Authors: Ruth Ann Hixson
"Should I know you?" she asked.
He smiled. "I'm your Uncle Roy. When I first saw you, I thought you were your mother but that's not possible because I just spoke to her about an hour ago. She said she was just leaving Newark."
"Frank Blakely told me you have a key to my house. I'd like to have it back, please."
"Mom gave me the key because I needed to sell the household goods inside."
"I understand that. But that is over and done. I want the key. Someone broke into my house yesterday morning and he had a key."
"I know. The cops were out to talk to me. But don't forget, your mother also has a key."
"I took hers off her key ring before I left Newark. The last thing I want is for Mom to have a key to my house. Apparently she's already figured out where I am. I don't want her showing up expecting me to put her up." Sherry gave an exasperated sigh. "You must put her up. I don't have the means."
"You have a big house," he argued.
"But not much furniture. I sleep on a mattress on the floor. That is the only bed I have."
"Sherry!" came Judy's voice from behind her. "You are paid to stock shelves not socialize with the customers."
"Don't blame Sherry, Judy. It's my fault. She's my niece and I haven't seen her for fourteen years. She's grown up quite a bit since then. I'm ready to check out."
After they left her, Sherry worked harder to make up for the time she'd spent talking to her uncle. When she finished she went in search of Judy to tell her. She found her at the checkout counter.
"What do I do next?"
Judy smiled. "I'm sorry I was so harsh with you. I should have made a connection to the names but there are quite a few Winnettes around here. I must teach you to use the cash register so you can take over while I have my supper break. We get fifteen minutes. I'll go get what I want to eat and you can check me out."
Everything went smoothly after that and Sherry was feeling confident that she was learning her job quickly. She was stocking canned food when a throaty female voice behind her said, "The things you see when you don't have a gun."
Sherry whirled around and bumped into the shopping cart that Elena had pushed to form a triangle closing Sherry in between the shelves and the dolly of boxed goods. "I'm busy. If you're ready to check out, Judy is at the front of the store." She noted that all Elena had in her cart was a two-quart container of skim milk.
"I'm not ready," Elena shot back. "I'm warning you, stay away from Mark Blakely. He belongs to me."
Sherry tilted her chin up. "You broke up with him. That makes him a free man."
Elena's lips twisted into a sneer. "He'll come crawling back. He always does. Just stay away. He's mine!"
Sherry put her hand to the boxes on the dolly to push it out of her way. She'd had enough of Elena. "Go leave me alone."
Elena grabbed her wrist. "You aren't going anywhere."
"Take your hand off me!" Sherry jerked free.
Elena leaned toward her hissing like a cat. "Hsst! Stay away! He's mine."
"Did you tell him that?"
She shoved Sherry back against the shelves sending the cans she'd just stocked tumbling around her. As Elena stalked off to the checkout counter Sherry began picking up the cans wondering what she should do with the dented ones. She could hear Elena protesting loudly to Judy. She was sure Judy would be back as soon as she was free at the cash register. She was right.
Judy stood with her hands on her hips. "What did you say to Elena Bayshore to make her so mad? I know you heard her."
"The whole town heard her." Sherry stooped to pick up the last can.
"If you alienate the customers, you will be terminated."
"Just a minute! I'm the victim here. She started it. She shoved me."
"What was it all about?" Judy demanded.
"She told me to stay away from Mark Blakely."
"Well, he is her fiance."
"Not any more. She broke up with him on Sunday. Besides, there is nothing between Mark and me. He's my neighbor. That's all. The woman is crazy."
Before leaving for the night, Sherry bought two large plastic tubs for her clothes. They would take the place of a dresser. She also purchased four CFL light bulbs and some groceries.
On the way home, she noticed a car pulled out behind her and seemed to be following her. She speeded up; the car speeded up. She slowed down; the car slowed down. On a straight stretch of road she slowed to twenty-five miles an hour giving the car an opportunity to pass. The car stayed behind her. When she got near her driveway, she slowed down and flipped the turn signal lever. Just as she began to turn, the car rocketed around her. She jerked the steering wheel to the right and jammed on her brakes. After the car was past, she made her turn and pressed the button on the garage door remote.
She could see the car turning around in the Blakelys' lane. As soon as she was in the garage she pushed the button to close the door. As she got out of her car, she could see through the window in the garage door as the car drove by very slowly. With heart hammering, she unlocked the door to the breezeway and went through to unlock the door to the kitchen.
The phone was ringing so she answered it warily. Mark's voice sounded worried. "Are you okay, Sherry?"
"Yes."
"I saw Elena turn around in our lane. Why was she following you?"
"Are you sure it was Elena?"
"Silver Lexus?"
"It was silver. I didn't see what make of car."
"It was Elena," he asserted.
"She was in the store tonight." She recounted what had occurred between Elena and her. "Don't worry; I'm okay. I am also hungry so if you don't mind, I'll go bring my purchases from my car and make some supper. Good night." She hung up without giving him the chance to prolong the conversation.
****
"Now I get to go home and do the laundry," Judy said as she locked the front door to the store.
"And I get to go to the Laundromat and do my laundry," Sherry asserted.
Judy grinned at her. "Ain't life exciting?"
Sherry laughed with her. "At least tonight was more peaceful than last night. Uncle Roy brought in the key to my house but he didn't stay to talk. And Elena wasn't in."
Sherry drove to the Laundromat and carried her basket of clothes inside. After stuffing the clothes into a washer, she dropped her coins in the slot to start the machine. Then she carried a black plastic chair to sit directly in front of the washer she was using and settled down to read her mystery. She was engrossed in her reading and didn't even look up when she heard the door.
Suddenly the book was torn from her hands and slung across the room. She looked up into the green eyes of Elena Bayshore, who leaned over her.
"You didn't heed my warning. You didn't listen to the hiss. Maybe you will pay attention to the scratch." She brought her left hand forward like a claw, those long beautifully manicured nails coming closer to Sherry's face.
Sherry delivered a karate chop to her arm with enough force to cause Elena to take a step back. With her hands grasping the sides of the chair seat to brace herself, Sherry drew her knees up to her chest, and with all the strength she could muster, drove her feet against Elena's stomach, knocking Elena back against the washer and upsetting the chair.
Sherry rolled away and came to her feet. She needed room to move so she backed up to the space between the bank of washers and the dryers and set herself for Elena's next move.
"You little bastard," Elena snarled. She came for Sherry with both hands up, her fingers curved like claws.
Sherry got set to defend herself. Elena's stomach was probably the most vulnerable but Sherry would have to jump to kick her there. She side stepped to set her feet for such a kick and stepped on her book. The book slid away causing Sherry to lose her balance.
Elena took advantage of Sherry's misstep and moved in to grab a handful of Sherry's long brown hair with her right hand. That steadied Sherry's attempt to right herself. Elena pulled up moving her clawed left hand toward Sherry's face.
Sherry allowed Elena to draw her closer as she clenched her fist. She intended to take advantage of Elena's height to drive her fist to the point of Elena's chin. She put all her strength and weight in that punch.
She felt Elena's nails dig into her right cheek as she began her swing. Elena looked down at her, and instead of hitting her chin, Sherry drove her fist to Elena's nose. Blood spurted, coating Sherry's fist and spattering her face and shirt.
Elena let out a wail that was part pain, part rage. When Sherry backed away she found herself against a sink in the corner. A stack of paper towels lay on the counter. She picked up a few and stepped cautiously forward with her hand outstretched holding the towels. She made sure she stayed out of Elena's reach. Elena took the towels and pressed them to her nose, babbling something. All Sherry could understand was "...Call the police."
"I don't care if she does call the cops," Sherry muttered. She could see Elena outside with her cell phone to her ear.
She went to the sink and washed the blood from her face and hands and tried to wash the blood spatters from her green tee shirt. She would have to soak it when she got home and hope the stains hadn't set by then. She picked up her book and stuffed it into her purse which she set on the chair after she righted it.
The washer stopped spinning, so she began yanking out her clothes and dropping them into the basket. From the corner of her eye she saw the flashing lights of the police cruiser as it pulled in the parking lot.
She turned around to watch as the officer parked his car next to Elena's silver Lexus and got out. Of average height and a little overweight with a gray fringe of hair around his bald pate, he stood beneath the light standard and wrote down what Elena told him.
Sherry could hear Elena's loud accusations, but could not discern her words. She turned back to finish taking her clothes from the washer. She had just set the full basket beside the chair and added the plastic bag with her detergent and fabric softener when the officer came in the door.
He reached behind him and brought out his handcuffs. "Sherry Winnette, you are under arrest for assaulting Elena Bayshore. You have the right to remain silent..."
"It was self defense!" Sherry protested. "She attacked me!"
"You are telling me that the daughter of two prominent lawyers, the wealthiest woman around, came in here and attacked you? That's hard to believe."
"That is exactly what happened. She's been harassing me because she has it wedged crosswise in her brain that I'm having an affair with Mark Blakely."
"Are you?"
"I'm not having an affair with anyone." Sherry looked at the name tag on his uniform, "Officer Wade, I just moved here on Friday. Mark was like my big brother when I was little. His sister and I are the same age." Sherry thought a moment. "I have a question for you. Why would the wealthiest woman around be at a Laundromat? I am sure she has a washer and dryer at home. I'll tell you why. She saw my car in the lot and came in to harass me. She said I didn't listen to the hiss; maybe I'd pay attention to the scratch." Sherry indicated the fingernail impressions on her cheek.
"Hiss? Scratch?"
Sherry explained the hiss, scratch and bite scenario. "Last night she came in the dollar store where I work and shoved me back against the shelves I was stocking. You can ask Judy Beyers. Elena followed me home last night and almost made me crash my car. She's not sane."
"Tell me what happened."
Sherry explained in detail what had occurred beginning with when Elena came in the door. "I thought it was someone coming in to use the facilities. I didn't even look up until she ripped the book from my hands and flung it across the room." She went on to tell what followed.
"I still must charge you with assault but I won't take you to jail tonight."
"I have a right to defend myself!"
"Yes, you do. You can contest it at a hearing. If you can't afford a lawyer, one will be provided for you. Sign here and then I'll go out and cite Miss Bayshore for harassment."
Sherry folded her copy of the citation and put it in her purse which she slung over her shoulder. Wade opened the door for her as she picked up her basket and headed for her car.
"Don't leave just yet," he said as he went to talk to Elena.
As she set her clothes basket on the backseat, Sherry could hear him talking to Elena.
"Miss Bayshore, why are you here? I know you have a maid come in on Thursdays to do your cleaning and laundry."
"I have a dress I want dry cleaned and came in here to use their facilities. I want to wear it tomorrow."
"Show me the dress," he ordered.
She got into her car. "Go to hell! If you want it, get a search warrant." She slammed the door and drove away.
He came around Sherry's car and told her, "I'll escort you as far as the township line. I can't go beyond that unless I'm in hot pursuit."
Sherry smiled. "I could drive real fast."
He chuckled. "I don't think that's a good idea. All I can tell you is that if she follows you, call the state police. You do have a cell phone, don't you?"
"No. Cell phones cost money."
"I recommend you get one even if it's a burn phone. You need to be able to call for help."
Sherry kept looking in her rear view mirror to be sure he was following her. Though he had his lights flashing he didn't use the siren. Just as she saw his turn signal blinking, he gave a short burp of the siren to let her know she was on her own. She was nearly home when she noticed a car behind her. She slowed down to allow it to pass but it didn't so she guessed it was Elena.
She didn't know what to expect but she was certain it would be different from what had happened the previous night. She speeded up as fast as she could safely go without crashing. The car behind her stayed right with her. Sherry guessed that Elena wouldn't bump into her car from behind because it would set off her airbags. Sherry's car didn't have airbags; it was too old.
When she was ready to slow down to turn in the driveway, Sherry's whole being was on the alert for what might happen. She braked, flipped on the turn signal and made her turn without mishap. She pressed the garage door remote and drove in the garage. Glancing in her mirror she saw that Elena was right behind her. She pressed the remote to bring the garage door down. Elena would have to back up or risk having her car smashed. She backed up.