Helena’s looks busy, and I almost lose my nerve.
It’s the middle of the morning, but apparently, it’s peak shopping hours. At least half a dozen women are inside the small store, browsing the overpriced clothing and handbags. I remember how excited I was when Maria mentioned getting a discount to shop here. Back then, that was the most important thing to me.
I’ve got to get to the bottom of this. Maria has it out for me, and I don’t understand why. Does it have something to do with Sean? Obviously, she doesn’t like me being around her husband. But this seems rather extreme. And I was getting those text messages before I even met Sean Cooper. Did she just see me on my front lawn when she moved in and think to herself, “Hey, I’d like to ruin this woman’s life!”
Or maybe she decided before that. I can’t shake that familiar feeling I got when I first laid eyes on Maria.
And that first day, when I found Bobby in her house. She claimed he had wandered over there, but Bobby said she had invited him. I dismissed it as a lie at the time because she sounded so sincere, but maybe he was telling the truth. Maybe it was all a trick to frighten me. After all, somebody sent me that text.
I take a deep breath and stride into Helena’s. I catch sight of the row of scarves that I had been coveting for months and shake my head in disgust. I don’t want anything from the store anymore. I just want Maria out of my life.
Maria is helping one of the customers. The customer is holding a handbag, and Maria is extolling the handbag’s many virtues. She’s smiling so that you can see her dimples. She looks sweet. Like the sort of person you would want to buy something from. Someone you can trust.
Ha.
I go over to the desk in the back to wait for her. I noticed her purse is hanging off the edge of the chair where she usually sits. That’s when I remember that burner phone I found in her purse the other day. I bet I could find it and prove that she’s the one who’s been torturing me.
I take one last look to confirm she’s distracted by the customer. Then I nudge her purse open, and sift through it with my right hand, all the while keeping my eyes on her. I feel her wallet, a pack of tissues, her regular iPhone, and her house keys. But that’s it. No flip phone.
It’s gone. Damn it. She must’ve hidden it away somewhere.
Fine. Maybe I’m not going to find any evidence but I don’t need it—I can still confront her. I back away from the desk and walk right up to where she’s still chatting up the customer.
I wait a couple of seconds for her to finish up, but I can’t wait any longer than that. Now that I’m here and I’m doing this, I want to get it over with. “Maria,” I say.
She turns her head and the smile immediately drops off her face. “April,” she says. “I’m busy.”
“I need to talk to you.” I shift between my feet. “Please.”
Maria sighs. She smiles politely at the customer. “Can you please excuse me for just a moment?”
Without looking at me, she stomps off to the side so we can have some privacy. I follow her, my stomach full of butterflies. Am I really going to do this? Am I really going to confront this woman?
Maria finally turns to look at me. She folds her arms across her chest. “What do you want, April?”
Somehow, I had expected Maria to be more defensive. I swallow hard. “I want to talk to you about the things you’ve been saying about me. And about the things your son has been saying about Bobby.”
Her expression gives nothing away. “Yes. What is it?”
I frown. “Did you tell Julie I’ve been stealing money from the PTA?” “I don’t want to get involved in this. Really.”
“Bullshit.” I feel a vein start to throb in my temple. “You set me up.
The same way Owen set Bobby up.”
She laughs. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Owen is seven years old.
What exactly are you accusing my son of?”
“I just… I know what you’re up to. Why do you have it in for me? What did I ever do to you?” The vein starts to throb harder. “All I ever did was be friendly to you. I made Bobby be friends with your weirdo kid. I even got Owen on the soccer team.”
are.”
“Gee, thanks. That was so kind of you. What a kind, lovely person you
“Is it because your husband thinks I’m attractive?” I remember the
way Sean Cooper looked terrified to even breathe on me. “Is that why you hate me so much?”
Maria’s jaw twitches. “Get out of my store.”
“You won’t get away with this.” I jab her in the chest with my index finger. “Believe me, I’m going to make sure everybody knows exactly what kind of person you are.”
I spin on my heel and walk away, before she can get in the last word. I head straight for the corner with the silk scarves, and I hide there for a few moments, trying to compose myself. It’s not like me to talk to people like that—at all. I’m generally very timid.
But it felt pretty good.
Of course, I don’t know what to do next. Maria has it out for me… but why? Did I do something to her?
Maybe the place to begin is with Mrs. Kirkland. I remember what her niece said when she came to visit about that life alert necklace.
She was scared about breaking a hip, you know? I couldn’t believe she didn’t have it on.
I wonder how bad Maria wanted to live in the house next to me… Could it really be Maria who has been sending me those text messages
and writing all those nasty comments on YouTube? Did she throw the rock through my window? It’s so hard to imagine. I only met the woman a few months ago. How could she hate me enough to do something like that to me? Most people like me.
I shake my head. I’ve got to get out of here. I’m not thinking clearly right now. I’m going to go home, take a shower, and maybe bake some cookies. Something will come to me.
But as I reach the exit, an alarm sounds so loudly, they could probably hear it two stores down. I freeze, looking around, utterly confused.
That was the same sound that went off when the babysitter had that necklace in her purse. But I didn’t…
“Ma’am?” It’s the big guy who stands by the entrance. I see now that his ID badge says Bill. “Ma’am, can you step back inside the store please?”
I frown, clutching my handbag to my chest. “Okay, but I don’t know what this is all about…”
“Ma’am, can you please open your purse?”
The few customers in the store have turned to look at me. This is so embarrassing. And the fact that he keeps calling me “ma’am” is only making the situation worse.
“Of course,” I murmur. “But I can assure you, there’s nothing inside.” Maria has come to join us at the front of the store. Her eyes are cold,
but I see a hint of a smile on her lips. I give my purse to Bill, who rifles through it. I feel so exposed. I just want to get this over with and get out of here. I’m starting to feel like this was all a big mistake. I shouldn’t have come here in the first place. This is Maria’s turf. I should have confronted her in a neutral place.
Every set of eyes in the store is on me. I recognize one of the mothers from school. This is not good. I remember when Bill nabbed that babysitter for stealing. The same exact thing happened to her. Everybody passing the store was staring at her as he searched her purse, the same way they’re staring at me now.
And just like back then, Bill pulls a set of silver earrings out of my bag that is clearly from the store.
My heart sinks. Oh no.
“Ma’am,” he says. “I’m going to need you to come to the back with
me.”
I can barely gasp for air. “But I didn’t—”
“I’m afraid our policy is that we prosecute all shoplifters.” Maria’s
voice is without emotion. “Bill, please call the police.”
My heart is pounding in my chest. A photograph of me kissing another man is bad for my show, but a shoplifting arrest is even worse. Maria knows how horrible this will be for me. It’s exactly what she did to the babysitter—only I know what she’s done.
“You!” I point a finger at her. “You set me up again! You planted the earrings in my bag!”
Bill and Maria exchange looks. I sound like a crazy person. I’m sure that’s what it seems like to everybody in the store.
“Ma’am.” Bill places one of his meaty hands on my upper arm. “I’d like you to come to the back with me.”
I don’t want to go with him, but I don’t have much of a choice. So I let him lead me to a room in the back.
