0aeaa1e36e6f2e625b6ba8d48f773062

“Odelia, please. What messages?”

Rose held up her phone and swiped it to life.“I have no idea who’s sending them but they’re very annoying. My boyfriend saw them and he says I should go to the police. But I really don’t want to get them involved.” She shook her head. “This is so embarrassing.”

Odelia, whose curiosity was now well and truly piqued, said,“Can you show me the messages?”

“Here’s one,” said Rose, and held out her phone for Odelia to see. “This is the one I got just now. They were sent to my Messenger. I was doing the Pilates class and I heard my phone buzz and I knew it was him. Don’t ask me how but I just knew.”

Odelia stared at the message. It took her but a short moment to realize what it was she was looking at.“Is this…” she began.

Rose nodded and bit her bottom lip nervously.“I’ve been getting at least one a day. It’s horrible.”

The picture showed a man’s undercarriage in all its dubious glory. “Um…” said Odelia, unsure of how to respond. “So who are they from?”

“That’s the thing. I have absolutely no idea. At first I thought Cole was sending them–that’s my boyfriend—Cole Donalds. But he swears up and down it’s not him.” Rose shook her head. “It must be some jerk I know from school. Has to be.”

“Can’t you block this person?”

“I did! Blocked and reported. He just creates a new account and starts sending again.”

“There’s no name? No other messages?”

“No, nothing. It’s disgusting, isn’t it?”

“Pretty gross,” Odelia agreed, who’d never been on the receiving end of these kinds of obscene messages herself, thank God.

Rose raised her eyes to Odelia’s. Her expression had taken on a pleading aspect. “Can you please find out who’s sending these, Miss Poole—Odelia? Please? I have to know.”

“I think I have to agree with your boyfriend, Rose. I think it’s best if you take these to the police. If you file a complaint they can trace these back to the person who sent them.”

“No police,” said Rose with a note of finality in her voice. “I’ve never been involved with the police and I don’t want to start now.” She clasped her hands together. “Oh, please help me, Odelia. I’ve heard so many good things about you. How you’re an ace detective and how you cansolve a mystery even when the police are completely stuck?”

That pleading look was affecting Odelia deeply. And even though she had no idea how to help Rose, she found her resolve weakening under the onslaught of the teenager’s insistence. “Oh, all right,” she said finally. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!” said Rose, and promptly slung her arms around Odelia’s sweaty neck and gave her a bone-crushing hug. When she released her, the young girl’s eyes were sparkling. “Cole thinks I’m cheating on him, you see. He thinks I have another boyfriend and it’s him that’s been sending me these messages. If I can just prove to him that it’s just some weird creep…”

Just then, Jared Zmuda stuck his head in. The gym owner was dressed in his usual attire: Iron Man tank top and fluorescent shorts.“Just to let you girls know we’ve been having some issues with the plumbing,” he said. “So if you want to take a hot shower, better do it now, before the plumber gets here.” He gave them both a toothy grin and then retreated again.

“We better take that shower,” said Odelia as she opened her locker and took out her gym bag.

“So how do you want to do this?” asked the girl. “Do you need my phone or do I forward you these messages?”

“I think you better give me your phone so I can take a closer look,” said Odelia.

Rose handed her the phone with obvious reluctance. As was the way with many people, especially teenagers, obviously the girl’s world revolved around that small device.

“I’ll give it back to you as soon as I can,” Odelia promised.

“But how will you reach me?”

“Do you have a second phone? Or a regular home phone?”

The girl nodded, and gave Odelia her home address, phone number and the number of her boyfriend.“Best to call Cole, though. I don’t want my dad to know about this, or Daphne.”

“Who’s Daphne?”

Rose grimaced.“My stepmom. We don’t exactly get along. Not that I get along with my dad either. He’s a banker and obsessed with his job. But not too obsessed that he’s not always on my case.” She sighed an exaggerated sigh. “He doesn’t like Cole, you see. Thinks he’s not right for me.”

Jared stuck his head in the door again.“Final warning,” he said. “ETA on the plumber is ten minutes. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” And he gave the doorjamb a pat before retracting his head again.

Odelia placed Rose’s phone in her gym bag. The girl had opened her locker but hesitated then turned to face Odelia. “How… how much is your fee, Odelia? It’s just that… my dad may be loaded, but he’s really stingy. I do work weekends at Denny’s, and—”

“No fee,” Odelia cut into the girl’s explanations about her impecuniousness.

“Oh, but you have to let me pay you.”