Helenaโs looks busy, and I almost lose my nerve.
Itโs the middle of the morning, but apparently, itโs 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.
Iโve got to get to the bottom of this. Maria has it out for me, and I donโt understand why. Does it have something to do with Sean? Obviously, she doesnโt 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, โHey, Iโd like to ruin this womanโs life!โ
Or maybe she decided before that. I canโt 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,ย somebodyย sent me that text.
I take a deep breath and stride into Helenaโs. I catch sight of the row of scarves that I had been coveting for months and shake my head in disgust. I donโt 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 handbagโs many virtues. Sheโs 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. Thatโs when I remember that burner phone I found in her purse the other day. I bet I could find it and prove that sheโs the one whoโs been torturing me.
I take one last look to confirm sheโs 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 thatโs it. No flip phone.
Itโs gone. Damn it. She mustโve hidden it away somewhere.
Fine. Maybe Iโm not going to find any evidence but I donโt need itโI can still confront her. I back away from the desk and walk right up to where sheโs still chatting up the customer.
I wait a couple of seconds for her to finish up, but I canโt wait any longer than that. Now that Iโm here and Iโm doing this, I want to get it over with. โMaria,โ I say.
She turns her head and the smile immediately drops off her face. โApril,โ she says. โIโm busy.โ
โI need to talk to you.โ I shift between my feet. โPlease.โ
Maria sighs. She smiles politely at the customer. โCan you please excuse me for just a moment?โ
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. โWhat do you want, April?โ
Somehow, I had expected Maria to be more defensive. I swallow hard. โI want to talk to you about the things youโve been saying about me. And about the things your son has been saying about Bobby.โ
Her expression gives nothing away. โYes. What is it?โ
I frown. โDid you tell Julie Iโve been stealing money from the PTA?โ โI donโt want to get involved in this. Really.โ
โBullshit.โ I feel a vein start to throb in my temple. โYou set me up.
The same way Owen set Bobby up.โ
She laughs. โYouโveย gotย to be kidding me. Owen is seven years old.
What exactly are you accusing my son of?โ
โI justโฆ I know what youโre up to. Why do you have it in for me? What did I ever do to you?โ The vein starts to throb harder. โAll 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.โ
are.โ
โGee, thanks. That was so kind of you. What a kind,ย lovelyย person you
โIs it because your husband thinks Iโm attractive?โ I remember the
way Sean Cooper looked terrified to even breathe on me. โIs that why you hate me so much?โ
Mariaโs jaw twitches. โGet out of my store.โ
โYou wonโt get away with this.โ I jab her in the chest with my index finger. โBelieve me, Iโm going to make sure everybody knows exactly what kind of person you are.โ
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. Itโs not like me to talk to people like thatโat all. Iโm generally very timid.
But it felt pretty good.
Of course, I donโt know what to do next. Maria has it out for meโฆ 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 couldnโt believe she didnโt have it on.
I wonder how bad Maria wanted to live in the house next to meโฆ 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? Itโs 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. Iโve got to get out of here. Iโm not thinking clearly right now. Iโm 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 didnโt…
โMaโam?โ Itโs the big guy who stands by the entrance. I see now that his ID badge says Bill. โMaโam, can you step back inside the store please?โ
I frown, clutching my handbag to my chest. โOkay, but I donโt know what this is all aboutโฆโ
โMaโam, can you please open your purse?โ
The few customers in the store have turned to look at me. This isย soย embarrassing. And the fact that he keeps calling me โmaโamโ is only making the situation worse.
โOf course,โ I murmur. โBut I can assure you, thereโs nothing inside.โ 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. Iโm starting to feel like this was all a big mistake. I shouldnโt have come here in the first place. This is Mariaโs 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 theyโre 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.
โMaโam,โ he says. โIโm going to need you to come to the back with
me.โ
I can barely gasp for air. โBut I didnโtโโ
โIโm afraid our policy is that we prosecute all shoplifters.โ Mariaโs
voice is without emotion. โBill, please call the police.โ
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. Itโs exactly what she did to the babysitterโonlyย Iย know what sheโs done.
โYou!โ I point a finger at her. โYou set me up again! You planted the earrings in my bag!โ
Bill and Maria exchange looks. I sound like a crazy person. Iโm sure thatโs what it seems like to everybody in the store.
โMaโam.โ Bill places one of his meaty hands on my upper arm. โIโd like you to come to the back with me.โ
I donโt want to go with him, but I donโt have much of a choice. So I let him lead me to a room in the back.