Abra's phone started to ring. It was Sheriff Barry calling.
"Hello", Abra answered the phone call, hoping it was not an emergency call. She was already very tired.
"Abra! What have you been up to? The police said they saw you in the early hours of the morning, and you sped off without answering their questions."
Abra rolled her eyes, even if Sheriff Barry couldn't see that. "I was working on my case. Those police officers should learn to be polite, though, especially that fat one."
"Abra...."
"Look, Sheriff Barry. I am only doing my job. If you don't need me to stop and you would end up not receiving any news or leads from me, then keep yelling; if not, I suggest you stop with the unnecessary questions and yelling. I am tired and would love to sleep."
"Okay Abra. I am not stopping you from doing whatever you want to do to stop the case, but I would be watching the line you try to cross. What have you found? Any new leads?"
Abra looked back at Mabel, who was already looking at a photo hanging on the wall. "In my case, yes, and about the general killings, I am a step closer to figuring it out. Once I have rested, I will give you updates. Any new deaths?"
"No. None that I've heard of. The Security is doing a great job at curtailing the killing. Don't you think so?"
"Mmm, I suggest you make the security tighter with the exception that I get to move around whenever and wherever I want for the purpose of these cases."
"Okay. That will be done. I will talk to you later. Don't get into trouble", he said, ending the call.
"Uhm, Mabel, you had a long night. Why don't you get some sleep, and when you're awake, we talk", Abra said to Mabel, and she agreed. Abra showed Mabel to the guestroom and told her to get herself comfortable. Soon enough, Mabel was asleep, and Abra went to sleep too.
Abra woke up to text messages on her phone, and she jumped out of bed to see who texted in case it was an emergency. One message was from Sally, her stepsister; another was from Charles; and another was from Zach. She decided to open Zach's messages first and hoped nothing had happened to him like she had convinced herself to expect. His message read, 'We need to talk this night, please. I will come to pick you up by 7'. Abra immediately guessed what was going on. She chose not to reply to the messages and decided to open Charles' messages instead. His messages contained lots of love poems and photos of his day. This made Abra smile as she viewed them. Zach was not the type to send love messages or, worse, take pictures, even when she requested them. But Charles was different, and it was sweet.
When Abra went downstairs, Mabel came out of the guestroom too, and immediately there was a knock on the door.
"Let me get that", Abra said, and Mabel nodded. Abra checked the window first before opening the door. It was a delivery guy delivering a package.
"Hello. You are Abra Ramsbo, right?"
"Yes, I am. How many can I help you?"
"I'm here to deliver your package." This got Abra pretty confused. Today was not even her birthday, and she got gifts and flowers.
"Uhm, where are all these from?"
"Sorry, I wasn't told, and it's not written. It's anonymous. Probably from your secret admirer."
Abra scrutinized the young guy for a moment and took note of the company he works for. His t-shirt had sold out. "Uhm, thank you."
When the delivery guy left, Abra called Zach but was directed to voice mail. She brought her packages to the house and dropped them on the table, then proceeded to call Charles.
"Hey, pretty eyes. Good afternoon. How are you?"
"I'm good. Uhm...did you send a package for me?"
"What package? You want me to send in a package for you?"
"No. No. Never mind. I'll talk to you later."
Charles was about to ask her out for lunch, but she ended the call before he could say anything.
"What if there's something explosive or creepy in your package?", Mabel asked suddenly.
"Maybe there is", Abra agreed. "I need you to step back.
"What? Are you actually going to open it?"
"Yes. It might be from my boyfriend", Abra said, then added inaudibly, "Although he's not picking up my calls."
Mabel did as she was instructed to do and stepped back while Abra opened her packages, which were sealed in boxes. The first box contained jewelry of different kinds; the second box contained a sexy purple dress with a slit; and the third box contained a high-heeled shoe.
"Wow. These all look really amazing. Maybe it's from your boyfriend. Maybe he wants to take you out on a date."
It was something Zach could actually do, but for some reasons Abra found herself doubting. She took a look at the flowers again. They were really pretty and scented really nice, and there were two letters glued on them. One letter read, 'I can't wait to see you soon, my love', and the other read, 'You could be next.' Reading the second later made Abra freeze for a moment while Mabel rushed to have a look too. "Oh God."
"I think you should leave Mabel. This place isn't safe anymore."
"Nowhere in town is."
"Do you have somewhere to stay apart from your house? Maybe a friend's place or a family member's place?"
"I do."
"Then I think you should go there."
"What about you?"
"I'll be fine."
"Why are you sounding so relaxed about this? This is the note the murderer sends before he kills someone."
"Not necessarily."
"What does that even mean?"
Abra wanted to smile. Mabel was such a sweet person—at least that is what she appeared to be. Look, honestly, I will be fine. What I need you to do is leave this house, but I would need you to answer a question."
"Uhm, what's that?"
"When those guys attempted to drown you in a bathtub, did you perhaps notice anything about them? Did they talk or something?"
Asking the question made Mabel go a bit pale. "They did talk, but I couldn't hear them. I was mostly underwater or trying hard to catch my breath because they kept lifting me out of the water and pushing me back in with force."
'That means they weren't trying to drown you', Abra said in her head.
"But one of them wore blue trousers, I think. I strongly think it was a blue trouser I saw one of the guys wearing."
Abra remembered a blue trouser from one of the guys she saw in the early hours of the morning before she got hit in the head, but she did not see the face. "Alright, thank you. That's all I need to know for now. Where do you plan to stay?"
"At my friend's place."
"And this friend is a trusted person?"
"Yes, she is."
"Okay, I would like to have her address and phone number, if that's okay with you. You are like a top-notch client now, and I feel like you're my responsibility.
Mabel smiled and gave Abra what she needed.
"Do not go back to your house, Mabel. If you need to tell me so I can follow you there, okay?"
"Sure."
"Okay. Be safe."
By the time Mabel left, Abra had continued with her daily activities. People came to buy her chickens, but she saw no murderer.
Later in the evening, Zach came by 7 p.m. as he had said, and by that time, Abra was already dressed in the gown, jewelry, and shows she had received earlier in the morning.
"So you wanted to take me out on a date?", Abra said, winking at Hum. She was not mad at him anymore; instead, she wanted to kiss him. Zach seemed taken aback, and even though he was meant to be angry, his facial expression softened. He loved Abra.
"No. I'm not actually I wanted to take you for a night drive. Who got you this gown? It's really sexy."
"I got it. Since it's not a date, let me change it up then."
"If you want a date, I can—"
"No. I prefer the night drive."
Abra went to get changed. If it was not Zach or Charles who sent the package to her, who did? And who wrote her the note?

Do you know who left Abra the note?
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