Chapter 4

I heard Caitlin spent ten days in jail. I sent the officers a thank-you card.

A week later, my company sent me out of town on a two-week business trip. When I got home, my front door was missing, and cold air poured out into the hallway.

Caitlin's door was wide open. She stepped into the hall, leading with her belly.

"So that's where you've been! I couldn't get hold of you, so I had to hire someone to remove your door. What a hassle! And what's wrong with your AC? It's been running for days, and my apartment's still hot. You need to replace it!"

My chest tightened with anger. I pointed at the empty doorway. "You realize you broke the law, right?"

Caitlin rolled her eyes. "I gave you 750, didn't I? That should cover the door and a few electric bills. You've already got my money, so what's the problem with me using your AC?"

She actually seemed to think that payment entitled her to my apartment.

I pulled out my phone and called the police without another word.

Both officers who responded were there the last time. Their expressions darkened the moment they recognized us.

"She hired someone to take my door off. Then she let herself in while I was away and turned on my AC. I need to check my security footage to see what else she did."

After hearing the story, the officers told Caitlin she could be held responsible for the damage and other costs.

She snorted.

"I already gave that witch 750 dollars! That should cover years of using her AC! My husband's away on a classified government assignment. When he gets back, you two nobodies will be begging him to let you keep your jobs!"

Neither officer seemed to know what to say to that. Then one of them stepped forward and cuffed her.

"Sure. He can come talk to us."

They took Caitlin to the station again.

After that night, trash started appearing outside my door.

At first, it was just a small bag, but soon, there were piles of rotting food, sometimes with feces mixed in.

Caitlin also poured spoiled soup and mystery liquids under my door. By the time I got home, the heat made the mess smell unbearable.

The stench seeped into my apartment, and no amount of odor eliminator got rid of it.

Whenever I called the police, Caitlin pulled the same stunt. She climbed onto her windowsill and screamed that they were driving an innocent woman to her death.

Eventually, the officers stopped intervening and told us to settle it ourselves. One even told me to stop calling over "every little thing."

Building management insisted there was nothing they could do, either.

With no one willing to help, I went online to ask for advice.

Instead, I came across a local housing post that was getting plenty of attention.

[I smashed the AC units outside my building and got evicted. I'm trying to get pregnant, but I have poor circulation and get cold easily. I desperately need an apartment with no AC!]

I read through the post carefully.

The poster was Kelsey Holmes, a newlywed trying to get pregnant.

She claimed she couldn't tolerate AC, even in the summer.

According to her, she could feel the cold when her neighbors ran theirs. So she hired someone to remove every outdoor unit in the building.

She also accidentally started a fire with a space heater and nearly burned the whole place down. The entire complex signed a petition demanding that she leave.

She sounded like the perfect neighbor for Caitlin.

Caitlin used her pregnancy and threats to jump to keep the police and management from intervening, so I found someone just as unhinged to do it for them.

Kelsey couldn't stand the cold, and Caitlin couldn't stand the heat. Those two were bound to clash.

I couldn't make Caitlin back off, but someone just as unreasonable might finally get through to her.

I contacted Kelsey right away.

[Hi, I have an apartment available for rent.]

Kelsey came over to take a look and seemed pleased with everything. Then she spotted the air conditioner, and her face fell.

"I'm extremely sensitive to the cold. I can't live somewhere with AC. Even when it's off, knowing it's there makes me feel cold."

"No problem," I said. "I'll have it removed."

She brightened immediately.

"Finally, someone reasonable!

"Everyone at my old place was out of their minds. They ran their AC every single day. Is it really that hot?

"Besides, my husband and I are trying to start a family, and people should respect that.

"My husband does classified work for the government. Our baby could grow up to be president. If all this cold keeps me from getting pregnant, the whole country loses!"

For once, I was delighted to meet someone this unreasonable.

I nodded enthusiastically.

"You're absolutely right! And you'll be happy to hear that the neighbors across the hall don't have AC, either. The woman who lives there is pregnant, so I'm sure she'll understand."

As soon as we signed the lease, I hired movers to clear out my apartment and moved into my best friend Wendy Fox's place in the next building.

We bought our apartments in the same complex at the same time. She was away on business and said I could stay at hers for a few days.

That very night, Caitlin flooded the building's group chat with angry messages, tagging me.

[Are you out of your mind? It's this hot, and you've got a heater going in there?

[If my baby dies from the heat, that's murder!

[Turn your AC on right now, or I'm calling the police!]

The messages kept coming until Kelsey finally replied, apparently unfazed.

[I'm always freezing, and we're trying for a baby. I need to keep the heat on. I'm not risking my health or my chances of getting pregnant just because you're a little hot!]