The Dead Father's Bracelet

VIKTOR

"Hello," she replied.

Her voice carried a frantic, breathless edge that instantly caught my attention. I pulled my chest away from the heavy oak desk, leaving the stack of shipping manifests untouched. I had felt a sudden, inexplicable urge to hear her voice and check on her, but the anxiety bleeding through the phone line told me something had happened.

"What is wrong?" I asked.

"Carme