Chapter

Nate hadn’t known what to expect when he got into work the next day. He certainly didn’t expect the uproar that greeted him. He walked into the office, and before both feet were in the door everyone was laughing.

“What now?” he asked, defensive.

“You apologized to a wack job, that’s what,” Officer Trevose said.

“There was actually someone at her window! Doesn’t sound like a wack job to me. Besides, where’d you hear that?”

“Cops have ears everywhere,” Jessica responded. “Besides, we got a call from her claiming someone was around her house again in the wee hours of the morning, while Peterson was here sleeping it off.”

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“Are we sure?” she scoffed. “No, Peterson let himself out for a couple hours, then snuck back in and locked himself up as if nothing had happened.”

“And there wasn’t anyone else?”

“Nope. I’m starting to believe Peterson, that the flowers were just a joke. She’s as crazy as her mother.”

Nate felt his cheeks flush and felt like an idiot. He should never have believed her, much less apologize to her. She probably was crazy too and had thought she saw someone when no one was there. He didn’t see any need to believe her any more than he saw a need to jump into a river in early February. She had made him look stupid. He wasn’t going to make that mistake again.

“Well, you have to admit he looked good for it,” he said.

“Maybe you learned not to apologize,” Jessica said. “It’s admitting you did something wrong.”

“But maybe I did, refusing to believe her.”

“She’s crazy.”

“But we didn’t know that.”

“Oh, come on, it runs in the family. You grew up here; you knew that.”

It was common knowledge that Delores Babcock suffered from schizophrenia. From what Nate understood, they had gotten their number of calls from her back in the day. He wondered if Dove would have to be added to the list of callers they didn’t worry about. It didn’t seem fair to her, but it didn’t seem fair to him to have his whole new precinct think he was an idiot. There just seemed to be no middle ground.

“Well, I guess I won’t make that mistake again,” Nate said. The more he thought about it, the more he felt like he had in fact made a mistake. His gut had told him from the beginning that she was making it up. There had been no marks in the grass or flower bushes, no threatening notes or phone calls, at least until the flowers, and no other complaining witnesses. All the neighbors said to have seen nothing when they first asked, and as far as he knew, nothing had changed. It was stupid of him to think maybe there was something.

“She doesn’t even deserve to have her complaints looked into,” Officer Trevose spoke up. “You know she held back my kid, right?”

“Yes, Trevose,” Jessica said, rolling her eyes. “Everyone knows she held back your kid.”

Nate wanted to yell at him, to protect her. Of course she still deserved to have her complaints looked into. Even with everyone going on, she still deserved to have her complaints looked into. They were officers, after all. But he wasn’t sure of the point of arguing.

“I swear someone was there again!” Dove said, her voice rising.

“Will you stop yelling before someone calls the cops on you?” Teressa said.

“Then believe me!”

“Dove,” she said softly. “I want to believe you. I do. But no one else has seen anyone. I asked the neighbors myself. Maybe it’s time for you to talk to someone—you know, a professional—just to be certain.”

“A professional?” Dove found herself screaming even louder.

“Dove, Dove, calm down. Don’t blow this out of proportion. It’s just a simple checkup. You get checkups from your regular doctor, don’t you?” Teressa asked.

Dove knew she needed to calm herself, but she didn’t really see how. Her friends were telling her she was losing her mind, and just because one guy was stalking her. Of course the neighbors couldn’t see him; he was careful. Maybe even someone they expected to be there. No matter what, she had seen someone. He was there. She was going to keep calling until someone else saw him. Whatever it took.

“So will you see someone?” Teressa asked, and Dove regretted not speaking up sooner.

“No.”

“Think about how much better your mother has been doing since she got help. Maybe you wouldn’t have to be so scared. I know you’re here all alone, but I can’t keep coming over. I have a diner to run. Jeff has already been getting annoyed with how much I’ve been leaving this week.”

“You’re my best friend. Aren’t I worth a bit extra of your time?”

“It’s my job, Dove. I wouldn’t expect you to leave your classroom for me.”

“That’s different.”

“I really don’t think it is,” she answered.

Dove thought it through for a moment. She supposed it wasn’t. It didn’t seem fair to expect Teressa to put so much time towards helping her. Maybe it would make people take things more seriously if she proved she wasn’t mentally ill. Maybe it would calm some of her own fears, ones hidden in the darkest corner in the back of her head. She just had to talk to someone, anyone, and they’d see she was sane. She just wanted to go to a therapist out of town. She didn’t want someone thinking she was her mother all over again.