and headed for the couch. A solid, thunderous knock pounded at the front door. The
cereal flew into the air and crashed to the floor, spilling everywhere. I’d
poked several into my mouth and was chewing, but when the sudden noise startled
me, I inhaled the tiny bits and coughed uncontrollably.
As I gathered my wits, my first inclination was to ignore
the midnight caller; after all, I was home alone. My husband was a police
officer, and with this storm, there’d been an accident on the interstate. Everyone
was required to respond to the emergency. Ted was happy to go, me not so much.
Being eight and half months pregnant made me uneasy about being alone on a
night like this one. Let’s just say I was restless, and my thoughts raced.
I considered who was at my door. It might be a neighbor with
a problem or someone with car trouble. I knew better than to open the door for
a stranger. Even though we lived in a small, safe town, creepy things can happen anywhere. How many times had my husband
pounded that thought into my head?
There’d been an unsolved murder of a young woman a month ago
in the township west of us. Ted told me they didn’t have any suspects. He
wouldn’t share any details, but I knew the killer had done horrible things to
her. I puffed out my cheeks in an exhale and brushed the hair out of my face.
The baby kicked, and I jerked out of my contemplation. Was the
baby trying to tell me something? I rubbed my ribs on the left side. Just then,
the phone rang… I jumped again. “What is happening, are the spirits trying to
send me into labor?” I muttered.
“Hello?”
“Hey, babe, how you doing?” Ted asked.
“Someone is at the door, and I’m scared,” I whispered.
“I’m around the corner, don’t answer it!” Ted instructed
with a professional authority to his voice. I froze.
The baby kicked, reminding me to breathe. I rubbed the tiny foot that was poking me in
the rib again. The doorknob rattled, and the door shook. Was it Ted or my
unexpected visitor? I turned off the lights, picked up a butcher knife from the
counter, and ducked behind the wall separating the kitchen from the family
room. I waited, hoping my big belly wasn’t giving away my position. The next
few minutes felt like hours.
“Kami! Kami! Are you alright.” I heard Ted’s voice shouting.
I breathed, closed my eyes, and thanked God before I
answered. “I’m right here,” I said.
“It’s okay, come and look,” Ted said as he barged in and ran
straight for me. He made a face at me and set the knife back on the counter. I
shrugged and rolled my eyes.
Sitting on the front stoop was a china-faced doll with
chubby cheeks and charcoal hair. She was dressed in a satin pink shirt and red
pants and was sitting on a box of chocolates. There was no card or note.
“Did you see anyone?” Ted asked. I shook my head and stared
at him. “I’m calling the department. I think this is a calling card from our
killer.”
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