Neighborhood Watch (15 page)

Kristin looked at Arlene Hoffman who looked so devastated, she appeared to be

shrinking by the moment.

“No, I’m comfortable with you, Doctor Hoffman.”

“Well, you’re very generous and understanding, Mrs. Morris.”

“I’m sorry,” Arlene said again and then left quickly.

“She really isn’t a mean-spirited person,” Doctor Hoffman said as soon as his wife was gone. “I’m sure she had no idea the information would be spread.”

“Who would?” Kristin quipped. Doctor Hoffman smiled and shook his head.

“Exactly. Who would?”

“I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks it was bizarre.”

“Life in suburbia has its problems too, I guess. Anyway, let’s concentrate on the future,”

he said and then he narrowed his eyes with determination. “There’ll be no miscarriage this time.”

“I hope not,” Kristin said softly. “I hope not.”

Later as Kristin served dinner, Teddy listened to her description of the office visit and her discovery.

“I actually felt more sorry for his wife,” she said sitting at the table. Teddy nodded and then shook his head. Kristin leaned forward, her eyes wide with fury. “Nikki Stanley lied to me, you know. She knew very well where she had gotten the information.”

“She probably didn’t want to implicate Doctor Hoffman’s wife.”

“But why put the information in then?”

“Overly enthusiastic, I guess. They get so excited about what they’re doing and they’re so proud of this development and how it’s being run,” Teddy offered. Kristin sat back, disappointed. Maybe it came from his being a doctor, but Teddy always had such control of his emotions.

“That’s no defense,” she insisted.

“No. It’s just an explanation, but she did apologize and they did retract the pages. What else can we ask for, Kristin? Blood?”

She glared ahead for a moment, her ire diminishing because of Teddy’s calmness.

“How was your examination?” he asked. “That’s far more important.”

“He said everything looks good and I haven’t gained too much weight.”

“Great. You like him as a doctor?”

“Yes.”

Teddy shrugged.

“So let’s drop the other matter,” he suggested and started to describe his work. “At the end of the day, Hank Porter came over to my office to tell me one of my patients had recommended me to Ben Stuart, who owns and operates a laundry with about a hundred

employees. As a result Stuart called to get into our group. I mentioned that Phil Slater had said something about it when I called him yesterday. Hank wasn’t surprised. You know what he said?”

She shook her head.

“He said it wasn’t the first time someone from Emerald Lakes helped someone else from Emerald Lakes. He was envious of our family loyalty and support for each other.”

“Family?”

“That’s the way he put it. Made me feel . . . I don’t know . . . part of something bigger.

Know what I mean?”

“No,” she said, but then added, “but maybe that’s because you’re in contact with so many more people than I am these days.”

He nodded. After dinner he helped clean up, both of them eyeing the clock.

“Maybe we should bring Mr. Sniffles with us, Teddy. If they see how small the dog is and how cute . . .”

“I don’t know if Marilyn Slater would appreciate our bringing a dog into her home.

Some people have allergies to animals, too.”

When they were finished in the kitchen, Kristin went to the bedroom to fix her hair and put on some lipstick. She was surprised at how her hand trembled when she gazed at

herself in the mirror. She was disturbed about her own nervousness. The telephone’s ringing startled her and she pressed her hand to her heart. Teddy was in the bathroom, so she picked up the receiver.

“Hello.”

“This Kristin Morris?”

“Yes?”

“Angela Del Marco. We met briefly the other day.”

“Oh, yes.”

“I’m sorry about my abruptness, but I was in a rather bad mood considering what had happened.”

“I understand. Is everything all right now?”

“No. That’s why I’m calling. How much did you see?”

“How much did I see? I saw the security guard go around to the rear of your house. I was in the rear of mine so I saw him try your patio door and then break the window and go into your house. I ran to the front but by the time I reached your house, the security guards were coming out.”

“So you didn’t see the other one open the front door? I was hoping you had.”

“Open the front door? No. Was it unlocked?”

“He said it was, but I know it was locked. They have keys to our homes. I’ve always suspected that and I was hoping you saw him unlock the front door.”

“No, I’m sorry. But if they had a key to your house, why would they break in?”

“That’s the point,” Angela said dryly.

“Didn’t you hear them ring the doorbell?”

“They never did, although they said they did. They just came busting in on me. I was in the tub.”

“Oh . . . I’m sorry. That’s very disturbing.”

“You’re sure you didn’t see any of this? You were in the front of the house when I came out,” she said with some accusation in her tone.

“No. I’m sorry.”

“If you did see it, would you tell me?”

“Of course.”

“Maybe you would,” Angela said after a moment’s thought. “You’re still new here. After a while you wouldn’t,” she added dryly.

“That’s not true,” Kristin retorted sharply. “Anyway, why don’t you complain about this to the board? There’s a meeting tonight. My husband and I are just about to go to ask for a variance.”

“For your poodle. I know.”

“You do?”

“Honey, you don’t so much as get constipated here without someone coming over with a laxative. You’ll see. Anyway, take some advice from someone who’s learning. Whatever the committee decides about your dog, accept it gracefully. Thank them for their time and go home with your tail between your legs. That is, if you want to live and play at Emerald Lakes,” she added. “Thanks. Good luck.”

She hung up before Kristin could say anything. She stood there holding the receiver.

“Who was that?” Teddy asked.

“Angela Del Marco. She said she thinks the security force has keys to our homes. She thinks they lied about trying the door buzzer and deliberately busted in on her.”

“Why would they do that?” Teddy asked smiling.

“Because she complained about something, I think.”

“Oh, come on, Kristin. The woman’s a bit of a troublemaker. I already heard something about her today.”

“From who?”

“Larry Sommers. He’s one of the trustees.”

“When did you speak with him?”

Teddy smiled.

“When I went to see him about a new car. He sells Lexuses,” he said. “I was told he gives Emerald Lakes residents a good deal and he does. We talked about the development a bit and the situation over at the Del Marcos’ house came up.”

“You used to tell me before you would go out and do something like buy a new car,

Teddy.”

“I wanted to surprise you. Because of the deal we got here and the money I’m making, we can afford it.”

“And he told you Angela Del Marco was a troublemaker?”

“Well, there have been complaints about some of the things they’ve done around their house and when she’s been approached, she’s been very uncooperative. They don’t fine people that often, but they had to fine the Del Marcos.”

“For what?”

“Dangling cans off the roof for the kids to use as a basketball net. Unsightly and noisy,”

he added.

She thought a moment.

“Funny,” she said. “For people who discourage gossiping about each other, it’s amazing how much of it is done.”

“Long as it’s with each other and not the outside world,” Teddy said.

“The outside world? Jean Levine referred to it that way when I asked her if she had heard about Elaine Feinberg. I wonder how long before I do, too.”

“Not long,” Teddy said smiling. He meant it as something good, but she didn’t smile.

She wasn’t sure.

7

MARILYN
S
LATER SAT IN HER ROCKERand watched them walking up the street,

their little girl between them, holding their hands, adorable in her flamingo pink dress with a matching bow ribbon in her hair. She knew why the Morrises were coming.

Philip sounded so sweet and reasonable on the phone the night before, but the moment he had hung up that receiver and turned, Marilyn had seen the rage in his eyes.

“Supposed grown-ups,” he said through his clenched teeth, “mature, even professionals.

First, they don’t read what they’re supposed to read, and then, when they do, they’re like children thinking they’re somehow special. The rules apply to someone else, but not to them.

“And the rules . . . they’re written so clearly, precisely, carefully, no one could possibly misunderstand. We didn’t create this whole thing overnight. It came from painstaking, careful research, days and hours of learning what works and what doesn’t in other

communities like ours. We evolved into the best, and yet, someone always wants a

variance. Someone always wants to be treated special. Someone’s always trying to

weaken the security we’ve walled around ourselves and our property.”

“Why didn’t you tell him all that on the phone, Philip?” she asked innocently. He looked at her as if he just realized she was alive and living with him.

“What? What are you talking about, Marilyn? That’s not the way these things are

handled. We have a specific, detailed, well thought out procedure for this sort of thing.

My committee handles it and has handled it in the past.”

“You’re the committee, Philip.”

“Stop that,” he said, his face becoming even more crimson. “I guide them, I lead them, but I don’t—”

“Control them?”

“Right. They each have a mind of their own.”

“Who has ever voted against something you wanted or didn’t want, Philip? Tell me,” she challenged. “Nikki Stanley? I can’t even imagine it. Vincent McShane? He trembles

when you look at him. Sid Levine? Larry Sommers? They’re all dependent upon you in

some business way.”

“Just because our decisions are reported as unanimous, that doesn’t mean no one

disagreed with me, Marilyn. We like to present ourselves to the development as united.

Anyway, why are you suddenly so concerned? You rarely comment on development

affairs,” he said.

She turned away, but he pursued her.

“What is it? What’s bothering you?”

She didn’t want him to know just how much and how long she had been watching the

Morrises. She was always at the window when the children returned from school and saw Kristin Morris greet her little girl. The love she witnessed filled her heart with joy and made it possible for her to close her eyes and remember Bradley running up the drive after he returned from school. The Morrises, unlike any other family in the development, appeared to be the family she wished she and Philip had been.

“I’d like to see some happy people for a change,” she said softly, almost too softly for him to hear, but he did.

“What? Who’s not happy living here? Just tell me one person. Go on. Who?”

“I’m not,” she said.

“Don’t be ridiculous. Besides,” he said, “I told you I was building us a bigger and nicer house on the lake. I’m bringing the plans home tomorrow and I want you to start thinking about the decor. I want something different. I’m sure you do, too.”

“If I don’t, can I disagree?”

“It’s our house, Marilyn. We have to agree.”

“And appear unanimous?” She laughed. “All right, Philip. Bring home the plans,” she said. Maybe, she thought, if she got involved in something as big as a new house, she would revive some dead emotions and feel alive again.

However, today, when he had brought the plans home and had spread them out on the

table in his office, she had looked up with surprise.

“It’s a two story, Philip.”

“Right,” he said. “You always wanted a spiral staircase. Now you’ll have it.”

“But two-story homes are prohibited at Emerald Lakes. You said they inhibit other

people’s views.”

“We’ll get the committee to grant a variance in this case,” he said.

“You mean ask for special treatment like the Morrises are asking?” she responded.

His smile faded quickly and he rolled up the plans.

“This is different,” he said sharply. “It’s located where it won’t block anyone’s view and it’s something that will enhance our property values here, not detract from them. It’s in everyone’s best interest.

“A dog,” he said firmly, “is not.”

Why isn’t a dog in everyone’s best interest? she wondered now as she watched the

Morrises turn up the driveway toward the front door. What’s wrong with someone having a nice pet? She would be terrible if she had to sit on Philip’s committee and make

decisions. She would grant everyone’s little variances.

The doorbell sounded. Marilyn rose to answer it because the committee was already

meeting in Philip’s office and Philip hated to be interrupted.

“Hello,” she said.

“Good evening,” Teddy said. “I’m Teddy Morris and this is my wife, Kristin, and our daughter, Jennifer.”

“I know. Come in. Please,” Marilyn said stepping back.

Kristin, who was so tense she thought she clicked when she walked, unfroze her face and smiled. Marilyn Slater was much prettier and even much younger than she had

anticipated. Her eyes were soft and warm, but they were set in a face framed with

lacquered hair, not a strand out of place. This plastic-perfect demeanor was continued by her model’s correct posture. She wore a stylish iridescent green dress with a bronze silk blazer and a flat, gold necklace with teardrop gold earrings.

“Please,” Marilyn said indicating the living room. “Make yourselves comfortable while I go tell the committee you’ve arrived.”

“Thank you,” Teddy said.

Marilyn flashed a smile and then went down the corridor to the office. Teddy and Kristin looked around, Jennifer not letting go of either of their hands.