Eve Snow Psychic PI: The Case of the Secret Admirer 1 by Sandra Ross

Prologue
    SARA APPROACHED HER front door with trepidation. She had seen the elegantly wrapped package waiting on the porch just outside the door as soon as she pulled into her driveway.
    Not again , she thought. How much longer was this going to continue?
    It had started a little over a month ago with a dozen red roses delivered to her on a Saturday afternoon. At first, she had been sure that they were from Bryan as a way of apologizing and wanting to make up. But the card on the flowers had read, “From your Secret Admirer.”
    That was rather enticing and exciting. Didn’t most women want to have a secret admirer? Someone who would send wonderful cards and gifts without ever signing their name? Of course, at some point, you wanted the person to reveal himself, but that buildup was so seductive. That’s why she let it go on for so long before deciding that it was a bit frightening.
    The gifts kept coming but they were also getting more personal and, finally, a little creepy. The last gift was the one that had actually chilled her to the core.
    The box had arrived at her house while she was at work. It was wrapped in shiny black paper with a silver ribbon and bow. Inside, there was a very slutty black see through nighty, along with a pair of matching thong panties. This time the card said “See you soon, Your Secret Admirer.”
    Sara was seriously spooked, but she didn’t know what to do about it. Bryan wouldn’t do something like this no matter how pissed off he was at her. This wasn’t his style and it never occurred to her to ask him about any of it. Besides, she really didn’t want to see him again. Not after what he did.
    Well, she thought now, I can’t just stand out here staring at this box.
    She picked it up gently, unlocked her door and went inside. Closing and locking the door behind her, she carried the package into her kitchen and set it down on the bar. She got a bottle of wine from the refrigerator and poured a glass. Sipping the wine, she eyed the package like it might attack her at any second.
    Finally, she set down her glass and reached for the box. Bringing it to her, she started slowly untying the ribbon. Carefully, she removed the paper from the box. It was a square box, about the size of hat box, but it seemed to weigh absolutely nothing. Setting the paper aside, she slid her fingernail underneath the piece of tape that held the lid fastened.
    All she saw were some pieces of black tissue paper; the kind you use to conceal items in special gift bags. Sara wasn’t sure what to think of that. Finally, she reached her hand into the paper and searched the box. She still couldn’t find anything.
    Just as she was starting to withdraw her hand from the box, a sudden, sharp pain shot through the underside of her wrist. Crying out, she jerked her hand out of the box only to discover a horrendous spider clinging to her arm. Screaming in full blown terror now, she leapt from the bar stool and twirled around in circles as she frantically shook her arm trying to disengage the creature. But it hung on, its fangs hooked into her vein pouring its toxic, deadly venom into her body.
    Within mere minutes, Sara began to feel cold and hot at once. Her mouth twitched involuntarily as did other parts of her body. Tears ran down her face and severe nausea gripped her. It was impossible to catch her breath as she frantically tried to get to her cell phone. Someone had to help her!
    But somehow she knew that she wouldn’t make it to her phone and that, even if she did, help wouldn’t arrive in time to save her. She was growing weaker as the venom continued its deadly fast and furious path through her body.
    I don’t want to die, she thought, as her legs collapsed beneath her.
    Sliding down the wall, she half sat, half lay with her legs splayed out before her. The pain was unbearable now but she could tell that it wouldn’t last much longer. Unable to move other than the continuous involuntary twitching, she felt the