Friend Me (18 page)

Melissa would do even better. Perhaps, when the time came, she and Scott would buy a new house, closer to town. Maybe Scott didn't even like this house. Perhaps the whole plan had been Rachel's idea.

She approached the house quietly from the south, inching her way along the hedgerow by the driveway. The minivan was
parked outside, but Scott's Taurus was already parked in the garage. Why had Rachel left the minivan outside? Perhaps her side of the garage was cluttered and the minivan wouldn't fit inside right now. Probably Rachel was not a very good housekeeper. The evidence seemed to point that way, didn't it? Rachel was lazy about her appearance, lazy about her diet, and she was probably lazy about her upkeep of the house and the garage. Things would be different once Rachel was gone and she took over the house herself.

This was just a survey trip. No need to get too involved. The gray exercise suit she chose was doing a good job of making her indistinguishable from the shadowy parts of the yard she was walking in. She made a complete circuit around the house, staying just beyond the circle of light spilling down from the windows.

Those windows upstairs, those must be the
bedroom
. Though unspoken, the words stuck in her throat. The thought of that
other woman
touching Scott made her shiver in the cold night air.

Grass rustled behind her. She turned to see a pair of yellow eyes wink out to the east.

She walked on the balls of her feet, moving stealthily around toward the front of the house, where the large bay window protruded out over the front lawn. Muffled voices and children's laughter came through the panes of glass, which were misted over with condensation.

Melissa crept up to the glass and looked in from one side. The water droplets on the glass obscured her vision, but she could see movement inside. The family was there right now. The
family
.

Tentatively, using just the fingertip of her index finger, Melissa rubbed away a small circle. Yes. There was Scott, young Scotty, and the little girl, Angela. And there
she
was, too. They were all seated in a circle on the floor. In the middle of the circle was a little puppy, some kind of terrier. A perfect family scene. Just like you'd find in a magazine.

A sickening, acidic rush of saliva filled her mouth. She dropped her head, letting it run out onto the mulch beneath her feet.

It wasn't enough. As vomit rose in her throat, she covered her mouth, but it was too late. Liquid gore exploded between her fingers, splattering the exercise suit and running down her arm. She turned away quickly, lest the family inside hear her outside the window. That would be a disaster. Coughing and retching, Melissa melted back into the shadows by the sides of the yard.

That was enough, all she could stand. She would never have to look on that again.

Next time she would be inside.

•  •  •

THERE WAS ONE MORE JOB
to do before she could return home. It had not been difficult to get ahold of Angie Gates's name from the Hugest Loser website. It had only been slightly more difficult to learn her address. The trailer park where she lived was only about four blocks away from the Great Kids Preschool.

Clouds moved across the face of the moon. A cool mist hung in the air. She parked the Audi near the children's playground and retrieved the box cutter from the glove compartment of the automobile. She closed the door of the car and
waited for the interior lights to go out. Then she stood in the darkness for a few more minutes just to make sure no one had noticed her approach.

She walked along the roadway between the closely packed mobile homes, careful to stay out of the light, until she found the turn that was marked Duck Way. Angie Gates lived at lot number 221. As she moved along in the darkness, small sounds came from the shrubs and bushes, unseen animals on their nocturnal business.

The old, beat-up Dodge Omni was parked outside the trailer. Curtains were pulled across all the mobile home's windows, so there was little likelihood of anyone looking out. That was good. Even the sounds of the small creatures all around her seemed to quiet as she approached the old Dodge.

Melissa knelt down next to the driver's side front wheel and carefully cut the sidewall of the tire, being cautious to let the air out slowly and quietly. It escaped with a gentle hiss as the Omni brought its face down in a sign of apparent obedience. The front tire complete, she went to a back tire and did the same. Many people might have a spare, but hardly anyone had two spares. They wouldn't be going anywhere soon in the morning.

As silently as she had come, she made her way back down Duck Way, around the turn, and back to where she had left the Audi.

Again she paused in the darkness, listening for any sound of people. There was none.

She got in the car and drove away, ready for the next step.

The New Babysitter

M
elissa parked the Audi in front of Talbot Junior High School. There were only two other cars in the parking lot. She easily found a spot that would be shaded from direct sunlight. Angie Gates's Dodge Omni was nowhere to be seen.
Perfect
.

She pulled open one side of the large double door and walked into the old school building. From Rachel's description she found her way down to the gymnasium, where the Hugest Losers met. The padded soles of her exercise shoes made no noise as she walked down the wide hallway past the old lockers.

From the hallway Melissa heard Julia Tybalt in a little coach's room next to the gymnasium.

She talked in a high voice on her cell phone. “Angie's stuck at home and I have to get someone, Carol. I don't have any options. Do you know anyone?”

Julia shook her head vigorously.

“No. She says some teenagers cut her tires last night, and her husband is out getting some used ones to put on. She's stuck there taking care of his mother while he's gone. Marianne
won't be here for another hour because she has a doctor's appointment.

“I don't know what I'm going to do. People are going to start showing up any minute.”

She looked up and saw Melissa standing there. “I'll call you back, Carol. Someone's here. Do what you can, okay?”

She stood up, smiled, and extended her hand toward Melissa. “Good morning, my name is Julia Tybalt. Are you here for Hugest Losers?”

“Actually,” said Melissa, “I was hoping you needed some help. Babysitting, organizing, whatever you have. I have mornings free and I've noticed lots of people coming over here all the time. I live just a block away.”

Julia Tybalt opened her mouth with a gasp. She asked, “You can do childcare? Have you had any experience?”

“More experience with that than anything else. I have three of my own, but they're all in school right now. When they were young I babysat in my home for two other children.”

Time to turn on the charm
.

Melissa smiled warmly, nodding her head.

You need me, Julia. I'm the sweetest person you ever met
.

“Oh, yes. I think I can say I have some experience.”

Julia's shoulders relaxed as she took a step backward toward her desk. Hope seemed to kindle in her eyes.

“Can you start today? The young lady that usually comes in to help me has had some car trouble and her coworker had to go to the doctor. I could really use some help.”

And here's the hook
.

“Well,” said Melissa, “I suppose I could. I didn't expect anything so quickly. I did bring this along, though.” She produced
an official-looking form titled
Background Check
. “We all had to have these at the last place I worked.”

Julia Tybalt took the form and gave it a cursory glance, noticing all the official-looking language and blocks of information. “This is great.”

She rattled open a drawer and retrieved a job application. “You're an answer to prayer. Here, just fill this out. I only need the basic information: name, Social Security number, address, telephone. You can put all the references down later on. Right now I need to get you into the childcare room and get you acquainted with what we have.”

“Why, thank you so much. I'm so glad it worked out like this, although I'm sorry the other ladies are having trouble.”

“Things happen. There's nothing we can do. But you're here now and that's going to be a lot of help. By the way, I don't think I even asked you your name.”

“Alicia.”

“Okay, Alicia. We'll have the kids call you Miss Alicia. We like the children to be respectful. Come with me now and I'll show you where you'll be working. I think you'll be able to expect twelve to eighteen children this morning, not all at once, but steady until about twelve o'clock noon. Usually there'll be two of you in here. I'll ask one of the mothers to stay with you until Marianne gets in. Sound all right with you?”

“It sounds wonderful, Mrs. Tybalt. Lead on. I'm right behind you.”

The childcare area was in an old classroom divided into two areas, one for toddlers and the other for older children to play in. The door had been replaced at some point with a divided
Dutch door so the workers inside could talk to the parents without fully opening the doorway.

Melissa stepped inside and saw that two large rag rugs and other large pieces of carpeting had been laid down on the old tile floor for children to play on.

There were plastic trucks, Barbie dolls, and plush toys in abundance. Four or five large beanbag chairs lay in the corners against the wall.

Mrs. Tybalt showed Melissa where the bathrooms were and how to log the children in and out on the childcare register. “We usually just let the children nap on the floor. There are some play mats rolled up in the back, too.”

“Now, don't you be embarrassed if some of the mothers want to give you a tip. We offer the childcare service for free, but most of them like to do something. So don't turn it down if they offer it to you. No one could make a living on what we pay for childcare.”

Melissa smiled sweetly. “Thank you, Mrs. Tybalt. I'm sure it's going to work out just perfectly. I feel right at home already. You just go on back to the gymnasium and don't you worry about a thing. There's nothing here I can't take care of.”

Julia Tybalt's eyes brightened. It looked like the weight of the world had been lifted from her shoulders. “Okay, Alicia. You've got my cell phone number, so you just call me over in the office if you need anything at all, all right? We don't have any intercom system here. And please, I'm just Julia.”

She hugged the older woman. “No problem, Julia. Don't worry about anything.”

Melissa turned around and began arranging things for the children who would begin arriving in the next few minutes. She
wanted to have everything just right. It had to be
just right
. This would be her first time with Angela Douglas.

•  •  •

RACHEL HANDED ANGELA
over the Dutch door to the new babysitter. Melissa plucked Angela out of her hands and set her on the floor just on the other side of the door.

Peeking over her shoulder, Rachel saw four or five other children already busy with activities in the room behind the door. “I don't think I know you. My name is Rachel. Rachel Douglas. Where are Angie and Marianne this morning?”

Melissa smiled and put out her hand. “My name is Alicia. I'll be working in here regularly from now on. Angie evidently had some car trouble this morning and couldn't get in on time. She'll be back tomorrow. I think Marianne had a doctor's appointment, but should be here soon. Mrs. Tybalt said something about it.”

Angela pulled herself to her feet and looked at her mother.

Rachel bent over the door and rubbed Angela's back. “Don't you worry about a thing; Miss Alicia will take care of you. She seems very, very nice, doesn't she? I'm sure you two will have lots of fun together.”

Just go do your workout. You're superfluous now
.

“I'm sure we will, Mrs. Douglas. I'll take care of your little girl just as if she were my very own.”

As Rachel turned and walked off toward her exercise group, Miss Alicia took Angela's hand into her own, turned her away from the empty doorway, and said, “I feel like I've always wanted to meet you, sweetheart.”

Sounds of Richard Simmons's “Sweatin' to the Oldies” reverberated up and down the hallway.

•  •  •

RACHEL STUCK WITH RICHARD SIMMONS
through thick and thin, never quitting, no matter how worn out she became. Most of the other women dropped out, then resumed after rest breaks, but Rachel worked right on through.

She pulled the sweatband back from her forehead and up into her hair. Her legs ached, and she felt as limp as the damp exercise suit she wore. She'd better get Angela now and go home to do the housework before it was time to pick up Scotty from preschool. Then she'd start supper for Scott.

She waved to the smiling Mrs. Tybalt in the old coach's office as she went out.

Mrs. Tybalt waved back in return.

When she got to the childcare room she leaned over the split door and looked at the children playing inside. There was Angela, busy with Play-Doh, Miss Alicia helping her. “Angela, are you ready to go home now?”

Angela looked up from her work with a frown. “Can I finish my castle, Mommy? Can I?”

Miss Alicia looked at Rachel and raised her hands as if in surrender. “She's having a great time. She's a smart little girl, Mrs. Douglas. If you want to let her play a little longer, it's okay with me.”

Rachel stopped to study the new babysitter. Alicia was slender, more attractive than Rachel herself. Probably one of those lucky women who have never had a weight problem. Skin that looked like it had been poured out of a bottle.