December 8
There was nothing remarkable or unusual about Rosalind's morning. In between phone calls from and to her authors, she continued wielding her red pen as she read David Knight's manuscript. At lunchtime, she ordered a Cobb salad from a local deli and ate it while she worked.
Shortly thereafter, the day took a detour from the norm.
Rosalind had just ended a conversation with Lulu Page, a bestselling romance writer, when Alfred Rowe, the president of the company, walked into her office.
"Have you heard from Brett McCord lately?" he asked.
The question took Rosalind by surprise. To her knowledge, no one at the office knew about their affair.
"No. Why?"
"There was an awards dinner last night at the Plaza," Rowe explained. "Brett was supposed to be there to receive an award for Death in Paradise, but he didn't show up. Since you're his editor, I thought you might know where he is."
"I haven't heard from Brett McCord since the beginning of October when he finished his last novel."
Rosalind did not mention the November phone call since it had been a strictly private matter and, as such, was none of Rowe's business.
"Do you think there might be something wrong?" she asked.
"No, bit it's strange that he didn't phone and tell me he couldn't make it."
For the next two hours, Rosalind tried to get Brett off her mind. As usual, she wasn't successful. After reading the same page of the manuscript four times without comprehending a word she'd read, she left work early.
"I'm going to finish this at home," she informed her secretary. "If anyone calls, tell them I'll get back to them tomorrow."
Her concentration didn't improve when she returned to her apartment. Memories of those precious stolen moments with Brett continued to haunt her.
"What I need is a distraction. A meaningless fling with someone new to take my mind off him."
Her eyes were drawn to the Advent calendar. Perhaps the mysterious secret admirer would serve the purpose.
"Too bad I don't know who you are or how to get in touch with you."
She picked up the calendar, surprised when drawer Number 8 easily opened.
It appears as though there is some sort of timer that locks a drawer in place until the specified date. But how is that possible?
Rosalind reached inside the drawer and found a bracelet, not an inexpensive one but a twenty-four-karat gold bracelet with a heart-shaped charm.
Whoever my secret admirer is, he certainly invested a lot of time and money in this Advent calendar. What does he expect in return?
